1 Week after Surgery

Well it was a week ago today......  Everything has been going well and as expected.  I think the worst part has been the gas pain.  Otherwise I've been pain free since day 3 after surgery.  I've been out to the store several times since Sunday and each trip gets better.  Although they still wear me out.  I've taken the dogs for a walk around my apartment complex several times and boy does that wear you out completely. 
I'm eating mostly Greek yogurt, Popsicles and protein pudding.  I have no cravings for food nor am I hungry.  I can only tolerate about a half cup of food at a time and it takes me about 1 hour to eat it.  If you eat it faster you get more stomach gas and that is very unpleasant.  The biggest challenge is getting enough water in to keep yourself hydrated. You need to sip the water you can't just take a big drink so it takes longer and you must be careful not to drink more than 1 cup an hour or your stomach will get upset.

Day 3 after Surgery...

It's been 3 days since my surgery.  Everyday gets a little better.  I have had to break down and start crushing my pain pills. They really hurt when I swallowed them whole.  This is because of the swelling and irritation of the esophagus.  During the surgery they also do a scope down the esophagus and there is a lot of manipulation and this irritates everything.  Anyway the crushed pills go down much easier.
I was very happy yesterday I was able to keep down a tablespoon of Greek yogurt.  The first non popsicle item I have had.  This morning I was able to get 15 grams of protein with my crushed pills.
The wonder slim products are great as you can make a 1/2 cup pudding or a 1 cup of liquid shake.  I made the pudding and was able to get it all in.  I make sure to take small bites and eat it over an hour.  There will no longer be the fast meal.  You have to eat slowly so as not to upset your stomach.  I had to buy baby spoons and forks to eat with so that I get little bits.  Those work really well.

It's all done..

Surgery went well.  I have the hardest part behind me.  My new baby stomach is very angry as it did not like being cut up.  I've been keeping down clear liquids only.  This will go on for a few more days.   Thursday after surgery and Friday morning saw a lot pain related to the gas they use to blow up your abdomen with.  By Friday after noon all of that seemed to be gone.  The pain is not to bad.  I get sharp little pains when ever I put something in my stomach water or whatever.
I have also learned not to drink from a straw as that increases the amount gas bubbles you get.
I'm going to be trying chicken broth at some point today and hopefully that will be okay.

14 hours to Surgery

I can't believe that I have made it this far.  Tomorrow is surgery day and I'm very excited.  I have to admit 6 months ago i never thought I would make it this far.  2 weeks ago when I started the pre-surgery diet I was sure I would be starving and have fallen off the diet.  But I realized on Monday that I wasn't really hungry and I found myself forgetting to have my shake.
I had to set my clock to remind me to have a shake every four hours during the day.
I cleaned out the house and refrig this weekend and got rid of everything I could no longer eat and I have stocked up on items for the first two weeks.  Sugar free Popsicles, chicken broth with extra protein, new whey liquid protein and of course protein shakes.
I have lost 24 pounds since I started the pre surgery diet so I know I'm ready for surgery.

7 days to go

Well, 7 days to go.  I had my pre-operative appointment yesterday so am already for the day of surgery.  I'm very sick of the protein shakes but have finally gotten my shipment of Wonderslim puddings.  The chocolate marshmallow is great with only 60 cal and 12 gram of protein. Whats nice is that the calories are low enough that I can 2 of them and get 24 grams of protein. Just as good has a protein shake.
I've lost 19 pounds with the pre-surgery diet and have dropped a clothing size already. Good thing I only have 4 more days of work to go.  I didn't want to have by new work clothes until after surgery.
The most frustrating thing this week has been dealing with my medical leave paper work and the company that manages our leaves.  It used to be so much easier when it was just handled by our HR department.  So hopefully I won't be faxing and filling out forms on the day of surgery.

10 days to go.

I have now been officially following the pre-surgery diet for 1 week.  I have lost 17lbs.  Yes I'm starving.  I would have traded both of my Dachshunds today for a chocolate bar and a large pizza.  Instead I had a protein shake with some sugar free chocolate syrup.  I'm still eating every 3 hours as I get weak and dizzy.  I started making my protein shakes with Greek yogurt and that adds an additional 12 grams of protein. That has helped a lot.
I have also started using my baby fork and spoon to eat with.  Boy just doing that slows you way down.  Only small bites fit on the fork and that helps you take longer to eat.  I have also stopped drinking any liquids 30min before, during and 30 min after my real food meal.  That helps me fill up on the protein more than I would if I was also drinking an 8oz glass of water.

12 days to go

So I've been doing this one lean/green meal day and protein shakes for the other two meals and snacks pre-surgery diet since Monday. On Monday my weight was 349lbs yesterday I was down to 338Ib.  11 pounds in 5 days wow.
The protein shakes last about 3 hours and then I start getting shaky and weak feeling especially if I've been really busy at work running around.  I started adding New Whey Liquid protein to my water to give me a little extra protein so I wouldn't have that sudden drop every three hours.  That has worked well.

I came up with this idea of freezing my soy milk for the shakes instead of using ice cubes.  However that did not work out as well as it should have.  I found these great ice cube trays at the dollar store, yes I know.  Anyway the milk froze very nicely but I'm having a lot of trouble getting them out of the trays as the trays are just breaking.  I'll be buying regular heavy duty trays when I go to the store next.  Good thing I'm only out a dollar.

15 days to go...

I was told today that my surgery date is being moved up by a day.  I'm very excited..  I started the pre-surgery diet this week.  I started a few days early so I would be used to it.  I'm glad I started replacing breakfast with a protein shake last week it has been a much easier transitioning to replacing lunch with a shake also.
I have to admit I would love an extra large pizza right now.  But I'll be having some protein jello instead.
The purpose of the high protein, calorie restricted diet  prior to surgery is to decrease the size of the liver, which can shorten operating time. It also helps to reduce the amount of fat in the upper abdomen. Since this area is the specific surgical site, the reduction of this fat is beneficial to the safety of the procedure. Adopting a healthy, reduced calorie diet plan prior to bariatric surgery gets you into the habit of eating less, eating healthy and making the essential dietary changes that will be required after your bariatric surgery, and for the rest of your life.

Because of the close proximity of the liver to the stomach, having the liver slightly smaller than normal aids the physician in performing the surgery without interference and lowers the risk of complications.