Approval, test follow ups and pre-Op Diet

Good (early) morning!

In my neck of the woods, it's 4am.  That is quite early to most, even to me, however I am up and it is time to update.

My previous post mentioned testing that I was going through.  I'm happy to say that all results are in, the only thing they found that I was not aware of was that my thyroid is slow.  My EKG is normal, my ultrasound and x-rays are clear, my blood work is all in good range.  My cholesterol is a decent number, but high in the part that references fat content in the body -- and per my doctor, this will work itself out as I lose the weight. 
I took all this information to my Primary Care Doctor on the 25th in hopes of getting her approval for surgery.  She was my last hurdle to getting scheduled.  She approved with no reservations. 

I have been scheduled for surgery March 26th at noon. 

This means I start my pre-op diet on Monday the 11th.

My pre-op diet is clear liquids and protein shakes.  Dear reader, if you have done any research on this surgery you will find that different doctors recommend varying things before surgery.  Honestly, that does not bother me.  My doctor gave me the specifics on why he recommends as he does and it makes perfect sense to me. 

The surgery is laproscopic, and they have to move the liver aside to do their work properly.  The pre-op diet I have been prescribed is specifically to remove fat content from the liver and allow it to firm up a bit.  This also brings the side effect of starting weight loss now.  Another side effect is horribly bad breath.  I have been told that in some cases it can bring a man to his knees.  Looks like I'll be investing in breath strips... anyone know a good stock broker?  ;)

Here are the specifics of my pre-op diet:

4 protein shakes per day - >200 cal with <20g protein and >5g sugars per serving.
as many sugar free clear drinks as I can stand -
     No caffeine, no carbonated beverages
Broth - chicken, beef, veggie... etc - clear, no veggies or meat.
sugar free jello
frozen sugar free ices and pops (for crunch value, which becomes important)

Apparently the first 3 days are a pain in the a**, but after that, it's not so bad.  I'll let you know after Thursday.   I'd hoped that I would be able to start that diet during my days off so that I am not dealing with customers while my body thinks it is starving, but it is what it is and I have informed the people I work with and for.  So that is settled. 

If all goes well, I'll leave the hospital on the 27th and head home for my recoup time.  I expect to take 2 weeks off work. 
Thankfully I have been able to save 2 weeks of vacation time and even have some left over as well. 

What are my current concerns?

Several. 
1. Realistically, there is a small chance I won't make it out of this.  I am working to put a packet together of everything my loved ones will need so that it will make a difficult time a little easier. 
2. That I will cheat on the pre-op diet and ruin the surgery.  I'm doing everything I can to leave reminders around so that I maintain focus on the final goal.
3. That I will not lose the weight (not a very large concern... but it is there).  Since this is such a drastic move, and my medical care givers feel I'm an excellent candidate for this the concern is limited...
4.  A silly concern, but there none the less... Clothing.  I've made some plans on how to deal with the clothing issues, but there are things I can't purchase until I need them.  I do have a plan to wear skirts and take in the waistbands as I shrink.  That will help with cost.  I don't have many pants left at this stage, so this should be relatively easy once I shrink out of the jeans I currently have.
5. I'm concerned about the complications.  Not overly concerned... but again, it's there.

Mostly, I'm looking ahead.

I look forward to chasing down my friend's kids.
To wearing clothes that flatter my body.
To having much more energy!
To dressing up for Halloween ...
To playing in the park with my dog.
To taking walks around the block and riding a bike.
To be able to climb up so that I can get the shot (photography) that I see in my head rather than settling with what I can get to.

SO much about life that I want to do... 

Until next time.