The Clear Liquid Diet...

is driving me crazy. I'm beginning to regret my decision of having wls. I feel so horrible. I am often crying. The pain in my tummy is horrible. I am sweating all the time, all day, all night, yet freezing. I stink from always sweating. It's getting on my nerves. I was so ready for this. I had done my research for a few years. I always have a headache. I am having a hard time with this. People eat around me like I didn't have surgery and I sit there with my 2ozs of broth. My sisters come over my house with all our favorite foods. My sister came over with Subway, ate that then later ordered a pizza. Are you serious? Eat that s**t at your house!!! How rude! I'm not hungry but damn, the liquid is ******g me off. The liquid diet is so boring, broth broth broth....water water water. Today I had a SF popsicle and that was so good but now I feel weird. I just took a shower and I am still sweating. I sit in front of a fan all day, all night because of the sweating but I am freezing! What else can I drink on this liquid diet. Please help me. Najah

hey! i am getting ready to do the bowel prep this weekend (all liquids) and then after surgery clear liquids as well. the lady at my complications class said that for your broth,,, to get get a can of chicken noodle soup and add water and strain all the meat and noodles out and just drink that broth. it tastes much better. they also said that we could eat friut fozen pops w/ no sugar added, along w/ the sf popsickes. i did my shopping today and i also got a variety of crystal lite. just to keep the options kinda high. i hope i helped a little. and dont worry soon you'll be on full liquids! and tell your sister to eat on the porch. jerri

Najah, Let me first start by saying I haven't had surgery yet. Next week is mine. However, I have been reading and researching for 2 years and I think what you are going through is completely normal. All of your up and down emotions and physical feelings. Just hang in there! It will get better and you will be happy! Remember why you did this. You can do it!!! Best wishes. Tracey

Hello-I have been home on the same hellish liquid diet for 6days now post-op since March 1, and I am definitely with you on how hard it is. I was just like you are a few days ago just crying and thinking how hard this is being without all the comfort food. I am not hurting or having much pain any more though, and I don't have the same problem with sweating but being cold. I am so sorry you are having to go through that. I wonder if it has anything to do with your diet or exercise level. I am currently subsisting on Protein drinks from my sports nutrition store, and they are almost too flavorful and sweet. My surgeon's office recommended several whey products to use during the diet which is the only non-clear liquid I can have and the only way I found to get the protein I need in during the day. I have about 4 different flavors and 1 unflavored I can put in with my sugarfree drinks or the broth but the only problem is they all make your meals sweet. I was always a sweettooth before, but I can hardly stand it now. I am feeling really good and pretty strong and no hairloss is why I keep on drinking this stuff. I change it up from broth to these protein strawberry flavor, tropical flavor, banana flavor, lemon flavor drinks. I went to my local discount sports nutrition store and got samples of some of them to decide which to buy, then bought some but they are a little expensive yet very filling especially mixed with skim milk for added protein. I have sugar free popsicles and I mix different sugarfree jellos and eat a few small cubes as snacks when I have had enough of watching tv's tons of food comercials that I switch channels from but I still have to see it and it makes me snackish. Anyway, I know it is so hard to imagine that this hard time is going to be worth the effort in the long run, but my mom kept telling me just think of how great we will feel when we can wear anything and look good and though it seems like forever it is only a few more days of the clear liquids. I guess it can be considered a few days even if it's another 7 or so. Oh and tell your family to please respect you enough to stop eating around you. My mom stayed with me for a full week post-op and she never ate anything except soup around me when I was eating broth strained from the soup. She would go out to eat when she needed to or eat cold sandwiches on the porch or out in the backyard so I wouldn't have to smell any food I couldn't have. Hang in there. If we can make it through all the steps to get to the surgery and then the surgery itself we can get through this rough time too. It's just a very difficult adjustment, but just think of how your stomach needs this time to heal properly so we can start our soft foods soon then regular foods a little while later. I have already lost almost 15 pounds since my surgery date and I can already tell it in my face so it is hard but worth it girl. I think your body may have toxins it is trying to get rid of with the sweating, so just think you are getting so much healthier already. Hope I helped a little to know that you are not alone going through all this, and keep me updated on your progress. Take care.

Please take your temperature to make sure that you don't have a fever! Ask your doc if all the sweating is normal. Be really careful that you do not get dehydrated. (((HUGS))) Jan B

I forgot to add jello and sucking on hard candy is allowed (do not chrunch it) Jan B

oops ---sugar free hard candy only

Hi Najah, I am 9 days post op and I know exactly what you mean. When I got home my clear liquid diet consisted of water, Crystal Light (sugar free of course), jello( sugar free) , vegetable broth and sugar free popsicles. I switched to full liquids on the 8 and I was never so happy to see a cup of yogurt in my life. Now I can have skim milk, sugar free pudding, sugar free yogurt. protein shakes and blended and strained soups. I promise the more options you have the better it gets. Dealing with people eating around you will get easier also. After surgery I came home to an enormous plate of sugar cookies that my mom had made for my kids. And it is rude and insensitive, but people who aren't in our position don't understand. I threw them out. the whole dang plate. I also have a rule that no take out food can be eaten in my house. I don't think this will last forever but It is best for me if people don't bring that junk around. Don't let anyone say that you are making them suffer. All you are doing is saying don't eat that here. Good luck. I hope you get to feeling better soon. Crystal H

Hi honey, Sorry you are having such a hard time. I had my surgery 6 months ago and all of the emotions that you are going through are perfectly normal. NOT pleasant, but normal. The anesthesia and just the "trauma" of major surgery can throw your emotional state sooooo out of whack ! The tummy pain you are experiencing is probably normal too, although if it gets WORSE, or you start running fever, contact your doctor IMMEDIATELY. You probably are losing some "toxins" through the sweat, but I did not have that particular side-affect. Contact your doctor or his nurse and ask them if that is normal. They might need to see you. ANYTIME you have any questions or fears call your doctor right away. They would rather you call too much than not enough! As for your sisters eating in front of you, I would just "remind" them of what you are going through and ask them to eat somewhere else, whether it is outside or whatever. You also may be "grieving" the loss of comfort food that you have been so "attached" too for so long. That is a perfectly normal emotion also, but if you think that you need help, contact a psychologist. They can help you work through all of that. It was about 3 weeks before I started feeling "regular" again, and even then I was very apprehensive about doing a lot of things. But, being six months down the road, I can tell you that it is soooooooo worth everything I've gone through! I have lost 80 lbs. and gone from a size 30/32 to an 18. I feel really good now and am sooooo happy I made this decision. Again, if you are concerned about ANYTHING, call your doctor's office and let them reassure you! You paid them a lot of money for this and follow-up was included in the price!!! Hope you start feeling better soon. Let me know how you are doing... I usually don't "hang around" on this board. I just sorta got here accidenally and then got interested!!! Hope this helps. Pam

Najah, My doctor says I can have suger free jello, sugar free ice tea, gatorade, also the sugar free flavored water. I go tomorrow for my surgery. Hang tough it will get better. Have you checked with your doctor about the problems you are having? I would give him a ring. Shame on your family they should have some consideration for you. I will be praying for you. Just think how great we are going to look........... In my prayers, Bobbie