liquid diet before surgery

How long did you have to go on a liquid diet before surgery? I was expecting 2 weeks, but was informed by the dietitan today that it will be 3 weeks. That seems like a long time. It's 4 weeks until my surgery. I only have a week left. LOL I know it's silly, but I have a twinge of mourning. Oh, I'll have to do 2 weeks of liquid post op too. Denise

Did the dietitian say why a liquid diet is required? This part of the pre-op menu is something I've somehow missed. Just thinking about it makes me hungry. But how exciting you're so close! Roz

Hi Roz, They say it's to shrink your liver. Thinking of being so close is the only way I'll be able to get through it! Denise

Hi Denise! I am not sure what your dietician is telling you, but why not ask your surgeon? Won't it be his guidelines you are/will follow? Or did he refer you to your dietician? I don't know, but it sounds CRAZY to me. The only pre-op diet I had was a liquid diet the day before surgery. ONE DAY. After surgery, I was on a liquid diet of broth and jello for I think a day and a half...my supper that 2nd day included mashed potatoes and gravy and some pureed chicken noodle soup. So at that point I was on a "soft foods only diet." When I was released from the hospital, day 5 I was eating pasta, jello, mashed potatoes, banannas, watermelon, strawberries...soft foods. I started eating more because I was starving, not because my doctor recommended at like 8 days. I started eating tuna fish and chicken. At my 2 week appointment my doctor said that I could start adding that chicken and fish that I had already started on. I am 3 1/2 weeks out and I can eat ANYTHING. I mean, the taco bell I tried gave me a good case of gas, but I ate it without getting "sick." Of course, I ate very little. My son had his 11th birthday last weekend (I was just 3 weeks out) and we went to the fair. I had a bit of cake, a spoonful of strawberry ice cream at his party, a few bites of corn on the cob, some nacho chips and mexicali dip and I even had a couple sour cream and onion potatoe chips...at the fair...I tried a couple bites of cotton candy, a bite of pizza and even bought myself a baby chocolate ice cream cone (which I had to have my mother keep licking for me as if I were 3) and the majority of it ended up on my shirt because I just couldn't eat it as fast as ice cream cones need to be eaten on warm summer days. I wouldn't recommend to anyone, let alone a DSer to eat like this but it was a special day packed with "fun" food and I was feeling pretty good and decided that a bite or two couldn't hurt. I am sure most would not recommend this either, but I am just trying to tell you that if at 3 weeks out I can eat ANYTHING, I have no idea why you would need to be on a liquid diet for 2 weeks after. I know that some doctors recommend a soft food diet for quite a while, but liquids seems extreme to me. The ONLY thing I have not tried is salads...but I plan on doing that as soon as I am able to eat a bit more at one time. I also probably eat a bit differently than most. I do not eat meals. I eat a few to several bites or a handful or dixie cup full of something every couple of hours throughout the day. I would double check. Four weeks of liquid diet seems like undue torture to me. Best of luck! Dana 5/21/04 241/219

I know!! It is torture! After the 2 weeks post-op liquid, I get to graduate to soft. yeah! lol

Yup, one day for me too -- I would SERIOUSLY object to this unnecessary torture. Take it up directly with your surgeon -- there's no need for this, as far as I know. Someone asked Dr. Robert Rabkin about this last week in his big support group meeting and he said he thought even the "shrinking the liver" theory was unproven and not believable. As he put it -- "nobody goes in and scopes the patient 10 days before surgery, looks at the liver, and then puts them on a liquid diet so he can compare how much the liver shrunk." I say "BAH" on your dietician. Diana

I agree! But she is just following the directions from the surgeon. That's why I wanted to find out what others had to do. If I go to him, he'll just reiterate what she told me. I guess I'm a little scared to make waves. Everything has went so well for me up until this point. I don't want the wls gods getting upset. If it really shrinks my liver, therfore making the surgery smoother, I say "whatever it takes". If it's just unnecessary torture, then I say "WHY!!". I like what Dr. Rabkin said. It's true, that don't compare before and after.

One day pre-op for me too. When I was released from the hosp my surgeon said take a bite of anything you want. If you don't get sick it's OK to eat it. Some diet plan! But it worked OK for me and I never got sick.

Wow! Only one day....I'm jelous. I won't eat solid food for like six whole weeks straight. Soft 2 weeks after surgery.

My surgeon has us on a liquid diet 2 days before surgery and then a clear liquid diet the day before surgery. Also on the day before surgery he makes us take magnesium citrate.. eww. lol I have Dr. Keshishian in Delano. 3 weeks is an awfully long time. I think I might die, especially with my pre-op tummy. lol Well ok, I wouldn't die, but boy would I be HUNGRY. Like the others said, ask your surgeon about this ... and if he agrees with the dietician and says 3 or 2 weeks and you can't handle it, don't tell him you ate normally up until a day or two before surgery. How would he ever know anyways? I know, bad advice lol Sorry guys... Lisa