Gastric Sleeve Pre-Op: Day 1/14

 

So it has begun! I officially started my 2-week pre-op, liver shrinking, liquid diet. Day 1 isn’t quite done, but I figured I would reflect while it’s all fresh in my mind.

Yesterday I met with the pre-op nurse to go over everything I have to do right up until the day of surgery. Right after that I met with my nutritionist to go over the approved liquids to drink these next two weeks.

How about a quick rundown, shall we? Here are the approved liquids, per my program’s expectations and requirements, for the 2-week liquid diet.

• Water
• Decaf Coffee or Tea – plain jane, nothing added
• Broth
• V8 or V8 Spicy – no V8 Splash
• Carnation Instant Breakfast Essentials – Light Start (they were very specific about this one)
• Crystal Light, or similar water enhancer

Now, I did have to add a few tweaks to this for my own benefit, but I don’t think it will have a major affect on anything.

1. Fairlife Protein Shake – She said these were too high in protein, but I had to start with these today because the weather was horrible last night and I couldn’t get to Walmart to get the right ones
2. Cure: Hydrating Electrolyte Mix – My migraines are triggered by lack of food, sudden decrease in calories, or a lack of sodium intake (among other things) and my insurance decided to argue about my monthly migraine injection, so I’m almost a week late on that and didn’t really want to take any extra chances at increasing my susceptibility to get one the first day.
3. Bloom Greens and Superfoods – Again, not suggested, but it is pretty close to a water enhancer and I need the extra fiber.

Otherwise, I am set to follow their little list and will pick up the rest of my supplies from Walmart pickup tonight. No sense going into a grocery store full of food when they can just bring what I need to my car. I’m no dummy!

Reflections

A quick reflection on my day so far…

I’ve had a slight background headache, but I also have some crazy allergies right now, so I think they may be related.

I have drank more in the past 12 hours than I probably have in the past 12 days! I got to work at 10am (again, bad weather – we had a delayed start) and I had already drank a cup of water with my morning meds and brushing my teeth. Before I left the house I mixed a scoop of Bloom with a full glass of ice water in my 30oz Stanley mug.

By the time I got to work and got settled in, I had drank half of that 30oz and knew I needed a little more oomph in my next drink, so I had my first protein shake. That lasted a couple of hours as I finished the Bloom drink and moved on to a full 30oz cup of water mixed with the Cure mix (I think this is what’s keeping my headache at bay today). Then protein shake #2 came out about three hours after the first one.

More water this afternoon, but my big excitement of the day was the virgin “bloody mary” that I made when I got home from work. Spicy and Hot V8 juice with pickle juice and garlic, and a little celery salt and it hit the spot!! Followed it up with some chicken broth and a popcicle, plus a Diet Snapple and… MORE WATER!

All-in-all, so far my day looks like this:

• 9am – Glass of water
• 10am – 30oz water with scoop of Bloom powder
• 11am – Finish that 30oz water
• 12pm – Fairlife Protein Shake
• 1pm – 30oz water with Cure powder
• 2pm – Keep sippin!
• 3pm – Fairlife Protein Shake
• 4pm – 30 oz regular water!!
• 5pm – Finish 30oz regular water & Spicy Hot V8 with pickle juice
• 6pm – Cup of broth
• 7pm – Diet Snapple
• 8pm – Sugar Free Popcicle
• 9pm – Water
• 10pm – Last of water or I will pee ALL NIGHT LONG.

The other important piece to this puzzle is that I will have to keep my mind and hands busy for the next two weeks. The less time I have to think about the fact that I am not eating anything I can chew, the less I will obsess. Hopefully that’s not just good in theory.

Needless to say, I am extremely hydrated and hope I don’t have to wake up 100 times during the night.