LonnieThatGirl

Glad I am not the only one... Noticed fuzzy tongue and freaked out; thought maybe it would start growing hair or something. LOL I haven't had body odor all over, but my sense of smell is crazy - just like when I was pregnant. I can smell people's breath before they even approach me. Gross...

I am only 5 days out and have already experienced taste issues. I actually started experiencing it on my pre-op liquid diet, but more so after surgery. I am on liquids (start puree tomorrow) and even the protein shakes I liked beforehand taste odd. I heard it is normal, but is an odd thing to experience.

I cannot believe it is this close. I still cannot believe I have made it 12 days on a liquid diet. I have so much I want to get done before surgery though - cleaning, organizing, shopping, etc... stuff I won't be able to do for a little while after surgery. As of this morning, I was down 11 pounds from the start of my liquid diet 12 days ago. I am almost down 20 pounds since the beginning of June. The vivid dreams have slowed some, and I've had much more energy on this diet than I would have thought. I am soooooo glad my dr has his patients do the liquid diet beforehand. I think it will really help me going forward. I already feel like it has helped me break some of my addiction to food. It hasn't always been easy during the process, but God has really helped me do things I didn't think possible. I helped at a children's lock-in at our church this weekend and put in 14 hour day on Saturday helping out... serving breakfast, lunch and dinner on top of other things! Whew... If I can make it through that on a liquid diet then I can do this VSG thing! LOL Anywho. I think I worked too much this Friday and Saturday and wore myself down and ended up feeling sick on Sunday. I stayed home and slept it off and I feel much better now. I got all my prescriptions filled ahead of time for my after-surgery meds. I need to go shopping for food for after surgery, yet. One WONDERFUL thing is that, I was scheduled to start my monthly cycle on the day of surgery. I am usually on time like clockwork. This month however, I started early. I started yesterday, and I am really praying it is over by Friday! Such a relief. Even if it isn't over by Friday, at least I will be at the tail-end of it... Much better than showing up on day1 or day2 of cycle with cramps and heavy bleeding! Oh, well, better get off of here and actually work on my to-do list!

Mine is Friday, too. And I had the same silly thought going through my head about my face. LOL I am always told how young I look, and I am pretty sure it's because of my fuller face. I am going to be 37 in Oct and most people still think I am in my 20's. I had a friend lose weight and her skinnier face made her look older. So, you are not alone in that thought. I have had many silly thoughts floating around in my head lately. LOL

PS I posted my diet guidelines in post before this one

It's getting easier actually... I am down 7 pounds from the day before I started, and I have had more energy as my body gets use to this diet. Monday, I did ALL our laundry (and put it away - which is a chore in itself taking it up stairs!), cooked breakfast/lunch/dinner, did the dishes and did some general cleaning and even played with my son some. I was exhausted by the end of the day, but it felt good and I thank GOD I was able to get that much done and feel some energy finally! One thing I have noticed on this liquid diet is that vivid dreams have picked up in frequency... like every night! And, my sense of smell is off the charts. Sometimes that's not a good thing... lol I have noticed that if I feel hungry, drinking a cup or two of water really helps! The first couple nights I had acid issues and felt nauseated. I took one of my husband's acid reflux pills and was fine. In order to meet the 5g fiber 3x's a day, I've been using Benefiber single packs so I can carry it in my purse. The first batch I bought (Strawberry Kiwi) is fine in small does or diluted with a bottle of water, but to get 5 grams, I had to use almost 2 packs in each cup. Too sweet and made me gag... but I used up the whole box (didn't want to waste it lol). Like I said, diluted more it would have been ok - still not my fav, but I can see why people like it better than just plain water if you are not a plain water type of person. I am a plain water person, so I got the single packs of regular Benefiber, and it really has no taste to it. I can add my 1.5 packs to one cup with no problem. The first two times I had to get over the "idea of it" though. It really tastes like plain water, but my mind kept saying, "There's SOMETHING in there!!!!" and it took all I had not to gag. Now I am getting past that. 8 more days and then my surgery in 9 days! Woohooo! I have been really good sticking to the diet. I did chew food twice and then spit it in the garbage disposal... never swallowed it. Felt guilty enough just putting it in my mouth, but it's hard when you are in charge of still making breakfast, lunch and dinner in the household. My hubby offers to help, but he's been putting in long hours at work, and I just couldn't bring myself to have him help. So, overall... SUCCESS!

Hope your pre-op is going well!!

2 weeks (July 15-July29) Instructions from my dr. office: Please follow the liquid diet guidelines exactly as they are written. The diet is going to be critical in preparing your liver for surgery and decreasing your risk of having to do the surgery open instead of laparoscopically. Please continue to follow the Phase 1 Diet that ********* discussed with you until you start the Phase 2 Diet. Failure to follow both diets will result in your surgery being rescheduled due to non-compliance. AM Protein Drink Supplement 1 cup skim milk or container light yogurt Mid Morning Fiber Supplement (5 grams of fiber)Noon Protein Drink Supplement Fiber Supplement (5 grams of fiber) 1 cup skim milk or container light yogurt Afternoon 1- cup raw vegetables(this can be a small salad mixed with a fat free vinaigrette dressing)Dinner Protein Drink Supplement Fiber Supplement (5 grams of fiber) Evening Protein Drink Supplement 1- cup skim milk or container light yogurt *Fiber Supplement = 2-3 teaspoons of Benefiber is what we recommend mixed with 8 oz of clear liquid.* Please note: · You are only allowed three servings of dairy per day. For example: if you mix one of your protein supplements with milk, then you have used one serving of dairy and are only allowed two more. If you mix three supplements with milk, then you are not allowed to have any more dairy that day. When you have used all your dairy servings, you may mix your protein powder with water. · Be sure to include a complete multivitamin twice a day, as well as 100 ounces of free liquid (water, crystal light, hot tea, diet iced tea, broth, decaf coffee, propel water, sugar free jell-o, sugar free popsicles) Please note: your fiber supplements and your protein supplements count toward your 100 ounces of fluid. You may consumer over 100 ounces of the free liquids listed above if you desire. The fiber supplement three times a day equals 24 ounces and the protein supplement four times a day equals 32 ounces, so you will need to consume an additional 44 ounces of free liquid per day, but again, you may consume more. · You can purchase your protein supplement at GNC or the Vitamin Shoppe. It can be any brand as long as it contains pure whey protein isolate, at least 20 to 30 grams of protein per serving, is low fat, and has less than 5 grams of carbohydrates. Please note: If your protein supplement contains 40 grams or more of protein, you will need to cut the serving in half (i.e.: 20 grams each serving) · If you are currently taking medication for diabetes, you MUST consult your doctor during this diet because your medications may need to be adjusted or stopped. When you speak with your doctor, tell them you are on a very low carbohydrate liquid diet. You must continue to check your blood sugars throughout the day while you are on the liquid diet.