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My husband has been completely supportive, but he doesn't really understand how my world of eating has changed. I'm eating to live, not living to eat anymore. He sees that I don't eat the same stuff, but the other day asked me to grab the Oreo's from the cupboard while I was in the kitchen for him. My response was: you're putting temptation in my hands, so no, if you want them get them yourself. He instantly appologized, he didn't even think that it would be hard for me. I'm trying very hard to be strong - but really, putting them in my hands and NOT having one would be torture. Sometimes I just have to *kindly* point out that I'm really trying here, and ask him to just think a little more before he talks. I don't want him to feel like he has to eat in the other room, because I do really enjoy the few meals we get to spend together, but don't ask me to make you Pasta, scoop some ice cream, etc. It's like asking a recovering alcoholic to grab you a beer. He was very receptive. I suggest maybe just explaining that you're on a learning curve, your life has changed when it comes to food, and the temptation is strong to not eat according to plan when you see them chowing down pizza in front of you. At the same time, this was a choice you made and need to prepare yourself for a lifetime of tempting situations.

So the whole nothing to drink 15 minutes before a minute, nothing during the meal, and nothing 45 minutes after. Is that a lifelong rule? I mean, not even a sip???? I don't want to gulp, but a sip would be nice. When were you allowed to have alcohol? I'm not a big drinker, but I have a birthday coming up and would love to enjoy ONE drink with my friends, but I doubt I can. I am six weeks post op. Why can't I have salad? What does it do to the stomach that makes it temporarily off limits?

Agree with Lil Diva and thsnks fir 12 steps remimder. I used to go to OA. A few times I went to this one big AA meeting where a number of people had years and years of abstinence. There was a table loaded with sugary white flour snacks and the cigarette smoke was over whelming. The recovery from alcohol was powerful in that room but got the impression that some folks had substitute addictions. In fact some OA members with multiple addictions said it was hard to go to AA because there was always sugared food there. Btw, the best book I ever read on addiction is entitled Addiction and Grace by Gerald May. It is probably not currently in print but would be available used. Very compatible with 12 step philosophy.

I want to add to Lissa's advice. If you go in, and you wear the mask for a while without any pressure, you should then ask the techinician to 'ramp up' the pressure. This means that they will set the machine to slowly build the pressure to where it is not as noticeable of a change. A lot of the newer machines will do this automatically to help you fall asleep before the full pressure begins. You can also ask for a consult with the person who does mask fittings before your sleep study. Go in during the day and get fitted for a 2-3 masks that you find comfortable that would fit your life style. Bring the list of masks with you to your sleep study to reduce your stress. Patients tend to prefer a dental device, and studies show that CPAP/APAP machines are often more effective. ULTIMATELY, no appliance is going to work for you if you can't use it due to claustrophobia so be honest with what you feel you can handle. I work in pulmonary medicine and spend half my day with sleep patients. The biggest issue I see with CPAP therapy is patient compliance. I tell people to start off wearing their mask while they are awake watching television to try to ease the transition. I know it has to be hard to get used to wearing the mask. Personally, I brought one home to try for a week to understand how people feel. Some natural things you can do to reduce sleep apnea include losing weight, quit smoking, avoid caffeine and heavy meals a few hours prior to bed, avoid sedatives (alcohol & sleep aids)(because they relax your throat muscles during sleep), sleep on your side, keep a regular/routine sleep schedule, lift the head of your bed 6 inches, use nasal spray to keep your nasal passages open. You can also Google "throat exercises to reduce sleep apnea." Just to throw this out there - Sometimes sleep apnea is cause by another underlying condition. Also, there are surgeries which can help correct apnea.

This was a great my story. I appreciate your outlook. For so many people to say that people have this surgery for vanity you really are a poster child for what this surgery is about. Its not about vanity. Sure part of it is, it would have to be, but the majority is about life. It sounds like you have had an issue with self esteeme, though i think you would be hard pressed to find any of us on this forum that didn't at one point or another. I, like you was not always 300+ lbs. I dont know what changed but it is interesting to think that everyone does comment on eatting when your big and want to lose weight. Its not funny and its not even appropriate so i appologize if i offend anyone but i dont walk around telling a COPD patient that they shouldnt have started smoking in the first place. Or tell someone with liver disease thats an alcoholic just stop drinking. There are medical conditions and psychological conditions associated with being overweight and instead of looking at it like that they just go, Hey, stop eatting. Makes me want to go Np buddy, hey stop breathing.....mean i know.. Back to your story though, its good to read peoples feelings. I know i'm a guy and i am supposed to keep the majority of this ooshy gooshy stuff bottled up but the bottom line is thats not who i am. I am still pre-op and i only hope that i can do as well as it sounds like you have done. This world would be a lot better place if more people would work on the "heart" rather than everything else. Thanks for sharing your story and i look forward to more of your posts. Have a great evening.

I've tried plenty of alcohol, lol. It's no problem.

So basically I had some weird throat infection the entire pre-op diet week, which I only had to actually do for 1 week. So eating nothing but full liquids was fine because I didn't feel that great anyway and slept A LOT. The hardest day, believe it or not, was the clear liquid day the day before surgery. I did okay though once I got some SF jello. It's hard finding ones that are not a deep red. I did find some pink and orange ones, though! So I didn't actually feel too horribly nervous until that morning. I wasn't due until 12:30 and the hospital is about 45 minutes away. Around 10:30 AM on Wednesday (June 27) they called to ask if I wanted to come in early because they had a cancellation. I said sure but it will only be like maybe 15 minutes earlier because I live 45 minutes away. So we ended up leaving about 11:15 because I had to wait on my mom to shower. I had already done all that and my bag was packed so I was ready! We got to the hospital about 12:15 or something. We had a hard time finding where we were suppose to go but we got it. Yay! Luckily we had gotten a parking spot that was in the first row from the door so that was nice. I grabbed my bag and my turtle pillow pet and walked in, taking my piercings out and shaking all to hell trying not to fling the pieces around and get them in the baggy I brought for them. I got to the desk and they had me to go an admission desk to sign some papers and get my wrist band and some folder with stuff in it that I still haven't actually looked at. I don't know what is in it, lol. Just some papers. Anyway so they asked us to wait in the waiting room. We did not even get our butts in a chair and they had called me in, they told my mom to wait outside because they were just going to run some tests real quick that they routinely do. So they brought me in and it looked like the same pre-op area where I was with my sister at a different hospital for a pregnancy complication. Not to sound as morbid as it may but it was strangely comforting to feel like I was in a place I had seen before. I was given a cup and asked to use the bathroom and pee in the cup for a pregnancy test. They do this routinely I guess, it's mandatory. Boy was I ever exploding cuz I filled that whole entire freakin' cup! Sorry for TMI there lol. So I go back to my waiting area and asked where to put it and the nurse says to put it on a little table at the end of what was to be my bed that another nurse was writing in my chart at. So I set it there and said MERRY CHRISTMAS! And giggled nervously. She laughed at me, too. So then I was given my robe and socks and a bag to put my clothes in and told to change and they pulled the curtain. Oh man was I shaking so bad! I got it all there and put it on the chair next to the bed and sat down, she undid the curtain and I got situated on the bed and they put a warm blanket on me. Then they had a nurse come put an IV in me and it took her forever. I have tiny veins. They put a 20 in me and said it'll be good until I'm under and they'll switch it to a 18 or whatever. They drew 2 vials of blood and then whatever. Stuck some little sticker node things on me and asked me questions like who I am and what surgery I'm having. Then the anesthesiologist asked some questions too like if I have diabetes and etc I said not that I know of. It's true, I didnt know lol. They did get a CBC and whatever else with that blood they took and I never heard much back so I guess I'm ok. So then they hooked up an IV and then came the Versed. That's the happy medicine they gave me so I can relax. At some point during the questioning they got my mom for me and she was sitting with me. But once they put the IV in they made her hug me and go back to the waiting room. This was around 1:30 by this time. And then the praying hit as tears started rolling down my face when she left the room and I started praying, HARD!! But the Versed hit and I felt okay. They rolled me to the OR and I remember looking at all the gadgets in the room thinking Hey! This is just like on TV and in videos of sleeve related things I had seen before. That was comforting, too. But I was doped up on Versed so that's probably it, too. They aligned the operating bed up to my bed and locked them all in place, then had me help myself from the bed to the operating bed. I was not scared at this point but they were laying my arms out on the little arm tables and had an oxygen mask laying lightly on my face. I was okay with that! That were touching me a lot and it felt comforting. Then they said they would be making me sleepy and I was out. I remember when I first woke up they said I'm waking up and asked me how I feel. I said owww pain. It hurts. They said they are giving me pain medication RIGHT NOW. And it felt better right then. They had given me Dilaudid when I needed the rougher med but they used Toradol for inflammation and pain in the meantime and Fenergan for nausea or whatever it's called. They gave me something else right before surgery too for like acid or whatever but I forget what it was. So I was in and out a lot. Dilaudid pretty much makes me pass out. I had gotten a swab sometime in the later evening and I think a droplet had gone down my throat and I got nauseated and started dry heaving. This lasted only a brief period because the nurse took an alcohol prep pad and waved it in front of my nose telling me to breathe deep and I did. The aroma strangely made me calm down from heaving. I didn't have true on nausea at all. Just onset of heaving. I had another 2 or 3 bouts of that that night as they gave me Dilaudid but they started giving the Fenergan with it and I was fine after that. At home I dry heaved only 2 times from pain medication and that's been it. I stopped taking that nasty garbage. So at home I just staked out on the couch as best I could. Tried sipping my liquids and pacing the house or taking my dog on mini walks. It felt good to walk! I'm now 4 days out and I feel almost just fine except for 3 things. One I feel as if maybe I am getting a cold, I have that pre-cold groggy feeling. And the other 2 are pains. One is in my shoulder from gas pain, and the other is that odd diaphragm area spasming that is horrid but luckily only lasts a couple of seconds. I had trouble getting my liquids in but I'm doing okay. I feel okay and energetic during the day. I sip a little protein, a little soup, or vitamin water zero or sobe life water or just plain water. I got some pain cramping when I had colder liquids at first but it seems to do ok now. I also really like SF chocolate pudding. Im going to try a fudgsicle later tonight. As far as food goes. I get weird cravings for things. I know it's in my head and I have to control that. But sometimes I'm just confused at my body because my stomach grumbles all the time, but it gets really loud at random times and it doesn't hurt but it pangs like that familiar feeling pre-op when I would be so hungry that my stomach would growl and pang like that. So I'm not sure if I'm hungry or what. But it's really annoying and eating a little pudding or soup does alleviate it a little. Although the noises don't stop for long at all. I also wanted to add in here that I do get a bit grossed out by some foods now that I woulda just been like "ehh" about before and not really gotten that weird gag feeling when something smells or tastes gross. I can't even eat broth of any kind and some of these "cream of" soups do the same thing. I have no idea why! I do like those soups normally so not sure what the deal is now but I'm dealing with trying out other things. I realized I can get a soup that has things in it but blend and strain it afterwards and it does actually hold the tastes of everything that was in that soup. I had a tomato and rice by Campbell's and blended and strained it out and it tasted like it. I have a bacon and bean soup that's also 98% fat free that I found and i'll do the same thing with that. It sounds good, something different. I don't have to resort to only 1 kind of soup! Just strain strain strain! Another thing I did was today my parents had something for dinner in a skillet that had green beans, onions and chicken breast chunks. It had a lot of juice that tasted really delicious that I strained out and sipped on. It was really good! Other than that, I feel great. I feel super apprehensive about the type of sips I take and how much soup or pudding or whatever I should eat. I don't know what my limit is and I definitely don't want to PUSH it. I never truly feel hungry to begin with so I'm not sure when I'm FULL if that makes sense. I haven't felt much tightness yet from eating those things but I think I read a few places that people don't always feel that tightness too much until mushy phase. So I'm not too worried about it. I'm just worried about what will happen if I do push it on accident. The only other uncomfortable thing has been a couple bouts of hiccups. Those HURT! Oh my gosh do those hurt. The pain was horrid and I had a few moments in my head that I would probably not go through this again had I known how it would feel but it didn't last that long for me so I think that maybe I do not truly think that at all. If I use this tool wisely and utilize it well to lose weight like I need to then I will be fully satisfied. I just hope that I can stay on track. I know I will.

When can u have a alcoholic beverage?

I just had a checkup and I was worried that mine didn't look right, but the PA said the drain hole always looks the worst - that they are usually extra oozy (yuck!). She said to keep it uncovered and to dab it with rubbing alcohol after a shower to dry it up. Granted, mine is closed up. Well, mostly...

I feel the same way. . . I have struggled with my weight for the past 20 years and nothing worked. It is hard to make good choices every day. I know we are in "lap band he**" but my will power fads quickly. I have never had an alcohol or drug addict but I realize now how much I am / was addicted to FOOD. I am trying to figure out how to change all of these bad habits I have so this band and I can work on this together. Good post~

Not a good idea! Would anyone walk up to a person in a restaurant who was drinking alcohol and ask if they were an alcoholic or if they knew about cirrhosis? I doubt it. Have I seen people I thought could benefit from the band? Sure. But I would never in a million years tell a strainger they need weight loss surgery.

Thanks for the replies everyone! I promise I know they're empty calories and lead to eating junk food lol. I've drank alcohol before, I know the down falls, but a glass of wine every once in awhile is all I need I'll ask my dr at my appointment Tuesday! Thanks!

I drink very rarely, always have. I have not changed my habits with alcohol because of the band. Every few months I have cocktails with girlfriends or the occasional glass of wine with hubby. No difference for me. Congrats on the new job. Have your drink to celebrate!! Enjoy your life.

Been a while since I visited here...have my reasons, mainly I find it tiresome after a while, mainly dealing with the self proclaimed experts.... However.... Thought I would give a report, especially for the newbies. I go to the gym 5 days a week at 5:30 in the morning. I run for 30 minutes (3 miles), do 45 minutes of weights, then finish the workout with 20-30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical. It took me one year to reach my goal, total weight loss of 90 lbs. That was 7 months ago, and I am still loosing although very slowly now. Your body will stop loosing when it feels it is ready to. I do not count calories, measure or weigh portions. I eat when I am hungry, which is not often. I do not deny myself the little pleasures in life like desserts, ice cream, alcohol, including beer, etc, etc. I do get my daily requirements of protein, water, vitamins, amino acids, anti oxidants, etc, etc, with little or no problem every day. There are days when I just don't feel like eating at all, so i don't force it. I am not a believer in the "Starvation Mode" I have/had enough fat and glycogen stored away to use as energy, and that is what I did. All this from a man who is 60 years old, have had one heart attack that I know of, had cardiac surgery due to coronary artery disease, had diabetes that is now completely gone, had loss of circulation in lower limbs with loss of sensation (feeling) which is now a thing of the past, cholesterol, triglycerides, everything is now well within normal range. Had my stress test a few weeks back and the cardiologist could not believe he was looking at the same person. My blood work (lab results) are straight down the middle normal in every category. The band controls my eating and hunger entirely. It is NOT a tool, something that I can control. It is something that is there, constant, doing what it was designed to do. People are afraid to go to picnics, parties, etc for fear of what I'm not sure. I cannot overeat no matter how hard I try. Does not matter what food you put in front of me, the band will allow just so much then that's it. I went on a cruise a few weeks ago and I did everything I can to eat/enjoy as much as I can...Impossible! I lost weight! I do not get stuck, slimed, etc anymore. It has been a long time since that has happened. There was a phase, when transitioning into the "Green Zone" that I got stuck sometimes 2-3 times a day. But once I learned my lessons, learned how to eat like a "Skinny" person, I broke through to the other side and life has been normal ever since. The "New Normal" as my surgeon calls it. My only advice to newbies is to work the band for all it's worth. Don't settle for second best, something just to get by. Demand everything you have always expected. I make no excuses for my success and my new life...why should I care what others think? It's me they're going to put in the ground someday...then where will the critics be....I have achieved everything I ever hoped and dreamed this surgery can do for me. I was once a fat person, so i know what denial and excuses are all about.... So you may see why I don't visit here all that much any more....

I have seen many different recommendations from surgeons on here, so above all, check with your surgeon. I have seen some posts that say none for 6 months and some say none for a year. I waited almost a year, except for communion My tolerance was very low for awhile, but I have never been a big drinker. Stay away from carbonation and drink a glass of water with every alcoholic drink you have. My favorite is a bloody mary. Good luck to you on your journey!

As I am in maintenance mode, I enjoy alcohol. Just beware as you haven't consumed in a while, your tolerance may be lower. We still absorb the same, so the surgery hasn't changed anything. Keep calories in mind when consuming. Otherwise, enjoy!! :-)

The issues raised by my surgeon (and nutritionist) is that consuming alcohol is empty calories. Our caloric intake is so limited, after surgery, that wasting (or worse, adding) calories in the form of alcohol will hinder your weight loss process. Best of luck to you with your surgery!

I drink wine regularly, no differences . I'm sure you will be fine just go slow because you won't have much food in your stomach to absorb any alcohol. I usually have a glass or two at the most and I'm at home so I haven't had to drive..! Cheers !!

I was wondering if anyone have tried alcohol? I am almost 7 months out from surgery and have not had one drop of alcohol. I am wanting to have a drink Tuesday night since it is my last day at my current job of 15 years. I am moving on to bigger and better things. I am scared that I might get sick or how it will affect me. I know for sure I wont be having carbonnation OK can't spell. Haha. I tried a sparkling water once and it made me instantly sick. So maybe a margratria. What have other people tried?

Iseen the other day on cnn where people were having the surgery then becoming alcoholics instead of eating!sounds crazy to me but i dont see how if so mucb would make u wanna vomit

The transfer addiction that aviiva refers to is a real concern for many, and can turn a pre-op casual or occasional drinking relationship into full blown alcoholism, as it can turn a previous food addiction to another addictive behavior (shopping, gambling, etc.) - we have one gal in our support group who reported going to casinos where she never had any interest in them before, so it was something that she had to handle. So, finding another source of comfort should be high on your list of things to do (adopt a puppy or kitten!) The other concern with alcohol, which is a variable between different doctors, is the effect on our bodies post-op. Most docs have some restriction for a few weeks or months post-op for the benefit of allowing the stomach to heal; my doc is one who restricts its consumption during the entire weight loss period (and that's part of our psych eval - can you do without for the year or more that it takes to lose the weight?) His concern is liver health, since being obese or worse, our livers are rarely in good shape to begin with, and the liver has a major role in metabolising all the fat that we are losing during the loss phase, and it doesn't need to be taxed further by metabolising alcohol at the same time. My doc does liver transplants along with his bariatric practice, and doesn't want to see any of his bariatric patients coming back as transplant patients!

These taste so GOOD. Easy to eat (not gummy). I found these at SAMS Club, 20 grams of PROTEIN, 230-240 calories, 0 grams SUGAR (11-14g sugar alcohol), gluten free. I have 4 boys 4-17yrs, I am always on the run. I noticed on my food tracking I was way down on calories and proteins. These are easy to go and I could only eat half at a time. 15 for $18.

Ya ive been focused now on the surgery and accomplishing losing this weight i have put on from doing all that.its why im overweight in the first place.im not an alcoholic if i made it seem that way to anyone lol

Since you are saying you turned to alcohol and food that may be a problem usually addicts trade one addiction for another you may try a 12 step program our seek therapy so toy do not get caught up in that. Please work on changing your mindset and not be concerned on when toy can drink our you will be struggling with a bigger problem then weight Sent from my SPH-D700 using VST

Well i know having alcohol is bad after surgery but for the past 5 yrs i have turned to drinking and food for my comfort (this is why i am overweight).my husband passed away 5 yrs ago so this has been my comfort.what am i going to do without this after when i get stressed out?does anyone on here occasionally have a drink or how does it work?ive been told you can only drink a very small amount cause it gets you very drunk. My cousin had the bypass 5 yrs ago and i seen her downing margaritas lile nothing..any info on this would help