Questions about bowel prep for surgery

Ok  I am set for my surgery on the 20th of August. I was reading about my bowel prep. Dr. Shina is my doctor. Have any of you not done the bowel prep? What happens if you dont do the bowel prep and you just dont eat much a few days before? I have had to do bowel preps before and I sooooooo can not drink that crap that makes you poop yourself to death? It makes me vomit. So how did some of you cope with the bowel prep. Did any of you do anything different? I am supposed to not eat like 2 days before and I have to drink that poopie stuff. I know I cant do it. So any suggestions? Thanx and by the way I turned 44 todayThis is my last birthday being a fatty. I am so glad. I am actually looking forward to turning 45 next year. Woo Hoo

Hey Cindy.... I just had to take a dose of milk of mag.  then if that did not move me I had to take another.  that crap taste horrible.  Maybe get some Miralax you can buy it over the counter and it can be mixed in about anything except milk.  You can not really taste it either.  Are ya gettin excited.  I know at this stage your every thought is about the surgery. Miranda

Hey Miranda. Yes I am so excited. I count down the days and weeks and decide to go with whichever one sounds faster. 46 days. Were you allowed to eat anything? Or did you have to just drink the stuff and liquids and jello and stuff like that? Milk of Mag I can handle that. Thats what I will do. Thanks

I just wanted to say Happy Birthday and good luck. I also wanted to add that not all surgeons to the bowel prep...I am not exactly sure why it's done...perhaps you can ask then let us know the reason they give.   Dr. Sonnanstine allows his patients to eat the day before without doing any prep...so I am not sure why they put you through that..yuckers!!! But good luck!!!! Brenda

The magnesium citrate that Dr. Shina has you use isn't all that bad.  I know he says not to drink anything red or purple in color so you have to use the lemon/lime flavor.  It is only a 10 ounce bottle.  Just follow the directions and drink a glass of water after you drink it. I know Dr. Shina is a real stickler about his patients following his directions.  When I went to Suburban for my pre-op bloodwork the nurse who was doing my paperwork was talking about what a stickler Dr. Shina is.  She said she used to work in the OR and was talking about his requirement that people quit smoking.  She said a lady came in for her gastric bypass one morning and when Dr. Shina came in he smelled smoke on her.  He asked her about it and she said she had only had one cigarette in the last thirty days and it was that morning because she was so nervous.  The nurse said Dr. Shina told her to get dressed and go home and walked out.  The nurse said she asked Dr. Shina if he was serious and he said yes.  Said if the lady wasn't going to do her part then he wasn't doing his.  I know different docs have different things they require related to this surgery.  I have asked about some of these discrepancies before and was told that although the surgery is essentially the same for everyone there are some differences from doc to doc.  Some use slightly different techniques and vary as to pouch size and length of intestine bypassed. Dr. Shina was my surgeon and I have been completely satisfied.  It has been ten months since my surgery (open RNY) and I have lost 210 pounds.  My recovery went smoothly and I have not had any complications. If you really have a problem with the mag/cit call his office and talk to them.  Maybe they can give you a prescription for something different or suggest something else. Congratulations on the surgery and good luck.

Thank you so much Steve. What you said was really helpful. I think that the mag/cit is not the same thing that I had to take before. The stuff I had to drink was bought over the counter and it tasted like pure salt. It made me vomit and I couldnt hold it down, so it didnt work so well. But I will check it out and make sure it is different. I have done everything they have asked so far and I dont want any complications so I plan on following his instructions to a tee.  Congrads on your awesome weight loss, I cant wait to start being a loser.