The Two Week Pre-Op

My surgery is scheduled for Monday, June 3rd. As the day grows closer, I am getting more and more excited about the journey and can't wait to get started. I have been following a lot of support groups on Facebook for a while now that have been instrumental in helping me make the best and most informed decision I can about my way forward. I think all of the positivity and support that they provide has definitely kept any nerves at bay.

I have been contemplating weight loss surgery for some time now. One of the biggest reasons I have put it off for so long was because of the stigma that surrounds it. When my PCP mentioned it to me nearly 5 years ago I was mortified and shut the idea down immediately. Why? Well, if you talk to enough people about weight loss surgery you will find many people see it as an "easy way out." I bought into this philosophy about myself for a long time. The truth is that weight loss surgery of any kind is absolutely NOT an easy way out. It is hard. And the life change that accompanies it is significant. So to view weight loss surgery as an "easy way out" is at best uninformed. There is nothing easy about it. And to those who have struggled with your own weight, I see you and I know how hard it is. If you are contemplating this journey for yourself, or have written it off hastily, I urge you to do your research and shut that narrative down. Because simply put, it isn't true.

Okay...onward! My surgeon requires a two week pre-op diet that consists of meal replacement shakes during the day and a small, high-protein meal (around 350 calories) in the evening, not to exceed 1,000 calories per day. The purpose of the diet is to prepare your liver for surgery because even a small drop in weight can cause the liver to shrink and make it easier to do the surgery. It hasn't been too difficult so far. Day 2 and 3 were the hardest. I definitely had real stomach hunger for those two days, and from there on out, it was largely a mental game. Sugar-free popsicles have been a life saver!

I have my last surgery preparation class and pre-op appointment tomorrow and then surgery on Monday! I plan to take pictures this weekend to share and then weekly thereafter to document my progress. So, this is it for now! Thanks for reading and thanks for following along. Here we go.