Someone tell me if my thinking on this is skewed. My pre-op diet says to start weaning yourself off caffeine, but I wonder if that's necessary. I understand that I can't have it post-op because it irritates the stomach, but since the diet list says "start weaning yourself off" I can't see any reason I can't continue to have it until the day before. My reasoning is that with my desk job, if I'm caffeine free, I nearly fall out of my chair in the afternoons! And after surgery I'll be at home recuperating for 2 weeks, so what does it matter if I'm sleepy then.

Please tell me if I'm wrong here, and if so, why.

Thanks,

Jane

I got the same advice and decided to go ahead and quit coffee, because I knew I would have a terrible headache and feel completely miserable for a couple of days after giving it up. I figured that I'm going to be dealing with enough pain and misery immediately after surgery, why add more to that when I can avoid it?

On the other hand, I'll be on morphine or vicodin or something seriously pain-killing immediately after surgery, so maybe I would have never noticed it and I should have just kept going with my coffee!

I did feel truly awful for two days but since then I've felt fine and in no danger of falling asleep during the day. YMMV

I would do it I'm a coffee drinker and if I don't drink it I get withdraws! Including really bad headaches. The last thing you will need the week after surgery trust me!

I started by drinking a mix of half decaf half normal.

I did wean myself off coffee and tea for my pre-op and even after my operation i still feel great. I drive for a living so i understand needing to stay awake. You can do it. Its only for a short period if your life. You can do it.

I don´t understand why you can´t drink coffee? I even had coffee at the clinic one day post op. The nut said coffee and tea is fine if you don´t put sugar in it. I have my coffee with lactouse free milk. Delicious!

A big reason is to understand that following your plan is important by itself... Don't try to find "personal exceptions" because in the end we have a poor track record on obesity!

Now I LOVE coffee, but I followed the rules, weaned byself off to decaf and NEVER had the dreaded headaches. I'll stay with decaf till I get the NUT approval to add it in and it's OK if it's 6 months!

Still, what is the reason for not drinking coffee? In Sweden where I live coffee is fine all the time. I don´t understand why the rules are so different?

Someone tell me if my thinking on this is skewed. My pre-op diet says to start weaning yourself off caffeine, but I wonder if that's necessary. I understand that I can't have it post-op because it irritates the stomach, but since the diet list says "start weaning yourself off" I can't see any reason I can't continue to have it until the day before. My reasoning is that with my desk job, if I'm caffeine free, I nearly fall out of my chair in the afternoons! And after surgery I'll be at home recuperating for 2 weeks, so what does it matter if I'm sleepy then.

Please tell me if I'm wrong here, and if so, why.

Thanks,

Jane

You probably could have it up until the day before. On top of the normal aches and pains that come with this surgery, you want to deal with a caffeine headache as well?

Life is much simpler when you follow your docs rules.

I normally have one cup before I leave home and one more during the morning at work. I overslept and didn't get any one morning and didn't notice anything until around 1:30 that afternoon when it was all I could do to sit up! I remembered that I had no coffee that norming but didn't have any headache issues, so I think that may not be a problem. That's why I thought it wouldn't matter for the 2 weeks I won't be working after surgery. On the other hand, I do understand that I must follow all the rules afterward! I know someone who had a leak and she's just able to go back to work now 6 weeks post-op. I definitely don't plan to rush anything that could affect my recovery!

I am keeping coffee in pre-op since it is on my list of approved clear liquid beverages. And honestly, since the rest of my pre-op diet is so restrictive (Protein shakes, green veggies, and clear-non-carbonated beverages only for three weeks!) I think I would lose my mind if I had to go without my coffee. BUT - I have cut back to just one 8 oz. cup and I am also following the old WW rule of adding an additional 8 oz of Water to my Fluid intake to help compensate for the coffee.

Post-op, I'm not sure. I don't have the post-op instructions from my surgeon's office yet, but I'm guessing I will have to give it up. Bummer.