I got my date!! 12/12/07

I got my Date {12/12/07} and i am going nuts! it has taken me 2 years and 2mo. to get here. i wonder if you all felt nerves like i do! i am about to jump out of my skin. my doc didnt tell me what to eat pos-op but he did say if i gained any even 1 pound he wouldnt do the surgery. i am going nut i am afrade to eat anything.sorry for the bad spelling. and for going on. just want to know i am not alone. shirley mcconnell

Hi Shirley, I feel for you. I had my sleeve surgery 11/19/07 and have no regrets. I can't believe your surgeon didn't tell you what to eat postop. The main thing is to eat protein since that will help with your healing (I'm told). The day before your surgery don't drink any red fluids. Theday before and the day of your surgery wash your body and especially your stomach with an over-the-counter product called 'Hibiclens' in a blue bottle with a white lid. I still clean my stomach with it now. It took me 3 years to make up my mnd to do this. I was holding out with my insurance hoping they might change their policy from year to year and it never happened. Meanwhile I was watching my life go by and getting bigger. So I just opted to pay for this. I was in the hospital one night, and the next week back at work. The first week back at work was a little tough but not impossible. I think it's best to just take two weeks off, unless you just can't afford to take that much time off. In my case I never told my work, so just taking off Thanksgiving week was normal behavior. They still don't know. Things to buy before surgery are all in chewable or liquid form, x-gas very important, immodium, tylenol not advil. When drinking your fluids not use straws, since that will put air in your system. Drink 64 oz. (if possible) after surgery and daily from then on. The first week you will only be able to take very small sips, week to the pouch will have healed some and you should be able to drink a little larger sips. Soni**** cubs are great! Yello, broth and caffeine free teas and sugar-free flavored water will be your diet for two weeks. You won't be hungry and will need these to stay hydrated. No pop whatsoever! I've always had a sweet tooth and my dietician said I could suck on sugar-free hard fruit candy. This seems to do the trick. So the first two weeks target clear liquids. Week three is when you can introduce some soft foods like, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, mozorella string cheese (soft cheeses), fat-free refried beans and skim milk. The key is still to target proteins here. Week four the same things above but add chicken and the thin lunch meat. The goal is to stay away from sugar and the starchy type of foods. I hope this helps. I'll be happy to share any information. Feel free to write back. Dorothy

I just had RNY this past Wed the 5th. My doctor has a nutritionist on staff to help us through pre-op and especially post-op living. I think it's a real shame that you doc threatened you with surgery cancellation if you gained weight. That is crazy. I wasn't even weighed at the hospital. They asked me how much I weighed. This week concentrate on keeping your carbs to a minimum, cutting out sugar and caffiene and drinking water. That will help you maintain your weight. You might want to pick up the book Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies, which I found to be a great resource. It spells out the basic after surgery diet. Each surgeon has different expectations, but most are similar. You have clear liquids for 1 week post-op (you won't want much more anyhow) then full liquids (per my nut, nothing thicker than applesauce) for 2 weeks after that, and then pureed foods for another 2 weeks. I won't have solid food not until the middle of January. But, WLS for Dummies also has recipes for each step of the way.