PRE-OP SEMINAR

On January 12th I went to my doctors office for my  pre-op seminar.  What they do first is have a ton of patient just like you sitting in the waiting area (crowded), then they call you back one by one... guess what the do first thing... yep you guest it they weigh you!!!  So after the awful scale (have I mentioned how much i do not like the scale) you go into a room with an ma(medical assistant) and answer all the question you answer everytime you go into the doctors office, next is a room where they do the ungodly... they take your before picture and measurments... (I have avoided the camera as much as possible for years!) then you meet with the doctor to sign your consents for surgery. It is getting real now...

Once everyone has been tortured oh I mean met with the doctor we go into a large conference room where we spend the next hour and a half going over what to expect. I learned I will be on a pre-op diet for 2 weeks (I thought i was having surgery to lose weight) to help shrink your liver so it makes the surgery safer for you and your doctor.

Here is the pre-op diet we were given:
1st: You will drink 3 Protein shakes a day (ok not bad)
2nd: Here are the 6 items you may eat for the next two weeks...
1/2 cup of cream of wheat or oatmeal (not bad until you hear) only instant Plain oatmel yuck
1/2 cup of sugar free pudding (ok this I can do)
4-6 oz of fat-free, sugar-free yogurt not greek (not bad)
1 cup of low-fat soup or broth (ok not bad to you measure a cup not what you are used to)
1/2 cup of unsweetned applesauce (doable)
1 cup of baby carrots,celery,cucumber, brocoli, tomato or lettuse with 2 tbsp of fat-free dressing (ok my favorite part of my day)

During the seminar we continue to learn how things will go after surgery as well. You will start  a multi-vitamin and calcuim pill (for the rest of your life) because you will not be able to get all your nutrition from the small amounts you eat any longer.  You will be on a pureed diet up to day 20 post op then you start a soft diet till week 6 at week six you can continue to eat but no more than 3/4 cup at a time (remember you have a pouch or a sleeve not a full stomach any longer). 

I leave my seminar excited for my journey.