Pre-op diet day 5 - in bad shape

I posted a few days ago asking if anyone had experienced trouble with the pre-op liquid diet. A few said that they felt bad for a few days but then it got better. That's what I had expected, but that's not what I got.

For the 5th day now I'm extremely lightheaded & woozy, nauseous, my head is splitting, I'm shaky and so fatigued I have to "rest" my arms a couple of times while washing my hair. I even lost my balance and fell down the stairs yesterday. I can't believe that this is normal or healthy.

I've been in touch the whole time with the nutritionist on the WLS team at my chosen hospital discussing my problems and making small adjustments to see if we can get it under control. I'm 100% compliant with the diet. Nothing goes past my lips without prior approval. I'm getting over 64oz. of water a day. I'm drinking 5 protein shakes a day – I even had 6 one day to see if that would help. They have allowed me a little bit of chicken and geen beans once a day. We tried a spoonful of peanut butter, eating more frequently, changing when I eat what... all to no avail.

I have a blood sugar meter and started using that yesterday to see what was going on there. The highest it got was 75. Most of the readings were in the 60s. I know 70 to 120 is normal, but that doesn't necessarily mean "optimal" or even normal for each and every person, right? Am I just overreacting? I know my body and my body is telling me something is wrong here.

So I called the nutritionist (again) yesterday to tell her that nothing has changed and to give her the blood sugar info, and I felt like I was glad-handed. She said that my blood sugar was fine and not to worry about it unless it was down to 40. Then she told me that she thinks I have a virus and that I should go to my primary care doc. That really pissed me off. Isn't her job to help me, not shrug her shoulders and pawn me off? I'm so frustrated and upset.

All of this has thrown this whole process into question for me. Does all this trouble pre-op foreshadow trouble post-op? Do I have a team with my best interest at heart? Is this a mistake? These questions devastate me. I consider this to be my last hope to regain my life and live the way I want to. The thought that I will have to bail on this brings me to racking sobs.

Can someone offer some advice or hope? What should I do from here?

This sure sounds like dehydration.  Also, some starvation at work. 

If your blood sugar is at 75, you need to eat.  Just make sure it's a good Weigh****cher's 
style meal, and not too much. 

Everyone is different in how they react to such reduced intake. Try to get 75 to 100 grams
of protein daily.

What kinds of protein shakes are you using?  I found that the whey isolate (Isopure Zero Carb)
gave me a good boost. 

Try different samples, Syntrax Nectar has good ones, also the various bariatric websites have
samples of the different ones. 

Good luck!

My first question is what exactly are you consuming in a day?  From the sounds of it, you aren't consuming enough.  Liquid diets totally suck, but shouldn't be bothering you this much.  Are you aware of the food items that are considered liquid?  Anything that at room temperature that turns to a liquid is considered a liqud and can be consumed in its refrigerated or frozen state.  I started my diet early (by accident) and after 3 days I was feeling fine.  I was never actually hungry, I just missed eating solid food.  Here is a sample of what I ate throught the day and the approximate times:

Bkfst (7:30a - 8:30a) Atkins shake & No sugar added Eddy's popsicle
Snack (9:50a) Sugar Free Jello
Snack (10:50a) Sugar Free Pudding
Lunch (11:30a - 12:00p) 2 cups of wonton soup broth (so yummy!) & Atkins shake
Snack (1:50p) Sugar Free Jello
Snack (2:50p) Sugar Free Pudding
Dinner (5:00p - 6:00p) 2 atkins shakes & 2 cups of wonton soup broth
Snack (8:00p) 1 No sugar added Eddy's popsicle

Although I didn't get my protein intake, I at least got plenty of liquids.  I also drank an additional 64 ounces of crystal light through out the day.  I also kept from being hungry by eating so often.  I am able to eat that often because my students get a 10 minute break every hour.  My protein intake will increase with the addition of unflavored protein to my jello and pudding.

Thanks for the post...

The list of foods I can have is a bit more restricted than yours. I'm allowed:
• Low carb/high protein shakes (Atkins is the only one I can tolerate)
• Sugar free jello
• Sugar free popsicles
• Broth
• Sugar free drinks
• V8 Juice

My schedule is similar to the one you posted. I'm trying to eat every 2-3 hours and I'm constantly drinking water. I'm getting over 64oz. a day in addition to the broth and everything else. I have 4-5 protein shakes a day.

The nutritionist suggested that I try having a spoonful of peanut butter or 3-4oz. of lean meat and 1/2 cup of a garden veggie once a day. Neither of those suggestions have helped. I keep thinking "Tomorrow I will feel better," and so far I haven't. I'm still hoping, though.

I just had surgery Wednesday  today is my first day home. I drank 2 atkins drinks all the sugar free jello I wanted same with popscicles I had everything but the V8 But I also got a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and 2 low fat less then 80 cal yogurts a day. And almost forgot the broth and decaf coffee. I was on for 2 weeks then day before surgery got quite sick so had to put it off for another 2 weeks, So I was on a month. Im not gonna say it was easy but I was able to do it. Hang in there you can do it.

It sounds like you are decarbing. Its carb withdrawal. As far as low blood sugar, your body is probably not used to it being so low so that's why its feeling so yucky. Can you schedule your shakes and liquid to spread it out?

Also as for the liquid. I heard 1/2 of your body weight in oz. So if you weigh 200, that's 100oz water you need?

But I mean you are going to feel like crap on a liquid diet? You are not going to feel fantastic.

My opinion is to stop it. I stopped mine because it made me sick in my body and my head. I had surgery two weeks ago and everything went just fine. I just stopped eating and drinking at midnight before surgery.

Of course everyone is different, but after researching the questionable practice and results of all liquid, I believe it to be a very outdated and unnecessary ritual.

Heidi might get flamed for her post but I think she's on to something.  I thought I had it rough on my preop regimen, but at least I do get to eat food!   But only the prepackaged, high protein, low carb items sold through my surgeon's office.  The stuff has been pretty decent really.  The assiest tasting stuff was the pretzels! 

Two weeks is a long ass time to go without food.  I know, we have to be prepared to make changes after surgery.  I just think that giving people a couple of (healthy, not a stuffed crust pizza) meals built into their plan would keep their spirits up.

if you are feeling this badly, please RUN don't walk to your doctor's office! make sure there isn't something else going on other than the diet!
take care of yourself and hang in there - keep us posted!

 I am sort of with Heidi.  I would never NEVER tell you to go against doctor's orders (and I am in NO WAY an expert), but I can tell you that my pre-op diet was simply a low carb/high protein diet.  I didn't have a liquid diet.  I lost like 27 pounds in about a month and never went hungry or felt bad.  
 I also agree that decarbing may have something to do with it.   I don't know what your starting weight was (or how many calories you were taking in before starting the pre-op diet), but I assume that if you were used to a few thousand calories a day, such a sudden decrease would make you feel light headed?  Six protein shakes, though, should be giving you roughly 1000 calories a day, right?  
  I'm sorry I don't have a solution for you, but I do hope you feel better soon!