I can’t believe it has already been 17 days since I booked my surgery. It seems moment to moment to be dragging (and that may be in a large part due to the fact that things are really slow at work right now for me). But 17 days? Really? I have been slowing chopping things out in my PRE Pre-Op diet and so far it has been fairly easy.

Starting on April 8^th I decided I would try to stop eating all junk food (a bad habit I picked back up on over Easter) and drop caffeine out of my diet. Man was I miserable for 3 whole days! The first day I had to take a shot of diet coke in the evening so I didn’t go crazy… and had Advil on hand for my raging headache. I will confess I ate some cookies during that week and had a few “farewell” meals involving French fries and oooooh… that new Pizza Burger thing at Boston Pizza. Yum!

This week, starting Monday it was time to carb drop. I am moving in the direction of Akins, eating mostly protein and some veggies – not worrying too much about fat this week. I am replacing my breakfast each day with a high protein zero carb shake. So far I have tried:

Six Star Whey protein powder – Vanilla (which is TOTALLY disgusting!!) So sweet it blows my face off!

About Time – Birthday Cake – tastes like licorice water, but tolerable

About Time – Mocha Mint – Minty Licorice – and tolerable (Better than birthday cake)

For my fellow Canadians I get the About Time shakes at lowcarbcanada.ca. They also have ISOPURE Alpine punch which I have my eye on.

About Time is sweetened with Stevia which takes over most of the flavor (Licorice like) but I do like black licorice so Im ok with it.

The rest of the day Ive been pretty consistently having an Atkins snack or advantage bar, a small lunch like salad or tuna with mayo in a cup… and dinners have been mainly meat with a side of veg.

I am still enjoying a decaf coffee in the morning with cream and sweetner, and in the evening a decaf orange pekoe tea with milk and sweenter… which is probably why I am not yet into ketosis – milk can be a killer… but I am going to continue to enjoy it until Sunday…then I will drop the milk and sweetner… and learn to drink my tea black.

So next week, no more milk, and no more high fat protein…. High protein, low carb. No caffeine, and no milk. Then onto the true Pre-op diet.

For my pre-op – liver shrinker, I am going to replace both breakfast and lunch with liquid, and have only my dinner which will be chicken or fish, and green beans or mushrooms . Its only two weeks… it will be drab and boring but I am really wanting to prepare myself not only physically but mentally as well.

This is a big investment, and the surgery is a gift. I consider myself very lucky to be in a position to do this for myself and for my son.

Time for the final step in changing my life.

As for the passport issue with Justin, well… what will be; will be. I have made peace with the fact that I may have to go alone. I will remain hopeful that he will be joining me, but if in the end he stays home with Charles, that will be just fine too. Because then Charlie can be in his own home with his Daddy while his Mummy is away for 4 days (first time ever! EPP!!)