LB4Me

Tomorrow begins my countdown. I begin my pre-opt liquid diet. It is one of the stricter diets. But I am going to stick it out. Starting to feel nervous about the surgery. Glad I have this forum to answer my questions and keep my company.

Best wishes for a speedy and easy recovery. See you in bandland.

Best wishes to both of you.

You sound very well prepared and informed. Good luck.

Glad you're both back home and on the other side. Hope you're feeling better soon.

I want to play! - Get off my meds. - Wear high heels again. - Wear matching, sexy underwear again. - Have the kind of sex I had with my husband before we were married. (I can think of some fun things to do with that wedge pillow my dr made me get!) - Share the bathroom with my husband. Now I can go in when he's in the shower, but he's not allowed in when I'm naked. - No seatbelt extenders. - Being able to walk more than a block or two. - Finally go on our honeymoon to the Italian Riveria. - Snorkle and river raft without the fear of sinking. In a real bathing suite. Not short, black armor. - Get a tattoo. In a secret place. And not hide it from my husband.

I start my pre-op on the 6th. This weekend my husband and I will go to our favorite NYC steakhouse. First I will have a dirty martini (a special treat - rarely drink them anymore). We will share a caprese salad, then a Porterhouse steak for two (so wonderful!), mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. For dessert the creme brulee (and I'll talk him into getting a dessert too - so we can share two!). And wine. Lots of wine. Luckily it is only steps from our house cause he'll have to carry me (or drag me) home. This is usually our anniversary dinner and there is always lots of steak left over, my husband and dog will split it.

It is amazing how different each surgeon is both pre-op and post. I can have 5 shakes a day. 1000 calories, at least 50 grams of protein. SF jello and popsicles. Low salt broth, sf drinks. If I am hungery, I can have up to 2 cups of steamed or raw veggies/day.

Welcome. Make sure you add yourself to the October Bandsters list under Pre-Opt. That way you'll be connected to others in the same place as you are on this journey.

My pulmonologist would not approve my surgery until I had a CPAP prescription and used it for a couple weeks. I was told by the Sleep Center doctor that you may need it to make sure you can wake up from surgery fully and are able to be released from the hospital quickly. BTW. I hate it. But I will do anything I have to for the surgery.

I have UHC as well. They cover 100% as long as you use a Center of Excellence surgeon.

That is something to celebrate!

BTW. I'm from NYC.

I worry about that too. I am one of those people that actually likes water and can down a bottle in minutes when I am thirsty. And if I do not drink with my meal, I feel like I may choke. Maybe that is a result of eating too fast and will go away if I slow down. Here's hoping.

Congratulations!

I'm scheduled for October 20. Finally. It has been a year getting this far. I start my liquid diet on the 6th. All shakes and clear liquids. The only solid food is one serving of steamed veggies if I need it. It is funny about how differnet each doctor is about the pre-diet. But I will follow my doctor's directions. It was a fatty liver that caused some of my delay.

I'd say it was a good day for you. I hope tomorrow is even better.

Shirley - That is wonderful news! Great job. I can't wait to hear that you are in onederland.

Be careful. Most of these look like post op shakes, not pre op liquid diet type shakes. Remember, pre op is supposed to shrink your liver. That means avoiding fats, sugars, carbs.

Congratulations! You're an inspiration.

What the WL doctor requires and what your insurance may require are two different things. Some drs do not require the 6 month diet and some do. Some insurance does not require it and some do. I would try to get a better clarification from the insurance company as to their requirements directly from them, not the surgeon's office.

Thanks for answering my questions. Best luck to you.

Dr. Kurian is my doctor as well (scheduled for Oct 20). Was she as nice the day of as she is in her office? How long did you remain in recovery/hospital? Did you have a lot of post op gas/pain? Did Dr Kurian do the fill or an assistant? Sorry for all the questions, but I have heard great things and not so great things about surgery at NYU. I am super nervous.

While I can't give you any post op encourgement, I've been where you've been. After almost 8 months of getting through all the doctor's appointments, etc., and reading everything here, I wanted to back out. But like you, I decided getting my life back was more important than the couple months of discomfort and I scheduled my surgery date - for the second time (health issues delayed it the first time). There are a lot of people on here, pre and post op that will offer a lot of encouragement and support. Stick with it.

Yep! It's kinda scarey when you see it all written down.