May 29th is the day....

Hi Everyone,

I've been away from the boards for a while. Work and family issues were distracting, but I'm heading into the home stretch and will be starting Optifast on May 8th, and my surgery is scheduled with Dr. Hyuenh on May 29th. 

I'm not really sure how I feel about everything. I've been so zen about this entire process because it was important to me not to stress out, but here I am, less than a month to go and I'm starting to feel very worried/excited/anxious/depressed/happy/freaked?

My kids and hubby have been great, as have my parents, so everything is good there. Work is going to be a little more intrusive than I thought, with the plan right now for me to start working from home 2 weeks after my surgery, and then back in the office 2 weeks after that.

At any rate, that's where I'm at. I've got six boxes of Optifast staring me in the face and I can't wait to get started.

Any thoughts or advice?

Thanks,

C

Hi there, we are almost surgery sisters, my surgery is May 28th with Dr. Sohi at HRRH. I was going through some of the feelings you have. But they come and go. I just keep thinking about after it's all over with and my new life begins! This forum really helps me, I love hearing from post ops. Good luck and see you in the halls! I haven't heard the greatest things about OPTI but it's one step closer to our new lives!! I'll keep telling myself that lol 

Thanks. I hope we run into each other post-op. I'll be the lady knitting....

Good Luck.

C

Hi

I hear you!  I have been going through the process with the same attitude, and everything seemed so far away, and then wham(!) I was starting opti.  My surgery is on May 20th.  Opti really isn't that bad-- I have to do 3 weeks even though I am under 300lbs (surgeon wants to be sure my liver shrinks enough), which came as a surprise as I was only mentally prepared to do 2 weeks...but aside from some initial headaches its been okay.  I found adding decaf coffee and lots of ice to vanilla is good, coconut extract works, cinnamon, nutmeg etc et****ep my last opti for a nightime snack and make it like pudding...I use chocolate and just add less water...

The feelings you are experiencing are totally normal, I feel them too.  We are undergoing a life changing event. I questioned myself more the first few days I was on opti..but now as I am entering week 2, I am getting excited.

Good luck in your journey,

Vicky

Thanks for the advice Vicky. I hope your surgery goes well.

And coconut extract!!! I  hadn't thought of that one....

Big time advice about opti! I almost died when I first drank it...well not really, but it wasn't going down very easily, but was easily about to come back up. I like the chocolate much better than the vanilla/drywall/floor/toilet taste. With the chocolate, I mix a little bit of decaf coffee, peppermint extract, ice and blend'er up! It's actually really good, I love drinking it! I'm not craving anything (I only started opti on May 1st, have just over two weeks to go). I do find I want to chew something...so I chew the ice cubes, they seem to do the trick. Experiment with the optifast if you can, with extracts as well. I bought almond extract and that goes really well with the chocolate as well. I found nothing to make the vanilla taste better. I'm pretty certain Nestle has no idea what vanilla tastes like! Good luck with your opti, it's not as bad as you think it will be.

Thanks. I'm not dreading the opti too much. I've been having a lot of goodbye meals so I'm not feeling like I' missing out too much, but ask me in a week.... ;)

I hear ya! I binge ate big time my last week - not good I know...but I knew i'd regret it if I didn't lol. I'm just over my one week mark on opti, it's not too bad. If you find you need help with flavours, i've done some experimenting so let me know!

Hi, I am with you girl.  Feeling the same as you are feeling, so I think it is normal....  My surgery is scheduled for June 10 in Montreal.  I will start my optifast 2 weeks before on May 27.  I look forward to staying in touch and follow each others journey.  I live in New Brunswick. Big hugs to you

Thanks so much. Hope all goes well for you in Montreal.

Cheers!

C