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Pre Op Too Easy



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Last week I returned from vacationing out of the country to find out my surgery has been scheduled for December the 19th. (!!) I'm so happy to be moving forward that I don't even mind that the money I elected for my 2017 medical FSA is going to pretty much be pointless now. One thing that does concern me is that my surgeon basically requires NO pre-op diet. Just liquids after 6pm the night before and NPO after midnight. Should I just go with it? Should I put myself on a liquid diet?

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Plenty of people have no pre-op diet and do fine. I had a very easy 3 day one (not liquid, just low carb/low fat) and did fine.

The purpose of the pre-op diet is to shrink your liver but during surgery they use a device to lift your liver out of the way anyway. And some surgeons believe the long, liquid pre-op diets don't do that much.

If I were you I would just start eating healthier, maybe cut out sugar and caffeine??? And junk food?

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Plenty of people have no pre-op diet and do fine. I had a very easy 3 day one (not liquid, just low carb/low fat) and did fine.

The purpose of the pre-op diet is to shrink your liver but during surgery they use a device to lift your liver out of the way anyway. And some surgeons believe the long, liquid pre-op diets don't do that much.

If I were you I would just start eating healthier, maybe cut out sugar and caffeine??? And junk food?

Thanks for the reply! I hadn't heard of anyone else not having to go through an extended pre-op diet period so that does make me feel better.

The scene that keeps playing through my mind is surgery day arriving, he opens me up and the whole team gasps at my freakishly large liver. One dude actually take a (illegal) photo to post on his Instagram later, #poorprep. Meanwhile, the doctor sews me back up without sleeving me enters a tailspin of a career crisis and I have to start over finding a new doctor. But hey! I'd get to spend that FSA money after all!

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Mine only requires the 2 week low carb diet. I was surprised a little.

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I did not require a pre op diet, just Clear liquids the day before. I had RNY, so different surgery but even more invasive and everything went off without a hitch! Every surgeon is different but if you're not comfortable I would call them and ask them to explain the reasoning behind their instructions.

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I did 18 days of 3 to 4 Protein shakes a day and was grateful I did, although it was very hard.

My own personal opinion is that it pepared me for the fact I couldn't eat full meals after the surgery. It didn't feel as if it would be such a shock and I also lost weight. Win all round :)

Best of luck for the surgery and hope you have a speedy recovery

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I would do everything in my power to ensure there was zero chance for food particles to be in my digestive system when I arrived for surgery.

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I recommend going on a low-fat diet, and probably low carb, to try and shrink your liver, the liver loves to hold onto fat. My surgeon had me take dulcolax two nights prior to the surgery so I guaranteed a bowel movement the day prior. Otherwise just be strict about the 2 day liquid prep diet they instructed you to follow.

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Sleeved November 9th and I had to go on a 1 week no carb diet, start my Vitamins and increase Protein shakes..they wanted me to increase Protein due to Clear Liquids, pureed after surgery so I would not loose nutrients in muscle.Good luck on surgery.

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I did 18 days of 3 to 4 Protein shakes a day and was grateful I did, although it was very hard.

My own personal opinion is that it pepared me for the fact I couldn't eat full meals after the surgery. It didn't feel as if it would be such a shock and I also lost weight. Win all round :)

Best of luck for the surgery and hope you have a speedy recovery

Good point. Thanks!

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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
      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.
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      1. LeighaTR

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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.

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        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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