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This is really happening! I saw my surgeon yesterday and scheduled my surgery for May 31. That is 2 weeks from today! I didn't expect it to be that soon, but I was hoping. That week will be perfect for me since I have a long weekend coming up to recover. I have a holiday the day before surgery to get my house clean and get ready. Then I have the following Monday off also. I start the pre-op low carb diet on Saturday. At least I don't have to do a liquid diet until after surgery. The doctor asked me if I was ready. I first replied that I thought so. I guess because I have a few fears left, but I know that I have to do this. I am all in now! My surgeon told me that he would ask me if I was ready before I went into surgery, and if I wasn't ready, we wouldn't do it. But I know I am ready. I guess if I didn't have some fears, I wouldn't be normal. I have researched and prayed about this for a while now. It seems like God has really opened up doors for me to have this this time. I know it is right. I have also been preparing my mind for the changes that are to come. I know my previous relationship with food is about to come to an end. But while I will those my friend of food, I will gain my heatlh and confidence. I even paid my copay to the doctor, so no turning back now. I am slowly beginning to tell people that this is happening. At first, I didn't want to tell anyone. I had to tell my parents because I will need help with my daughter, and they would never forgive me for not telling them. Of course, my husband knows. He helped me make this decision. I have told some friends at work and was surprised at how supportive they were. I know some never tell, but I am a member of Celebrate Recovery. There we learn to be transparent as a pathway to healing. I feel like I have to tell them, but as of now I have only told my accountability partners. I could find some great support there if I only share this. My fear is they will think I should be able to do this without surgery. We help alcohol and drug addicts to recover through a relationship with Jesus Christ and our support. However, I need the Lapband as additional support. I hope they understand this. But if they don't now maybe they will when they see the results. I have to do this for me!

Hi, I have got my banding in 6 days, been naughty had 6 alcoholic drinks over 3 days (wedding celebrations) now worried they won't do be operation, PLEASE could I get some advice how to shrink my liver ! and to get weight down, as I want the band done, I know I was stupid THANKS

Cupcakes, chocolate, bread and alcohol..and you had blow pops. lol I wouldn't worry about that. I hope I have the will power to pass that stuff up after my sleeve..Great job!

Well we made it to Arizona. It was an all night drive but we tag teamed and made it in time. Lee is in an interview right now for a Southern AZ school near Yuma (I think!). I don't care where we end up as long as he has a job. We have scrimped and saved all year and I get a big bonus for retiring early and I took out substantial student loans so we should be okay even if the pay isn't as great as he would like. Then the following year I will go back to work so it won't be an issue. We just need to survive next year! On a good front, it turns out my lactose intolerance may not actually exist. I was getting sick every time I ate my sugar free pudding so I just assumed that since I had a problem with milk and the band that it was most likely the return of my lactose intolerance. However I was hungry and there were not any places to get food around here so I just got a glass of milk. Eventually I found beans but I was able to sip on the milk with no problems. I'm wondering now if it was the whey protein I was adding to the pudding or the sugar alcohols. I had to quit adding protein to my food as I was breaking out in hives and itching everywhere. My nutritionist said it can be a side effect so as soon as I stopped mixing it with everything my hives and itching went away!! Now I just have to be VERY careful about the foods that I eat because everything must be high in protein to make the goals they have given me. It will be much easier when I get to go to pureed foods next week and can add pureed tuna, pork and other meats. I don't think I have ever been this excited to eat meat! Well I need to write a paper so I had best get going. I'll let you know when I hear from Lee! Karri

I happen to have a different view. if you didn't have "will power" you could not have lost 26 lbs so far. I think we all have MORE than average will power. It just cant overcome some times the physical addiction we have. Same addiction that druggies and alcoholics have. The only thing wrong with you is you have to recognize your addiction! and learn to manage it. I am still trying and failing on a regular basis but you cant let it defeat you. tomorrow starts out perfect with a clean slate. You can do it!

The band or any gastric surgery does not fix your head. only you can do that. WE are all addicted to food the very same way a person is addicted to drugs or alcohol. there is no cure only management. you have to totally look at food as a means to stay alive and not for comfort or to make you happy. I am working on it and fail on a regular basis but have to keep trying. the Band is only a tool to help you with your Quest. hang in there you can do it. dman

Hey I'm around your age (26 tomorrow) and I went through the same tough decision on which surgery to have. I was emailing back and forth with a woman I met who is having RNY but in the same program as me at my hospital. This is a copy and paste of one of the emails I sent her. (I know some of it may not make sense, but you get the idea). I hope this helps! Copy and pasted email... I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you in a few days. The cord on my laptop was frayed and sparking a little, so now I'm using my cousin's computer while I wait for a new cord. Anyway, it was so nice to hear from you! I'm sorry to hear about the gallstones they found-- but I think it's good that they can take it out during surgery. Gallstones can develop more easily in people who lose rapid amounts of weight, so you won't have to deal with that . I'm actually planning on getting the lap band, not RNY. I went back and forth on my decision so much. There are definitley pros and cons to both. I liked the idea in RNY that you can lose a lot of weight pretty quickly and since I'm so impatient, I was thinking that that might be nice. I also kind of liked the idea of dumping syndrome because it would keep me in check, but then I thought about that say in the future if I want to have a cupcake at a birthday party on a rare occasion or something like that, I don't want to be sick from it. Another thing I considered is you have to be very careful about consuming alcohol after RNY and the chance is higher of developing alcoholism. Not that I think I would become an alcoholic or anything, but I don't know if I really want to be smashed if I have one drink. Now the malabsorptive thing was back and forth for me, too. I think it's cool that you can eat things and not absorb all the calories, but then again it scares me a little not to be getting all the nutrients I need. I know in both surgeries you have to take Vitamins, but in RNY there are more, and it's a little more vital to be on top of it. Plus, like you, I want to have kids some day. I'm only 25 (26 next month) and I'm single but it's something I need to be thinking about, too. I googled 'gastric bypass and pregnancy' and was trying to read up a little bit on it and sometimes it can be hard to get all the nutrients to the baby. I'm not trying to sway your decision at all-- I just want to share what my thought process was coming to my decision. I also liked that in RNY, that your hunger hormones are changed a bit and you may not even feel hungry a lot of the time. But then again, a lot of what I eat is not because I'm actually hungry-- it's because I'm bored and it looks good and tastes good. So I think that that's more of a behavior I need to change rather than the whole hunger hormone thing. It's funny that you mentioned about the social worker suggesting therapy, because she said the same thing to me. But she also said she's supposed to basically say it to everyone, so I'm not too worried about it, lol. Ultimately after going back and forth I decided on the lap band. A lot of people say they like it because it's reversible, but that actually doesn't play into it for me. I hopefully will never have to have it reversed. I do like the fact that it's very adjustable, though. If you feel hungry and not satisfied a lot, then you can go get a fill and have more restriction. With RNY, you don't have that adjustability. Part of that lack of adjustability and control with RNY scared me because you hear about people who have lost a certain amount of weight and then gain some back and they can't adjust what they're taking in. I know everyone is different, but I like the fact that I can just get a fill if I need to to get me back on track. And I know that with lap band it takes longer to lose weight, but I've been overweight my entire life and I can wait a little longer. Also, since everyone is different, I'm hoping if I exercise most days and eat right that I can really do it faster than the statistics. Twice in my life I've lost close to 90 lbs (which I gained back both times), so I know what it takes to actually take the weight off. And I think with a lap band it will give me the extra push i need to lose even more weight and keep it off. Another small factor for me is the recovery time. I say "small factor" because it the long run, what does the recovery time really matter in exchange for your health back? But I do like that lap band has a quicker recovery time and is a safer surgery with less risk of death and complications. Another factor, like you mentioned, is the hair as well-- people with RNY are more prone to lose their hair than from lap band. My hair is very fine too, so I was kind of scared of that. But either way, they say it's only temporary, so you can wear head scarves or hats or something until it passes, if it even happens (everyone is different). Also what helped me in coming to my decision was seeing what other people say about lap band and looking at success stories and all that. I don't know if you know about it, but there is a site called lapbandtalk.com which is pretty cool and lots of topics. Another thing I looked at was youtube. There are some people on there who update once a week or more about their surgeries. I've really only watched the lap band ones, but there are people who do the same after RNY if you're interested. Some of the lap band people I like if you want to check them out are Newtoy4kt-- she started at 308 lbs and it's been like 66 weeks so far post-op for her and she's down to around 180 I think. Also there is BandedWendy who's been at her goal weight for a while now, and there's Thebandinme who gives some good info as well. It's kind of cool to see their first few video posts and then see their recent ones to really see how much they've changed and how far they've come. But like I said, if you want to watch RNY patients they have them on there too, just gotta search a little. It's funny what you said about Dr. H trying to sell you on the band. I didn't get that feeling so much, but I do remember leaving there and knowing for sure that I wanted lap band, after being undecided. Part of it too, if you have lap band-- you can always have RNY afterward if the band isn't working for you. But you can't have the band after having RNY (I don't think). Ultimately, I think you just need to go with what you're most comfortable with. And I'm really not trying to sway your decision at all-- just wanted to give you my thought process on the whole thing.

Terrib - First of all, weighing yourself is how you keep a tab on how you are doing and nip anything in the bud if need be. I have weighed every single day, first thing in the morning, since I came home from the hospital. We were told to at the seminar I attended! With that said, you will go up and down, you need to be told now, DEAL WITH IT!!!! It's part of the journey we all go through. If you are doing what you are suppose to do, you will lose weight, you WILL be successful!!! You've had approx. 85% of your stomach removed. It's impossible not to!!! Relax and enjoy all the changes. Take it from someone who is 11 months out, a year from now, you'll look back and you will not believe what your life use to be like!! I would hold on to a lb or two, go up with them, back down, up and down for three, four or five days....until I'd finally lose them for good. Usually I could up my Protein and Water and that would help, but it is normal - I found that out at my support group, everyone goes through it. I followed the rules, I never, ever cheated. I treated this as the most important diet of my life.....I still measure and weigh all my food when I'm at home; when we're out I have to "eyeball" it, but when it's brought to me, I divide on my plate what I am going to eat, or else I share with my husband. It's easy to take 'one bite too many' when you're out and visiting. The only way this won't work is if you are drinking a couple of thousand calories per day, I.E. cokes, milkshakes, alcohol....followed up with Twinkies, donuts....you get the picture. We can sabotage ourselves. This is a tool we WORK with, not a fix all. Good luck and enjoy....it's a fun, fun ride!!!

I had the SF Russell Stovers Coconut candies, and I did fine. Only have one because sugar alcohols can give you killer gas pains. Good luck to you.

JoJo I can't really say what the complications would be, but my surgeon told me I would not be able to drink alcohol after surgery. I don't drink so that was no big deal, but the way it sounds he was meaning I shouldn't ever drink it. You may want to talk to your doctor before drinking alcohol, but I certainly would not drink it this early.

Hi: I'm six weeks out . My surgeon said to wait on alcohol until I was on solid food which was four weeks for me. But he also said to be cautious even at that point. To be honest I thought the minute I got to four weeks I'd be diving for a bottle of cabernet but when I got there I just could not imagine it. I just wasn't ready ( still not). I think what they really meant was to look at alcohol once you have the eating thing down. Drinkinng wine will not pop a staple but it is a strong irritant. You have scar tissue forming around your staples and when they are too irritatied they might overreact and scar too much. This is one way peope get strictures. The magic "out of the woods" healing time for most people is THREE MONTHS. Believe me, I know that seems like forever but at this point I am halfway there, another six weeks to go, and there's the rest of my life to get sauced. It goes fast and I think it's worth it to be careful. Make your recovery your priority now. Next year you can get plastered on hubbys birthday -- in a bikini no less.

yep I agree with thin. You have the rest of your life to drink alcohol. It is just too soon. I would say wait at least 6 months or so.

Quite personally hon, I wouldn't do it. Your tummy is still trying to heal and alcohol is very harsh. It won't do anything to your staples, but could irratate your suture line. Alcohol and birthdays will always be there. Just take care of yourself and heal first. Your hubbie should understand. I'm out nearly 2 years now, I took my first alcoholic drink after 3 months. You do get tipsy very quickly. I don't know if it would cause complications but i wouldn't attempt it. Good Luck!

Hi everyone! I hope all is well! I wanted to ask a question about alcohol. I have tried looking for the answers I needed in other posts but havent been successful. I am one week post op and doing well, already on soft solids and so far (crosses her fingers) no complications. This weekend is my husbands birthday, and he will be celebrating with friends. I would really like to be able to sip some Water and maybe 1 glass of wine but I dont want to cause problems with my pouch. I dont plan to get drunk just to Celebrate. Can anyone tell me what the complications may be by doing this? will it do anything to my staples... will it make me sick? I dont want to do it without being prepared and Im not making a habit but would like to be more informed. thanks for all your help and guidance I appreciate it!

I was told 24hrs I could shower, 2weeks for a bath. Keep steri strips on for 7days then I could remove them of if they fell off, they just fell of. No scrubbing over the incisions and try not to get too much soap on them. After 7days, I used alcohol to remove extra goo from the steri strips

My dr wants to shrink my liver with this preop diet. I see him and the nutritionist in the morning. Incidently, mine is revision surgery from bypass to sleeve, which will be particularly delicate. I am planning that my recovery might take a little longer because of the revision. I have been on a lowcarb/high Protein regimen on my own for about a week and a half now, 6 pounds lost, but the dr does not really want to look for weightloss during preop phase. I think they want me to build my immune system up, start the dietary supplementation, and get the habit of drinking liquids and weining from all carbonated drink and waters. This took a good effort on my part because I loved the Diet Cokes!! However, now that I am totally off the sodas, the liquids taste better and I am drinking more Water that tastes so much better. This is a time of detoxification. My surgeon asked me very specifically not to change my eating habits at all pre-op -- no dieting, no overeating or bingeing. (Of course I couldn't eat anything after midnight the night before surgery.) There are also very few post-op restrictions, and liquids only for three-four days post-op. The rules post-op mostly are don't eat sugar or drink alcohol at first, wait till four weeks post-op to eat raw fruit/veg, and eat 'circle-wise' -- one bite protein, one bite veg, one bite carb (preferably not white carbs), repeat -- and drink 1.5-2 litres of water per day. There is quite in-depth training and examples given about how to eat post-op, it's just full foods right from the start, with no liquid or mushy phase per se, though they advise a lot of joghurt and quark and very well-cooked veg during the first couple post-op weeks. This is all from a very experienced and academically respected hospital and bariatric team, who've led a number of studies and are well-published. I'm not saying that their rules (or perhaps relative lack thereof) are any better than all the liquids pre- and post-op -- I am just saying that, knowing what they know and how much experience they have (particularly with VSG), there is clearly huge variability in what is actually okay, or safe, pre- and post-op, from a quantifiable, replicable, medical/scientific evidence perspective. And all that is prelude to the following: I believe that, without seeing the evidence or knowing the medical rationale firsthand (e.g., actual fatty liver is certainly not present in every heavy person and can be determined through a simple blood test), I personally would have had a hell of a time staying on any extensive liquid or other severe diets. I need a very good reason to feel that shitty for two weeks lol. And now THAT being said, one very good reason many of you mention, is that your surgeon requires it for you to get the surgery -- that would be quite motivating I'm sure. Anyhow, best of luck to all of you in getting through the challenging times!!

Had my 3rd fill yesterday. I now prop myself up on my elbows instead of laying flat, and watch the whole thing while carrying on a conversation about the weather, sports, etc.. He uses a very large bore needle, that has a open/shut valve between it and the syringe. He sticks it in the port, and pulls all the saline out of the band. Turns the little valve closing the needle off, then removes the syringe from the needle. I'm laying there as he examines the saline in the syringe with the needle sticking out of me like a pin cushion. He's basically measureing the volume taken from the band. He then replaces all the saline with fresh, plus a little more. Yesterday was 2 cc's more making a total of 8. He then re-attaches the syringe to the needle, opens the little petcock, and re-fills my band. After he pulls the needle out I hold pressure on the point with the alcohol swap, and walk down the hall to the Water cooler. I then have to drink the water in front of him to show him I'm fine. Then I'm on my way home. I have to say that mu port is right there under the skin. Not only can I feel/see the port, but also the small tube that runs from it for a few inches until it goes deep.

Well, the 2 concerns with alcohol are fizz and calories. So if you avoid beer or drinks mixed with soda you should be fine as long as you don't mind the "usless" calories in wine or other non carbonated beverages. I think a brothers wedding would be a good reason do take in a few extra calories!!! . Have fun!

Hi Everyone! I'm scheduled to be banded May 16th and I'm going to be a bridesmaid in my brother's wedding on May 29th. Well, I just went to my cousin's wedding this past weekend, while on the pre-op diet, and I didn't have anything to drink. Everyone was up dancing and having a good time and drinking and I was wishing I could join the party. I kept thinking the whole time-- I am SO drinking at my brother's wedding. I know I'll only be 13 days post-op, but do you think it will be unsafe to have one or two glasses of wine or non-fizzy mixed drinks? I know I should really ask my doc, but I'm afraid he'll say no, LOL. Anyway, I would love to hear from people about how long you waited or what your surgeons said. It's not that I NEED alcohol to have a good time or anything, but I think I would enjoy myself a little more if I could have one or two. Thanks! Mary

Yes liquids are a funny thing, I can down a 44 oz drink now in a few mins as long as no food is with it. Some foods like a ribeye now I can eat 4 oz and other softer foods I can get 6-8 oz. The restriction is still there a year out. As long as the surgeon does the work correctly you can expect long term restriction on solid foods, Liquids you have to be careful and stay away from any high calorie drinks or alcohol as they can run right through the sleeve.

When I first looked into the surgery I met with a surgeon around here and the nut. They said that they didn't want me drinking any caffeine whatsoever for the first year. The same was true for alcohol. I have no idea what Dr. Aceves will say but will soon find out. These things are not an issue for me because, I don't ever drink at all, haven't had a drink in many, many years and I rarely drink anything but Water. I love water! Renee, please do not ask me to sneak you a cup of coffee after your surgery! I won't do it!

You are not alone Khloe. A lot of us are struggling. I have done Ok but I am disappointed and depressed today too that I have not lost more and like you it's mostly my fault. It is truly a mind set that you have to have to push past your comfort zone. It is taking me longer than I thought but I refuse to give up. I had surgery , I cannot fail with this band. Perhaps you do need to go back to your surgeon and get a fill if you feel like you can eat more than you should. I have noticed that stuff that is not good for you are sliders and for the most part are sweets. Thankfully, I'm not into sweets but I do like food and I have been drinking alcohol more than I should. I will be having another fill at the end of this month and I am working on my mind set so that I can get back on the horse and follow the rules. Almost every successful bander will say that "Follow the rules" !! Today is a new day you can make a fresh start. So can I.

Renee, someone posted a pic on FB 2 days post op, in the hospital, with their lunch tray: SF Jell-O cup, chicken broth and Coffee! I have high hopes for drinking coffee post op - even if it is just a few tiny sips! I get the whole "caffiene dehydrates" but the ratio is like 2 cups Water for every 1 cup coffee. If we are taking maybe 5 sips of coffee, there shouldn't be any dehydration with the 60 oz of water we are supposed to drink daily. I am not a big alcohol drinker, so that part doesn't bother me However, if I want a drink post op, it will prob be something extremely light and only a few sips. I am not trying to pack the liquid pounds on -- Liz, I went to the Kaiser program in 2010 and was not told that. Did the Nut or the Dr tell you no coffee or liquor ever again? They did stress the crossover addictions and how liquor adds pounds easily. The more I read online, the more I realize, every Dr and/or every Bariatric group is so different in their views. The pre and post op diets vary, the heal time, the leak rates and even the hospital times vary. But if your Dr says No.. you can't really fight that without proof. Something had to make him/her say that. Good Luck

I was told I could have it "flat" if I wanted to, but there is really not much fun or joy in that (to me anyway!) So I quit cold turkey last Sept. and haven't touched the stuff since. For me it wasn't hard to do so I guess I wasn't a die hard addict to diet soda, I was a once a day type of diet soda drinker. Speaking of drinking, I also haven't touched alcohol since being sleeved and I have found that wasn't hard to do either. I guess it just depends on what works for you within your surgeon's guidelines. Good luck!