New Here! hello and questions

Hi everyone! I am new to the community and realized that I posted to the RnY forum instead of this one. Whoops! Anyways My surgery is about 2 1/2 weeks away and I am looking for any help/support/advice that I can get. From what I understand this surgery is a little more serious than the others? So i wanted to know in your honest option what I should expect. I read that malnutrition can be an issue and other things. 

   I am 20 years old, but I have struggled with weight my whole life. I am doing this surgery during christmas break and then I have to go back to school that is actually in another state. Im wondering how long you all think I need to heal before I could travel the 6 hour drive back. 

Also HELP! I had to start the complete liquid diet about 3 1/2 weeks prior. I am almost a week in and I am miserable! These protein shakes do no good, and I am starting to feel like I am choking them down. Any suggestions? I know I can have broth but does anyone know about tomato soup, or sugar free popsicles, or even sugar free gum? I would love to CHEW something! lol I know this is mostly mental but boy do i miss food! But I cannot cheat, my doctor needs me to loose another 15 pounds before surgery and sticking to this diet is the best way to do that. 

Any tips and advice are helpful and welcome! thank you!

Welcome aboard!  

Malnutrition is a possibility if you don't take care of yourself seriously.  You must take your vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, many surgeons underestimate how much nutrition we actually get from vitamins and don't recommend nearly enough. Some of us have had great success with Vitalady's recommendation and vitamins. You can check-out her website. She also recommends 90 to 120 grams from protein shakes a day but it sounds like you will have to push yourself to drink another shake after your pre-op diet. I was lucky, my doc didn't require a pre-op liquid diet. Some of the best protein shakes for us are those that are whey protein isolate based. A name brand I like is Syntrax Nectar in vanilla, chocolate, cappuccino and strawberry mousse. I make a good protein coffee that even my hubby will drink. Do a search here for Protein Coffee, I think the recipe and directions will come up.

Healing time varies. If you have an open incision it might take longer than laporascopic incisions. I was able to go back to work 1/2 days after 2 weeks of recuperation.  My intestines were still quite iffy and I was still having very loose stools, but could make it to lunchtime before needing to be back home.

Not sure about having tomato soup or anything that high in carbs. You want to keep your carbs very low right now to help you possibly lose a little weight prior to surgery. It's a bit crazy IMO, if you could lose weight you wouldn't need WLS.  Sugar free stuff is ok now but avoid anything with "itol" at the end of artificial sweetener ingredients post-op. SF Popsicles may be ok, many of us use them immediately post-op but be careful. Many of us are lactose intolerant immediately post-op, so plan ahead. Also, start looking at getting good probiotics in your system as soon as you can post-op. I buy an over-the-counter one called VSL#3 when I can't get a prescription for the powdered packet. Expensive, but worth their weight in gold for keeping gas and bloating to a minimum.

I think that's all in my feeble brain this early in the morning.  

--gina

Thank you so much! That helps! :)  I am 2 weeks out from surgery and a little nervous but seeing all the feed back and info from everyone calms my fears greatly. I really appreciate it. 

Send me a message. I will try to help you out.