Hey all, Happy Hump Day!

I just called my surgeons office (I'm scheduled for 1/30). I have my 'pre-class' on 1/17, and thought I was cutting it very close with regard to 'instruction' for liquid diet prior, etc. I spoke with his Medical Assistant who advised me that I do NOT need a liquid diet prior to the surgery…just 24 hours prior. WOW, that got me excited!

However, I know it's in my best interest, and that of my liver…to do SOMETHING before surgery, in terms of physically preparing. Do you think I should put myself on a modified diet prior; or live as I have been? I definitely have to decrease my portion sizes, as I'd like to try to 'shrink' the stomach, so that the 'after' period is not as hard of an adjustment.

Thoughts??????

I was not required to do anything in particular leading up to my surgery. I too tried to avoid the "last meal" syndrome and my main goal was to not gain any weight from 1st appointment to actual surgery (approx. 6 months). On the other hand, my post-op regime included a VERY strict 30 days of liquids only.

Cheers,

Marie

I was on a diet for two weeks prior to surgery. I was to have two protein shakes a day and a dinner consisting of a protein and a vegitable ONLY. It was hell but I have to be honest it mentally prepares you better for after the surgery. It was hard to do but I think it would have been more dramatic to eat normally, have the surgery and then be reduced to liquids. Once I got to mushies I was psyched! I didn't need to go through all that sugar withdrawal & stuff and deal with the loss of food issue after surgery. I already had it covered and knew what to expect.

Heck all...I'm not feeling that I'm 'better' than anyone cause I don't have to do liquids. I'm just counting my blessings! I know how hard of a struggle it is for all of you who have to do it! I do plan on doing my protein shakes for 1 meal a day, moving onto two meals a day before the surgery. Definately getting off all sugars. I suppose I will have one final glass of bubbly this New Years!!

Well I thought that was exactly what I said Laurigee - I'm not knocking the Optifast, I was just mildly disagreeing that it makes all the difference to recovery. But I only know my own experience, not anyone elses.

But I dont see where anyone has mentioned there being 2 classes of obese except for YOU when you say you'd question the motives of anyone of BMI 35 having this surgery. Tsk tsk. I wouldnt say that too loud if I were you. I certainly dont think I'm "better" because I didnt have to do it.

Jachut

I wasn't the one who first brought up two classes of obesity it was sussanah and I just agreed. I don't know why you are being so defensive. I think we must be misunderstanding each other. My point was just that you don't have to wait for your band to be in to start a healthier lifestyle.

I think I am able to safely say that there is a reason why most doctors in the US don't do the surgery for BMI's of less than 40. I don't have a problem with that since I was only a 41 prior to surgery. Personally I think every surgery thats done on anyone needs to be necessary. Of coarse every doctor and insurance company needs a cut off point and I think the cut off is very fair. Again, that is just MY opinion. I may have not came across as clearly as I should have and I apologize for anyone who was offended, which you seem to be. SO TSK, TSK ON ME.

Savannah unfortuantnly many people consider 2 or 3 classes of obestiy and that it's okay to put down or otherwise belittle people going in to surgery with bmi's between 30 and 39 :huggie: Just ignore those people! It's their insecurites that make them put down others whether they mean to or not. I copped it after I was banded from people with much higher bmi's than mine (why did you bother with the surgery your not even that big? I wish I was as fat as you blah blah - it's hurtful), i've seen heaps of other people cop it too. We are all in need of and deserving of having this surgery. We were all obese. Everybody deserves a chance to be healthy.

You are not less of a person regardless your starting weight or pre-op diet. I did the liquid Optifast and my recovery was gawd awful - other people do it and say their recovery is a breeze so who knows? I did lose a lot of weight on the pre-op and that is hugh psycholical thing. I'm sure if you ask your doc his reasoning for the diet (and it didn't used to be compulsory with him) he will tell you about the open lap band surgeries he had to do from huge livers - that's why they enforce the liquid diet so that that doesn't have to happen. It's easier to just give it to everybody than have us all pay $350 out of pocket in melbourne for scans to see how big our liver is pre-op. When I had the scan post-op from a liver problem I was having (caused by meds nothing serious thankfully!) I fully understood the crazy cost out of pocket that medicare didn't cover was a huge reason for just putting everybody on the same diet.

There are psychological reasons for the optifast or kickstart also... the benefits from those are huge - once you start losing chunks of weight you become really motivated and up beat - the optifast doesn't make you wait 3 months after surgery for a good fill before you start losing weight - it's insant success which does help you feel really good (to know you've already lost all that weight) while your waiting for a good fill. Your doc is doing the right thing for you don't worry about what anybody elses doc is having them do.... we're all paying our docs the big $$ for their expertise - trust your own doc With most of the little differences betweens surgeons practices there are no definitive right or wrongs just different ways of approaching things.

I only didnt have to do it because by pure chance I'd had a liver scan about 2 weeks before I saw my surgeon. When I went to my GP to ask for a referral he sent me on a barrage of tests. It was just lucky that I had proof that I didnt have a large or fatty liver otherwise I would have had to do the diet like everybody else.