FutureSkyDiver

As an educator, I can promise you they didn't put anything on that test that they didn't provide in the informational material. As catwoman7 said, each surgeon/clinic/hospital has different philosophies and rules, so you should review the material again to find the "correct" answer for your particular situation. Good luck with your preparations! I've never heard of anyone having to take quizzes pre-surgery. It is a very interesting idea.

Can you calibrate the scale? Use something of known weight (like a 5lb of flour) and weigh it. Then either adjust your scale, or adjust your weight mentally.

Probably best not to worry about things you cannot control. Focus on you and making good choices in the pre-op period to prepare yourself for surgery, no matter how long the pre-op period is.

Just follow your plan. It will kick in.

I’m only two weeks out, but from reading these forums, it seems that nearly everyone experiences a stall at about the three week mark.

Hernia shouldn’t affect your ability to have the surgery. My surgeon said it was very common and they will fix during procedure.

Smoothies seem like they would fit into the purée stage, not liquids. I’d be worried about those small bits getting trapped in the staple line.

If there is indeed pus coming from your incision, you need to get to a doctor ASAP! Pus means infection and infections can kill you. I would think after 4.5 weeks your incisions should be closed, if not completely healed on the outside. Good luck!

Can you walk early in the morning? Or late evening? Likely to be cooler at those times. Or if you’re close to a mall, try walking there in the A/C. other than that, it is really just a matter of drinking. Set a timer if you have to to remind yourself to drink.

Follow the guidelines of your surgeon, not something you found online. Think of this as a practice run for post-op, when “cheating”, or “slipping up”, or having a “bad day, or whatever else you want to call non-compliance to make yourself feel better, can actually kill you. I’d say if you don’t have the discipline to follow the pre-op diet, you probably should reconsider surgery at this time.

First, congratulations on the 25lbs! Great start toward your goal! One thing that has, in the past, always helped me kick start a weight loss is to add in (or increase) resistance training. Whether you are doing body weight exercises, lifting weights, or something else, anything you can do to increase your lean muscle mass will help with losing weight, because muscle burns more calories. You might try changing your cardio too--add intervals of increased speed, jog a little if possible, bike, swim, do an exercise class. Our bodies get used to certain activities and can adapt to the pressures of those activities so it doesn't have to burn as many calories to do them. Change things up a bit and it can start shifting weight too.

Never accept the first denial from insurance companies. If they deny you, appeal. It is a heck of a lot faster and cheaper for them to deny coverage than to cover something, so they do…gambling on the fact most people either don’t know they can appeal, or don’t actually do it.

What day of your pre-op diet are you on? The first two days I was super hungry, but since then it has been less difficult. I’m on day four now and have three protein shakes a day (90g). when I do get hungry, I’m allowed bone broth, which really helps.

Sorry to hear about light headedness. I haven't had that problem, but do have a raging headache that has persisted for the last three days and nausea. I've read all of these are normal reactions to a liquid diet. Light headedness when standing is generally due to a sudden drop in blood pressure. Two things that may help are a little exercise early in the morning (even just a short walk to get the blood moving) and try not to sit or lay down too long. And...stand up slowly when you have been doing so.

Just started my pre-op liquid diet today, so right now I’m hungry and cranky from the caffeine headache. how are you feelin?

Hmmm…might want to check with your gyno, just to be sure.

Is this something related to activity? Or something else? if activity—Have you tried hot baths? Stretching is also good (it is supposed to hurt a little). if it persists, or if you just happen to have some compression boots/sleeves laying around, a couple of cycles of that every night can work wonders. If you have inexplicable muscle soreness you should check in with surgeon or PCP. There are some conditions that have muscle tightness as a symptom.

Definitely a question for your surgeon or nutritionist. There are so many things that can factor into the “right” calorie goals—age, weight, activity level, history, etc. none of us could possibly give you a good answer for this question for you. We can probably all answer it for ourselves, but what works for us is not likely to work fine you.

One of my NSV aspirations!! Good for you!

Wow!! Your nutritionist sounds awesome! Mine seems useless. I’ve met with her twice. The first time she spent an hour going over the calories in carbs/fats/proteins, which is information I’ve known since age 13 (when my parents put me in my first diet workshop). The second time she spent telling me about the liquid diet pre-op, but couldn’t tell me how long it would be, what counted as liquid (I.e., can I have things like popsicles and jello), or any sort of caloric goals-high or low. I feel very much like it was wasted time, but my surgeon requires it, so I jumped through that hoop! I’d much prefer to visit your nutritionist. She seems to be providing a useful service!

I use SparkPeople website. They don’t have everything, but users are adding stuff all the time. They have a lot of restaurants and specific foods that may not be available to everyone, but it it is an awesome tool for tracking.

I donate blood regularly, and was due at the beginning of May. I decided to wait for the time being and do what is best for my body. Surgery is scheduled for mid-July and I hope to be able to donate again around late October/November.

Are you pre- or post-op? Might make a difference in answers.

The US Red Cross requires a waiting period of three months to donate after surgery. Platelets centers can require as long as a year post-op. You’re going to need your platelets after surgery, so I’d be concerned about how far in advance of surgery you need to stop donating in order to be safe.

My tipping point was March of this year, about two weeks after I had my gall bladder surgery. I was sitting on the couch, bored out of my brain because I had a 5lb weight restriction and I couldn’t do anything I wanted to do. I realized that if I didn’t do something, this was going to be my life in the future. I didn’t want that, so I looked up the local clinic and away I went. Surgery scheduled for July 13 now and I’m getting all my ducks in a row. Trying to finish my house remodel before the date—extreme nesting, you might call it.