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Lindalee- I am one year out from my sleeve and about 25lbs from my goal weight. I can and do eat whatever I want and you will be able to do that too! You will just find that you don't actually want as much as you used to. I go to parties, I snack, I drink alcohol - all of the things that I was doing before.......just a fraction of the portions now. I did have some times in the early postop stages where I missed totally pigging out and stuffing myself on pizza or bread, but now my relationship with food is so different that I don't miss it. It's kind of hard to explain, but you really do shift from living to eat and start eating to live. I haven't regretted my sleeve for even one moment. It is the very best gift I could have ever given myself. I hope you will find that it is the same for you! Kathy

Even though the process is very simple which requires a huber needle, saline, alcohol wipe, gloves and a bandaid, getting the port in the right position is the tricky part. I could save my self alot of money due to being a RN for 20 years. This isn't rocket science and if done properly you are no more prone to sepsis doing at home, then they are in the office. The difficult part is not HITTING THE TUBING AND CAUSING A LEAK....Even though it is a siimple process, I respect my band way too much to go out on a limb, but the thought is out there....My fills are cheap, costing me $40.00 and I needed very few, so i guess I got off lucky....Remember, is cutting costs worth the risk of piercing your port? Have a fabulous day! Crista

1. My doc says no Protein shakes/drinks AT all. Do you agree? ( because i don't at all, nor does anyone i talked with ) 2. Two weeks of broth & juice ( no milk,..ect ) 3.Do you have the stitches removed or do they dissolve? 4. Should i be taking any Vitamins or something? I'm getting at most 500 cals a day. 5. What did you eat the first week, second week & then finally at a month? 6. Can you take Gas EX? The first week, 1.5 to 2 quarts of clear fluids each day. Caffeine free, non-alcoholic, non-carbonated. Second goal is protein intake of 50 to 60 grams per day of liquid portein from sugar free low fat yogurt, Boot Glucose Control or Boost Diabetic, Carnation Instant Breafast 0 Sugar Added or Slim Fast High Protein Chewable multi vitamins were recommended, later added calcimun, B6 & B12, Biotin for my hair...it will break off after about 3 months. Once they made sure I could keep Water down in the hospital I was allowed popcisles, then some broth that night. The next morning started the protein shakes. Surgery was Mon. and I strated mushies on Sun. for another week. I could have one meal of solids for 3 days to make sure I could tolorate it. Gas was a BIG deal for me, Gax X instant disolve was my best friend. It woke me in the middle of night. I walked through the house every 30 min. or so to keep in moving. I was able to go out the day I was discharged and the next two nights. My doc was really good about answering my questions, he is with a Center of Excellence and had done many of these. His PA is great and I was very happy with the care. Good Luck

I have to give myself the shots also.....and I was kinda freaked out about it (even though like you I watched someone (brother) give themselves insulin shots for years). Surprisingly I am doing it like a pro......the anxiety leading up to it is lessening and I "just do it" lol. One of my nurses gave me a tip to let the alcohol dry off the skin before I inject and it won't sting. works great! i inject into my belly fat and I feel little or nothing! I only have to do 7 days. I've not had any complications with bruising beyond my usual surgical IV site bruising which is fading. Like you I am/was freaked out about the possibility of a blood clot do I am determined to do this, but honestly for me the fear/anxiety was overblown. Perhaps you should call your gyn. and ask him for advice? Your surgeon used criteria to determine whether you were at risk for a post-surgical blood clot so I'd assume that that criteria is still relevant and you need to continue with the shots. I wonder if they can prescribe some Iron supplements or an infusion to help the anemia for these next 9 days? At the very least know that each day that passes you are closer to an end. Others have leaks or swallowing complications that seem to take forever to resolve so try to look at the bright side? This WILL end....

My doc was extremely lenient in recommending waiting until two months out. I've seen people posting here who were told six months, a year, or NEVER. He also said to try to avoid alcohol. It's not good for weight loss and rotten for your liver, which, if you're very overweight, it probably not in the greatest of shape anyway. I went on vacation at exactly two months and had a couple bottles of white over a couple weeks, and it all went down fine, HOWEVER it took me much longer to recover because I got tipsy a lot faster. Also hydration becomes an issue when you're timing your fluids and working on getting *them* down too. Doc also recommended that if you're going to drink, take an extra ppi a couple hours beforehand to handle stomach irritation. I think basically as soon as your stomach is healed, you CAN do it. But stay hydrated, watch the calories, know your limits, and take an extra ppi. After a couple runins with too much alcohol and not enough Water, I order white wine spritzers with HALF non-carbonated water. Tastes fantastic and minimizes all the other types of damage.

My surgeon "allowed" me wine at 2 months out. He reminded me it was empty calories, but that I would be ok - just take it slowly. And believe me, I had to! Those first glasses were strong & it took forever to get them down. But, it tasted sooooo good! Since about 1 year out, I enjoy a small glass every evening. It's sorta my little "treat" and I incorporate those calories into my daily caloric allowance. It's also supposed to be good for the heart, so I figured my little treat is a good one for me too. But, I would strongly advise any newbie sleevers to talk to your surgeon before starting any alcohol - especially in the losing phase.

I waited a full 3 months post op before starting alcohol and now have it weekly (but then I'm 18 months out)

I've been having problems this past week. My tummy is just bloated and feels overfull almost all the time, even when I wake up. I haven't changed anything -- although I stopped taking my omeprazole for a couple of days, got the Troubles and went back on them. I don't think I'm overeating particularly. Drinking enough, no alcohol, no caffeine. I'm thinking maybe I ate something Mr Cranky REALLY didn't like. I'm not worried about a stricture because I'm keeping stuff down -- but for example just a few minutes ago I took a sip of Lifewater and felt *almost* as if I was going to vomit but didn't. It's like there's a lot less room in there suddenly. I am suddenly able to eat much less and nothing goes down very well when I eat it. I feel like I've just eaten a ten course meal almost all the time. Suggestions? Gas? More ppi? Back to liquids?

How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. Fruit juice is just sugar water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. Cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. Chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. Meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe This was written by Jessie H. Ahroni, Ph.D., A.R.N.P., C.D.E., B.C.-A.D.M.

well had my first fill. Nothing to it really. It was in Newport (s.wales), Fred was there, asked how I was. Weighed me lost and kept off 2 stones, whey!! Then I lie down on the table, he prodded and felt my port then he wiped with alcohol swab then injected the saline. 2 secs its was all over and painless. I was made to drink some Water to see if I could keep it down. Ive got the french band so the 1st fill is 4mm max. He said that if you have the Johnson and Johnson, they are 6mm for the 1st fill as these are a larger diameter band, im guessing for bigger people. Next fill is end of July. He also said that 1st fills were pretty much un-noticable so I could eat almost anything, which it aint true coz now I deffo cant do bread, meat or other such foods as it gets stuck and I have to bring it back up, which isnt a good situation to do all the time. I reckon the second fill will be a massive charge. Roll on end of month

I had the exact problem. I was banded on 6.22.11 and the day after it was 8pm and I had not tinkled all day. I called my surgeon and he suggested that I pour rubbing alcohol in the toliet. Apparently, the vapors from the alcohol pulls the urine out. At the time, I felt it was a bit odd, but I was desperate....I did it and it worked like a champ!!!! Wishing you the best of luck!!!

In no particular order: I don't keep "crap" in the house! (Although there's more now while my son is home from college for the summer but I'm doing pretty good at staying away from it.) When I think I'm hungry, I wait 15-20 minutes to see if its physical hunger or just head hunger. I never eat just because the clock says it's time. I use small plates and silverware. This makes me eat less and take smaller bites. If the TV is on, the fridge is off limits. I keep my before picture on the front of the fridge. It makes me stop and think before opening the door. I NEVER drink calories!! (With the exception of protein shakes and maybe the occasional cocktail.) Regular exercise. It doesn't always have to be a rigorous gym workout. Yard work, walk, clean the house, play with the dogs etc. Just keep the body moving. Stay well hydrated. I usually have a glass of something handy..water, iced tea, s/f whatever. I try to stay focused on things that are not food related. Pick a sports team and follow them...get involved in politics...volunteer at your child's school or a senior center...throw yourself into your career....it doesn't matter what it is just keep the mind focused. Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum. Track food and exercise. I keep a spreadsheet on my computer of my weight every week along with any other medical information...doctor's appointments, fills/unfills, menstrual cycle, mammogram, pap etc. GO TO THE DOCTOR!!!! Whether I think I need a fill or not, I always keep my lapband appointments. For the first 2+ years, I went every single month. Now I go every 2-3 months. Mix it up. The body has a mind of its own. If you do the same thing everyday, your body will know what to expect and you won't lose as well. Once every week or two, kick the calories up. Change your activities. Cardio one day, weights the next. Have fun!! Get the gang together and find somewhere that's having "Ladies Night" and go dance your a** off. Camaraderie and its good exercise. Keep a positive mental attitude! I always look at the bright side, no matter how hard it is to find. Don't linger in bed. When I wake up I get up, even if it's 6am and I have nowhere to be. (Like today!) I find that regular chiropractic adjustments keep my body and mind working at optimal levels. I realize that some people don't "believe in" chiropractics but then again some people don't "believe in" lapband either. We all know that they are wrong! I could probably come up with a few more but I'm still on my first cup of coffee. Besides, I think I've babbled long enough. Hope some of this helps!

You may try wiping your underarms with rubbing alcohol every 2-3 days to kill any bacteria. Also More deodorant is not the answer. The ingredients in antipersperant/deodorant can actually cause your body to increase production of oils and sweat.

It has been 1 month since my lapband surgery. I am really feeling great most of the time. I am trying to stay around 1200 calories and exercise every morning. I am down about 12 pounds since my presurgery visit. I started the Couch to 5K running program this week. I did that Monday and today and walked yesterday since I am only supposed to do the running program 3 days per week to let my body recover. This morning I was finished with the running portion and was in the slow walking part to cool down when I almost balcked out and became weak. My heart rate became very rapid. My husband was about to leave for work, but he saw that something was wrong so he helped me in the house and got me something to drink. Now I have had this type of episodes since I was about 18. Usually, my heart will race for a short time and then go back to normal usually after I have taken several very deep breaths or tried to hold my breath for a few seconds to kind of reset my heart. Only one other time about a year ago, I had to go to the emergency room and get a shot to slow my heart rate. I was really worried that time that something was bad wrong because it had never lasted that long before. I recognized that this one wasn't going away easily, so I let my husband carry me to our local ER. They did the same thing and now I feel great. Both of these bad times, I had been running early in the morning before eating or drinking anything. I think it could be what is triggering the episodes. Maybe dehydration or low blood sugar? They told me I have PSVT which is not life-threatening, but could be corrected with a type of surgery. Since it had only happened that once bad enough to go to the ER, I never saw the specialist. Now I am wondering if I should go, but I still am not ready for another surgery right now. I have researched PSVT and the only triggers that I can find are caffeine, smoking, alcohol, and illicit drug use. Caffeine is the only one of these that could have caused my 1st bad episode, but I stopped that before I had lapband surgery a month ago. So that is not the problem. One doc told me that it could happen without any particular trigger. But I am convinced that it has something to do with strenuous exercise before eating or drinking. I just have to figure out what I need to eat or how much I need to drink before exercise in the mornings to prevent this from happening again. I would be interested to know if anyone else has experienced this, and what I might do to prevent it. I am really trying to make changes to my lifestyle to finally get this weight off for good. I don't want to stop exercising in the morning because I find too many excuses in the afternoon. Plus I have more energy for my day exercising in the morning. I get my first fill in 2 weeks and I hope this helps me to be satisfied with less food. I am hoping that combined with the exercise will help me reach my goals. I would like to be down 50 pounds by Christmas. I know it is possible if I will stick to my program.

I think that a more specific question would have elicited more responses. There's nothing I could say everyone hasn't heard many times already. I exercised like a madwoman and ate no carbs for a year basically. It was hard, but not THAT hard. I did drink alcohol, steal french fries from my children's plates and eat dessert in moderation and have a skim latte or two every day. My top three tips would be to lift weights in addition to doing cardio, eat lots of fish, and to banish bagels and muffins forever. Good luck! There are many many satisfied vets out there. There are also only so many "any suggestions for mushies" questions you can answer!

My adventure with gallbladder issues started in March with chest pain right under my sternum. Chest pain so severe that, after 30 minutes of it, I drove myself to the ER. All the tests found nothing. Including two contrast CTs. The chest pain started like a dull pressure, like a c-clamp in my chest, then sweating, inability to take deep breaths, no positions were comfortable, felt like I needed to vomit and have a bowel movement (but neither actually happened), nausea, and it dissipated like it started. And I was left exhausted. I sat on my knees at the edge of my bed, with no pressure on my chest, rocking and counting through it. After the first I had several more, each varying from 10 minutes to 40 minutes of the most excruciating pain I have ever felt (I have an extraordinary and documented pain tolerance due to nerve damage so this scared me). All of my research said gallbladder so I knew what I was dealing with. Finally, when I went in for an unfill I mentioned it to my practitioner. She scheduled me for an ultrasound and HIDA test. If the US was positive no HIDA. The US was positive for stones and my surgeon said I needed to get in ASAP. If a gallbladder bursts it's like an appendix bursting, infection spreads and causes all sorts of issues. I couldn't schedule immediately without risking my job so I scheduled three weeks out. I was very careful to avoid fats, greasy food, dairy, sugars, etc. to not prompt another attack. I didn't eat much of those before this but the smallest amount could trigger an attack. Surgery was much like the Lap Band. They used the exact same navel incision and two small incisions in the upper abdomen. Surgery took about 90 minutes all done via lap. No unfill was necessary so I didn't start over with my band. Recovery had all the same issues, gas pain, abdominal pain, etc. With the addition of lower abdominal pain, extended gas issues (I'll explain those later), diarrhea (from extra bile in intestines), constipation (from pain meds), the need to go literally within minutes of eating, and lifestyle diet changes. GAS PAIN Note: gas pain comes because of two reasons 1) the gas they put in doesn't all come out and some will move around but more so, 2) the gas they put in goes in at room temp and dry, this acts much like a cold winter where you can burn your skin with a cold dry wind, the cells the gas comes in contact with actually die and send off nerve impulses and since your diaphragm (where a lot of cell death occurs) is connected to nerves that go through both your shoulders you get back and shoulder pain. How your Dr can prevent this is to use elevators instead of air, or if they insist on air, they can warm it up and humidify it in your body. This helps your body assimilate it without killing tissue. After the fact you can do this by using moist heat (a tube sock filled with 4-5 cups of dry rice, microwaved for 2 minutes will provide moist heat for around 1 hour). Gas x will not help. It helps air in your digestive system, it can't do anything for air in your tissues. DIET CHANGES While you could eat what you did before, you can still form gall stones in your liver and bile ducts so changing your eating is the best way to counteract that and prevent it. They can't take your liver out, at least not without a replacement. Avoid: dairy, fats, grease, liquor, alcohol, chocolate, sweets, any food that have fats or grease associated. Including cheese, some sweet breads, butter, Peanut Butter, etc. And if you eat something greasy or fatty, be near a bathroom. Food will literally go through you like you have never imagined. It's not a death sentence but will end any affair you have with fatty or greasy foods, even healthy fats. COMMON SURGERY Gallbladder removal is one of the most common surgeries currently. Likely due to the American diet. If you have pains you can't explain, and I'd you've had anything fatty or greasy that day, get checked out. An ultrasound can pick up the stones, a HIDA scan will show how Fluid is or isn't moving. For people with lap band your risk is increased. You're losing weight (caused gallstone formation), you're over weight, you likely had a gallstone forming diet prior to surgery, and you're mostly women (but men can suffer too). Overall, 20% of Lap Band patients need their gallbladder removed within 18 months of surgery. Know though, that 10% of people who have the surgery still have problems after the fact. So it's not always a cure all. Hopefully this helps someone get tested before they suffer like I did. And know that though the recovery sucks, it will help in the long run.

Yep, I have to say I drink coffee every day with FF French Vanilla Creamer. I won't give that up, well maybe someday but the coffee stays. My doc is fine with coffee, soda in moderation and even some alcohol again, in moderation. Singingpeaches you are a genius! I have been advised to mix my Protein in with my morning coffee and I can soooo do that recipe. Just brilliant!

My name is Taylor, and I will be 21 in August. I've been employed as a 911 operator/dispatcher for almost 4 years. I made the decision to get the sleeve last winter, because I'm only four foot ten, and weighed 210 lbs. I had insulin resistance (a form of prediabetes), and I was starting to have knee problems. I had the surgery on March 7th, and the rough recovery was worth it. This has been the best choice I have ever made, and I will never regret it. My lifestyle and eating habits have changed so much. I make really healthy choices and I don't touch carbonation, which is a big deal because I had a big Dr. Pepper problem. I have been doing yoga off and on for a month, and once or twice a day in the past week. I also swim and do some quick exercises. I used to drink a lot of alcohol and eat taco bell every other day, but it's all changed. When I'm on a month of days, on my off days I rarely wake up after 9:30. Before, I rarely woke up before 1. I know this is a lot, but I'm excited to finally be able to discuss it with people who understand, so please excuse me. And just one last thing.. I'm the smallest ive been since before I was a teenager, and I'm almost at my fifty pound mark!

Hello all...lately I have been having trouble being a good bander on the weekends (alcohol, food, exercise) but I was determined to change that. I'm proud to say that although my TOM hit over the weekend, I still lost! I'm officially in another decade. 230's! It has been years since I have seen a 2 and a 3 preceding the last digit! I weighed in at 239.2 this morning. I walked around the lake on Friday morning (before it got too hot! I'm in the south) which completed my 4 workouts for the week. AND I went to body step class yesterday afternoon so I'm already one workout behind me for the week! Plus for the entire weekend I got in my water and took my supplements. I'm pretty sure I ate much less that I should have. I have heard ladies say that during TOM they have more restriction...well I find that to be true. Saturday morning I cooked steak, eggs and grits. The steak got stuck! Never had a stuck episode like that before, needless to say, I didn't try anymore. I really thought I was going to throw up! After that, I just wasn't hungry. Didnt even think about food. I like that feeling!! I hope to keep this downward trend going....soon I will be seeing a 2 and another 2 before the last number! Woohoo!!!

Find an exercise that you enjoy. I love dancing and am fortunate that my husband also loves dancing. Even better is that the majority of the people in our group prefer not to drink alcohol when they are dancing because they say they can't dance as well when drinking. This means that my water is perfectly normal!

My doctor had me on an acid pill (prilosec otc) and a anti spasm pill for a couple of weeks after surgery. He said I could stop both whenever I felt like it. I stopped the acid pill and had more "hunger rumbling" then I researched it and many doctors leave their patients on an acid pill for up to 3 months so I started the pill back and it helps with the hunger "wierd knot in the middle of my back when I am hungry feeling". I noticed the more Protein drinks the more "squirts". Getting on real food helped stop that. Alot of tips I am reading on this forum have really helped. I read about others and the acid pill, the protein squirts, and it is true what someone said about the "sugar alcohol" gives me gas. Learning as I go! Having a great day today (both my kids are home including my "college" one ) and hubby is smoking some chicken so I can try chicken salad! Life is GOOD!

Day three pre-op diet...5 days before surgery. I went to a party yesterday and surprised myself. No alcohol and just a bite of a cheese burger for a taste. I was hungry last night for the first time so I had a yogurt and a banana (extra). It worked for me and I figured anything I do now is leaps and bounds from what I use to eat. Saw a friend of mine at the party last night who doesn't know that I know he was banded. He looks great and was a quiet inspiration for me.