Eating before surgery

[Kgacia 2]

I have surgery scheduled in about a month, and find myself eating like crazy. Has anyone else done this? I've been told I have to do 2 weeks liquid diet soon and am feeling nervous about it.

[BobbyD 211]

My doctor started me on a strict diet one month before surgery. He expected me to adhere to it faithfully because a fatty liver could be a problem during surgery. Therefore my nerves were tempered by my fear of him not doing the procedure. The dieting before surgery was much harder than the post surgery nutrition plan. Just go with it and trust the system.

[OKCPirate 5,323]

I had apprehension that I would not be able to eat normal food again...forever. That's not true. I just eat REALLY great stuff in smaller sizes. Wrap your mind around that, might take some of those cravings and fear eating away.

BTW, you can AFFORD really great food when you only eat four ounces of meat at a time. Yeah baby, you can go to Whole Foods, get the organic grass feed stuff, and tell them - four ounces please . Great stuff for the equivalent cost of a pound at the grocery store of lesser stuff.

[FrankyG 1,450]

The pre-op diet is VERY IMPORTANT to stick closely to. Like BobbyD said, it's not so much about losing weight as it is to shrink your liver. Your liver lies almost covering your stomach area, and when they go in to cut the stomach, they have to use the laproscopic tools to lift and hold the liver out of the way. If your liver is really heavy/fatty, it can bend and flex and even break - that is horrifying and could lead to serious medical complications. The least of which might just be they get in there and insert all the tools and see your liver is too large/fatty to move without serious injury, and they close you back up and your sleeve is cancelled. So you'll get to go through the recovery of surgery (from the stitches and pain from trapped gas they use to inflate your abdomen to allow room to move around) and none of the benefits!

Use that fear of having your surgery cancelled or liver damage. Every time you feel weak and want to stuff yourself or eat something really bad... tell yourself that it is too dangerous and you you want to be healthy and have the best possible outcome. Lots of pep talks, lots of visualizing the junk and large amounts of food as nasty and stuff you don't want to eat. Do whatever you can to make it seem like a bad idea.

If you can't make it the 2-3 weeks on the pre-op diet while sticking to it at least 95% (most everyone does have one slip while on it) then you need to seriously think hard about this. You have to commit to doing this because your health depends on it. Anyone can make it on a diet for 2-3 weeks. You just have to tell yourself it's only a short time, it is for your health and you are worth the effort and discomfort and push through it.

And stop thinking you'll never eat all the foods again. The advantage of the sleeve is you can eat virtually anything after about 8 months to a year. But you must use that time to relearn how to eat and what to eat because that is the secret of this surgery's success. And while you eventually can eat whatever junk food you used to eat... you may not want to any more.

Good luck and I hope you can get your head straight and do your absolute best - it is worth the effort and you'll be so glad you made it through!!

[nervousnelly719 67]

I can totally relate. My surgery is in 3 weeks and I have literally been eating to the point of making myself sick. I've starting going to the gym and walking on the treadmill to prep myself and am hoping that the ravenous habbits subside as it gets closer

Edited February 17, 2016 by nervousnelly719

[JLilley417 55]

On my morning of surgery a female patient came in and got in the hospital bed next to me because it was her morning of surgery as well. The doctor cancelled her surgery because she put on 5lbs during her pre op diet. He told her to come back when she took it more seriously.

[nervousnelly719 67]

Wow! Motivation I'll say

[Kgacia 2]

Thanks for your feedback I really appreciate it