Hey everyone,

I am scheduled for surgery on Wednesday, and I just feel lost. My doctor didn't give me any post op diet info, and has not put me on a pre op diet. I called again today to make sure, and they said just don't eat or drink anything after midnight on Tuesday. My doctor did tell me that I couldn't have sugar, and that I will be on a liquid diet (not clear liquids, just liquids) for 2 weeks after the surgery. I went to the store today to get a bunch of juices and I am even more lost because they all have sugar in them! I couldn't find one juice that was sugar free.

I just feel so stressed out because I keep reading about people who were out on pre op liquid diets for 2 weeks, and people who are told just CLEAR liquids for two weeks, and I can't help but worry that maybe my doctor isn't giving me the right information. I also have to go for the H Pilori test, and they just said no smoking two hours before. But last week, my doctor told me I would have to quit smoking all together?!! I'm scared, nervous, anxious, and everything else. I am binging and eating everything in sight because I am afraid that I may never be able to eat anything again. I'm a wreck and just need some support! :thumbup:

One more thing, I keep reading that you will have to take all your medications as liquid only, and my surgeon's nurse told me today that I could take them all normally. I told her I take 9 pills at night, and 3 metformin pills during the day, and she said that was fine. Help!!

Take a deep breath...it will be okay! I'll do the best I can to help out.

1. Juicy juice is just juice, no sugar added.

2. Post-op liquids. You will need a Protein shake probably three times a day to get your protein in. EAS or Atkins make good ready-to-drink shakes but there are literally hundreds of shake powders on the market and it will make you crazy trying to pick one. Other post-op liquids willl include sugar free popsicles, sugar free Jello, crystal light (get a couple of flavors) and Water generally. Dehydration is sneaky and you can feel bad and not realize you're dehydrated.

3. Broths. Yes, you can buy beef, chicken and vegetable broth in cans but don't. Buy a whole chicken. Put it in a pot big enough that you can cover it with water. Add some carrots, an onion quartered (don't even bother peeling), and come celery, a bay leaf, a little salt and pepper. Simmer until the chicken is fall off the bone done. Strain off all the solids and you will have some wonderful tasty chicken stock. Do the same thing with the cheapest cut beef you can find.

4. French onion Soup out of the can (and don't add any melted cheese or croutons) is good too.

Did your doc have a nutritionist in his office that you met with at all? Don't be afraid to call and ask for further suggestions, etc. from the nutritionist.

AND, I'm sure other people here will have some suggestions to add to mine.

I was told to crush all meds from now on. I did this for 2 months and then quit because it was too nasty. I drink coffee or tea in the morning to help open up the band some then cut my pills in half. You can buy pill spliter at walmart real cheap.

The only thing is that time-released meds can not be cut in half or crushed! Talk to your pharmcey about that.

But you should be able to swallow pills just take them one at a time. I know that is not what my Dr said but I did bend the rule on that. I should tell you do what your Dr says.

Drink a lot of Water but not with a straw. No Straws!! No carbonated waters either or soda. I kissed diet coke goodbye 5½ ago.

You will do fine. Private message me any time.

Cheri

I haven't been banded yet so I can't offer any reassurance in that regard, but I do think a call or visit to your surgeon's office is in order tomorrow, BEFORE your surgery. MAKE them talk to you and send you WRITTEN instructions.

Some of these questions should have been answered for you long ago, even if you didn't think to ask them. This is part of the pre-op process.

I know that everyone here has only the best intentions and I can't tell you how much invaluable information I have received on this board, but your surgeon's office should be addressing these things. If I had to turn to an anonymous internet bulletin board to find out what to expect after major surgery, I'd be freaking out, too! :biggrin:

If you're like me, you probably have waited a LONG time to do this and you are anxious to start your new life, but you also deserve the BEST chance to make this work for you and if you feel unprepared that may hurt those chances.

Last but not least, do not feel pressured to go forward on Wednesday if you are not ready to do it. Call another surgeon's office and ask them about their pre and post op programs. You might find out that this surgeon is not the best fit for you and your needs, or you might have your mind put at ease and you'll go forward with guns blazing!

Wishing you nothing but success-

kagead

Thank you all so much for your help, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! I did not get to meet with a nutritionist, but I am stopping by the office tomorrow following my pre op stuff at the hospital. I will ask them tomorrow if they have a nutritionist I can talk to.

I'm not sure why my doctor didn't tell me any of these things, but the only reason I can think of it that he probably didn't think he could get me in this soon for the surgery. I feel like he might have had a cancellation for this Wednesday, and that is why they called me and asked me if I would like to come in.

I'm still really nervous about being able to take all my meds as normal as the nurse said I would. That just seems so weird seeing how so many other people have been told to crush theirs or take them in the liquid form. I guess it's good that I will be spending the night in the hospital, so that might give me some time to try to get liquid meds if I need to. I think the only time released medicine I am on is my effexor xr, and that is a horse pill! I'm also not sure how my metformin is going to work, since I am supposed to take one after breakfast and two after dinner. I guess I will have to call my endocrinologist and see if I can get an answer about that.

Can anyone reccomend a protien shake that doesn't taste like chalk? I guess I will be needing to pick that up tomorrow as well.

Cathy- This is going to sound dumb, but do I buy the chicken raw or precooked? Do I do this because the canned stuff has so much sodium? Thank you SO much for all of your advice!!!!!

I am 1 year post op with 7.5cc in a 10cc band and I still take meds whole. I've never crushed them and never will. I take one pill then 15 min or so later I take another and so on. It is a pain to do it that way but at least I get them down. I even take a calcium chew twice a day and can get it down. Don't stress it will all work out. GOOD LUCK and remember we are hear for you!

I also can take my pills. 1 is about the size of an aspirin and the other is oblong and large. I split that one and take separate. I have no problems as of yet. You must be informed about what will be done during and after surgery or it will be very frustating for you. I highly suggestgoing through these threads and reading as much as you can. PLEASE REM>>>> All of us have different Surgeons and they different ways of doing things. Just read and be informed and ASK questions when you see your doctor BEFORE surgery! Good luck and we will be here!

I was also annoyed that my doctor didn't give me everything I thought I needed - but then I realized that he actually DID, I just wanted more.

1. Was put on no pre-op diet of any kind, other than to "eat lighter the few days before the surgery."

2. Post-op I was on clear liquids only - no Protein shakes, even, just 1 bottle/day of Ensure or Boost. At Walmart I found CranGrape powder from Ocean Spray in the Crystal light section - it tasted just like the juice and was very refreshing. When I went for my first post-op appointment, they gave me the specifics of what to eat for the next 6 weeks, and what my final foodplan would be.

3. Meds - the rule was no pills for 2 months post-op, though I was allowed two very tiny ones taken at separate times. Everything else had to be either crushable, splittable, or liquid. I called the pharmacy to find out what was what with my regular things, and they called prescribing doctors to get scripts for better options if I needed them. I'm back to taking pills, but one at a time. Nothing is too big which makes it okay. Calcium and Vitamins are still chewable.

4. Making your own chicken stock is a great idea. Start with raw chicken from the meat section and follow ParrotheadCathy's recipe for something yummy.

Good luck, it will all turn out fine :biggrin:

Relax and breathe, you'll be fine. And you've got a zillion people here to help. My doc gave me liquid pain medication but other than that I was back on pills by post-op day 2 with no problem. I was told if I had any issued to split them (as long as they aren't time release) but that hasn't been necessary.

Yes, you should have stopped smoking a month ago but you didn't know so now is the time to do it. Breathing after the lap band is a bit of a challenge (for the first couple days) and you are going to need your lungs as healthy as possible. I know you're freaking out and probably wanting to smoke twice as much as usual but for your own good please don't!

Again, every surgeon is different but it appears fairly common to have 2 weeks full liquids after the surgery (I had 24 hours clear liquids then full liquids after that). My surgeon requires you to drink 64 ounces of half juice (100% juice)/half Water a day. Everything else I was allowed to eat was essentially sugar free and I found if I didn't do the juice I got weak and shaky (the first week). With you being diabetic (I assume from the metformin) you're going to have a challenge keeping your sugar stable and you really do need advice from your doc. I highly highly HIGHLY recommend this surgery, but if you aren't comfortable doing it so soon and not having answers then by all means don't do it yet.

Good luck! Fingers crossed for ya!

i think one rule of thumb that is standard with the band is 70 grams of Protein a day. my surgeon uses the following guideline: it should be more than 18 grams of protein, less than 3 grams of fat and less than 150 calories per serving. i enjoy the EAS premade. they almost meet this guideline: 3 grams of fat, 17 grams of protein and 110 calories.

good luck.

as far as the juices that are not sugar free just dlute it with Water half and half. u can have the sugar-free popscycles and sugar-free Jello and diet snapple. I know it seems like a lot but in time u will get the hang of it. dont stess because that will make matters worse. just take one day at a time and ask ur doc or nutristionist or visit here and we all will do the best that we can to assist u.I am still new to the band myself I just had surgery nov 24th 2009 and trust me Ihave a lot of questions myself that need to be answered. I wish u a speedy recovery. be blessed

215lbs at surgery

202 12-28-09

3lbs to onederland

Edited December 29, 200916 yr by dowhatitdo1

Thanks again for all the help guys. I'm just nervous, and it makes me even more nervous that I didn't get any of this informatiom from my doctor. I can't go without my pills or I get sick, so I guess I will just have to work that out. I take Metformin for severe PCOS 3 times a day, and then at night I take:

Singular

Protonix

Effexor XR

Prozac

Tricor

Daypro

Vitamin D

Avandia

Prenatal Vitamins

Foltabs

and ambiem to sleep.

Obviously, I'm hoping that if I can get healthy with this surgery I won't need to take the tricor, metformin, avandia, Vitamin D, protonix, and daypro anymore. But I'm pretty sure I can't just stop taking those meds right away, and I know that I can't stop the effexor, prozac, or singular at all because I feel horrible without them. Those are the ones I am most worried about, and the effexor xr is a HUGE pill. I just really hope my surgeon realizes that I can't just stop taking those pills, and hopefully he has looked over my medication list.

For those of you with GERD, did your acid reflux clear up right away after your surgery? My surgeon is doing the hiatal hernia (spelling?) repair along with the Lap Band, and I am wondering if it will feel like an immediate fix, or if I will still have acid reflux.

Really this all just happened so quickly for me, and I hope that doesn't make any one mad. I have wanted to get the lap band for a while, but never thought my insurance would approve it. Then when I finally got the ball rolling, insurance approved it within two weeks, and my surgeon called to schedule my surgery. So I only got to see him one time before I knew the surgery was going to happen so soon. I want it to happen this soon, I want to do it as quickly as possible, but I still feel a little nervous about not having all the information I feel I should have.

I know I am talking in circles, I'm just flustered I guess. We will see what happens tomorrow at my pre-op, and I will let you all know. Thank you so much for all your help and support, I really, really appreciate it!

Cheyenne,

Okay. First of ALL... BREATHE. Chill-ax!!! LOL

I have seen so many different requirements on this website. Each surgeon is different. Don't stress it.

My story involves seeing a psychologist, nutritionist, blah blah blah...

Just use common sense when it comes to eating. Chew things alot more than you normally do.

I agree with someone who posted... NO STRAWS... i think for ONE reason is a straw allows air into your stomach as well as you may get more liquid than you think... sip sip sip!!!

Also, canned STOCK sucks. Period. Do it yourself. The recipe sounds like a great idea. In fact, I am going to try it...

My doctor recommends clear liquid for the 1st week, full liquid for the 2nd week, soft foods the 3rd week, and then the 4th week following Bill Phillips' EATING FOR LIFE plan.

Also, a multivitamin every day for the rest of your life... 70 grams of protein.

AND, i found out from someone on here that GENISOY is an unflavored protein that you can add to soups, milk, juice or whatever... It isn't bad.... compared to drinking those NASTY shakes. I can't hang. Just can't. I figure if I am going to be puking, they aren't doing me any good... and they are actually harmful.

So, that's that.

I hope that things work out for you....

We are getting banded the same day and we'll have to keep in touch.

:biggrin:

Gatorade G2 is really quite good and sugar free. It will be good especially right after surgery when you need to re-hydrate.