Dr. Timothy called up to check on Jason and asked him if he was all ready.
Jason is.
I am not.
I am just scared and nervous as can be.
Jason will not be allowed to drink or eat anything after midnight.
We are packed and will be at the hospital before 9am tomorrow morning. His surgery is scheduled for 11am.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The system here
This is strange. Almost ridiculous that nobody can tell us how much this surgery would cost.
We asked the hospital what our out-of-pocket expenses would be for the surgery. They told us we need to call and ask the Insurance company and gave us a CPT code as reference.
We call the Insurance company and they cannot give us an estimate figure but that we're responsible for 10% of the allowed charges which would be billed after the Insurance Company handles the claim.
So, how can one know if they can afford the surgery if they are not told what the cost would be?
We asked the hospital what our out-of-pocket expenses would be for the surgery. They told us we need to call and ask the Insurance company and gave us a CPT code as reference.
We call the Insurance company and they cannot give us an estimate figure but that we're responsible for 10% of the allowed charges which would be billed after the Insurance Company handles the claim.
So, how can one know if they can afford the surgery if they are not told what the cost would be?
Thursday, December 4, 2008
No eggs
So I emailed the nutritionist and asked if eggs were allowed.
She replied "No".
I rest my case.
She replied "No".
I rest my case.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Liquid Diet - Day Two
Day Two was similar to yesterday. Except, he added an egg into his chicken broth for dinner. Egg was not listed as an "OK" to have on the liquid diet.
Ofcourse he says he hasn't broken any rules and doesn't see why an egg is not allowed since eggs are basically protein and he is allowed protein.
But here's what I found :
One chicken egg contains :
I think the fat content in an egg disqualifies it from being OK to have on the liquid diet.
I wish he would just follow the rules.
I've cleaned out the pantry and the fridge. Made sacrifices with my own personal diet. And I am making sure I won't cook anything that might make it hard for him to resist.
But I have not gone as far as keeping the fridge free of eggs. I hope I won't have to. That is a HUGE sacrifice to make. I love eggs too much.
Ofcourse he says he hasn't broken any rules and doesn't see why an egg is not allowed since eggs are basically protein and he is allowed protein.
But here's what I found :
One chicken egg contains :
| Carbohydrates | 1.12 g |
|---|---|
| Fat | 10.6 g |
| Protein | 12.6 g |
| Water | 75 g |
| Vitamin A equiv. 140 μg | 16% |
| Thiamin (Vit. B1) 0.66 mg | 51% |
| Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.5 mg | 33% |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) 1.4 mg | 28% |
| Folate (Vit. B9) 44 μg | 11% |
| Calcium 50 mg | 5% |
| Iron 1.2 mg | 10% |
| Magnesium 10 mg | 3% |
| Phosphorus 172 mg | 25% |
| Potassium 126 mg | 3% |
| Zinc 1.0 mg | 10% |
| Choline | 225 mg |
| Cholesterol | 424 mg |
I think the fat content in an egg disqualifies it from being OK to have on the liquid diet.
I wish he would just follow the rules.
I've cleaned out the pantry and the fridge. Made sacrifices with my own personal diet. And I am making sure I won't cook anything that might make it hard for him to resist.
But I have not gone as far as keeping the fridge free of eggs. I hope I won't have to. That is a HUGE sacrifice to make. I love eggs too much.
Monday, December 1, 2008
The Liquid Diet
Today, Jason starts his liquid diet. He had already lost 5 lbs prior to this because he and I both had the stomach flu and was not eating anything for almost 2 days.
His day started out with a protein shake.
For lunch he had another protein shake and a can of cream of onion soup.
For dinner he had a plate of raw salad with Soy Ginger dressing, and another protein shake.
Between meals, he snacked on 3 packets of carrots, a cup of yoghurt and a jello pudding.
From reading other people's experiences, most say these 2 weeks are the most difficult.
Hopefully, Jason will be able to make it. He had endured 5 days of the lemonade diet a few months ago so hopefully this will be a breeze for him.
His day started out with a protein shake.
For lunch he had another protein shake and a can of cream of onion soup.
For dinner he had a plate of raw salad with Soy Ginger dressing, and another protein shake.
Between meals, he snacked on 3 packets of carrots, a cup of yoghurt and a jello pudding.
From reading other people's experiences, most say these 2 weeks are the most difficult.
Hopefully, Jason will be able to make it. He had endured 5 days of the lemonade diet a few months ago so hopefully this will be a breeze for him.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Pre-op appointment
Jason had a pre-op appointment with the surgeon today. This will be the last meeting before the surgery. The nurse went through his file to make sure all the paperwork is in order, checked his weight and blood pressure and we spoke to Dr. Kuwada briefly.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Blood lab & Dietician appointment
Today, Jason had his final blood work drawn before the surgery. He managed to ask the nurse a few questions about whether or not to continue his blood pressure medication and was told that he should stop taking the Vasotec 3 days before the surgery and not to take any Aleve (or painkillers) 10 days prior to the surgery.
Later that afternoon we all went with him to the briefing with the Nutritionist/Dietician.
He was reminded again of what to eat/drink before and after the surgery and what foods to avoid that would cause dumping syndrome.
He will be on a liquid diet 2 weeks prior to the surgery. This is to help shrink the liver which would make the surgery less complicated, as the liver is sitting on top of the stomach pouch.
Briefly, he should be taking atleast 25 grams of protein with each protein shake, 4 times a day. Each scoop of protein powder should not contain more than 5 grams of carbs, and less than 4 grams of fat. He will also need to take daily multivitamins (500mg 3 times a day) and 1000i.u of Vitamin D3.
After the surgery, he can only drink water on the first day. And clear liquids for the first week.
He can start a puree diet after the first month (after Jan 15, 2009). (Yogurt, grits and mash potatoes might work)
Each meal will be portioned into 1/4 cup per serving.
On the second month (February 2009), he can start a soft food diet. (scrambled eggs, canned tuna, mashed vegetables, cream soups)
Each meal can be increased to 1/2 cup per serving.
He should be able to try normal food on the 3rd month (March 2009), not more than 3/4 cup per serving.
What NOT to do:
Use a straw
What foods to avoid:
bread
rice
spicy food
What foods are prohibited forever:
caffeine
carbonated drinks
Sugar
chewing gum
Later that afternoon we all went with him to the briefing with the Nutritionist/Dietician.
He was reminded again of what to eat/drink before and after the surgery and what foods to avoid that would cause dumping syndrome.
He will be on a liquid diet 2 weeks prior to the surgery. This is to help shrink the liver which would make the surgery less complicated, as the liver is sitting on top of the stomach pouch.
Briefly, he should be taking atleast 25 grams of protein with each protein shake, 4 times a day. Each scoop of protein powder should not contain more than 5 grams of carbs, and less than 4 grams of fat. He will also need to take daily multivitamins (500mg 3 times a day) and 1000i.u of Vitamin D3.
After the surgery, he can only drink water on the first day. And clear liquids for the first week.
He can start a puree diet after the first month (after Jan 15, 2009). (Yogurt, grits and mash potatoes might work)
Each meal will be portioned into 1/4 cup per serving.
On the second month (February 2009), he can start a soft food diet. (scrambled eggs, canned tuna, mashed vegetables, cream soups)
Each meal can be increased to 1/2 cup per serving.
He should be able to try normal food on the 3rd month (March 2009), not more than 3/4 cup per serving.
What NOT to do:
Use a straw
What foods to avoid:
bread
rice
spicy food
What foods are prohibited forever:
caffeine
carbonated drinks
Sugar
chewing gum
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