Mandatory pre-op nutrition class

Feb 06, 2013

Back from the nutrition class and feeling so much better.

Here are my disorganized thoughts, disorganized because I'm sleepy even though I slept in past eleven this morning. I REALLY need my new CPAP mask to arrive. Anyway:

First Mom and I stopped by the hospital to drop off the pee jug. (Apparently the 24-hour urine collection is to see where you are calcium-wise.) Then Mom and I drove up to my husband's office, collected him, and made our way back to the freeway. It was tight as it was, time-wise, and the freeway gods were not on our side. Thanks to some nasty rush hour traffic the three of us arrived to class about fifteen minutes late. (BEING LATE IS THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD I WAS GNASHING MY TEETH WITH RAGE ABOUT BEING LAAATE.) But it was fine and the nurse practitioner even stayed late to help me and the other late person make sure we were caught up.

She went over pre-op diets, both general stuff for all bariatric patients at this clinic as well as breaking down differences between the specific requirements for each surgery. There was a pretty good mix in the class: at least two of us anticipating the VSG, one lady going from a band to a duodenal switch, one (proximal?) gastric bypass, one revision from gastric bypass who doesn't know what her new surgery will be yet. A couple folks I wasn't sure of. Two other spouses (apart from my own.) I hope to see everyone again at support group meetings. I can see myself now thinking it's a good idea to attend support groups then getting lazy and weird and not going. Note to self: don't get lazy and weird, or at least if you do, triumph over your lazy weirdness and GO. Support group meetings will be HELPFUL.

We talked about: supplements, including protein; exercise; pre- and post-op diets and how long they last; foods (and other substances) to avoid; how to get in touch if/when we have questions or crises; etc. It was very informative and they gave us a great in-depth patient handbook. All the steps and dietary requirements are laid out very clearly so although it seems overwhelming from a distance, it's all broken down into manageable, doable steps. I'm excited about buying a blender; blenders sound important.

The class was taught by the same nurse practitioner who called me earlier today to clue me in about the liver-thing, so afterward I got a chance to ask her more about it. Turns out that whatever it is it's abut 7mm but they didn't get a super clear picture of it on the ultrasound. They're pretty sure it's a hemangioma (benign tumor of blood vessels) but, like I said, they didn't get the best-ever image of it so they want to be positive. In six months I'll have an other ultrasound and if it's the same size they're not going to worry about it. Also, I get to proceed with all the “surgery stuff” as if there were no mysterious liver-thing to worry about in six months' time. I'm so okay with this.

OH! One thing sucks, though, and is completely my fault: I FORGOT TO GIVE HER MY INSURANCE CARD ARGH WHY. Tomorrow I will call and see if I can just email them a scan of the front and back of my card. I have it scanned and ready to go in case that's okay. I hope it is; taking a special trip up to the clinic just to hand over the card would be pretty demoralizing. Bah. I can't BELIEVE I forgot to do that.  

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