I screwed up, help needed

I made a huge mistake and caved yesterday at a BBQ and had a few bites of food. Surgery is tomorrow. I need to get the food out of me. I took a bunch of dulcolax and gave myself an enema. No relief yet. Please, no lectures, I know I messed up. This two week liquid diet was killing me. Any recommendations on how to get things moving? I'm desperate.

No advice other than keep drinking fluids and walking.  Both things assist with bowel movements.

You may also need to come clean to the surgeon.

Judy

i dont think a few bites of food is going to mess things up. Relax.

one thing you DO need to think about, however, is what kind of strategy you're going to use to avoid this happening in future. If two weeks of a liquid diet was difficult, how are you going to find the post surgery diet? That's very difficult to do.

I agree with Monica. Don't take any additional medications. The last thing you want is to irritate your system right before you have major surgery. One thing though- make sure you're honest with your doctor. I think it's imperative to be honest with your health care provider and yourself about your food addiction from the very start of this process. It's not easy to admit that we choose food over all else. I know that. But, make a promise to yourself to be open and honest to make this process truly transformational...start by talking to your doctor about your eating. You're not the first to do this so, don't beat yourself up. Just remember that surgery won't change this...it's something you have to really work on. Good luck.

Don't panic.  Not all doctors require the liquid diet for weeks first--I think the primary reason is shrinking the liver, not having a clear intestinal tract.  My surgeon,, for example, ony required that I lose 15  pounds before surgery....didn't have to be in the weeks just before.   And my only constraints on food before surgery was to follow...religiously...the 24 hour pre-surgery diet of liquids only...broth, crystal light, jello, etc.  and NOTHING after midnight the night before, including water.

So..my advice....(and I'm no medical professional, onlly a logical person): 

1) quit taking any more meds.  Wait for the dulcolax to work and drink only approved liquids today.

2) Call the surgeon's office....they probably gave you a number if you had any last minute questions, right, 'fess up to how much you ate and ask if you're still OK, given you stick  with the pre-op diet today.

3) Think about how you can handle similar situations in the future....bring your own food? choose not to go sometimes, if it will be too hard?  practice responses before hand?

BUT, realize tht the 2 week liquid diet is, IMO, way harder to stick with than the diet you'll be on afterward, in part because for the first two weeks, while you are on liquids only, you really won't have much appetite, you won't be at barbecues with tempting foods and you'll be so acutely aware of the surgery and excited that you won't be as tempted.    I think the tough part about resisting comes later in the process.

Good luck...I think it'll work out and lesson learned.

my surgeon didn t require me or any of her patients to go on liquids prior to surgery nor did she require a laxitive purge thr day prior to surgery.  as long as you fast for the 12 hours prior to surgery i.e. no food or water you should be fine .

You should be totally fine.
My surgeon didn't require a preop diet... I ate a big juicy steak 2 days before surgery and BBQ chicken the day before surgery.
Just stick to liquids from now on to follow your surgeon's plan.

I don't think you need to do anything to get things moving.  A few bites of food you ate yesterday will not be in your stomach or small intestine by tomorrow.  If it's still in your large intestine, like if you don't poop before then, well, your surgeon isn't operating on your large intestine anyway.

However, I recommend being honest with your surgeon about what you ate and I recommend seeking therapy if you need help learning to manage temptations.

Thanks everyone. I honestly didn't think food had a hold of me before, but it's pretty darn clear now. I see a therapist, but I don't know that he treats eating addictions.

Any competent therapist should be able to help with mild to moderate eating disorders (and I doubt that you are truly addicted to food... you are just not exercising control over it).

Lora