shardee

I have had WL surgery about 8 years ago...and what I did was transfer my overeating to drinking...I learned I didn't want to eat when I drank. But did manage to gain about 30 lbs in the 5 years of drinking..Wine is full of calories. I managed to drink a little at first it was only 1 drink and then 2 and then three...until I was drinking a bottle a night..I have very few memories of my last 2 years..I was a very safe drinker and never drove..just drank at home...until I feel down the stairs and broke my ribs...Didn't know it until the next morning when I was in a lot of pain...My husband told me that the hole in the wall was where my head hit...I decided to ask my Dr. for help..she immediatly sent to Psycare. I now have a councillor and a psycritist for meds. I have not drank in 40 days....But I have learned that I have not dealt with my overeating...I am going to AA and was going to OA for help...but beleive me its harder to control your eating. You have to eat..even if your pouch is small...I can snack all day a little at a time. I am in the San Deigo area and was attending an O.A bariatrics meeting a Pomerado Hospital, but it has stopped. I don't feel well enought to lead it..so If anyone knows of another one in the area I would appreciate your help. I will keep on using any tools I can to get healthy....

__________________
Sue,
5/2000
Highest 237lbs. & lowest 150lbs.
now 180lbs
Charles Callery

trickychick68

I definitely am one of those "switch addicts" - switched to focusing on cigarettes, quit smoking and now I am snacking... when I am trying to not to snack, I am having a hard time with past demons... I will just leave it at that. I need to get back into therapy, I know that.

__________________
Michelle
Start 252/Low 137/Goal142/Current 149 (gained twelve pounds since summer)

LAP RNY 1-19-06

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."[/font]

Nyn

Definitely! I was never an overeater who did the crazy binge eating that gets all the press, but I for sure relied on eating for comfort. I was also a "casual" smoker before WLS, though I easily quit for about 3 months before and after surgery. I used to make a pack last a week or more, but in the last 3 months my smoking has become heavy when I am at home in the evenings and on weekends. I still don't smoke during the day at work, but sometimes I find myself thinking about it. When I last saw my WLS doctor, she suggested I call and request a visit with a psychologist so I don't slip further into Addiction Transfer behavior, and my doc gave me a serious "talking-to" about my behavior. I should really go and make that call, for sure, I know.

I'm so sorry that you have faced this problem, but it is awesome that you are doing something about it. Please, keep up with as much support as you can get to stay on the path of good health. I wish you the best!

__________________
Nyn
Lap RNY surgery date: 9/24/2007
Height: 5'8"
338/303/196 (as of 5/11/08)
most/@ surgery/current
New Dr. Goal: 160
BMI: 51.4/29.8 = Just overweight now!

142 pounds gone!
Century Club reached 12/29/07!
Doctor's 1st goal reached 4/9/08!
ONEderland reached 5/5/08!
No longer obese as of 5/11/08!

Phoenixfire

Yes. My transferring didn't start early on. I don't really know why...
But then when my life fell apart I started smoking (again...sigh)
I started drinking (again...sigh)
I didn't have any ill effects, but I knew I was playing with fire.
I went BACK to therapy (on and off over the years-therapy's good stuff)
I went to the root of what was going on with me, and the issue of medicating with alcohol went away.
The nicotine? Welllllllllll I quit smoking and will never smoke again. I know this. But I use the lozenges and gum. And I have no plans on quitting those.
Nicotine is a helluva drug. And yes it's not perfectly healthy.
But I can live with myself if I'm not an overeating obese drunk that puffs on cancer sticks.
I'll just suck on my lozenges, drink my water, eat my good foods, and be very happy that I found ONE cure: WLS
You're not alone sweetie, and god bless you as you find the way to deal with what's at the ROOT of your drive to overeat and then drink. You'll find it. But only if you're looking...so keep looking. You haven't come this far just to fall down with drink okay?
(and no, this is not an advertisement for nicorette-I buy the cheap drug store version)

__________________

October, 2002 - Dr. Alan Newhoff, Arizona - My Hero!
5'8" - 300/130/145
(Highest/Current/Goal)
Highest Size: 26/28
Current Size: 6/8

splendifor

LOL - welllll one of my wls friends (post-op) has been eating nicorette gum like it's going out of style.. before her I never realized people *kept* using it for extended periods.. just wanted you to know ur not alone even if it is 2nd removed.

__________________
Jacki
Lap RNY 4/23/08
highest: 312 current: 252 goal: 115


"A little soda violence goes a long way, baby." ~ Mike
Honestly sometimes I believe people should be on disability for being ignorant! ~Deborah

bridgetgirl

Its called being codependant. Its where you use outside things to make you feel good. If you think of it as that and not a "switcher" its easier to know whats going on with you. read about codependency. My switch was socialism, perscription painkillers and alcohol for awhile. Now its caffeine!!!!! But I know as a codependant person, when I find myself indulging in these self destructive behaviors frequently or daily I MUST stop! First it was food, that was my codependant tool.. it determined my mood, feelings and emotions. then it was 'liquid courage" alcohol, I was happy and carefree on it. then it was people, I was having parties, going to every event and overcommiting... as long as I was doing things to make others happy, I was happy...... see the trend? codependency doesnt have to be drugs, liquor and sex! It can be shopping too. I eventually found myself going into an outpatient psych treatment because I lost control and didnt know how to find ground zero. Im kind of grounded now, on antidepressants and living one day at a time and taking care of myself. I pretty much live by the twelve steps now. I hope to not relapse, but luckily I have the tools to assist me if I do. hi my name is Bridget, and Im codependant.

__________________
J.Bridget Fisher
2/9/04 lap 5'11"
298/155

www.myspace.com/caliclovercutie
We must have a theme, a goal, a purpose in our lives. If you don't know where you're aiming, you don't have a goal. My goal is to live my life in such a way that when I die, someone can say, she cared." - MaryKay Ash

Phoenixfire

Hi Bridget, nice to meet you and at the same time I'm sorry.
Because I'm in the club with you: codependent and figuring it's a matter of managing it and growing in experience and gaining wisdom to hopefully lessen the "disease" that I think it is.

It sucks. I hate it. And maybe one day it will be erased. But I give myself (and others) credit for realizing it, seeing what they're doing, and learning from the mistakes.

And the fact that I'll keep making them is the hardest part to deal with. Call me a perfectionist internalizer. I like it better than co-dependent (that's such a BUZZWORD!) I hate buzzwords ::::mutter mutter::::

__________________

October, 2002 - Dr. Alan Newhoff, Arizona - My Hero!
5'8" - 300/130/145
(Highest/Current/Goal)
Highest Size: 26/28
Current Size: 6/8

yogurt

You know, I mentioned this whole topic quite awhile ago in this forum, and I gotta say, I didn't get a lot of feedback about it. I'm not sure if people just weren't talking about it, or didn't really have any problems with it themselves, but I've been struggling with it almost the entire time after about a year out of surgery.

My problem was getting addicted to drugs, which I've been in treatment for and am doing ok now.

I guess it's really no surprise since as it's been said, food and eating was my addiction and it was taken away from me (but that's a good thing!!!). Quitting smoking was another habit that I had to quit for the surgery too. So if my personality was such that I was prone to "addictions" to begin with, of course something else had to pop-up.

I'm not saying that it's 100% guaranteed that anyone post-op is going to start abusing something else besides food, it's just something that we should be more prepared to deal with beforehand.

'tis the way it is, and I certainly would rather be 100 lbs thinner and healthier to deal with these things, than as overweight as I was before the surgery, know what I mean?

And technically, "codependency" refers more to a person who cares for a dependent person... such as a wife who is a codependent to their alcoholic spouse and may be in Alanon or something to that effect...

~T

lealphachienne

To keep those puppies at bay, i have found an access to pursue my deepest dreams. Perhaps that's an addiction of time....I spend plenty of my free time developing the business end of this dream for it to come into full reality. I don't watch TV (gosh, was a DVR Nazi!), haven't seen a movie in 3 or 4 months, rarely hang out and with my drinking buddies....my time is focused on staying sane, healthy, and choosing wisely the people I hang out with...perhaps we're growing up a little. Dang...2 years ago we were partying like rock stars!!! And now...some of us are feeling the repercussions of those days. No regrets on my end....simply turning the next page in the book of our lives.

Life has changed drastically for most of us. Many of the long-termer are having families, switching careers, and also..the long-term health side-effects are showing up. I hear of further people having blood sugar and pancreas problems. We are human, juggling our lives....yes...the surgery has affected us....and life goes on.

Interestingly enough, when I was in South Africa, many of the people I talked too felt sorry for Americans...we are dying of obesity...the bane of excess...to have such waste be the demise of our prosperity.

__________________
Marie
5/28/04
Lap RNY
5'3"
235/125
TT Gym Rat #25
Ehyeh asher ehyeh Exodus 3:14
www.nochilddiesalone.org
www.myspace.com/lealphachienne
www.myspace.com/NoChildDiesAlone
www.BeYourPassion.hubhub.org

shardee

Thanks for all the responses, it helps when you find other people fighting simular or the same battles..I think that just recognizing there is a problem
and taking actions to address the problem will be helpful...I am taking medication for depression and going to AA, OA and Weight watchers for the accountability factor. I am also taking Yoga for relaxation and stress reduction. That is the way I am dealing with this issue, and I am getting better at 58 years old..but I know my growth will be arrested if I don't keep trying to get healthier....I will continue to do what I need to get better... today I am happy and working my program.

__________________
Sue,
5/2000
Highest 237lbs. & lowest 150lbs.
now 180lbs
Charles Callery