hello- i'm new & full of....questions!

jennifer6791 · June 10, 2011

hello! i have my self-pay surgery tentatively scheduled for 7/20; i say that because my ekg came out "abnormal" and i had to go see a cardiologist today. he doesn't seem overly concerned at the ekg, but is doing a stress test and an echocardiogram in 2 weeks... at this point i'm a bit nervous. how normal is this?

anyway, stupidly, i'm more upset over losing the date i picked (i have vacation okayed already at work) than having something seriously wrong with me... that's how badly i want my sleeve!

and THEN i made the mistake (?) of reading 2 posts that describe excrutiating pain post op... i'm the bigggest freakin' sissy ever made... what's your experience? i'm having an outpatient (yes, that's what i said) laprascopic vsg.

and now i have questions that i didn't have during the consultation, like what diet will i be on prior to the surgery? and post op? yikes.

anyway, i'm determined to have this surgery- i feel like it's my last and best chance to change my life and the way i think and feel about myself. i will be having my surgery with dr. robert landerholm in edmonds, wa. all the best to all of you!

GreenEyedMamma · June 10, 2011

Welcome! I was a self-pay myself. I did not have outpatient surgery though so I cannot relate to that one. My pre-op diet was done in stages over a 2.5 week period. The first few days I had to replace one meal with a Protein shake. The next few days I had to replace two meals with a shake and the last week was nothing but liquids. The day before surgery, it was nothing but Clear Liquids. All surgeons have different requirements and I have read stories of some patients only having to do Clear Liquids for a day. If you have to do more than a week on the liquid diet I am not going to lie...it is tough. Day four was my turning point though and if you go into this surgery with your eyes wide open and you educate yourself on everything you will be fine.

You will want a good Protein Shake (both pre-op and post-op) that is not full of sugar or carbs. I started with a good powdered shake from GNC (Gold Standard) that I would mix with fat-free milk. I did that during pre-op and post-op. I eventually graduated to the ready to drink Protein shakes by Premier Nutrition and I keep them on hand for those days when I am running around and don't have time to eat. sugar-free popsicles were a savior during my pre-op and first week of post-op diet (along with sugar-free Jello and pudding). I also ate (drank) low-sodium chicken broth during my final days pre-op.

Once I was able to eat mushies (1 week post-op for me but each doctor is different) I had scrambled eggs (I eat egg beaters now), oatmeal, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes (although I don't recommend them because of the carb content), and greek yogurt. My diet has changed quite a bit since my first month post-op and I choose to eat very low carbs and I keep my Protein high through regular foods (I eat my protein and don't drink it).

There is TONS of information on this site (as well as YouTube videos) that will help you prepare for surgery and the days/weeks after.

I had to have an EKG, Echo, and stress test too. Those are pretty typical. I hope everything turns out well with your tests.

Good luck to you.

Dawn

P.S. - I grew up in Washington. One of my best friends lives in Edmonds. What a small world.

jennifer6791 · June 10, 2011

thanks so much- yes, it is a small world!

Welcome! I was a self-pay myself. I did not have outpatient surgery though so I cannot relate to that one. My pre-op diet was done in stages over a 2.5 week period. The first few days I had to replace one meal with a Protein shake. The next few days I had to replace two meals with a shake and the last week was nothing but liquids. The day before surgery, it was nothing but clear liquids. All surgeons have different requirements and I have read stories of some patients only having to do clear liquids for a day. If you have to do more than a week on the liquid diet I am not going to lie...it is tough. Day four was my turning point though and if you go into this surgery with your eyes wide open and you educate yourself on everything you will be fine.

You will want a good Protein Shake (both pre-op and post-op) that is not full of sugar or carbs. I started with a good powdered shake from GNC (Gold Standard) that I would mix with fat-free milk. I did that during pre-op and post-op. I eventually graduated to the ready to drink Protein shakes by Premier Nutrition and I keep them on hand for those days when I am running around and don't have time to eat. sugar-free popsicles were a savior during my pre-op and first week of post-op diet (along with sugar-free Jello and pudding). I also ate (drank) low-sodium chicken broth during my final days pre-op.

Once I was able to eat mushies (1 week post-op for me but each doctor is different) I had scrambled eggs (I eat egg beaters now), oatmeal, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes (although I don't recommend them because of the carb content), and greek yogurt. My diet has changed quite a bit since my first month post-op and I choose to eat very low carbs and I keep my protein high through regular foods (I eat my protein and don't drink it).

There is TONS of information on this site (as well as YouTube videos) that will help you prepare for surgery and the days/weeks after.

I had to have an EKG, Echo, and stress test too. Those are pretty typical. I hope everything turns out well with your tests.

Good luck to you.

Dawn

P.S. - I grew up in Washington. One of my best friends lives in Edmonds. What a small world.