This will take a group effort
I need some serious help to get my cupboards in order - before surgery. I need to make my cupboards a no-brainer. What do you all have supplied in your cupboards and refrigerators and what was the best excercise to help you get to goal.
Here's why: I'm 47 and my daughter is 24 and needs a new kidney. Her dad was her first donor on 3/14/01. We knew her kidney would only last 7-10 years due to her disease (membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis stage III) MPGN for short - But thankfully it lasted longer than we ever would have hoped for we are in our 11th year. Her kidney would have lasted a bit longer, but one of the immunosuppressants is also toxic over a period of time and that is what actually led to this final rejection. Well, we are now back down that road. I am hoping to be the donor this time. If I'm not the perfect match, I will be doing kidney paired donation. Meaning - I will swap my kidney with one that matches my daughter. If we wait for a kidney on the transplant list her wait time is between 5-8 years! My weight has always been my issue, but thought that I would always be able to lose it before this day came - obvious I failed.
2012 so far in my household has sucked big time, but something has happened, the stars aligned this year making it possible for me to finally get my surgery. We just had our appt. to put her back on transplant list and get prepared for dialysis. She didn't do well on dialysis the first time so this will be interesting. A live donor is her only real option this time around. Getting her a new kidney is my main objective. I have to lose 190lb's and get to a bmi of 30 as quickly and as healthy as possible.
I need to know all your secrets! What helped and what didn't. I have read all kinds of articles, got pages of foods that are good and those that are bad. But my mind is all jumbled with transplant stuff, dialysis stuff and this. My emotions are all over the place. On top of being panicked out of my mind of surgery in itself and now considering another major surgery - OMG, I feel faint! Can you guys help me?
Here's why: I'm 47 and my daughter is 24 and needs a new kidney. Her dad was her first donor on 3/14/01. We knew her kidney would only last 7-10 years due to her disease (membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis stage III) MPGN for short - But thankfully it lasted longer than we ever would have hoped for we are in our 11th year. Her kidney would have lasted a bit longer, but one of the immunosuppressants is also toxic over a period of time and that is what actually led to this final rejection. Well, we are now back down that road. I am hoping to be the donor this time. If I'm not the perfect match, I will be doing kidney paired donation. Meaning - I will swap my kidney with one that matches my daughter. If we wait for a kidney on the transplant list her wait time is between 5-8 years! My weight has always been my issue, but thought that I would always be able to lose it before this day came - obvious I failed.
2012 so far in my household has sucked big time, but something has happened, the stars aligned this year making it possible for me to finally get my surgery. We just had our appt. to put her back on transplant list and get prepared for dialysis. She didn't do well on dialysis the first time so this will be interesting. A live donor is her only real option this time around. Getting her a new kidney is my main objective. I have to lose 190lb's and get to a bmi of 30 as quickly and as healthy as possible.
I need to know all your secrets! What helped and what didn't. I have read all kinds of articles, got pages of foods that are good and those that are bad. But my mind is all jumbled with transplant stuff, dialysis stuff and this. My emotions are all over the place. On top of being panicked out of my mind of surgery in itself and now considering another major surgery - OMG, I feel faint! Can you guys help me?
Hi Sunset 
OMG, you are certainly facing some serious issues. I'm sorry there are so many things to cope with at one time.
I hope your daughter can handle the dialysis much better this time. I was diagnosed with Stage III CKD almost 3 years ago. This surgery has helped me with that by bringing me up to Stage II with much better GFR and creatinine numbers. I know that your daughter isn't having the sleeve -- just telling you that I can empathize with you somewhat.
When will you have your surgery? You don't want to get too much in the way of food until you know when this will happen. Another reason to hold off on some things is due to the fact that some people have major changes in their tastes.. Mine didn't, but we never know. Until you have a good idea of what your surgeon/nutritionist has planned for your food program, I wouldn't worry about buying a lot of foods.
What you might find helpful is to rid your house of things you shouldn't be eating after you are sleeved. Chips, pretzels, refined carbs (white flour, white bread, white sugar, etc.) and full-fat cheeses, etc. This will be addressed in your plan from your surgeon's office.
Many of the things you'll eat after you are finished with the clear liquids and full liquids should be sugar-free and as fat-free as possible. Your surgeon may put you on a pre-op diet. Mine didn't, so I made up my own to try to get used to eating a lot of protein and very few carbs. I did it for about 10 days and I'm so glad I did. Detoxing from carbs can be a real challenge.
As far as the surgery itself, it's not that bad. In addition to a sleeve, I also had an umbilical hernia repair at the same time. If I hadn't had that second surgery, I wouldn't have had any issues at all as far as pain or discomfort. I did have to spend an extra night in the hospital, but most folks are out and home after only 2 nights in. I thought recovery was easy and used only 2 half doses of my home pain meds -- one before sleeping each of my first two nights home. I've had a lot of surgeries over my 65 years, so maybe I thought it was easier than some found it to be. The thing that is most important is that if we don't have the sleeves, our chances of living healthy lives are remote at best. This surgery does an amazing job of stabilizing, improving, and sometimes even putting major comorbidities into remission. My Type II is gone, my CKD has improved a lot, cholesterol is no longer an issue, and I no longer take any meds except for GERD -- one little pill a day and other than that, I left the hospital meds free -- that was about 8 weeks ago.
You have an additional reason to have this surgery -- I know that as a Mom myself, we will do anything for our children to keep them having happy,healthy lives. You are being the best Mom you can be.............I admire you so much.
I know I probably didn't give you the answers your were looking for -- I gave you the answers that I believe to be the best at the moment. Once you get more information about dates and what your food plan is going to be, come back and ask the same questions again. It's easier to provide more accurate answers when we have some facts to work with.
I wish you and your daughter the very best.......................sending you comforting hugs.
Come back............keep posting................we are here for you to help, encourage, and support to the best of our abilities.
Ree
OMG, you are certainly facing some serious issues. I'm sorry there are so many things to cope with at one time.
I hope your daughter can handle the dialysis much better this time. I was diagnosed with Stage III CKD almost 3 years ago. This surgery has helped me with that by bringing me up to Stage II with much better GFR and creatinine numbers. I know that your daughter isn't having the sleeve -- just telling you that I can empathize with you somewhat.
When will you have your surgery? You don't want to get too much in the way of food until you know when this will happen. Another reason to hold off on some things is due to the fact that some people have major changes in their tastes.. Mine didn't, but we never know. Until you have a good idea of what your surgeon/nutritionist has planned for your food program, I wouldn't worry about buying a lot of foods.
What you might find helpful is to rid your house of things you shouldn't be eating after you are sleeved. Chips, pretzels, refined carbs (white flour, white bread, white sugar, etc.) and full-fat cheeses, etc. This will be addressed in your plan from your surgeon's office.
Many of the things you'll eat after you are finished with the clear liquids and full liquids should be sugar-free and as fat-free as possible. Your surgeon may put you on a pre-op diet. Mine didn't, so I made up my own to try to get used to eating a lot of protein and very few carbs. I did it for about 10 days and I'm so glad I did. Detoxing from carbs can be a real challenge.
As far as the surgery itself, it's not that bad. In addition to a sleeve, I also had an umbilical hernia repair at the same time. If I hadn't had that second surgery, I wouldn't have had any issues at all as far as pain or discomfort. I did have to spend an extra night in the hospital, but most folks are out and home after only 2 nights in. I thought recovery was easy and used only 2 half doses of my home pain meds -- one before sleeping each of my first two nights home. I've had a lot of surgeries over my 65 years, so maybe I thought it was easier than some found it to be. The thing that is most important is that if we don't have the sleeves, our chances of living healthy lives are remote at best. This surgery does an amazing job of stabilizing, improving, and sometimes even putting major comorbidities into remission. My Type II is gone, my CKD has improved a lot, cholesterol is no longer an issue, and I no longer take any meds except for GERD -- one little pill a day and other than that, I left the hospital meds free -- that was about 8 weeks ago.
You have an additional reason to have this surgery -- I know that as a Mom myself, we will do anything for our children to keep them having happy,healthy lives. You are being the best Mom you can be.............I admire you so much.
I know I probably didn't give you the answers your were looking for -- I gave you the answers that I believe to be the best at the moment. Once you get more information about dates and what your food plan is going to be, come back and ask the same questions again. It's easier to provide more accurate answers when we have some facts to work with.
I wish you and your daughter the very best.......................sending you comforting hugs.
Come back............keep posting................we are here for you to help, encourage, and support to the best of our abilities.
Ree
Thanks Ree,
It's gonna be tough having everything going on at the same time, but I guess it will keep me off thinking about food all day.... LOL
I learned so much about Chronic Kidney Disease the hard way. My daughter was in complete failure when they found it. Imagine that, so many doctors and no one found it earlier. Right now everything is scattered but he haven't started all the nitty gritty yet. Her creatinine is 6.1 but "she" wants to hold off going on dialysis until after her 25th birthday in December. I don't think that's gonna happen, but she can wish.
I hope to have my surgery probably in late October early November. (fingers crossed) I want to get everything ready in case all hell breaks loose and I'm scrambling to get everything in order. I'm gonna have this surgery no matter what!!!!
I guess I'll fill up my cabinets with protein shakes and jello's. I'm interested in things everyone eats on this diet. Everyone starts off the same, don't they? Liquids, puree's, mashed.... Protein shakes (what are good flavors??), what are good pureed food ideas, ideas with jello's, the stuff that is a no-brainer go to stuff when I'm stressed and too tired to cook. Ideas of things I can just throw into a small cooler when we are heading to the hospital.
Thanks in advance for all your help.
Kim
It's gonna be tough having everything going on at the same time, but I guess it will keep me off thinking about food all day.... LOL
I learned so much about Chronic Kidney Disease the hard way. My daughter was in complete failure when they found it. Imagine that, so many doctors and no one found it earlier. Right now everything is scattered but he haven't started all the nitty gritty yet. Her creatinine is 6.1 but "she" wants to hold off going on dialysis until after her 25th birthday in December. I don't think that's gonna happen, but she can wish.
I hope to have my surgery probably in late October early November. (fingers crossed) I want to get everything ready in case all hell breaks loose and I'm scrambling to get everything in order. I'm gonna have this surgery no matter what!!!!
I guess I'll fill up my cabinets with protein shakes and jello's. I'm interested in things everyone eats on this diet. Everyone starts off the same, don't they? Liquids, puree's, mashed.... Protein shakes (what are good flavors??), what are good pureed food ideas, ideas with jello's, the stuff that is a no-brainer go to stuff when I'm stressed and too tired to cook. Ideas of things I can just throw into a small cooler when we are heading to the hospital.
Thanks in advance for all your help.
Kim
Most Active
Recent Topics
