Hi sleevers, I need a little help on today, I know everyone's pre-op diet is different in regaurds to requiremnts. I am on my two day before surgery mark and I constantly feel as if I am going to pass out. I am anemic but I didn't have to take any extra iron latetly because I was eating enough protein. This all changed when I started my diet on Thurs. I feel very sluggish and then I'm having leg cramps, and not just in my calves in my thighs. I had this before dieting as well, but was able to stave it off by eating bananas just before bed. I just got of the phone with a nutritionist and she said if I need to eat a banana or potato then eat one, because it won't affect the surgery. Before I go and eat a banana or potato, please let me know what you guys think...I can deal with the sluggishness but the cramping is not cool. Is there another supplement I could buy that has potassium in it?

Cantaloup is great for potassium and maybe you can get some quinine water at the drug store!

The nut is probably offering something that she knows won't affect anything for your surgery. Take her advice! I had to have IV potassium before a c-section and that stuff burns like crazy!!!

I absolutly agree with Lissa... take their advice. If they say it's ok to eat then I wouldn't worry about it. All Dr's are different. I was actually allowed to eat a stripped down version of the adkins diet as my pre-op diet and did just fine.

Take the NUT advice she knows what she is talking about.....

During your pre op diet you are throwing off a ton of water, consequently with that you also waste potassium...

Potassium is what regulates your heart rate and keeps you in sinus rhythm. IT MUST BE REPLACED!!! please LISTEN to your NUT and eat something with potassium or go and get potassium supplements. It's up to you but if your levels aren't normal they may postpone your surgery...

Low sodium V-8 (not regular) is the best potassium source I have been able to find. One 11.5 ounce can has 1180mg of potassium.

A banana is only about 450.

Regular V-8 has about half the potassium of the low sodium.

I also was low on potassium before I even began my 2 week pre-op diet. My NUT had me drink 4oz. of V-8 juice for the first couple of days. I just looked at all the flavors and weighed which one had the most potassium and the least amount of sugar in it. During my pre-op diet, I was also having 4 protein shakes a day that were BariEssentials Pro and it had lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber in it. They helped with the sluggishness and cramps, also after your body adjusts for a few days it will be better! Just hang in there, your surgery is close. I'm 10 days post-op and can truly say I would do it again in a heart beat and I'm still on full liquids for another 12 days!

Thanks everyone, I am about to eat a banana and also failed to mention I am on a bp medicine which has a water pill in it, so I agree and think it is really making all of the potassium wash out of my body, but thank you so much for the encouragement and support! On my way back to the store for more bananas because my children inhale them.