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Differing Doctor's Orders?



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I was sleeved on October 10 and my doctor is a very "militaristic" style man. I had to do the clear liquid stage for a week before and again a week after surgery. He put my on a statin drug for a week prior to shrink the liver even though I don't have cholesterol issues. I spent two nights in the hospital instead of one because my potassium level dropped too low for his comfort. I had a stomach drain put in and had to keep it for two weeks post-surgery (Don't even think about asking to have it removed!!). I'm now 9 weeks post-op and I'm on a very strict Atkins-style diet with another follow-up appointment in February. My follow-up appointments last an average of an hour talking about problems I may be experiencing, diet, exercise, etc...

I have a friend in a nearby city that was sleeved in early November and no stomach drain. Her follow-up appointment, two weeks post-op, lasted about 10 minutes. She had 1/2 day of Clear liquids pre-op and her "phases" of liquids lasted 4-5 days each. 5 days post-op she was eating potato soup!

I tried to give her advice and support before her surgery and what to expect but our doctors differ greatly on EVERYTHING! My doctor really pushed (and still does) a Protein shot first thing in the morning to kick-start the metabolism and get a big protein boost for the day. He even pulled from his cabinet in his office a particular brand as an example. I told my friend about it and she bought some. She took one to her doctor and he told her NO, don't do that.

All in all, I am very pleased with my doctor and the surgery. I even thanked him at a follow-up appointment for being a "hard ass" with me.

I'm very glad she hasn't had any complications but I've got to wonder why her doctor is so lax about everything. I understand liability issues related to poor medical management and that is why I give kudos to my doctor and his pre-surgery routine and his post-surgery care. I'm just dumbfounded with my friends doctor and his obvious lack of concern, pre and post-op.

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I would say it's all in how they were taught. Just as we nurses don't do patient care exactly alike. It's all in the training and just overall care in general. It sounds like your DR is very Thorough and admit about certain aspects that he deems the right way for his practice, it doesn't mean your friends DR isn't a good surgeon. My surgeon is also a top trauma surgeon and he didn't recommend any Protein Shots in the morning and we sure as heck don't spend and hour talking (he's way to busy for that!) But he did answer all my questions ect......I also had a drain it's just all in the practice! Sounds like you have a good one :)

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Yep, each doctor is different...like each weight loss is different...like we are all different...yet the same! :P

Wow, having your doctor (any doctor) sit with you that long is amazing!

Follow his plan and I'm sure you will do well...

Good luck

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My post op visits take 2.5-3 hours. It is a group appointment which consists of the other 7 people that had surgery during the same day as I had mine. We have to take turns in the waiting room to go back and see the post op bariatrician. After everyone is finished, then we all attend a group meeting with the nutritionist. I guess this is required now since we never saw a nutritionist during the pre op period. It's great to visit with other bariatric patients, but the waiting around is nerve wracking. Since it is an hour drive to the clinic, these post op appointments take up more than half a day. I'm thinking of skipping the January appointment because I'm working everyday now. We are suppose to do blood work then, so maybe I won't.

I like the idea of Protein shots. Are these something you can order or do you need a script?

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My doc is pretty awesome. I had to do a 2 week pre-op diet, 24 liquid diet the day before surgery and liquids only for two weeks when I had my follow up. I'm on phase two of the diet and it's great. He was like your doc was minus the military act. The way I see it is, it's only going to help me.

Your friends doc, yeah, I would think the same way. But elode said, there schooled different and personalities are all different.

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Some centers have NO after eating plan... just normal food chewed well. Each Dr. has a formula of some kind, strict or not.... follow what s/he lays out... and unless it looks very crazy, you should be fine.

This forum is for researarch papers- how about finding a research paper that addresses your question, we would all be interested in seeing that im sure!

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
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    • 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.

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