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Welcome to the forums, Sara! Its great that you are researching the surgery and post-op aspects. Its true - you'll have to re-learn eating habits. But it is not as hard as it sounds. I was just like you. I will drink right before, during and after the meals. Usually coke, pepsi or plain Water. But you'll learn that if you want to get in any food at all into your stomach, you need to stay away from water during the meals. I was not very strict about the 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after meals rule. I got away with it some days, and some days regretted it too. So it all depends on your body. The good thing is, you'll be on Clear liquids, full liquids and mushy food phase for couple of weeks and that will help ease out the eating habits. When you start solids be careful with chewing and eating slowly. You'll do fine - dont worry!! Some learn the 'full' feeling early on - others learn it after some struggle. But once you have your own 'tell' for the fullness, you'll control your stomach and not the other way round!! I don't consume alcohol, so cant help you there. But I've heard from people that once you are further post op you can have some wine without problems. Again, welcome! and I hope you get approved this time! See you soon in the losers bench!

Are the cramps just at night? I found this information which might help: What causes leg cramps? Unknown cause (idiopathic leg cramps) In most cases the cause is not known. One theory is that cramps occur when a muscle that is already in a shortened position is stimulated to contract. As the muscle is already shortened, to contract further may cause the muscle to go into spasm. This commonly happens at night in bed as the natural position we lie in is with the knees slightly bent (flexed), and with feet pointing slightly downwards. In this position the calf muscle is relatively shortened and may be prone to cramps. This theory explains why stretching exercises may cure the problem. Secondary causes In some cases, the cramps may be a symptom of another problem. For example: Some drugs can cause cramps as a side-effect, or make cramps occur more often. These include: diuretics ('Water tablets'), nifedipine, cimetidine, salbutamol, statins, terbutaline, lithium, clofibrate, penicillamine, phenothiazines, and nicotinic acid. Over-exertion of muscles. Dehydration. Conditions that cause alterations in the balance of salts in the bloodstream (such as a high or low sodium or potassium level). Some people who have renal (kidney) dialysis get leg cramps. Pregnancy - usually in the later stages. An untreated under-active thyroid gland. Peripheral vascular disease (narrowing of the leg arteries which causes poor circulation). Excess alcohol. Some uncommon disorders of nerves. Rare causes include: cirrhosis of the liver; lead poisoning; sarcoidosis. With the above conditions the cramps would just be one of various other symptoms. Therefore, if you are otherwise well, and have no other unexplained symptoms, then the leg cramps are likely to be idiopathic (unknown cause) and not due to a secondary cause. Note: leg cramps are different to a condition called restless legs syndrome. In this condition the legs can be uncomfortable, you feel creeping sensations in the legs, and it is relieved by walking about. See separate leaflet called 'Restless Legs Syndrome' for details. What is the treatment for a leg cramp? Stretching and massaging the affected muscle can usually relieve an attack of cramp. Most cramps soon ease off. Painkillers are not usually helpful as they do not act quickly enough. However, a painkiller such as paracetamol may help to ease muscle discomfort and tenderness that sometimes persists for up to 24 hours after a cramp has gone. What are the options for preventing leg cramps? If cramps do not occur often, then no particular treatment is usually needed. However, if you have frequent cramps, you may wish to consider ways of preventing them.

Meal planning will help save on food pre and post op, cooking your own food and freezing instead of wasting will save big time, only drinking filtered water- huge decrease in expenses especially if you pay a deposit fee per bottle/can, less money spent in excess on other self care things such as new hair styles, mani pedi etc all in an effort to mask the one thing you can't change- your weight, less money spent on cold allergy meds because you just won't get that sick as often when you are not straining your immune system, less money spent on indoor activities because you would rather walk hike bike etc, less money spent on alcohol just won't need as much , Less money spent on petro as you may walk more often... It will add up eventually

From what I remember, I arrived at the hospital, toting a small overnight bag and my CPAP machine. After signing in (I had pre-registered) I had about a 10-15 minute wait before they took me back. They weighed me, took me to a room where I changed into a hospital gown and they started an IV and asked questions and took vital signs. Then they let my husband come back to the room. After a short while the anesthesiologist came in to ask questions and started something in my line. I must have fallen asleep because I don't remember saying goodbye to my husband or being wheeled into the operating room. Next thing I know I was waking up in the recovery room with 2 or 3 nurses around telling me I was okay and giving me rubbing alcohol-soaked sheets for the nausea. I had nausea as soon as I woke up. After maybe 15 minutes or so they let my husband come back and one of the nurses showed me her before/after photos of her WLS. Then they wheeled me to my room, husband in tow. I was nauseas for the whole first day and half of the second day. Never had any pain.

Good Morning All, I met with the dietitian for the 1st time yesterday. She was awesome! She gave me a list of goals that I have to have met before I meet her again next month. No more carbonated beverages (goodbye to my BFF, Diet Coke), no alcohol (no problem), work toward eliminating caffeine, 1 Protein shake a day and DIET, DIET, DIET! She told me I need to lose around 10-15 lbs before surgery but I can't lose more than that or I'll be below 35 BMI. This is going to be tricky! The diet is very strict and I don't see how I will only lose 10-15 lbs. I feel completely motivated! What a great way to break the Diet Coke and sugar habit! I know it won't be easy and I already warned my husband that I may get cranky, but I CAN DO THIS!

As Little Green pointed out, all of our plans are a little different. I can have dairy, soy, almond, or rice milk with my protein shakes. I can also have nonfat yogurt, lowfat cottage cheese, up to 1/2 cup fruit, and 1 T peanut butter. But not all at once :-) My target parameters: >250 kcal, 20-30g protein, >8g fat, >6g sugar, >15g carb, and >10g sugar alcohols (tho sugar alcohols are discouraged). So my surgeon is shooting for up to 1,000 kcal per day.

My packet clearly says NO ALCOHOL FOR 6 MONTHS! My guess is that her surgeon telling her to wait 3 months was very clearly documented in the medical records. And this isn't about a malpractice issue - it's for your own safety and health. Good luck suing your surgeon for not putting it in bold writing in your packets - not that it would matter as you are lying in the hospital with a life threatening leak or bleeding. The decision to drink alcohol is on us - as adults. Same as the decision to eat off plan, smoke, drink soda, etc. Pound a few back a month post op - good for you - but if something happens - do not blame your surgeon or anyone else for that matter!

This I can really relate to. I quit smoking literally overnight with no problems. Same with alcohol, but for me, sugar and junk food, especially salty chips, are really my addiction. I salivate just thinking about it. If I get nothing else out of surgery, but some mastery over that painful hollow hunger feeling that hits when I'm about to "go off the wagon" then that will be well worth it.

You are right, telling stories is about the only way I can reach my Dad now, but those days are few and far between. My Dad has become suspicious and paranoid. He thinks I am out to steal his money (I have never taken or asked for even a dime from my folks in my entire adult life), he has invented amazing (but terrible) stories about my DH, my kids, my Mom and is now starting to go after my brother and sister. He chased my brother out of his house recently! But the advice you gave about trying to explain how I will miss him and need to spend time with him is good and I will try it. And the stories, a great suggestion. Hopefully he won't think I am trying to divert his attention in order to swipe something... :paranoid What a great way to view your parent's alcoholism. I don't think I have ever heard a better way to look at it. I sometimes think about the fact that I gained alot from dealing with my parent's "issues", but mostly I just feel grateful that I survived it. You have turned it into an advantage. I do try to remember that I grew in ways I wouldn't have if I had had "normal" parents, but there was so much pain in my life as a kid that I sometimes let that cloud my perspective. Good for you that you learned early on to make it work for you. What a terrific attitude. I'm surprised your sisters didn't pick that up from you. Are you the oldest? My Mom quit drinking for 2 main reasons: She fell down the stairs (again) in a blackout and while recovering, her doctor told her she had only a short time to live as her liver was totally shot. My Mom didn't really care at that time, but then my brother lost his wife and 2 kids in a car accident and needed help, which gave my Mom a reason to live again. She checked herself into a rehab and did the tough work necessary to turn her life around. She is an inspiration to all her friends in AA, as well as our family! I really am sorry about your Dad. I will try to remember how precious time with our fathers is, no matter how they are treating us. Thank you for your compassionate advice. It means alot.

I'm kind of glad to hear that other people were disappointed that they hadn't experienced dumping. I was actually kind of hoping to because it would be a really effective deterrent - I'm a glutton, not a masochist. But I've tried really hard to stay away from anything over about 10 grams of sugar. The only exception is my Protein shake which I put a whole banana in, which, depending on the size of the banana can have as much as 20 grams of sugar in it. Like @@Djmohr, I also can't do artificial sweetener, or at least, I can tolerate only a very small amount. The only time I've experienced anything close top dumping was when I tried a sugar free maple syrup from Whole Foods that was made with Maltitol (a sugar alcohol). I was in the bathroom for an hour! I use about a teaspoon of SweetLeaf stevia in my tea in the morning and I've discovered I really enjoy the Enlightened ice cream bars which have Eryithritol in them, but that's really it. I do sometimes put dark chocolate chunks in my plain greek yogurt but the total never exceeds 10g of sugar. I also made a really good pumpkin zucchini bread with unflavored Protein powder and I used dark chocolate and honey in it. A slice had 10.9 grams of sugar in it.

I remember having a very dry mouth for a couple of months - just had to sip water continually. I never had prolonged fatigue. I also developed lactose i tolerance. Once I stopped dairy products a lot of my gassiness and bloating resolved. I use plant based or soy products now - no big deal. I was never constipated - if anything, food passed through too quickly. I have the opposite problem with very soft, formed stools 4-5 times a day. They float, so I think there is some fat malabsorption. Of medical complications, I did get blood clots in one leg about a week post op, even though I was up and walking almost immediately after surgery and doing 10,000 steps by day 7. That required 3 months of Xarelto medication. I recently found out that I have an ulcer at the anastamosis, even though I do not drink any alcohol, do not smoke, do not drink soda or coffee, do not take NSAIDS, or have any other risk factors. I am on medication for that and will have another scope done in a couple of months. Those are complications that everyone is told about, and which everyone hopes will not happen to them. But they have not been a big deal to treat. I would still do surgery all over again. My new life is fantastic and I know I have substantially extended both my lifespan and my quality of life. What I am dealing with right now that I am really upset about however, is that I just got a bill from the PA-C, who acted as first assist during my surgery. She is sending a bill through the insurance for the hiatal hernia repair that I also had done, and as an OUT OF NETWORK provider!!!!!!. First of all, I never signed a consent with her, and I chose my doctor partly because he WAS in network. I understand the role of first assist, but they are not surgeons and she should have not submitted a bill that way. So I am all over it. I will pay her a fair IN-NETWORK fee, but not for something I was not informed about nor gave consent for. So THAT is something no one told me about and which I did not expect, especially since this bill came nearly a YEAR after the surgery!

In the weight loss phase, alcohol should be minimal at best, and only after the cut nerves and the stapled stomach has fully healed. I drank twice during my weight loss phase, and that lasted a year. I was 4 months out the first time around the holidays (half of a Bloody Mary) and the other time was 8 months out in Hawaii with a couple of Mai Tai's because, well, HAWAII. Now below my weight goal and in maintenence, I drink on occasion aside from an otherwise healthy, well balanced diet.

Thank you! It is the kind of support I need! Just having someone to help me understand at least. I've been through all kind of appointments since August 2016, and my last meeting with the nutritionist was 2 weeks ago, and nobody mentioned anything about the weight gain. I'm on day 6 of the liquid diet, which only allows me 3 Protein shakes a day, broth, tea, and some green veggies with no oil or dressings. And I've done it perfectly!! I'm very proud of myself because it has not been easy at all, but I'm so excited and committed to this. I asked to meet with the surgeon tomorrow, but they seemed pretty sure about their decision. I'm going to try anyway. It's very unprofessional and heartbreaking for me to hear that I've made it this far to not know now of a date. Thank you again for your support. It feels good to let the frustration out. At least I know now that I can use this forum groups for support instead of using food and alcohol when things go the wrong way and I'm filled with anxiety

I know what you mean about the cold...this winter will be much colder due to the loss of my winter "padding" but I will freeze my a$$ off before wanting that padding back!! I haven't tried beer yet, but I was a complete oddball and waited until I was one year post-op to drink any alcohol, and I've so far only tried wine. It definitely hits me harder now, so I have to be careful! Cheers to your new healthy life!

I am a couple of weeks away from being a year out and I am close to goal. My surgeon advised no alcohol for six weeks after surgery. I was having wine before I was having steak, bread or Pasta :-) What I drink has changed though. White wine - I can no longer tolerate Sauvignon blanc or Pinot Gris, they give me heart burn. I can drink Chardonnay, dry riesling and a little champagne but not too much as it is too gassy. Red wine- I go for Syrah or Pinot noir, the tannins in heavier reds give me heart burn. Beer - cant do it, just like I can't do sodas. The bubbles fill me up way too fast and become unpleasant. I will have a few sips and then I am done. Spirits and liqueurs - so far I have not had a problem with any! As long as I am not mixing with soda all is well. I dont have spirits often as I am more a wine with dinner girl but when I do I will take a grey goose dry martini, dirty. Thank you! Frequency, well I drink at least two nights a week and sometimes more. This is often just a glass or two of wine with dinner but can be more if we are out and about. We eat out a lot and I travel a lot with work so often it is simply a social thing. I add those calories right on in there with whatever else I have and then make sure I work a little harder to burn them off if I over indulge.

I love Moscato (you can get it without the fizzies too!) and muscadine wine that I can only find in Arkansas. My sister has a friend that brings us back a case at the time when we need it. I also have a little winery near my house where you can get red wines made with blueberries and pomegrantes. Those are pretty yummy as well and are semi great for you if you are looking at the antioxidant content of them. I haven't had any alcohol since surgery. I'm not a big drinker anyway but I was told that I needed to wait at least a year after surgery before alcohol. I'm trying to be a "good patient" and do what I'm told plus I don't want to do anything to throw off my weight loss so I think I'll be waiting a while. I would LOVE a good margarita too!

It isn't failure at all if you reached your personal goal. At 5'3" my first goal was 115 lbs. Since then I have changed it to 125 lbs. Very different caloric tolerances between our respective goals. That doesn't mean one is right or wrong or better or worse. People also carry their weight differently. Alcohol has more calories per gram than any other food. Depending on your goal weight range, consumption of alcohol may seriously impact your progress, or not. This isn't said as judgement, just as one of many perspectives.

We were all conditioned to not waste food. Remember Mom saying, eat all your food there are people starving in(pick a country). I've learned that I don't have to waste food in order to not work around my restriction. (That's what we do when we are full and continue to eat) When I eat and my restriction kicks in (thank goodness after 4 yrs I still have a pretty good one) I stop eating, put the food in a container, store in fridge and eat the next day. I will eat the same thing for a few days so that I don't waste the food but most importantly so that I'm not tempted to work around my restriction. I went to a therapist. This therapist was recommended by others in my support group. I honestly didn't find her to be as helpful as talking and interacting with others who had the surgery. One other note to the OP, your family has to be in your corner 100%. Mom should not have had a large dinner with you only days post op. That's like a recovering alcoholic who has sit through a cocktail party. It will not bode well. I also find that drinking plain water or herbal tea helps control the craving to eat. It does two things, first the action of getting the drink takes your mind away from the food and the liquid helps to fill your stomach so that you eat less.

the main reason they dont want you to drink is because 1. it takes less alcohol to get you intoxicated now, so it could be dangerous since you're drinking on an almost empty stomach. 2. there is a lot of calories and carbs in these drinks, so they will slow your weight loss down, and the drinks will be stored as belly fat since alcohol turns to sugar once processed through your system. On another note, I have had several glasses of wine, and no problems. My nutrionist told me to have a glass of water after each drink, she was furious though when i told her i drank the wine so soon. Oh well, what can you do...vacation peer pressure LOL. I would be nervous about beer, doesnt that have carbination in it? my friend made me a wine spritzer with seltzer, and i drank it thinking it was just some cheap ass wine, I started foaming at the mouth...literally, and had the worst knot in my chest.

Its not that I want freedom, I need fear. Alcoholism has been a struggle and don't get me wrong I try hard not to cave in. Today I was glad to be honest with the doc, they gave me a medicine to coat my stomach and to prevent ulcers. Doc said u don't want bleeding because your stomach being small, makes it more difficult to repair.

My name is PDXMan and I am an alcoholic. One of the toughest phrases I ever uttered, but one that has saved my life. As has been mentioned, AA has been the program I have used to keep me sober. You may wonder, "How does AA keep me from drinking?" It doesn't. It shows you how to live life on life's terms. Once you start doing that, you see that you don't need alcohol or drugs anymore. For me, alcohol isn't my problem. I am my problem. Alcohol was my solution. Until it wasn't anymore. If it is no longer your solution, then try finding one that has worked for millions. All it takes is some willingness to make a change. That's it. And showing up ... BTW, it also works for other drugs of choices, too. It's a scary thought, not having your coping mechanism around, but it just might work.

When you say "alcoholic" do you mean "I liked to drink a lot" or "I really think I need help"? My life has done a complete 180 for the better since I got into AA and quit drinking back in 2008. It was an even better choice than having the VSG. If you need help, all you have to do is reach out. Don't hesitate. There's a whole community of folks who only want to help. Look for an AA chapter near you and just go visit. If you want to talk with me privately, that's fine.

Eh... i asked my surgeon about alcohol and carbonation post op and she told me you have to live your life. If you think you will never have anything sinful you’re just setting yourself up for failure. She also said carbonation is fine for some and hard to tolerate for others, but it’s not harmful to your pouch. She said there is a lot of misinformation out there on the topic, many times used as scare tactics to keep people from drinking full sugar soda.

Smoking............I know, I know....I don't need a lecture...at least its not alcohol!!

Wow! I never knew that before.... This is interesting. Will you tell me more? This poor woman was my best friend in university and she was my only bridesmaid. She was both brilliant and very, very beautiful. Now her health is ruined and she looks like a street person. At one point she lost all her hair and at another point she went blind with cataracts. She has been rushed to hospital because she was vomitting blood and she now has advanced osteoporosis and walks with canes - when she does walk at all! For a little while she was on welfare. She now takes handicapped transit to work. This woman is eleven months younger than I am. She always used to be a party girl even though she performed well in university and has held some pretty interesting jobs. She has the worst taste in men though! Underperforming and uneducated alcoholics with anger management issues. I have kind of drifted away from her over the years as a result of her men and her drinking. I guess this is too much information considering that my inquiry had to do with understanding anorexia, eh?:phanvan