So I had a consultation with the hernia surgeon today. It's going to be more complicated than I thought. I have three hernias, and though they're small, they're in different spots and it will be tricky to repair them all. I may have to have open surgery instead of laparoscopic, so I'll have a longer recovery period.
The worst part is I've gained half of the weight I lost back. So I just missed the cutoff to have the surgery now. The surgeon wants me to lose 30-40 pounds, and gave me a diet plan. It's the diet used for bariatric surgery patients before they have the surgery- a "liver lifting" diet. For two weeks, I have to replace breakfast and lunch with Glucerna shakes or bars, and dinners will have to be lean meats plus non starchy vegetables. He thinks I'll drop almost 20 pounds after those two weeks. Starting with week three, I can cut back to one shake a day and add some carbs. I just need to control my portions. I go back in March. If I've lost at least 20 pounds, we'll go ahead and do the surgery. He thinks I could lose up to 50 pounds before then, especially if I up my exercise routine.
Meanwhile, I'm going to try to get my chemo port removed in a week or two. No reason to wait two months!
The worst part is I've gained half of the weight I lost back. So I just missed the cutoff to have the surgery now. The surgeon wants me to lose 30-40 pounds, and gave me a diet plan. It's the diet used for bariatric surgery patients before they have the surgery- a "liver lifting" diet. For two weeks, I have to replace breakfast and lunch with Glucerna shakes or bars, and dinners will have to be lean meats plus non starchy vegetables. He thinks I'll drop almost 20 pounds after those two weeks. Starting with week three, I can cut back to one shake a day and add some carbs. I just need to control my portions. I go back in March. If I've lost at least 20 pounds, we'll go ahead and do the surgery. He thinks I could lose up to 50 pounds before then, especially if I up my exercise routine.
Meanwhile, I'm going to try to get my chemo port removed in a week or two. No reason to wait two months!