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Before Your Surgery Suggestion!



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I am reading more and more posts of people begging us to tell them when and what to eat and drink especially after surgery. It seems they are not getting good educational information. This is pretty scary for them. I have a huge book given by my surgeon months before surgery. If your surgeon gives you nothing to prepare you how, what and when to eat post surgery, please push his office to advise you where you can find this information. Being prepared and knowing what to eat could save your life. The posts asking can I eat steak one week out tells me that some surgeons are not properly preparing their patients. That means it is up to you! This is so serious!

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@ I have learned alot outside of my Bariatric Program (through my own research and this forum) - but I had a full session with the Nutritionist to review the post-op diet through 6 weeks. I will meet with her again at 1 month post-op to discuss the next stage. I'm very grateful that my Program is comprehensive and has everything under one roof (psych, nutrition, physiology (haven't used), surgeon, etc.). I also have to attend a 2 hour pre-op teaching class where I'm told they will review the post-op diet and instructions again. I can't imagine not having this knowledge before surgery. It is scary how many people either didn't receive this information or didn't pay attention to it. Thank you for posting this important thread - I hope many see it and take your advice.

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Thanks KristenLe, I feel very sad for these people, because I referred to my notes, records, food calendar constantly. I cannot imagine how I would have coped without all the knowledge at my fingertips. Plus Bariatric Pal!

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I had a big binder of info given to me and it was very helpful, but I still sometimes feel slightly uneducated with nutrition stuff.,, but I roll my eyes at the steak 1wk post op... Uh... Common sense should tell you NO even if your surgeon didn't specify...

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I agree, I am uneducated about nutrition also, and Vitamin issues. Struggling!.

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It makes me sad as well. I have a guidebook that's about 300 pages. I had multiple appointments with my surgeon, nut, bariatric therapist, my normal therapist, etc before I could go under. I even had to attend the monthly nutrition support group before.

Information on the Internet, like with all things, is 50% wrong. I've found a ton of info here - more practical for use than a guidebook, but I still know the right things to look for. Hopefully other people benefit from all the knowledge here.

Not mine, I'm only 2 weeks out. Many on here are much more helpful ????

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I need some help- my son is, in theory, supportive. Afterwards I told him he' ll have to help more cooking case I'll be on a vastly different food scheme. How do you live with a normal diet person?

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Eventually - you'll be able to eat similar foods (Protein & veggies) - but you won't eat as much and should skip the starch (Pasta, rice, bread, etc.). I've been thinking a lot about this. For the first 6 weeks while I'm on mush - it will be challenging but I'm hoping I'll be up to cooking for him at times (I enjoy cooking) even if I can't eat the food prepared. Once I'm cleared for regular food - I think it'll much easier. I'm not going to stop cooking or eating dinner with him just because we can't eat the same. I buy him sweets even though I can't eat them. He drinks soda - I don't. He'll have chips with a burger - I'll skip the chips (and post-op the bun).

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I need some help- my son is, in theory, supportive. Afterwards I told him he' ll have to help more cooking case I'll be on a vastly different food scheme. How do you live with a normal diet person?

Sent from my S55 using the BariatricPal App

Eventually - you'll be able to eat similar foods (Protein & veggies) - but you won't eat as much and should skip the starch (Pasta, rice, bread, etc.). I've been thinking a lot about this. For the first 6 weeks while I'm on mush - it will be challenging but I'm hoping I'll be up to cooking for him at times (I enjoy cooking) even if I can't eat the food prepared. Once I'm cleared for regular food - I think it'll much easier. I'm not going to stop cooking or eating dinner with him just because we can't eat the same. I buy him sweets even though I can't eat them. He drinks soda - I don't. He'll have chips with a burger - I'll skip the chips (and post-op the bun).

i'm one week out and i've been cooking for my toddler and husband every night, lol it's mostly been crockpot meals (thank god it's fall) but it's very easy for me this way.) i still watch them enjoy foods i can't eat like pizza and treats it doesn't bug me i don't even feel like eating

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Well now I am getting jealous. All my NUT gave me at first PREOP appointment was a blue page about Mediterranean diet, one yellow page with activities to do when I am board and an orange page saying I should get a toy box and place it in my kitchen, fill it with activities and open it when I "think" I want to eat.

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Well now I am getting jealous. All my NUT gave me at first PREOP appointment was a blue page about Mediterranean diet, one yellow page with activities to do when I am board and an orange page saying I should get a toy box and place it in my kitchen, fill it with activities and open it when I "think" I want to eat.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Your NUT sounds like a NUT! ????

I actually didn't get my post-op diet until my 3rd appt with the Nutritionist.

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Timely post! I am going for what is called the pre-op appontment today, which will entail seeing the RN, the nutritionist and that surgeon. It is 5 days before my surgery. I will ask for a book or some sort of diet guideline while I am there if it is not offered to me. It's a great center so I think they will have literature.

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Timely post! I am going for what is called the pre-op appontment today, which will entail seeing the RN, the nutritionist and that surgeon. It is 5 days before my surgery. I will ask for a book or some sort of diet guideline while I am there if it is not offered to me. It's a great center so I think they will have literature.

Good! You cannot go into this without being very well informed!!!

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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. 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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