To Surgery And Beyond!

So today wrapped up 13 long months of red tape, procedures, and waiting.  I was able to meet with the surgeon who is going to be doing my procedure.  He gave the green light and we scheduled my gastric bypass surgery for August 10th.

So for those who are interested in the minutia, here’s what it looks like from here on out:

• Monday I begin a special diet intended to cause rapid weight loss and remove as much fat as possible from the liver.  It is a low calorie, low carb, high protein diet.  Pretty much consists of 4 high protein shakes/drinks a day.  In addition to the shakes I can have 1 fruit, 1 vegetable only salad, and 1 300 calorie or less Lean Cuisine meal OR 6 oz lean mean and ¾ cup non-starchy vegetables.
• On the 27th of this month I go in for the official pre-op visit where they draw blood to check final levels, test for nicotine, and go over information with the anesthesiologist.
• On August 10th I will have the surgery, which should last anywhere from 1-2 hours.  It will be done laparoscopically (several small incisions as opposed to one big one).  While they are in there, I agreed to allow a medical research team from UCLA take samples of fat that they will be testing for genetic markers for things like diabetes, thyroid issues, etc…But I am secretly hoping they use it to clone me.
• The goal is to go home Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.  From there I can plan on being sore for several days but should be able to be up and moving fairly easily. As far as pain goes, he said it is similar or maybe SLIGHTLY worse than a c-section.  I have had two of those – I can swing this, right!?
• The main concerns post-surgery are typical surgery risks (bleeding, blood clots, etc…), and dehydration.  The goal is to drink 64 oz of water a day.  But with a stomach the size of an egg, that can be quite challenging.  They recommend taking a drink every 5 minutes during all waking hours.  That’s going to be tough!
• For two weeks after surgery, all food should be the consistency of applesauce or thinner.  After that it will be a month of soft foods (mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, vegetables boiled to mush, etc..).  Then I will slowly start introducing normal foods.  The goal is protein, protein, protein.

I am thrilled.  I am terrified.  I am mourning the loss of certain foods.  I am thankful.  But most of all I am ready.