So as some of you know, my surgery is scheduled for this coming Wednesday (Nov. 26). The pre-op diet has been hellish and the weight loss slow, but I was able to drop to just 1.8lbs away from my pre-op weight loss goal with one week to go. Then last Thursday morning, I had a sudden bout of nausea and nearly vomited all of my morning meds and Vitamins. It came out of nowhere and was preceded by the increased salivation that some people have reported having after the band. In addition, I was having the runs and general upset stomach. I emailed my nutritionist, who told me to change my diet to probiotic yoghurt, lean Protein, and fruit, which of course was a blessing after the three weeks of pre-op diet. So I've been eating that since Friday, which helped with the nausea and diarrhea, but now I have Water retention and constipation! And also some heartburn. I took some metamucil tablets yesterday and today, which has unsettled my stomach again. With the change in diet and water retention, my weight went up and down, and now I am back to the same weight I was on Wednesday (1.8lbs away from my goal). The nutritionist also told me that I might have a virus, and I have been feeling like I'm fighting something. I've taken echinacea and Vitamin C just in case.

So it's been quite a roller coaster for my stomach, and I've been feeling discouraged. I'd really hate to have the surgery postponed because of not reaching my weight loss goal (or gaining weight!) or because something (e.g. getting sick) is making my stomach act up. It sucks that this happened so close to the surgery date. I guess I'll know by tomorrow whether it's a go or not, as I'm scheduled to fly out on Tuesday.

-Vangirl

I've never heard of a particular weight loss goal before surgery, just that you stick to the pre-op diet in order that your liver shrink enough not to get in the way! I'm sure that you will be okay to get your surgery and I hope that your stomach settles by then.

I find that BeneFibre helps me now with the constipation. I had that really bad with my pre-op diet and the pain from that was worse than the operation (I'm sadly not kidding). It is a natural fibre and you can mix it in Water and it totally tasteless. It's worth a try and may not upset your stomach.

I can't imagine that your diet has made you sick, it is likely a bug you've picked up.

Take care and I wish you healthy for your surgery on Wednesday. I understand your fear as it is such an ordeal doing that diet, and you must be really excited as well.

Let us know how you get on!

Mary

Hi Vangirl. The other posters are correct. Your doctor wants you to lose weight so your liver will have shrunk but they are not going to hold you back for 1.8lbs. My doctor asked me to lose 20lbs and I lost 17lbs. He was happy to proceed. Make sure you are really hydraded. Drink a lot of Water. The more water you drink, the less your body will retain water. In regards to your constipation, you may want to check with your doctor or your local pharmacy in ways to get rid of it. You will be much more comfortable after surgery.

H

I spoke with the nutritionist this morning, and I'm good to go for surgery on Wed. So unless something drastic happens between now and then, it'll be happening. Sadly I have only lost .4 lbs since Wednesday, but oh well. My weight loss on the pre-op diet has been so slow, compared to what I've read here from others' experiences, but I'm starting to feel resigned around this. I guess that's how my body is, it just doesn't want to let it go so easily. But most importantly, I'm feeling a lot better and don't have that feeling of fighting off a cold anymore.

I did have a particular pre-op weight loss goal because my BMI is high and they wanted to get it down to 50. Hopefully whatever weight I did lose on the pre-op diet has done the trick re: shrinking my liver.

Vangirl. Please try to keep an open mind as to your weight loss. In all probability your body is trying to compensate for the weight loss by retaining water. I think some call it starvation mode.

For what it is worth, I am a scale nut. I found that by weighing myself everyday and charting my weight of ups and downs, I learned what was happening. If I ate high calorie foods and showed some gain I know I have to settle down and eat hard protein as prescribed by my clinic and stay off the "goodies". If I showed a gain and I knew I was doing everything right, then it was a water gain. Eventually, I have come to know my cycle and don't panic or get discouraged. Others never want to step on a scale or diet. You will have to determine what is the best for you. All I am trying to say, is work on learning your body rather than give in to being upset at every gain.

I wish you the best in your journey and if you keep posting there is always someone who has been through what you are experiencing and be able to help.

Doddie is right, we've had many discussions about this. You may finally figure out what your own weight loss pattern is, and then not get too uptight about it. I tend to compare myself to those who lose 100 pounds in a year, but the truth is I'm not them and I've worked really hard this year, and have lost 50 pounds (well, 51 now) and I'm still so happy with what I've accomplished. I weigh myself once a week and now if I've not lost or only lost half a pound, I don't get upset about it.

If you had to go on that preop diet for more than two weeks, inevitably your body will stop losing the huge amounts as it gets used to that level of food. I lost 14 pounds in two weeks, but then didn't lose anything for about three weeks after my surgery even though I was on liquids only!

Good luck on Wednesday, you'll do great and ask as many questions as you like!

Mary

Vangirl. Please try to keep an open mind as to your weight loss. In all probability your body is trying to compensate for the weight loss by retaining Water. I think some call it starvation mode.

For what it is worth, I am a scale nut. I found that by weighing myself everyday and charting my weight of ups and downs, I learned what was happening. If I ate high calorie foods and showed some gain I know I have to settle down and eat hard Protein as prescribed by my clinic and stay off the "goodies". If I showed a gain and I knew I was doing everything right, then it was a water gain. Eventually, I have come to know my cycle and don't panic or get discouraged. Others never want to step on a scale or diet. You will have to determine what is the best for you. All I am trying to say, is work on learning your body rather than give in to being upset at every gain.

I wish you the best in your journey and if you keep posting there is always someone who has been through what you are experiencing and be able to help.

Thanks Doddie!

Historically I have shunned scales and diets just for this reason. Because I know myself and I will obsessively look at the scale and count every calorie and drive myself nuts in the process. The only reason I bought a scale in the first place is when I started the pre-op diet and *had* to keep track of my weight loss. This is definitely going to be an ongoing emotional journey for me, not just a physical one. I do tend to get discouraged and frustrated when I see little progress for a lot of hard work. The difference this time is the band is not going to let me give up and overeat. Basically I have to keep at it and make it a lifetime process, and so I'm trying to look at it that way, not so much as a miracle quick fix, which, based on my experience with the pre-op diet alone, it is not going to be. But I have more hopefulness that this will work better for me than anything else I've done. That's why I'm doing it, and I suspect why others have done it. It's been wonderful to hear and read others' progress. The thing that clinched my own decision to get the band is that despite the differences in everyone's experiences, not a single person said that they regretted getting it. I thought that was a very powerful statement.

Anyhoo, gotta run and get ready for my journey tomorrow. Will keep you all posted on my progress.

-Vangirl

Thanks Doddie!

I do tend to get discouraged and frustrated when I see little progress for a lot of hard work. The difference this time is the band is not going to let me give up and overeat. Basically I have to keep at it and make it a lifetime process, and so I'm trying to look at it that way, not so much as a miracle quick fix, which, based on my experience with the pre-op diet alone, it is not going to be.

-Vangirl

That is exactly how I've had to view this operation. I call myself a serial dieter. I would go on all sorts of wild and wacky diets, fasts and alternative regimes and stick religiously to them for months only to have a weight loss of only 5 or 6 pounds, nothing like the losses I should have had. And I would inevitably fail because I would see all the effort and willpower I'd shown and not been rewarded by weight loss. So I'd say "screw this, I want to eat like a normal person" and within a week or so, that loss would be gone. I explained it to many people as a hike up Mount Everest. You get your supplies and Sherpas ready and say goodbye to everyone at base camp. You hike all day and feel you've done well and set up camp for the night. Next morning you wake up and there you are back at base camp again! Morning after morning you wake up after a successful climb and still find yourself maybe at the foot of the mountain, but still not getting anywhere. After a while, you give up as your Sherpas are getting tired (and secretly think that in the middle of the night you are moving them back!) and you feel like an idiot.

With the band I feel that I haven't been allowed to ever give up. And although I still seem to be only making slow progress up that mountain where people who started after me are further up to the top, I can finally see that I am inching forward. I've never stuck to a regime before where it is so slow. But I feel that I don't have a choice and this is my last hope. I'm not letting go of it.

Doddie and I are what Doddie calls Turtles. Slow and steady wins the race and we'll get there but won't compare ourselves to anyone else and will be happy in our own victories.

Good luck tomorrow!

Mary

Hi Vangirl !!!

I'm so sorry I haven't replied before now, my computer has been messed up and causing me a TON of grief !!!

I'm so happy to see that you are good to go for your surgery and that you made it successfully thru your pre-op diet. That and the post-op are the 2 most difficult times you will probably face and it's good to keep in mind that both are only temporary.

I'll be thinking of you and sending huge positive thoughts as you make your way to Mexico and take the next step in your Band journey.

As soon as I send this I will send you a quick personal note including my phone # so that if you have any last minute thoughts you can call.

Be safe and stay positive....!!!! I can't wait to see you at the next support meeting and hear how things went !!!

Patricia