One step closer daily

Hello,

I'm quite new here but I've been watching and reading all of your post for the last few weeks. LOVE to see Erin VSG what are you eating... Gives me alot of ideas! I tough of posting here as the forums in my area are pretty inactive.

I've been waiting since Dec 2013 for Bariatric Surgery. Finally, I received my call for first consultation this summer. July 28. Had to make some changes to show them I was in it to win it (or lose it in this case ;) ) September 22 is when I met with my surgeon. She gave me the approval so onto the info session and all the pre-op stuff. After waiting for so long to get the surgery I believed I was gonna have to wait quite some time for that too..Well to my suprise I've received the call this week for all Pre-Op testing next week and then my info session the week after... Any one in Canada have experience with how long we have to wait for surgery once the info session is past ?

I was kind of wishing I dont have to do liquid before xmas and xmas on recovery but it seems like that's where it might be headed... I will do what needs to be done but damn it will be hard on the mental. I'd like to hear experiences regarding the liquid phase mental state, how did you guys cope ? This is what is scaring me the most but to be honest will just have to kill it and go thru it. I went thru Thyroid Cancer at the beginning of year, it's not like I cant endure the little suffering for a life time of health...

HW: 303 BMI : 50.4

CW: 298 BMI: 49.6

Surgery date is coming shortly

***Baby Steps are still steps forward ***

Keep the spirits up. I found the process to be up and down. Just navigate those ends and everything will work out.

I had to do a 14 day pre-op limited diet (not liquids only). At the time, it was literally the hardest thing I ever did. Looking back... child's play. It's close to how I eat now. I think I had 600 or 800 calorie diet, which I almost what I follow now. I was so mad about sugar free jello and chicken breast and broth. Now, it's my staple diet. You'll be stronger and more successful for it. I don't have tips for liquid only, I was liquid only for 1 day pre- and 2 days post-op for my plan.

My only tip is to follow the plan exactly, don't cheat. It's so important to prep your body for what you're about to go through.

Good luck!

Thank you NateH !

This is exactly what I plan to do not cheat. I feel it would be pointless to go thru all of this just to reverse the process after.

When I see weight loss stat like yours, it gives me lots of hope! I will not be forever stuck in this body !

Welcome!

The waiting part was the hardest part for me pre-op, but I tried to use it to the best of my ability to get my support network prepared. Lots and lots of reading, I found a great mental therapist, I went to a few support group meetings to see how they were.. anything you can do now will make things easier post-op :)

Thank you ! Very excited about this process. Not much "Real life" support groups around my area but I've found this site to be pretty inspiring so I've been reading and reading and trying to arm myself with everything I can before surgery. Already working on Protein first then veggies and carbs (if I need it). Trying to research all the protein drinks I can take and make. I have an appointment tomorrow to have my meds for anxiety adjusted and a referral for a therapist cause I believe i'll need it during my liquid phase hehe !

^-^

Hi WildChild,

I am in the middle of a three week liquid diet (shakes).

I won't lie, it isn't easy. It's one of the most difficult things I've done, in fact. But I am taking it one day at a time and so far I've manages to make it half way without cheating.

Two things motivate me: watching the scale go down almost daily, and fear of complications during surgery. I know that this diet is to make things easier for my surgeon and I want things to go as smoothly as possible.

Our stats are quite similar, I started out at 304. This morning I was 279.

Ouff 3 weeks!! It surely is a sacrifice we have to make for our health ;)

I currently dont have a scale I really need to invest in one but Im scared I would get obsessed!

The hardest part of the liquid diet for me was my family around me eating things that I couldn't have. Honestly though ... the protein shakes are quite filling. If I felt the need to crunch some solid the veggies weren't bad. I only cheated once ... at the halfway mark I had 2 chicken tenders for dinner. Overall not really that bad of a cheat.

May I ask what province you are from?

I'm from Ontario, and some centers do seem to have a different order of how appointment goes. Some people meet the Surgeon near the beginning and vice versa. After I met the Surgeon, I only had to do a pre-admin appointment and then surgery, no info class. It was 5 weeks between surgeon appointment and surgery.

As for the liquid diet, it was challenging, but mainly mental. After a couple days, your body adapts, and you do feel full. It's really the mental factor while your on the liquid diet. It would be tough to do it over Christmas, but its so worth it in the end. Make sure you have supportive people around you, to talk through things if needed, but mainly just be strong. Its a couple weeks or so to a better life, and yes its challenging at times, but its not as bad as you think it will be.

We all get through that phase, so you can do it!

Best of luck.

I'm from NB. From what I have been able to assume in NB it seems that the order is : First consult with Nurse, Dietitian & Psych. They gave me a list of change to apply and 1 month after the changes are maintain call them back. 2nd consult Nurse and Psych reviewed my changes and I met my surgeon, she reviewed with me and gave me the approval. She said next were pre-op then info session then Surgery. Liquid phase will be hell but I expect it to be hell so that makes me stronger right haha ? I always expect the worse so when it happens it seems easy hehe.

What's a little rain for a lifetime of sunshine