I am TERRIFIED

Today is the 30th of March, I start my liquid diet on Tuesday the 1st and I am TERRIFIED!!! I am a stay at home Mom with 2 boys and a husband who LOVES to have a nice big meal when he gets home from work. Of course he can hide behind a fence post he's so skinny lol. I don't know how I'm going to handle 2 weeks of liquid diet. The only thin I can think to do is make my family meals that they never get cause I hate them...like tuna casserole or stir fry BLECK. I want to lose this weight SO bad, but, I am SO scared I am going to fail on MY end and end up being one of those people Dr. Hornbostle talks about as not trying. Food has really been my additction for a long time now and it's the amount of it that I'm hating to give up...I just hope I can make it through. Much prayer is needed!

I will pray for you but maybe you need to go talk to a counselor about some of this. You really sound like you are afraid . I tell most girls just keep your eye on the prize at the end and it will sustain you .  I started my dieting on Atkins a year and a half before i ever had my surgery so i had time to get my mind wrapped around all of it. Found out what a small amount of food you really needed to live on.  Maybe tomorrow make a lot of meals and freeze them so you wont have to cook daily and you can go out and try to walk some while they are eating. Is your husband supportive of you having the surgery? Maybe he will clean up the remenants of the meal even before you come back in?? My hubby did that for a while.  After surgery most of your hungry is gone, you may have head hungry but if you take a bite that will fix all of that.lol  Stay on the board and let others help you too.  \Do you go to a support group meeting?  get involved with all of the extras you can before surgery.  Love and hugs.

  I have a secret for you....Dr Hornbostel pts can also use the slim fast bars!!!  You can have any combo of 5 total between bars and shakes.  That saved me when i had to do the preop diet.  You can also do the sugarfree jello and broths.  I know it is scary, but you will get through it.  If cooking bothers you get things your husband can fix or do like Jan said and cook a bunch of stuff ahead of time and freeze it so all you have to do is reheat.  I also found that using my crock pot helped a lot!!!   I could just dump a lot of raw stuff in, turn it on, and then by the time we all got home it was done...while they ate I went to my room with my laptop and got on websites looking for support and information...and I made a deal with my family...I told them upfront it was going to be hard for me and they agreed to help by cleaning up and putting away all the leftovers.  I can honestly say those two weeks were the hardest.  After surgery my hunger went away...I can cook for my family and it doesn't bother me at all.  I'm two weeks post op and have lost a total of 23 pounds!  It's worth it.  Keep your head up and keep posting....we'll help in any way we can...sending prayers up for you.......Nancy

Hi Shaynarn,

 I e-mailed Margie, (Dr. Hornbostels nurse)- and she told me today that slimfast bars were NOT a part of the liquid diet he wants us on.  Please call ask the office if you are right on eating them while in the liquid pre-op phase.  I'd hate for you to do something wrong - Maybe tDr. Hornbostel told you that you could have them as a exception to the rule. 

I'm new and don't know everyone yet, so please don't take this as a rude comment to you online.... I truly want things to go right for you (and me) prepairing for this surgery.

I want to go by the office on Wed. when I go in for my stomach scope and get the new binder pages- how exciting!  (I wonder if the bars are talked about in the new binder, but Margie didn't know about it???)  Hummmm...

Who told you that we could have the Slimfast bars? (if you don't mind me asking...)

 I love using family eating time as time we can use to check the OH for support- thats a great idea!  That leaves us close by, but not sitting at the table smelling the food...  Thats a great idea! Thanks!

Brenda 

the new binders may be different but in OCT it was SLIMFAST high protein drinks or BOOST only   5 a day..and diet drinks......so check into this

I got my binder in jan (i think) mine never mentioned the bars either,but the liquid diet, said , slimfast high protein, slimfast lowcarb, or the boost. as I said before the boost is only 8 oz vs the 11 oz. for the slimfast, and those extra 3 oz ADD UP in the hungry dept. (15 oz A DAY) that's a whole nother can , then some. Also the low carb has 20 g of protein (instead of the 15 in the "high "protein). I am finally ,after the 7th day losing the water, I have lost 5 lb.s as of last night (NO CHEATING) I was so discouraged, I felt like I was starving myself for nothing, good to see results!!

hey ur doing a good job keep it up.....now on my experience i felt even though the boost is smaller i felt more fuller and more satisfied with it plus it helped with the sweetness....guess we all are different...........anyway it be here be4 u know it..have a GREAT day

Hmmmm...it was Margie that told me I could have them!  I wonder if she made an exception for me like you said...her reasoning was that I needed to be on 1000 cal of high protein daily and the easiest way for pts to be compliant with that was to tell them 5 cans slimfast because that is easy...takes no thought.  The bars actually  have more protein in them and same calories.  I'm sorry if she told you no.  I had called her and talked to her about my having a hard time with the liquid diet and she suggested i sub a bar here and there for a shake.  That is so weird.  I'm glad you checked.  I've already had surgery so it is a dead subject for me....no worries.

NANCY- I went to your blogg to find your name-  I'm so sorry that I could not remember it when I was writting my post!  I have so many new people to learn that post on the OH site.

I am so excited to get home and post that you were right about getting to have Slim Fast bars!  I really do think when Margie e-mailed me, she was thinking I was talking about after surgery liquid diet.  I'm sure she keeps up with tons of people all at once.  Jan told me they did 6 surgeries a week. 

I read your blogg and it sounds like you are doing good.  Is your belly tender to the touch?  Does wearing elastic waist pants hurt when you sit down?  How is your energy level?  I'll be so glad just the HAVE a energy level again!!!

Thanks for all your help Nancy, if it was not for your post about the bars, I would have never known to ask about them!

Brenda

What a relief!!!  I was borderline embarrassed .  I had told so many people about bars there was no way for me to back paddle.  I know they saved me when i felt I needed to eat something.  My stomach is fine.  I was bloated for about a week because of swelling...and they pump you full of CO2...like a balloon...so doc has room to visualize in your belly and room to move instruments around.  I was a little tender around incision sites...most of my "pain" came from the gas they inflated my intestines with when they checked for leaks...when they mess with your bowels they go to "sleep" so nothing moves through them for a couple days.  I felt like i was 7 months pregnant and in labor.  Walking the halls of the hospital is the best way to get them going...I had surgery on friday and by sunday morning I had my first "toot"...what a relief!!!  LOL   You will weigh more because of all the iv fluids and you will be bigger because of the bloating and swelling...give it about a week before you try to wear anything that "fits" and take pants with you that are pretty loose around your waist or adjustable with a tie.....how exciting....I remember how nervous i got right before.....Energy level....I found out within a few days of being home that i was hypoglycemic...i thought i was "dumping" already...the symptoms are the same but the end result is very different so be careful with that.  I slept a lot the first week....didn't sleep worth a you-know-what in the hospital so i think i was playing catch up.  I have gone back to work now full time with no restrictions and I am an in-home hospice nurse for Bothwell so I run run run all day.  My 3 week anniversary is tomorrow and I can say I feel healthier now than I have in years.  I have dropped 24 pounds and 2 jeans sizes...whooohooo!  I suck on protein shakes all day long...i get probably 100gm of protein daily....very important for energy and health.  My skin looks great, my hair looks great, and I feel great.  Hope all that helps and I hope you have great results...I am going to the first support group meeting this sunday....I'll be thinking of you...