Pre-op class

I have my pre-op testing and pre-op class on Friday the 14th at Good Sam. Will anyone else be there that same day? Gena

getting close!! omg are you excited???????//scared nervous??????? you are going to have to let my know how it goes!

Actually pretty calm. I had my anxiety attack last week. Wait till I start the 2 week pre-surgical liquid diet...then I may have something to say ;-)  I am sure that closer to date I will be nervous. I am not concerned about the surgery nearly as much as I am about the first 6 weeks after surgery....being an insulin resistant diabetic and on oral hypoglcemic and insulin.....I do NOT want to dump. It is nothing more than a hypoglycemic reaction and I have had too many of those. I know exactly what they feel like...I want to put that behind me. I almost think if there were a surgeon in AZ that did duodenal switch that I would go for that.

WHy are you doing the 2 week liquid diet before? does everyone have to do it with their office? I have fang and I dont recall everyone having to do it. eeek.

Someone in the office told me it is done pre-op in order to shrink the liver prior to surgery......how do I know  I guess I will find out on Friday.....;-)

I remember when I was with Dr. V at Banner, he said I would have to do the 2 - week diet, but now I'm with Dr. J at St. Lukes, and I don't have to... I'm guessing it's the bariatric center that sets up the protocol? 

I was told about the diet at Juarez office. I just spoke with the Good Sam Bariatric Center and was told they knew nothing about this diet....so I guess I am not going to be on liquids for 2 weeks prior to surgery.  Some surgeon's do this to shrink the liver as it lies over the stomach and needs to be moved to gain access to the stomach during surgery. By shrinking it they lessen any chance of trauma to liver during surgery.  I have read this in more than a few messages on this site......then again maybe it is another urban legend

Hi Gena, How did your pre-op go and what exactly do they do?  I am going for mine next week and am curious.  Hope all went well for you.  I am really getting excited to get this behind me and be on the losing side! Dawn

Hi Dawn, Half the day was spent doing  blood draws, chest x-rays, Uppi GI (YUCK!  I hate barium swallows....euwwwwww!)  abdominal u/s , ABG's (arterial blood gases) and pulmonary testing. Then we had lunch. Next came a nice long session with the nurtritonist, the the exercise specialist and a few other people were in and out talking to us. The nutritionist talked to us about vitamin's and calcium in length...for which I was very pleased. She recommended we take Optisource Chewable vitamins with minerals, 1 tablet 4x daily. This has 250mg of calcium so if you take 4 daily you are gettin 1000mg each day  do not need to take another calcium supplement. It even has biotin which many believe you need for the hair issue. IMHO biotin is a waste of money as hair and nails are made up of protein....Any way they are availabe from Walgreens.com and I plan to order some. She talked about protein shakes, gave samples, etc. She asked if we had tried any of them. I have been taking 2 a day of the Unjury chocolate protein shakes as I feel it will help me heal faster after surgery and I am for anything that will help that. I was pleased with what I learned today  I was very tired as I had to be at Good Sam by 6 AM and I woke at 4 and could not go back to sleep.  You will have you pre-ops at St Luke's?  Go armed with all your nutrition question. They put together a wondrful notebook for us also that we will be adding to during our surgical admission and in post-op classes. You have only 9 days till surgery so it is coming fast....you better post ASAP after getting home to let us know how it goes?

Wow Gena sounds like you got tons of info. I also have been packing up on protein to assist with my healing (and a lil pre weight loss :-D) Unjury is pretty good. The chocolate is nice. I have a vanilla I am ready to try with some cinnamon Yum! Your day will be here in no time. I am so excited for everyone and there upcoming surgery.

My friend finally got her info sent into Cigna from Dr Fang's office so I am keeping my fingers crossed for her.