response to christian

I was always a pretty heavy social drinker, but since my surgury I have been having the exact same issues as you, I also switched to wine, although I tried vodka and other hard alcohol, but seemed to black out when I drank them. My 11 year old son is very involved in community theater, so I would have to take him to practice every night, which then gave me a chance to pound a few drinks, well a few weeks ago, he called me to come pick him up from the play, he got no response because I was passed out. He called my mom, who lives a short distance away and let me tell you all hell broke loose..I went to my doctor to discuss the problems Im having and to get help. There is a new drug out on the market, called campral, took for about 2 weeks, not good for us with wls, made me very sick, so now I am scared, terrified and drinking like a fish, went to 1 AA meeting, but I am thinking treatment is the best option for me...................anyone who wants to pipe in and give any advice would be welcomed, I am sick of this life and not doing well...........Paige

Paige, This was my first weekend sobber in a very long time and I have thought about how to sneak a drink for a week. I am being watched like a hawk though by my mom, boyfriend, and friends, which in a way I am glad but I am angry at the same time. I feel great because I haven't had any hangovers in about five days but at the same time I want a glass of wine so bad I can't stand it. I am going to my first AA meeting tonight and I am terrified. I don't know what to expect. I know I have to do this or my next option will be treatment somewhere and I don't want it to come to that. I have got to get a hobby or something to just get my mind off of it. please keep me posted and continue to talk with me when you want a drink I understand. We can help each other. christian

Hi ladies, I am so happy you are aware and doing whatever it takes. Do not be afraid of AA. Everyone there has been there and done that. They are there to help you and themselves. If you give it a chance you will come to understand that. I have never been to treatment but I know many who have. It is not a bad thing. Doing something to help yourself is the most wonderful gift you can give to you and those who love you. Drinking is a symptom of what is going on inside of you. If it isn't alcohol it is food or whatever...... You are blessed to have family and friends still there willing to support you even if they are scared and angry. Mostly scared. I check in daily and I am here for support. In time you will find people locally who will be a support system. I truely love my friends in recovery. They understand and are my eyes and ears when I am getting unplugged and do not see it. Hugs to you both, Laurie

Paige I posted earlier today under: WARNING: Alcohol and WLS on the main board. Please see my post. I am 28 months postop. My alcohol problem started about 8 months ago. Same thing. I don't have to drink every day, but one drink leads to 1 bottle, 2 bottles, etc. Red wine is my vice. A few things I have learned in my own recovery. I am working the program out of a book called 7 Weeks to Sobriety (BUY IT). It is from a recovery center in Minnesota called the Health Recovery Center. If I were to check myself in somewhere, that's where I would go. But I'm doing the supplements as an outpatient. This program makes sense to me especially due to our unique situation. It is about nutrient loading because alcohol depletes a lot of nutrients in our body. I take a lot of capsules during the day. But, honestly, if I can undue some of the damage, it's worth it. I am 11 days out and have no withdrawals or cravings. And I feel great physically. I just got home from a bike ride. The book also talks about a link with food allergies. It says that a lot of people who have weight problems have food allergies they are unaware of. A lot of people with drinking problems are allergic to alcohol. They kind of go hand in hand. Amazing. Sounds like me. So I'm going to do the testing they recommend to make sure all my organs etc are not damaged. I am also going to do the food testing. They said that if you're allergic to a certain food, it can actually trigger cravings........for food or alcohol. The web site is www.healthrecovery.com. Anyway, my second gem is Women For Sobriety. For me, it's a more comfortable program than AA. Instead of saying: Hi, my name is Vicky and I'm an alcoholic (which I have no problem with; I accept it), WFS starts their discussion by saying: Hi, my name is Vicky, and I'm a competent woman. It's all about changing your life in very positive ways and taking responsibility. This can work with food or alcohol addiction. Check out their website: www.womenforsobriety.org. They have a forum which is: http://groups.msn.com/WomenforSobriety. Having said that, AA is a great program and works for a lot of people and it has more face time and more meetings available thin WFS. Whatever you do, do something! Take heed though: On a personal note, a friend of mine who is over 3 years post op started drinking very heavily a little over a year ago. Her drink of choice is wine. God gave another friend the strength to get "J" into rehab last week. While she was in rehab, they found a gastric bleed. Had she not gone to the hospital at the time, she would be dead today. Because of our new plumbing, we CANNOT handle alcohol in any sense of the word like a person with normal plumbing. She would have died with only one year of heavy drinking because of how it affects us instead of five or six or ten years that it might affect someone else without our special situation. VERY SOBERING! Good luck and take care of yourself! I hope this helps Vicky

Page, Your post was almost a week ago. I hope that by now you've had a chance to talk to your doctor. I also hope that if you feel you need treatment that your doctor recommended you to a good treatment facility and that you are already there. Like another poster said, there is nothing wrong with treatment. If you have a problem with alcohol, it is the best thing you can do for yourself. I am still pre-op for WLS and I understand it is quite a ride. Recovery is similar. At the beginning it is somewhat like a roller coaster ride but after awhile the hillls become less steep and the downsides don't go quite as far down. Let us know how you're doing, Page. We care. Cheri

Cheri, I must tell you how much my 12 step program has helped me with my wls issues. Everything I have had to deal with can be addressed thru my program and then some. Good luck on your journey into wls!!!! Laurie