Cannot get started on the pre-op diet

**mommyducky** · 01-01-2012 02:50 AM

Originally Posted by buffy

ok let me tell you hes wrong. Maybe the pre-op not being necessary is right but if you think you wont want anything afterwards your crazy.
I am 11 days post op and Im starving. I want everything and feel like this is torture do to everything I try to eat I throw up. I am soo hungary
and even broth comes back up. I highly regret this surgery as I think its just torture how you lose the weight. Between the wonderful diareha you
get and the 10 times you throw up a day no one prepared me for. My Doc says this is all normal so just be prepared as this really sucks.

I am two months out and have not had one moment of regret. The first month after surgery, I had no interest in food and was never hungry. Slowly I was able to eat but I have no problems and am rarely if ever hungry. I eat a tiny amount and am full. I have even eaten things I'm not supposed to and continue to lose weight at a steady pace. I could not be happier with my surgery. I never threw up or had diarrhea. Not once. My biggest problem was/is not being able to eat enough because I'm just not hungry. So it's surprising to me to hear that you are starving only a few days out. I realize everyone's experience is different but everything I said is true for me and could be true for others. I'm very sorry that you are not happy with your sleeve but honestly I hear more people who are satisfied than not so I don't think your results are the norm. I hope things improve for you and I wish lots of luck to you and all the others who were just sleeved or are just getting sleeved. I love my sleeve and I am happy every day knowing that I made the right decision in doing this.

**ShrinkingViolet** · 01-01-2012 07:47 AM

The pre-op diet IS important - think about it, they are removing 80% of your stomach. Laproscopically. You want it to be as empty and shrunken as humanly possible!!!

**swarizonaone** · 01-01-2012 10:58 AM

Hi Buffy!

Have things gotten any easier for you? Ok, here's a few little tricks that NO ONE bothered to tell me about, so maybe they will help you.

Gas-x or Beano. have you tried having either the strips or meltaways or even the small gel pill? A true lifesaver for me. I take one (of any of the forms) 15 mins before I eat. Seems to really stop the pains of eating/drinking.

Lemonade. I'm more of a pop drinker, so this part has been super hard. But lemon in water, or some watered down lemonade seems to go down MUCH EASIER than plain water.

APPLES. ...........peel an apple (red delicious seems best) each night before bed. Stops the acid reflux, helps with heartburn, lets you chew, I've not had this item come back up, actually feels soothing in the belly. Not sure why, but it sure is a plus for me.

See if any of these things work. I hope it gets better. I know I was at the point of hating my decision. But I'm almost a month out now, and the last week has been a big plus! I am not losing weight, but at this point, I don't care............I know sooner or later I'll start dropping. There's no way my body can maintain my heaviness, especially since I'm a 3=4 plate buffet girl.

summer is coming, and darn it, I'll be able to fit into those roller coaster seats! ..............I got kicked off all the rides last year because of my fat butt not fitting.

I hope you get to feeling better! give a shout out if you just wanna vent or chat!

kris

**mommyducky** · 01-01-2012 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by ShrinkingViolet

The pre-op diet IS important - think about it, they are removing 80% of your stomach. Laproscopically. You want it to be as empty and shrunken as humanly possible!!!

It's important for the day or two before surgery; making one do some crazy liquid diet for two weeks or more is a stretch. My surgeon said that as long as I ate nothing for 24 hours pre-op, it would be fine. And I did low carb for a couple days before then fasted 30 or so hours and my surgery went very smoothly and quickly and I've had no problems at all.

**FlowerGalTX** · 01-01-2012 11:47 AM

I think the most beneficial thing about the two week pre-op liquid diet was to break my addiction to food. It was not easy. I whined. I might have even said some cuss words. I begged and pleaded for something...anything...to chew. I craved lettuce.

I contribute my easy healing and lack of complications post-surgery to the strict pre-op and post-op diet my surgeon suggested. I've had zero issues with any food, no heartburn, no pain or trouble swallowing...if I hadn't seen my new tummy on x-ray would not believe that I had this procedure.

I don't have food cravings. I don't feel hunger. I eat a few bites of something and am full. I know exactly where that "don't eat another bite" bite is for me.

Bottom line, there are benefits to the pre-op liquid diet in breaking any chemical addiction to a food, reducing the size of your liver for better viewing, allowing the stomach to rest.

It is NOT easy and probably one of the more difficult things I've done. I think the higher your BMI the MORE important the two week liquid pre-op is. For someone with a lower BMI, they may not need two weeks. Or there are folks who have done a month long pre-op liquid diet because of their high BMI.

**ShrinkingViolet** · 01-01-2012 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by FlowerGalTX

...if I hadn't seen my new tummy on x-ray would not believe that I had this procedure.

Same here!

**mommyducky** · 01-01-2012 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by FlowerGalTX

It is NOT easy and probably one of the more difficult things I've done. I think the higher your BMI the MORE important the two week liquid pre-op is. For someone with a lower BMI, they may not need two weeks. Or there are folks who have done a month long pre-op liquid diet because of their high BMI.

I think you're right about the BMI because mine wasn't as high as most of the other girls so it wasn't a big issue for me.