GOOD NEWS AND A LITTLE BAD NEWS

Well my friends, the good news is that I found out today I got my insurance approval. YEAHHHHH!!! Bad news is that my surgeon wants me on a liquid protien diet until my surgery on 1/24. She wants me to loose 20 lbs. in 10 days. Gaining 20 in 10 is a breeze, but loosing it??? I do get a repreive on Sunday because we have tickets to a dinner theatre. Otherwise I will be on liquids only for the next 10 days. OMG!!! How will I survive????? Did any of you have to do this? If so, got any tips for me. Already I am so hungry I could eat the arms and legs of a gorilla! Rosa

I had to do a liquid protein diet for 14 days prior to surgery. Days 1-3 were by far the most difficult and trying. But by day 4, you get used to it andyour body adjusts. I lost 18 pounds during this time--18 pounds that I will never see again. I found that if I treated each meal like a meal, it worked for me psychologically. For example, for breakfast I would have my protein shake and I would make it a coffee flavor (using decaf instant coffee) becuase that's what I'd normally have. For lunch, I would have another shake and also some broth and a clear bevarage. For dinner it was a shake in another flavor with more broth and my apple juice. In between these meals, I loaded up on water, including decaf coffee and decaf tea, plus crystal light. Oh, I could also have SF jello, so I usualy had some of that at each meal. I had on hand several different kinds of broth, including some things i found in the mexican food section that tasted way better than plain old beef and chicken. I also bought boxed, liquid broths at the local organic grocery store. Mushroom--yumm! When I used granules, I made the broth more concentrated for better flavor. One other thing, for variety, I would create an icee out of crystal light powder and ice and blend to make a frothy mix. I feel for you as you start the liquid diet, but it will really prove to you how strong of a person you are. And it's worth it! Also, by doing a liquid diet pre-op, your liver will shrink and that will make it much easier for your surgeon to get to your stomach--and that only increases your chances for complication-free surgery. Email me if you have any questions! Jen

Thanks for all the wonderful ideas Jen. I will try some of them tomorrow. I know it is the best thing for me to loose some of this weight prior to surgery, and I will do my best, but I am sitting here typing away wondering how this keyboard would taste with a little hot sauce! May not be bad at all! Rosa

Rosa, Yeah for you w/ insurance approval. I do not know what to say about the liquid diet before surgery. I only had to do it for two days. It was not a nice two days, but I was told it would help shrink the liver so it was not in the way. The liquid diet since surgery has been horriable. I thought I was doing ok, but in reality I am not. I cannot seem to find a protien drink that I like, one minuite I taste it and its fine, the next time it makes me want to gag. So, I have been doing alot of milk. Its the one thing that tastes the same everytime. There are some soups you might want to try. Cambells has all kinds of soups (selects) I tried the cream of chicken one. Its ok, there is also the cream of broccoli. It has been ok as well. Do you like crystal lite. It has also been good for me. I wish I had more suggestions, but I dont. Melissa

Thanks Melissa, I am just trying to take it one day at a time. It was difficult today because I went to my great-nieces' birthday party and there was lots of good food there. At one point I started feeling sorry for myself, but then I just reminded myself how blessed I am that I will be having this surgery soon. I will try the Campbell's soups. I love soup, so that may really help. Thanks for your suggestions! Rosa

Hey Rosa I had to do two weeks of liquid diet - not fun! But the surgeon did say it was necessary in order to reduce the size of my liver and it did help me get a start on the weight loss. Day at a time is my recommendation. I also stuck to a meal replacement shake that I didn't mind too much. Other tricks - reading, gardening (so that my hands were dirty), going to the movies, sleeping and thinnking about why I was doing this!! ANd I did have the occasional breakout but I kept them pretty little! Good luck, stay strong - it will be worth it in the end. love Charlotte

Thanks Charlotte. I will take your advice and take it one day at a time. Even less if I have to. I am trying to stay busy. Gardening sounds good, but I may end up eating the flowers, grass, dirt, or maybe one of those tasty earthworms! Big Hug, Rosa