Pre-Surgery Liquid Diet & Pre-Op Questions

I am scheduled to get my sleeve on May 7th and I'm scared stiff... I'm on the liquid diet right now and I am trying to figure out how to survive the liquid diet and if I can't stick with it, then how will I be able to do the post-op liquid diet? Does the post-op liquid diet get easier or worse than pre-op? I'm so hungry & tired. Ugh...

Now that I'm really "feeling" everything I'm questioning is it really worth it? I know I won't be able to pig out on McD's ever again nor do I want to but it feels like I'm going to be an alien walking around the world constantly looking for protien and never enjoy a single peice of food again for the rest of my life. Please tell me I'm wrong and that there is some sort of "normal" light at the end of this tunnel? Tips? Advise? anything?

What's the truth? So many "happy" people yet everyone talks about how hard it is and the saggy skin and trouble with food, family, etc... so is it really good?

I'm doing this because of diabettes so it's not a vanity surgery for me..it's life or death...but I'm getting the feeling I won't have much of a "life" after surgery.

I think now that I'm feeling the hunger, the withdrawls and the date is so close everything is so real now to me and I'm a freaking out because once I do it, there is no going back.

Please give some feedback.

Thanks!

We share the same surgery date!  I'm excited, but nervous about everything at the same time!  We can do this!! 

Your range of feelings and emotions right now are very normal.  You are about to embark on a serious lifestyle change, including major surgery.  From my standpoint, it is well worth the blood, sweat and tears that are involved.

The post op liquid diet is much easier than the preop liquid diet.  Preop, you've still got your normal anatomy and all that hunger hormone so you are trying to do something that our bodies are not accustomed to.  Post op, your anatomy is changed, the hunger hormone is disrupted, you've just had surgery and there is huge motivation to make changes, including the motivation not to hurt your brand new tummy.  It's hard to understand until you go through it, but trust me, it's easier post op.  Plus, it's temporary.  SOon enough, you'll be back to eating food, just smaller quantities and better choices.

I love my new "normal."  I feel like I'm living more than I ever have before.  I love eating for quality now vs quantity.  I love cooking and experiementing with flavors and textures.  I like discovering new things I like to eat that are VSG friendly.  Of course, nothing is off limits food-wise, BUT I'm choosing not to eat a bunch of stuff because I truly embraced this as a lifestyle change.  It's so worth it.

The new clothes, the slimmer body, the slimmer face, the ability to move easier, the shift of obsession about food to thinking more healthy, the improved health (truly a blessing and so amazing)... the list goes on and on.

Know that for the short term, it will be hard and you may feel like you aren't living... but once you heal and adjust to your new "normal", it's AWESOME!  Those hard time and adjustments are temporary until you settle into your new healthier habits.

Take a deep breath, keep reading and researching, and then feel good about making the best decision for YOU!

Ms Poker Face
you are very wise indeed!

I was just sleeved this past Monday 4-23-12. The pre-op liquid is hard, just take it one day at a time. Do you do straight liquids 3 times a day? My pre-op liquid diet was CIB for Breakfast, CIB and small piece of fruit for Lunch, Dinner was 4 oz of lean meat and veggies or salad? I have to say I did good the first 7 days and then I cheated then I cheated more and more. I'M NOT TELLING YOU TO CHEAT but the pre-op does get harder.

However post-op liquid diet is a breeze I'm not hungry at all in fact it wasn't til I came home from the hosp that I truly could get down any liquids. Like I said take it one day at a time. Good Luck

When you are healed it will be a breeze you will eat most things you want but just not as much. Hang in there. If you are at peace with your choice you will do just fine.
Jennifer

My surgery is May 8th and am in the middle of my 2 week liquid protein fast.  And man, its HARD!!!  Holy cow!  Every single second is a struggle to not give in, but we CAN do this.  Life will be different, but a great different.  Can you imagine not having to worry about your diabetes anymore?  How wonderful will that be?!  I can't wait to be able to walk up my stairs without feeling like I need to bend over and put my head between my knees.  LOL!  I miss food, I'm not going to lie.  I am feeling the exact same way you are, but I'm trying to go back to the beginning and remember why I chose this path and get excited about it like I was when I walked out of the first appointment I had with the surgeon.  Hang in there, we are sooo close!  

 I'm so there with you and all your feelings.  I was going to have my surgery at the end of March and have delayed it until June.  When I thought I was having it earlier I started doing 2 shakes a day and a sensible dinner and did fairly well.  I have since gotten off track since I didn't have a surgery date set and surgery just didn't seem real.  Funny thing is, since I've been doing less shakes my weight has dropped in the last two weeks.  Our bodies are so unpredictable.  So, I'm thinking maybe I don't need surgery............that old stinking thinking gettting me in trouble again.  Another board member on here once reminded me, if we could do this on our own we would have by now.  Hang in there, dmn and others, it won't be easy, but we will reap the benefits.  God bless.

 I'm scheduled for my sleeve on May 8th. I am fortunate enough to not have to do the liquid pre-op diet except for the day before surgery. I have been preparing for 6 months, following diet, exercise, and support groups. I'm down 22 lbs so far.   I just got approved by my insurance last week and set the surgery date. I was not worried at all, completely confident that this was the right thing for me UNTIL I set the date. I have been freaking out ever since. It is like the reality hit me. Now I worry that the changes, missing food will make me more miserable than the obvious benefits of losing the weight will improve my quality of life.  
Reading your post was incredibly helpful. Just to know that others have went through the same feelings. I hope my reply helps you as well. 
I'm trying to focus on the positive things that will happen once the weight is low enough rather than on what I might miss out on. Things like--being able to be active with my family(not sitting on the sidelines), fitting comfortably in an airplane seat, riding amusement park rides, shopping in any clothing store, etc. FEELING NORMAL. 
Hang in there!  You CAN do this. 

we share the same surgery date..

This diet is VERY tough.. But just remember after this.. It will be much easier.. cause we will have way smaller stomachs.. So we won't need as much..

best of luck to you through this..

Thank you all so much! Everyone I talk to is so confident about it and the fact that I have doubts & fears and they don't express them makes me feel even more unsure. I know it's the right thing but when people say it's the hardest thing they have ever done in there life, it scares me stiff.. I've been through a lot and to imagine something worse, something harder and worse to not really know or understand what it is until after the surgery is over is so scary to me. I'm hanging in there but super depressed right now and very emotional. Ugh! but will keep going...thank you all so much! I love reading your stuff even if I don't comment often. it's so helpful! Thank you all so much!