Question:
My 21st birthday is 4 weeks after my surgery in december.Will i be able to enjoy it?

I have been looking forward to my 21st birthday for the longest time and i will be 4 weeks post op by than...can i atleast have some SMALL drink or what?!?!    — sandrac131 (posted on August 5, 2002)


August 5, 2002
You may not enjoy it fully, but you should be able to enjoy it some. Heck, if you are really careful, you may be able to enjoy 1-3 very small bites (not gulps!) of cake. At four weeks sugar will probally hit you hard. In fact, let me make a suggestion. Why not bake the cake of "your choice" and instead of sugar, use an equal amount of Splenda. I'm 15 months post op, and just recently I've started using regular sugar in my coffee as I don't drink it to often anyway. However when it comes to baking, I DO NOT want sugar in it! Being a new post op and having a birthday, you may really be able to enjoy a cake should you bake it with splenda.
   — Danmark

August 5, 2002
At four weeks post op you may be down 20-30 pounds. You will really enjoy THIS birthday! ;)
   — Danmark

August 5, 2002
Likely, you will not enjoy your 21st birthday according to the standards you have set pre-op. At four weeks, you may be excited to go out for a little while, or you may find that the preparation for it is too much. Likely, you will not want any alcohol or anything that might irritate your stomach more than it already is. If you do give in to peer pressure to have a drink, you may find that it burns your whole system to hell, and even stopping drinking doesn't make the pain go away. Hopefully, by then, you will feel going to a restaurant/bar and getting a cup of soup is more appropriate and enjoyable, and then for your 21-and-a-half birthday, you schedule a rip-roaring bar tour. In the event that you do need to mark the occasion by traditional standards, I would suggest practicing at home first with a little wine. If that burns too much, dilute it with diet Sprite for a spritzer (swish it to get rid of the carbonation). If you do not dump and the alcohol does not burn, you may opt for a Baily's on the rocks, sip it slowly as the ice melts. Best bet -- save for a limo for your 1/2 birthday and enjoy the hell out of that one, but be a little more conservative and gentle for the real thing.
   — Karen F.

August 5, 2002
I don't think your Dr. would give you the go ahead if asked and I don't think your stomach would respond well to it at all. Would it hurt you - probally not but who wants to be sick to thier stomach on thier 21st B-Day after spending the first few weeks post-op sore, tired, and sick enough. Just look at the weight loss at 1 month as your birthday present and make up for it somewhat on your 22nd B-Day, bieng carefull of course! Happy early Birthday to you!
   — Rebecca B.

August 5, 2002
Sandra, I know where you are comming from. I was pregnant on my 21st birthday. No drinks for me either. Don't do anything that your doctor wouldn't want you doing. Your birthday is just a day. The commitment you are making to your health if forever. It may suck for now, but trust me you'll get over it.
   — Amber L.

August 5, 2002
My b-day was 10 days after my surgery, and I was on clear liquids. I still don't think I could make frosting qualify as a clear liquid, or sugar free. :-( (don't care about cake). BUT my face was smiling so hard from being done & already losing a hunk of me, that I enjoyed the day all day. People have said it very well here. By your former stds, it may be a slight let-down, but by then you will be FLYING on the lost wt! And it's just another day, you can pick another day to party with (wise & healthy) abandon.
   — vitalady

August 5, 2002
My 21st birthday was while I was in nursing school, and I had clinicals the next day at 6am! I had alcohol before I was 21, so the big "milestone" for me was being able to buy it. At 12:01 on my birthday I was in the grocery store line with a bottle of wine just because I could. =) Look forward to your 22nd birthday when you can celebrate it being a whole (or half of a) different person.
   — Nichole B.

August 5, 2002
Unfortunately, probably not...I am recently three months post-op and just started to SIP alcohol. It's very hard to process and has a quick effect on your body. Trust me, it's worth giving up a few things because what you get in return is invaluable. Open RNY 4/29/02 -61.5 pounds
   — stacey L.

August 5, 2002
If its causing you a lot of concern you could delay surgery till after your birthday. I am not recommending it just adding it as a option. I guess its a matter of priorties. Once YOU decide whats most important the other things will fall in line. I wouldnt risk my health for one nte of fun. Drinking is TOUGH on a new tummy, you wouldnt want to end up in the hospital from it burned or bleeding so soon after surgery. In any case ASK YOUR SURGEON AND DO FOLLOW HIS ORDERS!
   — bob-haller

August 5, 2002
Too Soon! I never had my first drink until 2 months. Don't risk it. There's plenty of time for booze later :)
   — Angie B.

August 6, 2002
I have to agree with the previous poster - 4 weeks after surgery is too soon - you've got to give your body some time to heal. You'll be feeling better by 4 weeks after surgery but you need to give your self some time. Like someone else mentioned - you'll have plenty of time to do all the fun stuff you might be dreaming of. As far as alcohol consumption - I didn't try a shotglass full of wine until after my 3rd month - as small of an amount as that sounds, it got me buzzed. Just go out and have a good time for your birthday - skip the drink, if you can. Give yourself the gift of major transitions for this birthday - changes in your physical body, changes in your mental state, changes in your emotions and a rebirth in a spiritual sense - make changes to other things, like how you're use to partying...my mom has never had one drink in her entire life and I swear, she has a better time partying at partys than most people who "party". It's all in a frame of mind - good luck to you and enjoy your upcoming transitional steps - you will be amazed how quickly the time goes by. Bright Blessings ~ Lisa Jordan
   — Lisa J.

August 6, 2002
At 4 weeks I was still feeling pretty weak and yucky...I could have cared less about a drink at that point. As a matter of fact, I have only had a 1/2 glass of wine once and it was 3 months out. And by the way....it went right to my head! I'm such a cheap date! lol
   — pam29922

August 6, 2002
Sure you'll be able to enjy your B-day. However more than likely without the help of social lubricants, and without being able to gorge yourself. I do belive that you will not be able to partake in the traditional role of the 21 year old (first-time-able-to-get-into-a-bar-legally) person. Yes, you will be hurtin for certin, so I do not think partying it up will be on the agenda. I know I felt like crap until about my 7th week. I had Open RNY. If you are having lap you may feel better as far as being able to situp, and move around, but I bet dollars to no more doughnuts that you will not be able to drink very much at all. But you have the rest of your life to Drink. I would not jeopardize your surgery, because of some coming of age custom that is in reality pretty stupid when you think about it. I did not even make it to the bar on my B-day, but then again I had many other pharmacueticals to keep me occupied at the time. good luck to you.
   — sbinkerd1

August 6, 2002
I am going to be honest with you. I had open RNY on June 7th and on the Saturday after the 4th of July I went to a big all day cook out/ pool party. EVERYONE was drinking. I kept my bottle of sugar free lemonade handy. Glad to say everyone was passed out at 10:00 pm and I was sill going. ~BUT~ at about 3:00 pm that afternoon I got brave and tok a shot of Hot Damn. It hit me within 5 minutes and I was in laying on the couch for the next 1/2 hour because I was so drunk I couldn't walk straight. I decided right then and there, NO MORE for atleast a few more month. Good Luck~ Hope you have a great birthday!!! Candi
   — Candi B.

August 6, 2002
I had open RNY surgery on July 23rd of this year, and my 26th birthday was on August 1st. I was a little sad that I could not eat my usual Mexican Birthday dinner and chocolate cake...but my husband made up for it by buying me special presents and treating me like a queen for a day. We rented a bunch of good movies, he gave me great massages, and I had a lot of new perfume and fuzzy slippers to keep me content. I figure, that even though it wasn't the kind of birthday I was used to, I sure had a lot to look forward to NEXT YEAR! I just kept imagining myself nice and thin and in a really cute and sexy outfit, out dancing with my husband. It really made me feel a lot better! I know that your 21st birthday is a big deal, but just think how great you are going to look and feel when your 22nd birthday rolls around!
   — Shawnie S.




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