The Pre-Op Diet

This pre-op diet is killing me!!! Yesterday morning was okay, but at about 2 pm, I started getting migraines. Ahhhh! The pain was intense. It just got worse and worse. I had to go lay down at around 5:30 pm and poor A had to deal with N by himself. I had to get up at 7:30 pm to have the rest of my protein, and the pain was unbearable. I was getting nausea from the pain. I really think it was withdrawal from carbs. The diet consists of more than 70 grams of protein, via protein shakes and powders, and less than 50 grams of carbs. It may sound like a lot, but 50 gr of carbs are nothing. In fact, a cup of soymilk has 10 grams! When you add the protein powder, that’s about 14 grams right there. So I supplemented with cheddar cheese, mozzarella, ham, prosciutto, and shrimp. A bit decadent, no??

I felt handicapped by these migraines. What finally took the edge off was 2 regular Tylenol, 2 Tylenol PMs, and an Ambien. That’s how I was able to get to sleep and some respite from the pain. But I was crying already from the pain.

So this morning, when N got up at 5:30 am crying, I couldn’t take care of her, the sleeping pills were still in my body. Somehow A got me out of bed to comb her hair, which I vaguely remember putting a barrette to the side of the hair while she brushed her teeth. I think.

This morning I awoke with no pain. Yet. I’m very weak and I find it hard to concentrate. All I want to do is lay in bed. But I am not giving up on this diet!! This diet is designed to shrink my organs, especially my liver, to make the operation safer and more effective. The liver is lying right on top of my stomach where they need to work, so this diet shrinks it by 1/3. If not, they could nick my liver, putting me in danger of losing part of it and internal bleeding. It is also to prepare me physically and emotionally for what’s to come. More on that later…
I hope this is the last Valentine’s day I will ever live through at this weight. I hope to be at least 50-75 lbs lighter by next year…