July 2021 Surgery People!

[brightly 16]

41 minutes ago, Soonlee_W said:

Dear Brightly,

This pre-op diet is so so hard. I failed at it for almost 4 days till I got it down. Be careful what you say....people can be brutal. They'll make you feel like if you can't do the diet then maybe you shouldn't have the surgery.

I was not given specific instructions either or any why's other than the fact that they said it would make my liver shrink. Also, they didn't tell me how much -- I mean, can I have 6 pudding cups if I'm hungry? Some people were told to only have liquids, some people were allowed to have eggs. People will tell you to do exactly what your surgeon says, and I guess that's the best advice ... but I'm with you ---this is so hard. If it were easy for me to stay on something like this, maybe I wouldn't be so fat.

It feels weird to have gone this many days without anything solid. They said, "Jello, sherbet, pudding, and Protein Shakes. Strained soups." that's all my papers say. That's a lot of sweet stuff. I've been straining all the chunks out of the Soup and just drinking the soup-juice. 4 days before my surgery (so, this Monday) it will only be Clear Liquids.

Good for you, Sooniee. I hope the surgery goes really well for you!
When people are brutal to others, as you refer to, I hear it as a sign that they have not been treated kindly themselves, and are turning it on others and are worse to themselves. That doesn't bring out the best in anyone. I know that anyone who is doing this surgery is a brave and tenacious person. They would not be doing it unless they had tried many diets, lost lots of weight, and gained it back and more many times. People with serious metabolic issues can get to the end of their rope—we have all been at this a long time. So I'll try to be empathetic to them if anyone comes at me for my failures at the pre-op diet, because we all have to help each other encourage, not tear down. There's no hierarchy in my view—just a bunch of people working to improve their health. I admitted my struggle because I figured others have it too, and we all need a bit of camaraderie. And the preop diet is utterly ridiculous, and also, not sense-making.

I too was given incoherent instructions. I'm also not someone who eats lots of sweets, so for me, the preop diet is particularly nauseating. 😝You said, "If it were easy for me to stay on something like this, maybe I wouldn't be so fat." --- this is not why you are overweight! No one—who is a healthy human— stays on something like this. This is a starvation diet.

I wish you great results with surgery. Perhaps I can get clarity on these issues soon! Thanks for responding.

[Soonlee_W 24]

Thank you, Thank you, Brightly! You are so right. This isn't normal -- it's starvation.

I feel like I'm starving ... I was hoping it would get better as the days go on, but so far, it's still very very hard. Let me know if you get clarification about your diet.

[Sue2 37]

My doctor is very specific for the 1st 3 months. My diet has been nothing but Protein Shakes and Water 2 weeks pre and 2 weeks post. I never thought I’d be so excited to try cottage cheese and shredded Parmesan cheese. I even get to add eggs and yogurt as well. The way he had me do everything has been great. I haven’t been hungry and I didn’t really struggle. I am just desperate to have a different texture in my mouth. After 1 month, tomorrow’s my day. I’m so ready!

[brightly 16]

41 minutes ago, Soonlee_W said:

Barely slept that night after reading this. It's all good --

Yeah, I'm sorry you had to hear this. It is not helpful at all. After surgery, you will not have the same stomach and thus will not feel like it is empty on 500 calories. You will also not feel like eating anything abrasive, for sure. I hope that person who wrote that takes it a little bit easy on themselves going forward from here.

[brightly 16]

1 hour ago, ShoppGirl said:

It’s seems odd to me that she said you can have egg whites instead of shakes but not chicken. I was on a liver shrink diet the first two weeks and two days of just liquids and the point was low calories low fat low sugar (all to shrink the liver) but I was allowed chicken and even lean steak (2 ounces I believe) and veggies on mine as well as egg whites or egg beaters. If I were you and was looking for alternatives to the shakes I would call the dr and not the nutritionist. I know they ask them to go over the pre op and post op diets with us but I just don’t know that they know anything more than the one cookie cutter plan (or at least not all of them do). Anyways, like I said if it were me and I was having an issue with the standard approach looking for alternatives, I’d go to the surgeon or the PA. And if the office tries to direct you back to the nutritionist tell them you already tried and can’t get a clear answer from them. If nothing else maybe they can give you something for the GERD and constipation it is causing you.

Hey Shopgirl,

Totally strange, right? I really want to know if it matters that something is a liquid... this seems not to make sense, because chewed up food and water== puree or liquid, right? You are right, I will call my doctor. I feel like the nutritionist should have put a little effort into the response, in that she gets paid separately—and a lot for just handing me a stapled packet of sheets. I'm already on PPis for GERD and Linzess for Constipation, but I do think you are right, but I dread bothering a surgeon about this.It makes me feel like I'm asking a lot and I should just deal with it—but why? if I don't have to? This process is hard enough. Thanks for the reply. 😄

[Mother of boys 25]

@brightly @Shop Girl

I agree - my surgeon said I could have MyProtein shakes etc my Dietitian said no. I messaged her with the comparisons of everything and she said it’s fine. My surgeon said I’ve obviously done my research and asked questions which was his guidance so he knows I’m not going to go off track….. my PreOp was high Protein low carbs low fat and my post off was Clear Liquids and then full liquids which I’ve struggled with and to get the fluids in. Yes everyone has a different experience but speak to your surgeon as they will know what’s best and they ultimately know more and are more supportive

[Mother of boys 25]

6 minutes ago, brightly said:

Hey Shopgirl,

Totally strange, right? I really want to know if it matters that something is a liquid... this seems not to make sense, because chewed up food and water== puree or liquid, right? You are right, I will call my doctor. I feel like the nutritionist should have put a little effort into the response, in that she gets paid separately—and a lot for just handing me a stapled packet of sheets. I'm already on PPis for GERD and Linzess for constipation, but I do think you are right, but I dread bothering a surgeon about this.It makes me feel like I'm asking a lot and I should just deal with it—but why? if I don't have to? This process is hard enough. Thanks for the reply. 😄

That’s what the surgeon is there for and he needs to be aware of your feelings as there needs to be more support PreOp and an explanation. I was able to choose what I was having PreOp and I wasn’t even told to have shakes I chose to.
Speak to your surgeon

[Bluebonnetgirl 63]

Had surgery at 1 pm yesterday. Coming out of anethesisa, I had some pain and naseua But they quickly took care of that.

As soon as I got to my room, They had me up and walking laps around the floor. Then walking laps at the end of every hour.

Had some minor discomfort after walking so got some liquid Tylenol in my IV.Truth be told, the dry mouth has bothered me more than my belly

This morning, I feel much better. Just experiencing some gas pains from the gas used to inflate my abdomen leaving my body. Right now I am attempting clear liquids. So far so good but I am taking it real slow.

I did forgo the bed and have used the recliner in the room instead. The bed seemed to make my Naseau worse. The chair is also easier to get out of to do my walks.

If all goes well, I will go home this afternoon.

Edited July 16, 2021 by Bluebonnetgirl

[Candace76 212]

11 minutes ago, Bluebonnetgirl said:

Had surgery at 1 pm yesterday.

Congratulations, glad everything went well. 🤗

[brightly 16]

PREOP DIET: THE WHYS
I did some extensive reading last night, and discovered that the preop diet is mainly intended to help patients lose weight and de-glycogen their liver to make it more pliable in surgery. That's basically it. In order to do this, one needs to be on a low carb, low fat, high Protein diet. They call it a "Very Low Calorie Diet" or VLCD. Some of us have been on this kind of diet in the past. In fact, I lost 50lbs on a VLCD—twice! And of course I gained all the weight back and more, as soon as I allowed myself 1200 calories of healthy food—both times! It slowed my metabolism down to a crawl and didn't allow me energy to exercise. One time I did it sans drugs and had no energy to do anything in my life—it was impossible, but I stuck to these horrible shakes only, and I did this for months. The other time, I just reduced the calories in my daily diet and used Phentermine (so much easier!). Both times I was put on an 800 calorie a day diet. About the fact that it's a liquid diet: this seems not to matter until close to the surgery (last few days?) because they want no particles of poorly chewed food in your stomach's staple line. There could be other reasons for requiring it to be liquid that I have not yet read about, and I'm still looking. Anyone who knows--please jump in.

The other bit about it, unfortunately, is the usual infantilizing of overweight people thing: "to get you used to how you will have to eat post-surgery!". I don't know about anyone else, but I don't need to "get used to" drinking artificial shakes. The less I have to be on a shakes diet, the more committed I'll be to the necessary time I have to do it. After surgery, no one even wants to eat a bowl full of broccoli rabe or a fistfull of spikey toast and sharp pieces of metal, or so I've heard. It seems that drinking Water is a challenge at first, and that most are not interested in eating for a while. I'd prefer to go the math/science route and be told exactly what the breakdown of the diet is and why, so I can customize according to my own body's medical needs. But preop, it seems that patients should be armed with what will help them succeed at the objectives. If the dietician can't offer true individualized help, and can only communicate in condescending 3-word emails, then they need to print out the diet's actual parameters in the $350 packet of 6 sheets they hand you when you have the all-important "dietician consult". Mine was a joke. The dietician read the packet to me basically. I'm serious. Is this worth $350? I can read. I'm not sure why the parameters need to be so mysterious. Maybe to justify paying a dietician in the first place? An insurance thing like the psych consult? (also a hoop jump for insurance only)

The other thing that I hope changes: the condescension towards fat people from some in the medical profession. Overweight people are just people. They aren't somehow deficient, un-smart people, or inherently lacking in discipline or agency because they struggle with their weight/metabolism. This issue isn't about simple "willpower" and anyone who claims it is has not done research or has simply ignored any research that doesn't confirm their own bias against those who are overweight. I know we all—or hopefully many of us—know this and can name a never-ending list of accomplished thinkers, scientists, artists, directors, lawyers, athletes, comedians and yes---doctors! who struggle with their weight for a variety of reasons. In fact, just like in the general non-overweight population, there are intelligent people who are successful at other things in their life in the fat population. So it really bothers me when we are infantilized en masse. Perhaps some people on the preop diet like the authoritarian approach, and that's ok! Not all of us want to be treated like that, and we should be accommodated and armed with science and math on this diet to minimize our own suffering and maximize our chance of success on the diet. Some seem to think we deserve some more suffering for being overweight, and if we balk at this, it's a sign we should think more about our commitment to health before undergoing surgery. That ethos is part of some kind of seriously retrograde, patriarchal justified-by-labor nonsense that has nothing to do with this problem.

I'm still working on the research, guys. Meanwhile, I'm trying the lower-calcium Owyn shakes today (that got horrible reviews for taste- yum!) because my dietician was able to suggest those when pushed for a lower Calcium option.

[cgoldmurph8 4]

Hey I had my surgery July 12th!

[Mica16 6]

On 5/19/2021 at 12:36 AM, Sammys_VSG_Evolution said:

Hi everyone!

My surgery is scheduled for July 22nd. 🎉

Is there anyone else that has their surgery booked in for July already?

[Mica16 6]

My surgery is the same July 22nd!

[WorldCruiser 38]

3 hours ago, Bluebonnetgirl said:

Had surgery at 1 pm yesterday. Coming out of anethesisa, I had some pain and naseua But they quickly took care of that.

As soon as I got to my room, They had me up and walking laps around the floor. Then walking laps at the end of every hour.

Had some minor discomfort after walking so got some liquid Tylenol in my IV.Truth be told, the dry mouth has bothered me more than my belly

This morning, I feel much better. Just experiencing some gas pains from the gas used to inflate my abdomen leaving my body. Right now I am attempting Clear Liquids. So far so good but I am taking it real slow.

I did forgo the bed and have used the recliner in the room instead. The bed seemed to make my Naseau worse. The chair is also easier to get out of to do my walks.

If all goes well, I will go home this afternoon.

YAY! Happy you're doing well!

[Soonlee_W 24]

BRIGHTLY! You preach it! That post should be printed and sent to every dietician who works for a Bariatric Surgeon!!! Thank you for doing the research for us. I'm an English teacher and I tell you, that is one very well written essay!

Thank you for writing it and saying what many of us may not have had been able to say quite so eloquently.

My surgery on July 22. I think that's 3 of us on the same day.

Edited July 16, 2021 by Soonlee_W