What do I do???? Please help!!!!!

I started my preop diet on Sunday. It sucks!!!! I am so hungry and i feel alittle faint. I am drinking 3 protein shakes a day which is 800 calories and 80gms of protein a day plus broth, sugar-free jello, sugar-free popsicles, tea and water. Has anyone felt this way on their preop diet before. Also, I have bad allergies which are cosing me big problems. I have a stuffy nose, nasal drip, throat hurts, and now I am coughing. My surgery is next Wed. Will I be OK the day of surgery if I am still like this by then. I feel more scared then before cause of how my chest feels and I am having scary thoughts in my head.

Okay, well first take a deep breath.  I don't have any specifics for you, but as long as you are getting enough water and protein, your body will survive.  Sometimes anxiety plays with your mind and causes you to feel things are worse than they really are.  That being said, call your surgeons office.  They are there for you to turn to.  They are there to answer you questions and reassure you if need be.  Please call them and ask your questions.  It will make you feel so much better.  I wish you the best of luck.

Michelle

I thought the hardest part of the journey was the pre-op diet - seriously!  Things do get better around day 4.  Try blending your shake with extra ice to make it thicker, it seemed to help fill me up.  Hang in there!  You can do it... and soon, you won't be hungry anymore. 

Hello Celia,

I am also doing my pre-op and my surgery is schedules for next Wed. also. I am ahving the same symptoms as you. I feel as though I am getting a cold and hope it goes away by next week. I am not sure if we can be postponed because we have cold/allergies but I sure hope not.

Good luck with your surgery and I'll be saying some prayers for you get well.

Kandis

 Don't know what to tell you about the allergies part but the liquid diet does get easier. Like, after day 3 or 4 you won't want to chew your arm off anymore but you'll still give the stink eye to anyone who mentions food, eats food around you, and you may start telling food commercials that you hate them. Like the Popeye's chicken lady. I hate her and her garlic butter shrimp with fries. Ok, maybe that's just me. 
But seriously, if I can survive to day 8 of this dredful diet, you can too! Good luck with it!

...just replying to give support... I haven't started my pre-op diet, and don't think I will. I plan to eat the foods I love until the last minute I can. I know, I'm a BAD patient ... but they only make you do the crazy diet to shrink your liver so it won't be in the way of surgery, seeing as though I work in the O.R., and KNOW they have liver retractors they use to hold back your liver during the operation, I'm like "What the hell !!!"  so, don't feel bad if you "slip"

I just want to say that I think this is really bad advice. The pre-op diet does have reasons other than just shrinking your liver. It also gives you a headstart on the emotional crazy that is going to come into your life after your surgery. My doctor required me to lose a certain amount of weight before surgery (32 pounds, I lost 50, but she asked for 32), and did not require a 2 week pre op liquid diet. However, for me, it meant I had to wait until I was 3 days post op to experience what people are saying to you about it being easier once you hit the 4th or 5th day. I WISH I would have been asked to do some kind of liquid diet for longer than one day. If I had, I might not have been quite as emotionally miserable in my first week post op. I could have gotten that out of the way pre op! 

Meanwhile, shrinking your liver is a good reason to lose weight. The liver is a sensitive organ and if they bruise it or accidentally slice it with the retractors, it is not the kind of thing that fixes itself easily, so the less they have to use retractors on you, the better.

Not to mention, there have been a few people on this board who have posted that their liver was too large for surgery and their doctors aborted the surgery or had to switch to an open procedure, something no one wants to risk if they can help it, I'm pretty sure.

"What the hell" is a great thing to say sometimes, but certainly not when it is your health you are gambling with. I hope this isn't the attitude of someone who has already passed the psych eval for surgery.

Huggles!!
~Sarah~

First of all, I didn't advise her to do this- I said I was doing it. What I said to her is not to feel bad if she slips some day(s).

Secondly, I have worked in medicine for over 20 years, and work in the O.R., and have seen and assisted on countless surgeries (well over 5 thousand). 9 times out of 10 they WILL slice into your liver- it's calles a Liver biopsy, which is mended quickly and easily with a bovie (electrosurgical "pencil" device). So sorry you had to loose weight before your surgery.

And yes, I did pass my psych eval, as a matter of fact, Psychology was my major/ Bachelors Degree. Thanks.

Your metabolic intake has dropped...800 calories isn't much compared to what your body was used to...so, when you drop calories, you get really cold! I'm from Minnesota, and always felt warm even in below zero temps....that pre, and post op cold feeling almost killed me!! As with previous posters said, your body will feel less hungry soon. You CAN do this!!! Good luck next week!

My doctor did not require a preop diet. However, I thought it was a good idea and tried it on my own. I too had your symptoms. I made it for 7 days until I felt I must eat or pass out. Here's the "funny" part though, post surgery ( I'm 2 weeks out). You will struggle to reach 800 calories and although tired.....I have not had any of those "food withdrawal" type symptoms!