To begin, I have to go on a pre-op diet. As far as I know right now, this is mainly a liquid or puree based regime designed to cut as much fat from around my internal organs as possible to make it easier for the surgeon to operate. I won’t know the exact nature of the diet until I get as far as seeing the dietitian but this is the general idea.
Next, the operation itself. I go in, I get knocked out, I wake up… probably in intense pain and potentially full of gas and maybe throwing up. For the next couple of days I’ll feel like death and regretting everything I’ve done. I’ll probably be in severe pain and requiring strong pain meds. I’ll be expected to drink as much as I can without overloading my drastically reduced capacity stomach. Suggestions are that I use a tablespoon to drink to make it a bit easier. It may be if I can’t get enough water in myself, I’ll have to be put on an IV drip to help out.
This painful process might continue for a few days after which I’ll drink purees and thicker drinks and over the next few days until I can start to eat extremely small meals. By 6 weeks my stomach should have started to recover fully and I can start as I mean to go on. I can slowly increase the meal sizes until they are more ‘normal’ but ensuring that I keep protein content high and keep up with the multivitamins etc I’ll need to survive.
Of course, all this is predicated on my cardiologist saying my heart will be able to stand the operation and drastic weight loss that will ensue from the op. I was also told I need to start using testosterone for some reason and I have to ask the cardiologist about this as well. I hope he agrees or all this will be for nothing. Well not quite nothing because I *am* changing my life through my diet anyway. The operation will just dramatically accelerate the weight loss.
The Eclectic Interweb 