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english patient facing this on her own



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Hi, I'm living in the uk and due to have a gastric bypass or sleeve on the 17th November.

It sounds strange not knowing what surgery i'm having but i have an appendix scar across my stomach and if i have scars internally i can't have a bypass , so i will have a sleeve instead. It will be the first sleeve in my hospital so i am a bit nervous.

It's taken me two and a half years to get to the goal weightfor the surgery and I'm kind of excited BUT couldn't they look at my records, it's my birthday on the 18th so i will be in the ICU for it. sometimes the NHS sucks as much as my ex.

I start my liver shrinkage diet on monday, 4 weightwatcher Soups and 4 muller light yogurts, with a pint of semi milk for 2 weeks and NO coffee ( i think i'll die)

if any of you good folks have any advice , i would appreciate it

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Hi chrysalis 2 butterfly I think it's so great have this form has people from the UK. I live in the US in the state of Maryland. That's about an hour south of Washington DC which is our capital. My bypass surgery is November 4th. I'm sorry you don't know which procedure you're having yet that's got to feel concerning. Congratulations on getting to your goal weight that must have been really hard especially over 2 years. I started my journey in May 2014 and my insurance required a three-month Dietary guideline with lots of pre op testing. I just finished my last test yesterday and I'm all ready for surgery on the 4th. A little scared mostly about the post op diet and possible complications. I am nervous about telling my twin 12 year olds when I'm going back to surgery just how serious the surgery is. I think I'll have a talk with them on Monday the day before my surgery. I don't want to worry them too much. My pre op diet is for Protein Shakes per day with one small one cup meal of Protein and produce for dinner . It's been hard to stick to but I've been doing okay. Still haven't given up the coffee but I've cut back to one and a half cups. Think I'm going to stop this weekend completely to prepare for Tuesday. Stay in touch I think it would be neat to be in touch with someone from the UK. I love everything English.

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Take your computer with you to the hospital. That way we can all keep you company. Happy early birthday

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Hi Jenn and Ladypoohbear,

Good luck with your sugery Jenn , I would love to keep in touch with you and see how you are doing, i too had loads of testing and mental health checks to see if we are mentally able to cope with what we are facing, i got fed up and told the dr that i'd lost the plot and my marbles years ago so either give me the surgery or decline me so i could get on with my life, to my amazement she laughed and said i'd do.

unfortunately Ladypoohbear NHS hospitals dont permit us to take in our laptops or tablets, in fact other than my wash stuff and nightwear i can't take in anything else, no jewellery no hair products or styling tools and no makeup, i'm not even allowed to have nail polish on my fingers or toes and i will be in a ward with 9 other patients having gastic surgery.

i have been cooking beef broth and freezing it in ice cube trays for post op, so today i will be making chicken broth as an alternative, does anybody have any ideas what else i can make, ideas are thin on the ground round here.

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Hi chrysalis to butterfly I just went out and bought several things for my two week post op. I'm on Clear Liquids and Protein Shakes for the first 14 days. My diet is going to consist of hot tea , hot broth, sugar free Jello, sugar free popsicles, and Protein shakes mixed with almond milk. I also have some Vitamin Water 0 stocked up to give me a change up from just water. So right now I'm all set for the first two weeks. I've developed a little cold yesterday and today I'm taking zinc to help shorten the length of a cold and the severity. I'm hoping it doesn't move to my chest from my head because I don't want to have to reschedule my surgery because of being sick. Still having trouble sticking to my protein shakes but I'm doing it anyway. It's so hard not to reach for the familiar snack or eat dinner with my family when they eat. Tuesday will be here before I know it and I feel pretty confident I'll be well enough to have the surgery. Ttyl

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Hi Jenn, hope you get over the cold quickly and it doesn't go to your chest, i have my fingers crossed for you and if i could move my legs i would cross my toes too. never thought of suger free jelly or sugerfree lollys ( english names for Jello and popsicals) i've not heard of Vitamin Water , i need to investigate some health shops, i will borrow a mobility scooter on monday and have fun whizzing round the shops looking.

i did lighter life a few years ago which was just shakes for months, i survived by pretending that everybody elses food was something gross and my shake was fantastic ( big big lie) but if you keep saying it mentally you start to believe, i dont know if it will work for you but it may make you smile whilst having those shakes. good luck and keep smiling

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Hello chrysalis 2 butterfly. How are you? Did you have your surgery yet? Let me know how you're doing. I had my surgery November 4th and I've been doing really well with my recovery. I've only had nauseousness three days in the last month which one episode of throwing up some turkey after Thanksgiving. Having some trouble getting in my 3 mushy meals a day because I'm just not hungry. But I am getting my 64 ounces of Fluid in and two Protein Shakes. Trying to incorporate at least lunch and some dinner even if it's just a bit of yogurt. I use plain yogurt with vanilla and stevia added makes it pretty good. I just usually eat a little bites of meat when my family is eating dinner. And the 30 30 rule is kind of tough. The not drinking 30 minutes before 30 minutes after eating real food I keep forgetting. I'm already a little sick of taking the Vitamins but I'm making myself do it and I have forgotten a couple times cuz it still hasn't gotten into a habit for me. Please let me know how you're doing was just wondering when I saw this post from before since you said you didn't have much support. Take care

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Hi, I'm living in the uk and due to have a gastric bypass or sleeve on the 17th November.

It sounds strange not knowing what surgery i'm having but i have an appendix scar across my stomach and if i have scars internally i can't have a bypass , so i will have a sleeve instead. It will be the first sleeve in my hospital so i am a bit nervous.

It's taken me two and a half years to get to the goal weightfor the surgery and I'm kind of excited BUT couldn't they look at my records, it's my birthday on the 18th so i will be in the ICU for it. sometimes the NHS sucks as much as my ex.

I start my liver shrinkage diet on monday, 4 weightwatcher Soups and 4 muller light yogurts, with a pint of semi milk for 2 weeks and NO coffee ( i think i'll die)

if any of you good folks have any advice , i would appreciate it

Hi,

Hope your doing well? Just came across your post. Which surgery did you have after?

Im also in the UK. Which hospital was you in?

Im all approved for the sleeve. My dr offered me in December but I was not prepared for it that soon. So decided sometime in January.

Really worried and nervous. Let us know how you got on.

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

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      · 1 reply
      1. Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

    • 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. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • 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.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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