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The gastric surgery diaries: part two

Read Part one, here.

Pre – op. Oh, "pre-op".

This is me, Karen, before I started living on liquids. Source: Supplied
This is me, Karen, before I started living on liquids. Source: Supplied

How you pushed me to the limit, you miserable d***. I’m pretty sure that pre-op turned me into an errant child. One whole month of a liquid diet, and not like, once a day. Three bloody times a day. THREE. Seriously. It’s medieval torture.

And why anyone would voluntarily do this to themselves, you may ask?

Optifast is a VLCD liquid diet. VLCD is a Very Low Calorie Diet. And it’s exactly that – an extremely low-calorie diet.

The reason for the Optifast phase is to shrink your liver so surgery can go smoothly, and it’s a great kick-start for weight loss.

When preparing for WLS (Weight Loss Surgery), you go on the “intensive” phase of an opti diet.

Initially, Opti shakes – and as many veggies as you want, with the exception of potatoes – replace ALL meals. And I mean ALL. But it does still maintain your essential daily intake of vitamins, proteins, carbs and essential fatty acids.

My new hang – the veggie aisle. Source: Getty
My new hang – the veggie aisle. Source: Getty

Not only do you have a liquid diet for anywhere between two weeks to four weeks (in my unlucky case, four bloody weeks) before you surgery is scheduled, but you also have an endoscopy, ultrasound, blood work and a series of consultations with the rest of the surgical team, including a dietitian and a lifestyle coach.

So much vegetable soup. So much. Source: Supplied
So much vegetable soup. So much. Source: Supplied

You need to be fully prepared for what’s ahead and so does the surgical team.

You’re about to change your life, and eating habits.

And not just in the way you eat food – it’s the way you think about food and how you treat food.

Note the absence of potatoes :( Source: Getty
Note the absence of potatoes :( Source: Getty

Food no longer becomes a comfort. It becomes sustenance and fuel.

You can’t go into this surgery thinking that even though you have reduced the size of your stomach that it’s still going to be able to handle poor food choices – or bigger portions. Or snacking.

Actually, most things you enjoy you aren’t going to be able to do, because they will make you extremely unwell. Take it from someone who's been there: throwing up in a restaurant isn’t cute.

In December of 2016 I had an endoscopy, which most surgeons will do before you have any bariatric surgery to make sure everything in your stomach is okay and they have no surprises on operation day.

You haven't lived until you've survived on puréd pumpkin. Source: Supplied
You haven't lived until you've survived on puréd pumpkin. Source: Supplied

I’ve had reflux my whole life, and my endoscopy showed that I had severe damage to my stomach and oesophagus from having reflux. So not only was I feeling crappy on the outside, my insides were starting to suffer too.

By the time I had the endoscopy it all began to sink in that this was really happening, I was actually doing this. It wasn’t a matter of “yeah, I’m considering gastric bypass surgery” it became “I’m having Gastric Bypass Surgery in 2017”

To say I enjoyed Christmas is an understatement. I knew Christmas 2017 would be extremely different so I went above and beyond to make sure I was going out with a bang.

(Like, my stomach exploding full of turkey, other Christmas foods and waaaaay too much wine.)

My Christmas was... extravagant (stock pic). Source: Getty
My Christmas was... extravagant (stock pic). Source: Getty

The most asked question by far (and still get) is: “Why?”

And that is a tough question to answer, because a bit of this is vanity.

We all want to look as good as we feel.

I want my body to match my personality.

I’m bubbly, happy and funny. But most people just see fat when they see me.

Before I even have a chance to show anyone who I am they’ve already put me in the “Fat and Lazy” category all because I’m overweight.

So the reason why I’m having gastric bypass surgery you may ask?

Because I’m not ready to watch my life pass me by.

I want to finally find love.

I want to have children.

I want to smile every single day.

I want to wake up with energy instead of the exhaustion and anxiety that comes with sleep apnoea.

I want no barriers to what I want to do.

I want to look as good as I will feel.

I want to be able to shop in any shop I want.

I want to be able to be in photos with my family and friends.

I want to be an active participant in my family life.

I want to take group photos with my friends without being the one taking the photo.

I want to live and I want to live well.

I've completed my Pre Op diet. In the space of a month, I've lost 7kg.

I'm ready.

Until next time,

Karen xx

Instagram: @MissKarenKinseyShrinking


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