2 week liquid fast pre-op
 

I've heard and read a wide variety of pre-op and post-op diets, and the place that i'm having my surgery done requires a 2 week liquid protein diet before the operation. Have any of you had to do this too? What do you do to make the time go by quickly and keep from cheating?

I don't want to blow the surgery by cheating on this part...but I have to say that I don't really understand the need for it when it seems like it's the exception rather than the rule to have a two week fast.

Maybe this is cynical, but do they make you do this just to test your resolve?

no it is really important. the way my doctors explain to me is
that this preop diet allows your interanl organs a chance to shrink
and allow the laproscopic instructments a better chance to move around with out nicking anything one guy did not follow diet and had to stay in intensive care of 8 days b/c they nicked his liver
i was on liquid diet 4 weeks and dropped 38 lbs they still had trouble with lapro instru because i am barrel chested it took 4 hours but with out following diet it would have been open

so i say stick to it i am 7 days post op and feel terrific

i used carnation instant breakfast no suger added then you add
one fourth nofat instant dry milk and then mix in 8 oz of no fat milk this gives you 20 grams of protein then my docters office has
drinks so two hours later i would do their fruit drink lunch i could have 300 calories of solid usually frozen diet dinner two hours later i would have a pudding from doctors office and at night salad and soup then the 3 days prior to surgury i had to get off the little solid food b/c they don't do enemas lol

it really works good luck remember do what they say b/c they have seen enough to know what works

Thanks for the reply...I would definitely prefer to keep my liver intact. It sounds like your pre-op diet is less strict; the one I have to do is NO solid food whatsoever...just the liquid protein and sugar free jello. I will do what I have to do...people have gotten through far worse things than a two week liquid fast and lived to tell about it.

I'll just make sure I have plenty of pen caps and coffee stirrers to gnaw on.

this sounds like cruel and unusual punishment to me!!!! we were told not to gain any weight, and we had clear liquids only the day before the surgery.

good luck!!!!

When you come home from the surgery all of the pre-op will be a blurr. You won't even think about having some food for you won't be hungry and you have a great start on the rest of you life. I stayed in the bathtub a lot and read lots of good books. My children are grown so I did not have to worry about cooking. Good luck to you and this too shall pass. Grammy

Good grief!!!!!!! TWO WEEKS!

I must agree with Jiff, cruel and unusual punishment it is. My surgery was on a Monday, I was on liquids Saturday and Sunday and would have sold my first-born (sorry Michael, momma still loves ya) for a burger!

.......but, ya know what, in order to have the surgery I would have done it. Wouldn't be happy about it, but would have done it.

good luck to you

WOW, I thought one day of liquids was torture, I can't imagine doing 2 weeks . :faint:

My surgeon does not even like anyone to even "diet" right before surgery because he says that last thing he wants is a malnourished, dehydrated person going into surgery. Because if you are malnourished it is much much harder to heal.

Hazel

I had a bit of a reality check last night when my husband told me that a coworker of his who is having surgery in 2 weeks has been on a liquid diet since Easter so that she can lose enough to have the procedure done laporoscopically. I've been dreading two weeks of it, this woman's been doing it for four months!

So it seems like no matter how tough I think I have it, there's someone doing something even harder. It's good to get some perspective like this.

Hi all,

I just got all the info from Hershey Med Center and they said about fasting with liqued as well for a week or so before the surgary. So I was just going to try it. They listed what you have to do so that you don't get sick. They then want you on liquid for about a week after and on soft food for 5 weeks before you start on normal food.

where are these surgeons getting these ideas??? could one of you tortured soul ask them for a reference???? i'd go look it up if anyone can get a clue to the research that suggests this might be a good idea...

I was reading my book from Hershey and they said that they use Optifast. I was just wondering if any of you have heard of or tried it? I have a protien shake that I like and was hoping to use that and am picky about most of them. I was just wondering if they are bad, good or ok?

I thought they took Optifast off the market!

Wubby, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Where are you having this done? I'm also in Michigan and I do know a few people here (including my husband) who have had surgery.

John would have NEVER made a 2 week liquid diet before surgery. It seems to be a whole lot to ask of a person!

I'm having my surgery done through MMPC Center for Health Excellence...they also do a weight loss program with Optifast but I don't know anyone who has had long term success with that program.

I'm only a couple of days away from my two week liquid extravaganza, so I'm trying to get into the proper mindset. I've had a lot of "last suppers" and am actually really tired of food at this point. I hope I can maintain that attitude until the 16th! I'm hoping that it will actually be kind of liberating--I won't have to wonder what to cook for dinner (or where to go for lunch, or whine about hating Kashi for breakfast) and can have more time at night to do whatever else I want.

I did a little preparatory closet cleaning yesterday and found some size 12's and 14's from when I lost weight a few years ago, and just seeing how tiny they looked and knowing that I can achieve that size has put my mind in a better place than it was when I first wrote this post.

17 more days!
:doh:

Keep posting and reading for support. The two weeks will fly past and then the decision is taken away from you and just think of how thin you will be when you go to the hospital. Love Grammy