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Why the drastic differences in post-op diets?



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I am posting in this in 2 seperate places in order to get a variety of opinions. I am just curious why it is that doctor's post-op diets vary so much from doctor to doctor? I am on clears still and going CRAZY, 7 days out. I notice the Cornell program discharges people on soft foods? Huh? Any insight, just for my own knowledge would be great! Thanks so much.

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Frustrating, isn't it? I am on my preop diet and it is crazy how different the diets can be!

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Different doctor's opinions? My doc would have me doing 2 weeks clears with a few Protein drinks. I looked up the Cornell diet and decided they had a good reputation and I wouldn't be in trouble with some Soup (purreed) and a soft boiled egg.

My surgeon was GREAT but his dietician a bit of a ditz. I TRIED to work with her on a long term diet that will work for me, but she wasn't into thinking critically. My doc is out of town (I mean, I traveled from home to have surgery), so I'm going to find a dietician here to work with. So far the Cornell plan looks like the most doable of all the plans, so I'd like to use that as a starting place.

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I'm with ya, Jen. The clears are driving me CRAZY and I don't care if I never eat broth again. I have to admit I guess I sort of cheated and got egg drop Soup from my fav chinese restaurant because I just couldn't take it anymore. I've eaten some the last two days and been fine. Granted, the soup part is clear and I chewed the little egg pieces until they were mush before I swallowed them, but I can't wait til tomorrow when I can eat full liquids. My mommy is making me some potato soup that I'll puree' :) Anyway, I totally understand how you feel. I'm gonna goole this Cornell program and see what they have to say...

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Ally - I want egg drop Soup so bad. OMG! We won't talk about cheating. Since I have started having NOT clear Protein shakes. I couldn't cut it otherwise. I was starving. I had a bite of low carb, sugar free yogurt tonite. Surprisingly, it didn't do the trick. :)

How is the gurgling in your stomach. Mine is better but by no means gone.

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My tummy is just a gurglin' away, Jenn! I got some of the chewable Gas X and it seems to work for awhile, then the gurgling just comes right back. Also, this was my first night back at work since surgery and I am d-r-a-g-g-i-n-g! I don't know if it's because I don't have enough food on board or if I'm coming down with a cold. Ugh... How are you feeling?

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I am 4 days post op and I couldn't agree with you more. I wondered the same thing. My program has me on Clear Liquids with creamy Soups for 2 weeks before I can progress to soft foods. I made myself some cream of broccoli Soup and it was awesome. So far so good.

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My doc has me on clear liquid for one week post op also. Had I not had to have a band removed and a hiatal hernia repaired at the same time I would have been on pureed within a couple of days. The danger of leakage is higher due to the band removal. Also I didn't have to have a pre op diet this time. Because my BMI is around 30 rather than above 40. Also I've never carried most of my weight in the belly area.

Please keep in mind that your doc may have decided on your post op diet based on what he saw when he did your surgery and may have a different diet for another patient. I'm 56, so I assume my tissue wouldn't be as good as a 20 year old, even if this were my first WLS. Please do as your doctor recommends and don't try to do what someone else is allowed. :thumbup:

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Sorry for the big print I gotta adjust my settings.

Anyways, my doctor sent a post op diet that was really strict on liquids for 3 whole weeks. I took a look at the Cornell one and said ...I will take that one! LOL. So I sort of combined the two and used common sense and took it very slow when advancing to the next stage. I just figured they are a well respected facility. My surgery was straight forward, I am young, my health was good other then the whole obese thing. It worked well for me and I seem to be losing at a good pace.

Edited by mp8btpc
print seemed huge in reply box, not so huge on screen.

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I was thinking the same thing...lol.

Even about pre-op stuff. I had heard so much about liquid dieting to shrink the liver before surgery, but when I mentioned that at one of my visits they (the surgeon's office) was like "oh my goodness, no we do a 24 hour clear diet the day before surgery and that is it. We feel like longer than that is cruel"...so then I asked about my liver and they said "oh it is fine" ...so go figure?

I agree with Ellisa, just do what they say to do, even though there is a big difference among surgeons within the bariatric community.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 0 replies
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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      Three months and four days ago... I was in Costa Rica having a life changing surgery! Yesterday we had a followup visit with Dr. Esmeral via video chat and this morning my middle number changed.  I'm down 47lbs and two pants sizes. I can wear a Large tshirt for the first time in like... 14 years! Woot!! Everything is going great. I have zero regrets. I went down to the riverwalk with a friend and walked 2 miles on Monday without even getting fatigued. And no more snoring or chugging pickle juice for crazy leg cramps! I need to go to the gym more... I'm making new shirts next week so that will motivate me. LOL But I'm also just not as TIRED all the time! I have a LONG way to go...but seeing the progress on the scales and in the mirror is a huge motivator!! Thank you all for cheering me on and supporting me!!
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