CorvetteGirl

good luck to you on thursday and let me know how it goes. maybe you could ease my fears a bit. Yeah i def think its more embarassement then worry about the procedure itself. I remember my stepdad had this done a long time ago and i was cracking up all night watching him drink the solution and get up to use the bathroom literally every two mins. Wont be so funny when its my turn!

Well, I survived the dreaded bowel prep kit. I'm not going to sugar coat it.....this stuff SUCKS major bigtime!!

I got through 6 of the 8 glasses of the stuff and had to take a break....my tummy was so bloated and distended...very uncomfortable. I waited about 20 minutes and finished the remaining 2 glasses.

Not the most fun experience ever. I will say that the stuff sure does what it is supposed to....this may be TMI, but near halfway through, what's in the toilet just looks like you peed.....yup...nothing else was there. I feel kind of wiped out...like you would with a good bout of diarrhea. Stomach is gurgling and rumbling like crazy this morning, but that's really from hunger.

But hey!! Lucky me!! When the procedure is over today, I get to have a Protein shake. Yup!!...I'm on my liquid diet. I so wish I could just have a light Protein and veggie dinner. That would be awesome!

I'll report back later when I get home.

I too am from Charlotte and was sleeved by Dr. Gersin on 7/8. It was a great experience. The staff is wonderful at CMC Mercy!! The surgery went smooth and I only stayed overnight. Feel free to adk me any questions...good luck!

Nice! Glad to hear things went smoothly for you. My surgery will be with Dr. Gersin on 7/22. CMC and all of Carolinas HealthCare System has the best medical professionals ever!!

Awesome! Lookin' good!

Best of luck! Let us know how you are doing as soon as you can.

good luck to you on thursday and let me know how it goes. maybe you could ease my fears a bit. Yeah i def think its more embarassement then worry about the procedure itself. I remember my stepdad had this done a long time ago and i was cracking up all night watching him drink the solution and get up to use the bathroom literally every two mins. Wont be so funny when its my turn!

I'll be sure to let you know how everything goes!

I was all kinds of upset about it when it was coming up. Embarrassment mostly. It was honestly nothing. They will sedate you. A few minutes later you'll wake up and it'll be over. You can walk out and have dinner an hour later.

I know it won't be all that bad. The worst part will be the bowel prep solution tomorrow night. The other thing that sucks for me is that I just started my pre-op liquid diet yesterday, so unfortunately I can't really "eat" after the procedure. I was supposed to have this done on 6/27, but the hospital called me a couple of weeks prior and had to reschedule.

surgery today at 11 east coast time. prayers!

Best of luck to you! Let us know how you are doing as soon as you are able. prayers coming your way.

That's awesome! Hope you have a speedy and uneventful recovery.

My surgeon ordered an endoscopy/colonoscopy. That wonderful day for me will be Thursday. (ick!)

I'm from Charlotte, and my doctor is Keith Gersin. My surgery will be on 7/22.

Congratulations on a job well done! Beautiful wedding dress!

That is so awesome! Congratulations! I hope I am as successful as you.

Congrats! Sounds like you are doing very well. I hope the rest of your recovery is speedy and uneventful.

Thanks, and good luck to you as well!!

Yes, I start my 2-week pre-op diet on Monday. It's really a modified liquid diet. I am to have 3 - 4 Protein shakes per day (at least 25g Protein each), along with a list of other full and Clear liquids that are allowed. The dietary goals are:

1300 calories per day

90 - 120g protein per day

less than 100g carbs per day

If I want to chew or need more food, I can have raw or steamed veggies with fat free Parkay spray or salads with no starchy veggies with fat free dressing. I can also have 2 tablespoons of Peanut Butter per day or 1/4 cup any kind of nuts.

The Protein Shakes should be distributed as evenly as possible throughout the day. No caffeine and no carbonated beverages of any kind.

Once per week I can have 3 - 4 oz of grilled or baked fish, chicken or turkey.

I did attend an informational seminar on May 15. At the seminar I had to fill out basic demographic information. They gave everyone who attended a packet which included an in-depth patient history that I had to fill out and complete prior to the first scheduled appointment. They contacted me the next day and scheduled my appointment for May 29. I don't think that the seminar is required.

I tried to stack whatever appointments I could to get through the process more quickly. They were very helpful and accommodating; however due to availability I was not able to get my appointments all done within a week. Still, everything has proceeded very quickly. Once your bloodwork from the initial consultation is back, and you get your dietary and psych evals done, they will submit to your insurance. They submitted my paperwork to the insurance (MedCost) on 6/4 and called me on 6/14 that I had been approved.

Keep in mind that each surgeon's pre-surgical requirements may be different, but I would imagine that any of the ones at Carolina's Weight Management would be the same. They really are structured and organized, and the girls in the office are super nice!

At that point they put me on the surgical calendar. My magic day is 7/22!

CorvetteGirl, how much liquid do you need to braise chicken? If there's too much, I'd be boiling it, right? LOL

This is just a rough recipe, but you can add or leave out anything you like. Brown cut up chicken pieces (seasoned on each side with salt and pepper) in a little bit of olive oil on both sides and remove from dutch oven or large heavy bottomed pan). About 5 minutes on each side. To the pan add one cup each of chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Add salt and pepper as desired.....do try to add some salt in order to make the onions "sweat". When the veggies start to soften, add a couple of cloves of minced garlic and stir for about 30 sec until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the chicken back to the pot and then add enough liquid to the pot to cover halfway over the meat. I like to add chicken stock, a generous splash or two of white wine, and a bouquet garni of fresh herbs. ( I tie together a couple of sprigs of rosemary, and about 6 sprigs each of thyme and parsley with kitchen twine).You can add a couple of tablespoons of Tomato paste to give it even more depth of flavor if desired.

When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat and cover simmering gently for another 1 1/2 hours, or cover and put in a preheated 325 oven for same amount of time. Halfway through the cooking time, turn the chicken pieces over, and 30 minutes before it's done, remove the lid so that the sauce can reduce a little bit.

If you are cooking for the family you can add some baby yellow or red potatoes about 45 minutes before cooking time is up. Good on rice or noodles also. Freezes and saves like a dream.

The meat will be very soft and flavorful, even if you use chicken breast it will be soft and moist. You can use boneless chicken but I always use bone-in chicken. meats that are bone-in will give the braising liquid much more flavor.

Enjoy!

I'm going through Carolina's Weight Management, and my surgeon is Keith Gersin. They are all top-notch! I have always had a good experience in any CHS facility, and feel that I am well taken care of.

My husband works for Carolinas HealthCare Center....we both can vouch how professional, knowledgeable, and compassionate they are.

My surgery date is 7/22. Let me know if you have any questions, and I will answer them as best as I can for you.

Another way to cook chicken is by braising it. Slow cooking it in a dutch oven on the stove top, or once it comes to a boil, you can cover it and finish cooking in the oven.

The meat will be incredibly tasty, soft, and moist. It falls off of the bones!

Maybe this would help.

I will take the medication if I my doc says to....I guess it just kinda feels like a step back. I'm looking forward to getting off of my HBP med after surgery and adding a med now just feels like a setback.....I guess that's what it is.

Good luck! Let us know how you are doing.

I am July 22nd also!

Thanks for the replies! I did see the surgeon yesterday for my consult and he said I should talk to my PCP about it, but he did not indicate that the surgery would be postponed with that number. I believe that it has to be over 8.0 before they would postpone.

The hard copy of the bloodwork results was sent to me with that item highlighted saying that I should talk to my PCP. They DID put me on the surgery calendar after the bloodwork came back, and the dietary and psych consults were completed.

In any event, I will contact my PCP tomorrow and ask her for expertise. I'm thinking that the change in diet over the last 4 weeks could only make some kind of improvement with that number, yes?

I had bloodwork done at my initial consultation last month. Prior to this my a1c was close to 6....I was borderline diabetic. The results of this current a1c were 7.8.

Immediately after I had the bloodwork before I even knew the results, I started a low carb high Protein diet, which I have been on for 4 weeks now. Already feeling much better and healthier.

My question is this: my surgery is scheduled for 7/22...that's less than 3 weeks away. Do I really need to worry about DM meds at this point? I've been eating so much better and I will be having super low carbs during my 2 week pre-op diet, which will begin Monday, 7/8.

Also, with an a1c at this level, won't it get even better and end up resolving itself after surgery?

This really has me kinda worried. Any thoughts and suggestions are appreciated.

I realize regular milk has more Protein, but I wanted to see if I like the almond milk in case I end up lactose intolerant post-op. Every so often dairy can be a little weird for me, so I just wanted to be prepared in case it is a no-go after surgery.