Search the Community

Try some lotion, sometimes a little alcohol swab helps, else just try not to bother it, my staples came out two weeks post and itched like crazy for a another week but once those scabs fell off I went to town scratching - felt good.

I hosted a family reunion at 4 months and had 3 days on non stop food of all kinds available to me. My energy level was good and I could eat protein, some veggies, and I had a couple of bites of a couple of other things. I stayed away from sweets and alcohol.

LOL i love it! same as me - i don't see any difference pre-band v. post-band on drinking alcohol - effect is the same. I did go from being a big lite beer drinker to clear (color-less) liquor - usually absolute vodka + water/crystal light - so the buzz is faster and more intense - but i attribute that to the beer v. liquor - again, though, no difference pre and post band (only difference i can see is i eat and weigh less and that may quicken the buzz - but that would happen regardless if i was banded or not)

Alcohol affects me the same as it ever did, it didnt change when i got banded. Im only really a wine drinker, one or two is enjoyable, three is a good buzz and definitely no driving, more is ugly. Same as always.

Ok, my dad went to see his doctor to see if he should do the lap band surgery or some other type of geriatric surgery since his PPO insurance covers it, but his doctor told him NO!!! It was his primary care physician that told him he is not stable enough to have the surgery performed. I told him to get a second and third opinion but he believes whatever his doctor tells him. What do you think? My dad is 64 years old He is 5'8 He weighs 330lbs He has been obese all his life Now for his current health: He is taking blood thinners He is pre-diabetic and takes Byetta injections (as recommended by this same primary care doctor) He was diagnosed with CHF about 15 years ago and is on meds for that He had back surgery twice...last one was March 2009 and takes a gazillion pain killers (but I really think he is addicted to his oxycodone and somas) He is an alcoholic (consumes daily) He has normal blood pressure (120/80) I'm no doctor but I think if he was stable for the same back surgery twice (within a year apart) then he should be able to have a simple laproscopic procedure done! Oh yeah and one more thing...he has a fear of surgery....aka...general anesthesia.

Yahoo! About two weeks before my six month surgiversary I am NORMAL! I've gone from morbidly obese (254 at start of pre-op diet on Feb. 15) to merely obese (Was 222 on day of surgery and down to 216 two weeks after surgery), to merely overweight (185 at about 2.5 months out) to today: 51/2 months and I'm NORMAL! I am so stoked! Just one pound more and I'm in the Century Club. And only 20 lbs. to goal, which will put me at a BMI of 21.8., squarely in the middle of the normal range and will let me bounce up and down 5 lbs. and not be too thin or too fat for my taste. I can feel such a difference in my health and energy levels! I am off all blood pressure and cholesterol meds. I no longer snore (per hubby :-). My knees, feet, and ankles rarely bother me. I have noticed in the last couple of weeks that my gait has changed. There is more spring in my step with nearly 100 lbs. gone. Instead of plodding, I bounce a bit as I walk now. And my sinuses don't stuff up as much. I think the extra weight on my face pressed against them. As for the difference in my looks, people don't recognize me. My Mom had a hard time finding me in a store because she was looking for the bigger me. People react differently to me because I am thinner (rant on this later!). I enjoy squeezing in for a tight hug from hubby, trying on clothes, sitting in chairs with arms, tying my shoes, taking a bath in my newly roomy tub, and keeping up in exercise classes instead of paying a personal trainer. At the beginning of my journey, I wore size 22 jeans and a 3 X shirt. I now wear size 8 or 10 jeans and a small or medium top. My mind is still catching up with the new me. Although I often see the same me in the mirror, I know the change is astounding. When I write my weight, I have a tendency to forget I'm in the 150s. I still think of myself at 180 or 170. And my clothes look too tiny to fit me. I can eat small amounts of any food I have tried, except milk, cottage cheese, and ice cream. I'm still afraid to see if I can tolerate milk now almost six months out, but I think I will try soon. I am tracking my calories, Protein and fluids every day and taking all supplements recommended for my plan. I get at least 60 grams of protein, 64 oz. of Fluid per day and average between 700 and 900 calories per day. Greasy and overly sweet foods upset my tummy if I eat more than a few bites of them, so I generally only have a couple of bites of them when I eat them. For example, on Halloween, I had about a cup of popcorn popped in oil (no added butter), two and half fun-size candies, and a hotdog with chili, no bun. That was over the course of the evening and probably the biggest splurge I have had since the surgery. I didn't feel good later that evening and still felt a little off the next morning. I returned to having coffee after my three month checkup. But post-op I have a soy latte with two shots of espresso instead of my pre-op fav of a couple cups of french press or two shot of espresso straight up. I haven't started drinking alcohol again, but I plan to following my six month checkup. I plan to start with port. I am exercising 5-6 days per week. Two 45 minute walks at a fast pace, two 1-hour group workout classes, one 30 minute session with my trainer, and one other activity, such as a bike ride, walk, or yoga class. I do have days were I want to eat only bad stuff and I don't want to exercise. For the most part, I power through, but sometimes I don't. It's a journey and a struggle. I'm still terrified I won't be successful long term so I search out stories of people who have successfully kept the weight off for more than two years. They are out there! Thanks to all who have shared your journey for inspiring me to begin and continue the best thing I have ever done for my health and my looks. Edited: is my face red! I thought I was going to hit normal BMI at 155.5, but I now see when updating my ticker, I'm still overweight till I get to 154. So this post is 1 lbs. early. I will join the Century Club and hit normal BMI at the same time. The thoughts and sentiments are the same, just a little early. Oops!! Lynda

Glow... if i were in your shoes.... i would just tell him that i quit. How will he know the difference. Make your appt early in the morning. Spray your self down with perfume and rinse your mouth with mouth wash. I don't smoke, but everyone in the house that i grew up in did... so i'm use to being around it and it doesn't bother me. Althought quitting would be great, some people can't. Smoking is a personal choice and if you want to smoke..... then smoke. I still drink my Mt. Dew (i'm not giving it up) and alcohol when i want too. its my personal choice. Like i said before, my friend Paula smoked before and still does.... and she has been having her band for over three years.

I had lap band surgery on April 28, 2011. As of today, I have lost 112 pounds. I walk six miles five times a week, do not drink alcohol and am following the program correctly. I am eating very little carbohydrates and am eating a high Protein diet. I take a Multivitamin twice a day, along with a Calcium supplement. My surgeon gave me a fill on October 18 because I told him I was getting hungry about one hour from my next meal. I believe my fill is working. I do feel full quicker than before my fil. I am very happy with the band. I do recommend it. I have read alot of stories on here about people gaining weight. Unless they have a medical issue; if they are following the program correctly, they should not be gaining weight. It is a total lifestyle change, you must get rid of your old habits, follow the rules and exercise. I walk from 4-6AM five days a week because I have to be at work at 7:15. I don't want to walk in the evening. One year ago I never would have done this but now, I am hooked on the walking. I am a believer in the program and the lap band. I take it one day at a time. If you follow the "rules;" as my surgeon calls them, you will be successfull. But the rules also apply when you reach your goal. Once the goal is reached, you can't go back to eating the way you did prior to surgery. You must exercise.

I remember an old Dr. Oz show, he suggested playing video games as a way to help lose weight! This was before the WII and the Kinnect type games. Anyway back to the subject, My nutrisionist said she had a Patient who said they were having a problem with trying not to drink (alcohol) to much, so I think, it is true, you have to be careful not to trade one addiction for another. Mine may be this support group!

I read an article the other day that talked about this addiction tranference and the Lap band and most people who were once addicted to food incorporated gambling, alcohol, and extreme shopping to their life style to trade one addiction for the other. I have to say that I do buy a lot of clothes but Its my reward. Im not making us broke over it but I do love buying clothes.

Hi all, Not sure if anyone remembers me, I haven't posted anything here in forever. I'm getting ready to re-commit myself and finish this thing for once and for all. I lost weight steadily for about the first year, then maintained a loss of 65-70 lbs until back in the spring when I stupidly decided to have a little Fluid taken out of my band. It was a mistake, and I've been in free fall mode ever since then. Since April, I'm back up about 15-20 lbs. I've gone up in pants size and I am completely disgusted with myself. I have a fill scheduled for tomorrow morning, so I'm treating tomorrow as the point of no return. Getting some good restriction back will make things easier, but I have also got to learn to put the wine glass down. I really enjoy a glass of wine (sometimes two) at night after I get my kids in bed. It helps me wind down and shake the day off. But, I know from past experience that I don't lose whatsoever if I am drinking anything alcoholic. So, I'm just going cold turkey. Which is fine, I have done it before. I'm just going to miss it! Also, I have been battling hip bursitis since July so that hampers my exercise plans. I want so badly to get back on the treadmill (I completed Couch to 5K last year!), but it only exacerbates the problem. I have had two rounds of oral prednisolone, the second stronger and longer than the first, in an effort to avoid getting the dreaded steroid injection in my hip. I am terrified of it, but I think in the end I know it's what I'm going to have to do. Anyone with any experience having this injection? It's the greater trochanteric bursa, and I'd probably be much easier to just go and have it done if I hadn't read so much about the injection technique...the needle is advanced until it hits the hip bone, and then it's withdrawn a few mms and the injection is given. Something about knowing the needle is going to actually touch my bone just freaks me out. It's funny, I used to be a veterinary technician (before I had kids and quit working to stay home with them), and I assisted in surgeries all the time. Even lots of orthopedic cases, with bones and pins and drills, all that. Didn't bother me! But this? I'm scared to death! Okay, I'm rambling. I'll stop. It's good to see a lot of the same names here as three years ago. I'm going to try to show up here more often, maybe I can get motivated and hopefully help someone else get motivated too, after I get my own ball rolling again.

I am also 8 weeks out, love my sleeve 85% of the time, it saved my life as you all know, as far as alcohol i dont miss it because i have no problem drinking it,,,,,,,,,,,,my Dr. said i could have a few when i felt like it but to be careful, i have already learned my limit witch i am sure will go down the smaller i get............

wow. love all the PASSION in this group (guess you gotta put that former food passion somewhere eh?) as to the comment, this is my folks....part of there job IS to make us crazy eh? -little side note here- if this (weight loss) were SO easy ....well I WROTE a healthy cookbook ("No More Fat Bears, a healthy guide and cookbook), taught healthy cooking and have a genuine culinary degree.....easy as um...pie. -as to the voices calling- when I was in a kitchen I told folks it was like a alcoholic working in a bar.... there was food EVERYWHERE....nibble here and there and here and there....culinary school was like a fantasy! (rule- in B&P (baking and pastry) you gain 3-5 lbs, I gained 5-10). I would hurt from eating after class.... I even have a one year chip from OA here somewhere.. as to the smile and nod reply- I like that. just say thanks and let it pass (the ultra skinny boss is a good case, she can eat a moose and not gain weight.... yet I am sure she has her own challenges) so... you folks are awesome...thanks one day closer to my consult with Dr Daly.... PenNdulum

I don't drink beer, so i can't answer this question, however, i do enjoy my sodas daily. . .diet of course. . so why can't you have carbonation ever? makes no sense. . . anyhow, i drink sodas, and alcohol with soda mix. . . love it and started drinking such (with doctors approval) at 3 months out. . . yes i said with doctors approval. . . and i'm out now 2 years and haven't died yet. . . hehehehe . . . good luck

You know, since surgery I have NO tolerance for alcohol anymore! I drink about 1/4 of a beer and I'm tipsy. It's crazy. Anyway, I can drink a beer (or two) if I am not eating and sitting at the table for a long while. I still can't drink AND eat at the same meal or I don't have room for food, so drinking a beer with dinner isn't an option for me. So when hubby and I go hang out at our favorite Irish Pub, I can drink maybe two Guinness, sometimes three if it's a long night. But oh, the scale hates me the next day and I get so incredibly DRUNK doing it! So I only do it about once every three months. ~Cheri

I was starting to notice my weight loss stalling, so I took a good hard look at everything I was doing. I was in denial, thinking that the band "wasn't working" and that I shouldn't have to work so hard to lose weight. In reality, I was eating too fast, too much, and too long. I was also drinking much more than I should and not exercising at all. I started a workout routine, tracked my calories on myfitnesspal.com, cut down on alcohol, and ate more mindfully, and the pounds started coming off again. Remember that the Lap Band is a tool, not a magic wand. I tend to forget that sometimes, even all these months later. You can do this, but it does require work and effort on your part. The Band can only do so much.

You need to talk to someone. You swapt out 1 addiction for another. This is very common. I new a guy that was over 400Lbs. , and lost the weight with the Band. Only to take on Alcohol, and Narcotics...

I am almost five months post op from having my Verticle Gastric Sleeve. I had my surgery at the INT hospital in Tijuana, Mexico. Right off the bat, I have to say, it is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I feel SO much better, having lost 90 pounds so far. And I know that I look better! My family has had mixed reactions. But I am thrilled! I have always been heavy, fat, fluffy, large, obese, what ever you want to call it. Once, when I was pregnant with our second child, I was so nauseated, I lost about 30 pounds at the beginning of the pregnancy. My doctor told me to eat more. I told him how nauseated I was, how I just couldn't eat. He said "You have to force yourself to eat!" And I thought "Just my luck! THE ONLY TIME IN MY LIFE I AM SUPPOSED TO FORCE MYSELF TO EAT, AND I AM NAUSEATED!!!" Never before or since has anyone ever told me to force myself to eat!! I had my surgery the middle of June this year, and have lost a total of 90 pounds so far. I now wear a size 12, and am coming up fast on a size 10. (I tried on a pair of size ten slacks this morning, and they fit, but are tight. Didn't buy them. Just wanted to see if I could get them on!) But what a thrill. I know that as a child, I went straight from children's sizes to a women's size 16! Never, ever wore a size smaller than a 16. And gradually since my marriage (40 years ago!) I have gained a few pounds each year, taking me to an all time high of 260 lbs. I am a travel nurse. My specialty is Labor and Delivery. I love to work with laboring women! Don't so much care for delivered women or babies, but I love the laboring women! I have been working as a travel nurse for about 5 years now. A travel nurse contracts out, through an agency, to work for a hospital for a set number of weeks, usually 13 weeks at a time. At first I only worked contracts around Iowa, my home state. Then about three years ago, I took a contract in California, and have been working off and on in California ever since. I have been at my current contract for over a year. At the end of each contract here, they have just kept offering me extensions. So I have stayed here. I love it here in Merced, CA, but my current contract is over in a few weeks, and I have decided to go home,. My husband is lonely living alone, and it is of the highest importance to me is to keep him happy! When I initially started working in California, I thought I would use my time here to get thinner. I had an image of everyone in California being tan and thin and good looking. (The Hollywood Image I guess.) But it didn't work that way. I was lonely, living all by myself with no family or close friends, and I cooked and baked, and ATE! (Did I mention that I LOVE to cook and bake? Wish I had discovered this talent 40 years ago, I would have been a chef instead of a nurse!) I gained almost 40 pounds living in California by myself. So about a year ago, I started considering having bariatric surgery. My first cousin IS a bariatric surgeon, and I even went for a consultation with him. However, our insurance wouldn't cover it at all, and even though he offered to do the surgery free of charge, I would still have to pay the hospital and anesthesia charges out of my pocket. So I opted for going to Mexico and having the surgery there. I have previously expressed on this board my mixed feelings about my surgery in Mexico, so won't repeat it here. But the end result has me thrilled to death! I love the results I have gotten, and am so happy with my outcome. I couldn't ask for better results. No complications other than a persistant fatigue that hounded me for the first 4-6 weeks post op. But now am over that, and loving the way my life is now. I get so many compliments on how I look, and how much I have lost. Everyone has been so nice about it. I can't say enough about how my friends have supported me. It is going to be interesting to go home in a few weeks and see how my friends there react to me. When I first told my four children I was going to have the surgery, they all expressed displeasure and negativity about it. My son's mother-in-law had a Roux-N-Y surgery (another bariatric surgery) about 8 years ago, and she lost a huge amount of weight. But has gained it all back. She drinks quit a bit, and I think her alcohol consumption has contributed to her weight regain significantly. A good friend of mine who also has always been heavy had a Roux-N-Y procedure 9 or 10 years ago, and she too has gained most of her weight back. I look at them, and it re-doubles my determination not to gain my weight back. I want so strongly to maintain the loss I have achieved and continue on till I get to goal. (Also, I have given away ALL my fat clothes, so I HAVE to stay this thin, or go naked which would NOT be a pretty sight!) I told my husband at the outset, when he expressed his concerns about my having surgery, I am not doing this to look better, I am doing this to FEEL better. And I can say without a doubt, I feel SO good now. My joint aches and pains are gone. My chronic fatigue is gone, I have Loads of energy. I have been able to quit my arthritis medicine, my cholesterol medicine, my allergy medicine (who knows about that one!), my blood sugar medicine (I was a Pre-diabetic) and my blood pressure medicine. So I KNOW that my health has improved! What more could I ask for? My only regret is that this procedure wasn't available 30+ years ago!!!

here is a link I came across, about transferring addictions http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/crossingtotransferaddictions/ I copied and pasted the group's content below from a website called obesityhelp.com, maybe check it out. One good thing is, at least you are aware you may be giving up one addiction for another, but instead of trying for a self cure, see what resources are out there, you don't have to do this alone. Teresa About Welcome to CROSSING TO TRANSFER ADDICTIONS. This group discusses the issue of transfer addictions (also known as cross addictions) after weight loss surgery. There are millions of people who have undergone gastric bypass who are now dealing with issues of addiction transfer. For a number of people, giving up overeating leads to adoption of a new compulsion. Addiction transfer occurs when someone is unable or unwilling to rely on one compulsion (for us, it was food) and so switches to a new compulsion (alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, shopping, internet, porn, etc) due to not having dealt with the underlying issue behind the compulsion. ***Please feel free (and safe) to discuss any and all issues you have regarding Transfer Addiction. WE WILL SUPPORT EACH OTHER WITHOUT JUDGEMENT!***

Your liver sits on top of your stomach, and most doctors have you go on a special diet before your surgery to "shrink" your liver. This gets it out of the way as much as possible for your surgery. For my pre-surgery diet, I had to avoid carbs and sugars and alcohol. It was also high in Protein. Some surgeons have you do a completely liquid diet pre-op, but I was able to eat all the veggies I wanted, which was wonderful. It made the pre-op diet so much nicer.

Ive lost 13 pounds since preop. So three punds gone since surgery. Weightloss starts in boobs n face firsf. You will have load rumbling noises in belly. You will feel liquids going down and settling in the belly after surgery and you'll know when u r full. I'm on day 3. I've just stuck to clear chicken soup broth with no salt because it puffs up my face n shuts my eyes (i found this out from hospital soup). I had ricola cherry lozanges for throat. Vitamins (chewable) and pills to swallow are going down fine. Ive had no throwup or neausea at all today. I never threw up thank goodness. I am taking antibiotics for uti and anti neaseau meds when needed. I find I Still very much am needing pain meds mainly at night because there's more movement in day. It was fine to stroll around house today and stand up for a while organizing bedroom. It helped to elevate my legs on pillow in bed at night to take pressure off lower back. Neck might b sore so u might want to use rolled up towels to put in groove of neck when lying down. I did this even in hospital bed. Starting to clear my throat out and getting voice back. Forgot to mention car ride home... Used pillow on back and in front under seatbelt and water with bag incase of nausea. I was ok. Have driver drive very slow. I still have a uti and burns when urinate. It was caused by catheter and catheter was initially used because I was unable to apply the mildest pressure to urinate normally after surgery. Ladies, There is also a mid rash down there probably from all these meds. So drink a lot. I'm using breathing tester they sent me home with n lungs r getting stronger on day three. Headache is still here. Belly cramping started mildly for first time last night. But mainly when I talked too much. Hiccups and burps do hurt belly. Worst thing so far is intense burning with liquid pain killer, so try to get solid. It was litterally like alcohol on an open wound n I did cry out in pain. I learned to dilute it in h2o. I'll write more in several hours. Feel free to ask questions if u come across this thread.

The enlarged-fatty liver. I believe alcohol can enlarge your liver, so I am laying off. High bmi people also have enlarged liver due to high percent of body fat. Since my bmi was low, I had no preop diet, but have weened myself off of diet cokes, coffee, and wine. All my vices. What size are you now? I am a 12. But I am most comfortable in a six. Most people don't think of me as fat, but I am not doing this for anyone but me and I am use to being thin. Let me add that I also have BAD sleep apnea. It has become awful lately. I am hoping a weight loss will help it. Are you self paying? And where are you looking at doing your surgery?

We have all tested our bands from time to time and they do let us know what they will and will not tolerate. I have had two experiences with alcohol since banded a year ago and neither have ended well. I have no tolerance, if I drink I can't eat or I end up eating something while drinking that is not good for me. Now days I have an occassional glass of wine. I hate party's also, especially when people insist no there will be lots of things you can eat. New rule for me, eat before I go to a party, carry a protein bar. You may have gained the pounds from the dehydration from alcohol and should drop them quickly.

1) I have no regrets! Down 40lbs so far!! 2) Learning what our bodies and sleeves our capable of is a learning process. Taking the time to listen to them is important. Overeating by one bite is painful! 3) I do not miss soda...I thought I would. 4) Evreryone has their own journey. No one is the same and that is a good thing. 5) life changes after the sleeve. The way you think, feel, eat, everything. But it is all for the good. 6) I sometimes miss being able to eat a normal amount and miss drinking alcohol. Still worth it though. I LOVE MY SLEEVE!

Last night my fiance and I went out for my birthday dinner. I was a little nervous to see how me, alcohol, and my band would do...Also I havent drank anything in almost 2 years so I really had no tolerance to alcohol lol....The beggining of the night went well we had some drinks and everything seemed to be going good...Then we for some reason thought it would be a good idea to order some highly fattening appiteziers...After those were gone more drinks....I felt ok but major head ache when I left. Nothing really set in until I got home. As soon as I walked in the door I felt extremely ill....I tried my hardest not to get sick which made it even worse. I dont know if it was the alcohol or the crappy food choice that made me so ill but either way it was not worth it. I was down to 269 and today up to 271 so im not happy about that. Alcohol is wasted calories and then when you top it off with dip and many fried things it obviusly is not going to help with any weight loss. I am very excited for my fill next week and have been getting back on track today by having my protein shake for breakfast. Last night really made me realize that lapband wont do anything without your commitment to it...Feeling a little guilty...