Hi All

I went to see the surgeon Monday for the first time...then booked for 23 September.

Now I am starting to freak out about the thought of being on clear fluids and eating absolutely NO food for however long...

I really need to know how everyone else got through this...I am starting to think I need some counselling beforehand...

He did not explain to me whether I needed to fast before the operation but I have seen this on a few sites...I dont know how the hell I can do that either! I expect to receive my information pack tommorrow...

Going with Dr Dolan in Perth WA

Talk to me please

xxxx

Hi there, you'll find that people have all different protocols from their various surgeons. My pre-op was two weeks of shakes -- I was so excited I even started a little early. Just wanted to get the show on the road! As others have said, the first couple of days are difficult but after that it's not hard at all. My post-op instructions were one day clear, one week full liquids, then on to a week of mushies then a week of "smooth" foods, then real food chewed extremely well. Return of hunger also really varies. Some people come out of surgery feeling hungry and others lose their appetite completely. I was one of the latter -- probably having to do with inflammation. I enjoyed my tea post surgery and popsicles, Miso Soup, etc. For full liquids I really liked the soups that come in cartons in the health food section of the regular grocery store -- potato leek, etc. I'd have a little and be done. This was a taste of what it's like to be in the green zone later and I loved it. Having the appetite monster off of your back is an amazing thing. Post-surgery it is unusual not to need to have fills, though there are some people in that category (most of those got plication with their band). I am some one who needed several fills to get to my "sweet spot," that place where I am satisfied with a small portion and not hungry again for 4-5 hours.

I chose to keep my band a secret and there are very few people who know. We entertain and go out quite a bit and no one notices what I'm having -- if they do it's just seems like I'm dieting (ha, that's the great thing, I'm not on a diet!) which accounts for all the weight I've lost in these last months. I don't have bread, etc. but that's a nutritional choice. I don't know whether my band would be happy with bread or not. I do have an occasional gluten-free product -- like crackers, etc. and I munch on rice cakes to satisfy my desire for something crunchy. Those are slider foods for me and I try to avoid them. For some reason scrambled egg doesn't work for me, which is weird because I would have thought the softeness of that would be perfect. A fried egg, which I would have thought would not be band-friendly, turns out to be the right kind of egg for me now. There's a whole period of figuring out what your body wants and tolerates well. I used to eat a lot of beets and those do not work for me now. I have no idea why (too slippery? do I miss them so much I eat them too fast? is it something about the enzymes? who knows!).

Prior to surgery I really benefited from seeing a therapist. I wanted some one to go through the process with me -- an objective professional rather than trying to process my worries with my husband or a friend, etc. I am in my fifties and really felt like I had "been there done that" as far as analyzing my food and weight issues but obviously I had not resolved anything as I could not get and keep the pounds off no matter what I did. So I was a little reluctant to roll up my sleeves and go through it all, but boy am I glad I did. It was different this time because I was admitting that I could not lose weight by dieting and that I needed weight loss surgery. The fact that I was electing what to me was something so drastic made for a lot of self-honesty. We identified the triggers for emotional and stress eating and the therapist was relentless in getting me to go into a lot of detail. For example, instead of "work stresses me out and I eat" we got down to real specifics. For me it's the phone. A tele-conference, etc. is a trigger for me to want to get something to eat. I get anxious and want to tamp down the emotions. So it's like Pavlov's dog for me when that phone rings. That's just one example but you get the idea. Now I may still have that stress or anxiety but I notice it and because my appetite is dimmed by the band I am able to choose not to feed my face every time I have to make or take a phone call. l

I started a journal and listed all the appointments I had, names of the various doctors, nutritionist, etc. and then made lists of what my goals were -- the reasons I was doing this. And I wrote out my feelings. Many of us worried about missing favorite foods and being able to chow down, etc., but it's amazing how that isn't an issue once the band is properly adjusted. That's the whole idea. Best wishes to you!

I did a 5 week liquid diet. 2 weeks prior, and 3 weeks after surgery. The first week is hardest. But you can do it! Protein shakes, broth, sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles. It's not the end of the world. And SOOOOOO worth it!