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I got the call - Sept. 19th Yeah!!!! When Do I see the Nutritionist?

NewAgeWriter

NewAgeWriter

Member
I just got my date for surgery, Sept. 19th and I am nervous and excited!:cool:

I have two appointments that consist of 2 appointments one after the other which I think is the nutritionist
and pre-op with Dr.

Can anyone tell me how this works?
 
Congratulations. It is perfectly normal to be nervous, excited, scared and everything else, when I was at that stage that is when it hit me "WOW this is ggoing to happen!!! What am I doing?!?:p" But I told myself I had tried everything else several times and it just left me heavier:( So hang in there and please come back and vent if you need to or just to chat.

The last visit with the nutritionist is to tell you what it will be like post op and how you need to get your fluids and protien in dailey, they may even tell you to "sip sip sip" all day long on water or fluids and to make sure you keep up on your protien because that aids in healing and recovery, they should also go over your pre op meal plans and the what you need to do the 24 hours prior to surgery.

The pre op surgeons visit you should talk to the surgeon and the anistesiolagis at a minimum, they will go over what you need to do and what not to do to prep you bowels before surgery and how to prep yourself if you need to do anything, follow these instructions very carefully if not it could delay your surgery. They should also go over what to expect from the time you check into the hospital for surgery up until the time you wake up in recovery and they take you to your room. That's the best I can remember it, it was a couple years ago. :cool: Tom
 
The visit with the nutritionist will probably be in a group setting where you will be given handouts that outline the 4 phases of post surgery meal plans which include clear liquids, full liquids, pureed foods and soft foods. It will also include instructions on the required pre-op "diet". There will be information on the vitamins and other supplements you will need after surgery and acceptable brands of protein drinks. There will also be a discussion about injectable medications you will have to use at home after surgery to help prevent blood clots and a review of pain medication options while you are hospitalized and once you return home. You will also be given an overview of what to expect in pre-op and after surgery. There may also be a weigh in. You will have an opportunity to ask questions so if you can think of some write a list to take with you.

The consult with the surgeon will give you the opportunity to ask questions so it may be helpful to write them down to take with you. The surgeon should also give you an overview of the procedure and discuss things like the risks and benefits of surgery, anesthesia, pain control options, allergies, length of hospital stay, expected recovery time and to address any concerns you may have. The surgeon will probably give you a brief overview of nutritional requirements even if you have already had the meeting with the nutritionist. Don't be shy about asking questions, it's expected.

At some point in time you should meet with the anesthesiologist. You may be required to do this closer to your surgery date or even on the day of surgery. In my experience the meeting usually takes place at the hospital about a week prior to surgery. Again, take a list of questions with you and make sure to address any concerns you may have.
 
Thank You for replying. That helps a lot. I am so inspired by your support. I will definitely make a list because as slow as it has gone (last Dec. 1st seminar) it seems like it is all happening so fast that I worry that I am doing the right thing. I have had a friendship with food for so long now that I fear the loss of my buddies sugar and starch. I have heard that some people can't even eat bread again or chocolate ever again is that true? Would love to know what life after is like and if there are side effects I don't know of...
 
hi how are you today???? Glad to meet someone whom is having surgery same day as me, our stories are alot alike, I too love starch and sugar and chocolate. sometimes the thought of not being allowed those things forever , well it's a bit overwhelming , but in return for this sacrifice we will be healthy and thinner and I think I will start to like myself again. been a diabetic forever it seems and just knowing no more insulin and lots of pills and being able to wear the clothes I want to wear, instead of the clothes I have to wear because of my size. I was told by some that we should give up rice, pasta, bread, sugar,potatoes, that list includes quite a bit when you consider those items are usually the cheapest when grocery shopping. I have 3 kids, well I should call them adults for my 30 son doesn't live at home and my twins will soon be 19 and thankfully still living at home with me, they help me so much and they bring me alot of happiness. they're the sweetest girls I know, they were my late life blessings.
do you have days when you do good on eating? I just had my homemade chicken salad for breakfast, I was gonna have egg whites and deceided this sounded better. I am trying to chew my foods more and be more aware of what I eat and what it taste like, for I have read that food taste different after surgery, I think because we will become aware of what we eat and how little so I will appreciate the taste of food instead of the satisfying effect of stuffing myself and then regretting it later.
I hope things are going well for you, keep me posted how your journey is too.
Donna
 
With the RNY most people have a sensitivity to carbs which include sugar, breads, chocolate, pasta, etc. It usually causes nausea, vomiting and / or dumping syndrome. I can eat bread in small amounts but haven't tried chocolate and to tell you the truth I really don't have the urge to have chocolate anymore. I did have a small piece of chocolate cake with buttercream icing last month at a graduation and I didn't feel very good after I ate it *LOL*. I had a stomach ache and gas pains for the next 2 hours but I wasn't nauseous and didn't dump. I can also eat small amounts of pasta. As you progress through your meal phases you might want to try some bariatric specialty foods like Mama Lupe's flout tortilla's, Tova CarbQuik baking mix and Carbalose flour replacement, sugar free flavoring syrups, Dreamfield's pasta... Some of these things can be purchased at the store that sponsors this forum, at Netrition.com or various other websites.

Most of us also get bad gas after surgery but it usually tapers off as time goes by. Gas-Ex or a generic helps some people but not others. You learn what you can eat as you go along. The key is to follow the meal plan as close as possible. Your sense of taste may change after surgery and you might not like certain things anymore or you might like things you didn't like before. You may also experience temporary hair thinning. My hair started thinning at 5 weeks and I took an OTC as recommended by my nutritionist called Hair, Skin and Nails (Costco, Sam's Club, WalMart). It worked and my hair stopped thinning after 2 1/2 to 3 weeks.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
We have a lot in common.

Hi Donna:
We have a lot in common.
I had both my children late in life, I was 35 for my son and 37 for my daughter, now 15 (girl) and 16 (boy) so my greatest concern in them not me.
At 280 pounds I found myself on my knees in tears after a visit to a physical therapist who basically said "You've just given up, haven't you? and then informed me that my insurance would not cover more than 3 visits... I felt so hopeless as I had been very fit until I was 30 and then financial stress hit, it just took an incredible toll on me and my family.

I am on SS Disability now and that supports all of us so we are barely getting by. I really hope that I can find a way to afford to eat the right foods.
I am not proud so I have to admit that we have to go to the local food bank for help. I am prepared to re-think our food budget but am surprised at the cost of some of the specialty bariatric foods.

Sometimes I look back at my eating habits and can see that vegetables and fruits can be just as affordable. My defense mechanism was "I'm fat and happy" and that worked to get me through some rough times. Unfortunately my children both are a little overweight (but not that much), now we are all working together so that they have better food relationships.

I think I just got lucky on the diabetes, it must be a genetic thing as no one in my family got it.

I definitely will keep in touch with you. So thankful for this forum.

Soon,

Cynthia













Bigtallsis said:
hi how are you today???? Glad to meet someone whom is having surgery same day as me, our stories are alot alike, I too love starch and sugar and chocolate. sometimes the thought of not being allowed those things forever , well it's a bit overwhelming , but in return for this sacrifice we will be healthy and thinner and I think I will start to like myself again. been a diabetic forever it seems and just knowing no more insulin and lots of pills and being able to wear the clothes I want to wear, instead of the clothes I have to wear because of my size. I was told by some that we should give up rice, pasta, bread, sugar,potatoes, that list includes quite a bit when you consider those items are usually the cheapest when grocery shopping. I have 3 kids, well I should call them adults for my 30 son doesn't live at home and my twins will soon be 19 and thankfully still living at home with me, they help me so much and they bring me alot of happiness. they're the sweetest girls I know, they were my late life blessings.
do you have days when you do good on eating? I just had my homemade chicken salad for breakfast, I was gonna have egg whites and deceided this sounded better. I am trying to chew my foods more and be more aware of what I eat and what it taste like, for I have read that food taste different after surgery, I think because we will become aware of what we eat and how little so I will appreciate the taste of food instead of the satisfying effect of stuffing myself and then regretting it later.
I hope things are going well for you, keep me posted how your journey is too.
Donna
Click to expand...
 
I'm a little confused. Do you get the approval for the surgery prior to seeing the nutritionist or after? I'm scheduled to see the nutritionist on September 5 and just recently saw the surgeon who's going to do the surgery. I do have Medicare. I'm really anxious to have the surgery ASAP, so if anyone can give me an answer, I'd appreciate it.
 
Just listen to whatever they have to say.But mostly ask any question that is on your mind.And remember before they discharge you they make sure you are eating,drinking, walking and going to the bathroom by yourself.Good luck. Linda 8/6/12 when I had mine.
 
Hibarbara. The way it worked fro me was i went to an intiial semimar- i thenwent to my pcp and received a referral for a required 6 month program for my health insurance. During that 6 months, i met with the surgeon one on one, had a mutrition group meeting and one on one session with her, and , met with the psychiatrist. The end of the 6 month program was july 25. At that time,my surgeon s office applied to my insurance company for authoriaation for my surgery which they received i am now schduled for my bypass surgery on 8/28. I had to go to my pcp last week for final lbwork, a cardiac workup, and a letter of clearance from her. Ihad a fina; reopmeeting with my surgeon today as well as the anesthesia department. I am set to go- i am on a 2 week presurgery protein shake diet. I am excited and nervous. That is how my process went- i know someone else who had this done this yeaar and she didn't have to go through some of the red tape i needed to go through for insurance aproval.
 
Whew!!! They really made you jump through hoops. From what I've been told so far, my surgery should take place during "pumpkin season", and I just started. We moved from WV to FL about a year and a half ago. Therefore, my new PCP hasn't seen me enough to have a lot to say with respect to my efforts to diet and exercise in past years. Therefore, I wrote a letter to my old PCP asking for his assistance. I didn't know whether I'd even get a response due to the length of time since he's seen me, but I got a really super letter in today's mail. If his letter wouldn't convince "the powers that be" to approve my surgery, I don't know what would. I'm going to write him a thank you note as soon as I find out if my surgery is approved. I'll write to him either way, but I'm trying to keep a positive attitude.
 
Hi Barbara J
I too am having mine 9-19-12 I saw nutrionist back in march I think and physcial therapist did psychological testing saw surgeon in may and didn't find out til I think it was July when I was told when my surgery would be, but I had all my testing done by first week of april and I did seminar in early feb. all to wait and wait for anwers but it's almost here now i see pre op people in two appt this wed, so I am anxious to get last min instructions and some unanswered ? answered too. My new healthier journey is fast approaching but it's been hard waiting, I finally put the days I had left ont he calaendar so at a glance I can see how many days I have left that has helped me. plus I finally got in gear and am beginning to see some pounds leave, yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh walking and eating more protein really does work. keep me posted how you are doing too
Donna
 
That seems like such a long time. I hope the insurance coordinator was correct as to when I should be having my surgery. Otherwise, I'll probably be nuts by the time it gets here. I didn't have a weight problem until I had to begin taking some medicines that slow your metabolism and cause weight gain as side effects. Prior to that, my weight was normal. I'd gain 5-10 pounds around Thanksgiving and Christmas - then diet a few weeks and take it back off before spring. Once I started the medicines, I gained 90 pounds in the first 3 months. It's just continued to get worse since then. The only way I've had success in losing even a few pounds was to cut my calorie intake down to 800 or less calories a day - not good for your body and not realistic for the long term. I'm excited for you having your surgery coming up soon. Please be sure to fill me in on all the details.

Barb...
 
Hi, NewAgeWriter,

Don't worry too much about being able to "afford" the proper foods. To the best of my knowledge, you are not required to eat "specialty" or "bariatric" foods. They do make it easier to monitor your nutrient intake. You may find you need to learn more about food than you ever thought you wanted to know! LOL I do suggest protein powders for protein supplementation; these need not be pricey, though some are. And they do go on sale at places like Amazon, Drugstore, Netrition, Swanson, Vitacost and other Internet sites. Beyond that, you can pretty much get what you need at the grocery store. And when concerned about price, remember that you will have a very small tummy capacity. There isn't a whole lot that's prohibitively expensive if you need only a small amount of it.

Soon, Cynthia. Soon. What a wonderful thing you're doing for yourself! And for your kids, too!
 
NewAgeWriter Cynthia and BigTallSis Donna,


Deeeep Breath . . .


Woo HOO ! ! !

IT'S T O M O R R O W ..................


Check in, say hello, do cartwheels, laugh, cry, scream a little, stomp your feet. Whatever you need to do, we're here for you.


I am so happy for you both, it made me cry.
 
Mine's scheduled for October 22. Best of luck for yours. I'm almost jealous, because I have to wait another month. I'm wanting it done "NOW". Please write back to let me know what to expect. I'd really appreciate it. Congratulations, too...
 
I have Medicare with an advantage plan. I had to be approved by the dietician, psychologist, and surgeon before it was sent to insurance for approval and it took two weeks to the day from being submitted to get the approval.
 
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