disco stu

Unfortunately, it's a life long problem. You can't ever be 'cured' of alcoholism. The only solution is to NEVER drink again. THat's a real tough notion for most of us.

GOod luck

The struggle is real. I just had my first 'slip' after 54 days of sobriety. Sucks. I would recommend speaking to a psych about anti-depressants...specifically an SSRI. You have to play Russian Roulette a bit to find what works for your brain chemistry, but it's worth it. Made things a lot lot easier once I found the right combo. (low dose Celexa for me, but everyone is different)

That sucks. Good luck. Is the malabsorption apsect of SIPS still working? ie. are you still in the restroom all the time? oil slicks? etc...? I think I've gained a bit too in the last few weeks, but that's mostly Coors Light. hahaha Still, 212 has got to feel a lot better than 290, no?

Wow. Yeah. I can't really explain it. Must have something to do with my total disregard for a clean diet, but yeah, I poop A LOT. Like, A lot a lot. Like, I should invest in Sharmen and Cottonelle flushable wipes. It's 3:00 and I think I've been in the restroom at least eight times so far since getting out of bed. Part of it is that I've learned from painful experience to "never trust a fart",. so some times it's just a whole lotta gas and nothing else. But in general, I should consider changing my screen name to "oil slick" , since that's my default experience these days.

ALCOHOL One last thing: If you have any history of alcoholism in your family, be very very careful. Dr's haven't exactly figured out why, but rehabs are filled with Bariatric peeps. Some reports claim your odds of becoming a alcoholic after bariatric go up by 80%. Eighty. Much easier to never start than it is to quit.

Sure. I'm at about 18 months. FOODS Not nearly as sensitive to foods are I was, but I still feel like avocados do me in. Ice Cream. Beer. Basically sugar, carbs, wheat. VITAMINS I take two normal chewable bariatric vitamin in the morning (dosage is two). That seems to keep me covered for everything except D and calcium. Based on advice from this board, I now take 50,000 iu of D3 every day in capsule form. NOTE: THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT AND TOOK A YEAR BEFORE SOMEONE ON THIS BOARD CLUED ME IN: After this surgery, anything oil based goes through you like **** through a duck. This is in general a good thing. I can literally eat a stick of butter at every meal and it will not show up on waistline. BUT, this means that any vitamin or other drugs that are "Gelcaps" run through you without effect and do not absorb!! Most D3 is sold in gelcap form so you need to find a version that isn't. (I dont know what brand im using offhand, but if you ask I will go upstairs and figure it out.) . SInce switching to non-gelcaps, my D3 is right where it needs to be. I've also had issues with calcium, which is common. I recently switched to the more expensive version. Haven't been re-tested yet, but will report back after my next test. Lastly, I take generic Prilosec for heartburn. I didn't need to before surgery, but now its a must. I take one more 'vitamin' for joint issues, but that IMO is unrelated to bariatric. THat's it. Not the fistful of pills you sometimes see others taking. But Im SIPS- not full DS - one of the advantages of which is less vitamin issues BATHROOM Yeah, that's still major issue. 12 to 20 times a day. Usually explosive. Not quite as smelly as the early days, but....yeah... i **** A LOT. I usually have to get up 3 to 4 times a night still. And It isn't pretty. I carry wet wipes with me at in my back pack at all times, along with poopouri. Also, having a toilet brush in every bathroom in my house is a must. Sometimes I have to do cleanup duty in restaurant or other public bathrooms, just because I feel guilty about the damage I have created. Its really really wrong NOTE: I still eat fast food and all types of garbage. If I cleaned my diet, I assume things in the bathroom would improve. But I like fast food, and I still keep getting skinnier, so I guess the trade off is worth it.

I probably don't count as 'long term'....I'm at 18 months.... but I eat pretty shitty and haven't regained.

Best decision ever. It's a little tricky to talk about actual number of lost lbs for me, since I'm a dude and I started working out on weights a ton, and getting semi-jacked. but what a difference this has made in my life. Transformative. You should feel confident. I deleted most of my "fat pics", but I attached something that should give a general vibe...

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20190620/drug_alcohol_deaths_soar_after_weight-loss_surgery#1

awesome!

Im glad you've enjoyed the thread. I still try to check in from time to time. You almost cant compare sleeve to DS; they work in completely different ways. Yes, you eat less with sleeve....for awhile... but then things stretch and you end up pretty much back to where you started. DS works at your intestines; not stomach. It doesn't limit what you eat, but what you eat doesn't fully digest -especially fat- which means it doesn't end up on your belly and thighs. The downside is that the food that doesn't digest has got to go somewhere, and that somewhere is the toilet, which you will be visiting 2x to 5x your current norm, at all hours of the day and night. Takes some getting used to. Regardless, the best decision I ever made. Bottom line: Sleeve can work for some people; but only those with discipline. DS just works, regardless. I cheat all the time. All. the. time. Haven't re-gained any of the weight. Mini update: I still haven't broken the 200lb mark, which is frustrating. At same time, I go to the gym 5 days a week and mountain bike about the same. My waist line continues to shrink, and all my friends refer to me as "jacked" or "ripped." Little bit of a pooch still just at my belt line, but some of it is loose skin. Other than the two particularly nasty scars the surgeon left behind on my belly, It feels pretty good to take my shirt off at the beach or pool. Good stuff.

Mini-update: This is kinda gross, but it's something that's been on my mind for awhile now concerning the difference between full DS and mini DS\SIPS. THere's an article floating around that purports that the fat mal-absorption aspects of the newer mini-DS alternatives fade after a year, compared to the full, old-school DS. Well, I'm 14 months out, and had Taco Bell last night for dinner. Let's just say there was ample evidence this morning that my body is not absorbing fat...

UPDATE: Just got my latest labs back and my D3 has moved from 17 to 53. Woot! THanks @Postop for the recommendation and advice. In your opinion, should I continue to take 50,000 units every day, or should I back off from that now that I've got the D3 in the middle of the range?

I'm sleeve to DS (SIPs, actually.) . The recovery was a breeze. 1/10th that of sleeve. I was walking the same day and eating solid food two days later. Best decision I ever made.