I will say one thing for Dr. Wallace's staff, they are thorough.
I had a presurgical meeting about a week ago. Obviously, this is in preparation for the Sept. 18 surgery date. The class was led by one of the nurses that work with the program. The purpose was to take us through each step of the surgery with great attention to detail.
Let's start with pre-op. I felt much better when one of the other participants asked me this question prior to the meeting starting, "Do you find yourself eating all the things you won't be able to eat?" Well, that was answered with a resounding yes. Every meal seems very important to me. I am not binge eating or eating large portions, but with each meal I think about what I will not be able to eat and try to fit a bit of that in. That will end very soon as I need to start the pre-op diet. This is a diet that is meant to make the surgery easier by shrinking your liver. An added benefit is that it helps you adjust to dietary changes, and it can help you begin to lose weight. That being said, I can't seem to find Taco Bell or Maria's Pizza on that menu.
Next was talking about the surgery and hospital stay. The words that were echoed throughout were 'Sip, sip sip. Walk, walk walk." It seems critical that after the surgery I begin walking as soon as I can. I think there will come a day when I don't need to walk. And that day seems to be the one when I will no longer be able to walk. Until then, I will need to be a man in motion. Water intake also is critical. The nurse stressed that I will need to get in 64 ounces of water a day. Sounds easy since I drink that before lunch usually. Oh, but there is a catch. No water for a half hour before and after a meal. And no water with a meal. If I eat three times a day, that is about 5 hours out of the day that I can not drink. Oh yeah, and in the beginning I can only drink about a thimbleful of water every couple of minutes. Now that just seems cruel.
And then there is the post-surgery diet. Pureed food doesn't sound so bad until you start to think about it. Pureed chicken may not be so bad. Pureed fish? Now that just sounds nasty. But purees will soon turn to soft foods. And soft foods to my new, regular diet within four to six weeks. Sounds like a long time in some aspects. Then again, it means I am less than eight weeks away from a very new and improved life. When I look past the tough first weeks I can begin to see a new me. When I see the person that will be waiting down the road, those first weeks don't seem too bad.
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The following is feedback received for this blog:
I will keep you and your family in my prayers. I look forward to and enjoy reading your blog. Thank you for sharing your journey.
- mo
Thanks for sharing in your continued journey.
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