diet before surgery and anesthesia

I was told that I would have no bowel prep and didn't have to have any special type of diet the day before surgery. I'm thinking yea!!!! I can manage taking my vicodin for pain without worrying about getting sick however I do plan do use a glycerine suppository on my own the night before. I have trouble with constipation alot and never mentioned this. I thought all right I can go have a big meal like steak (to help with iron since I never got that checked but will do so during pre-op) so I'm not overly hungry or hypoglycemic. However, I know that nausea and vommiting can start after surgery due to anesthesia or pain meds so I don't really want all that food in my system backed up. I want to at least have a sip of water during the night as my mouth gets very dry. If I can't sip it I could just rinse out my mouth to prevent it from being dry. I had several sips of gatorade before having an epidural for the induced birth of my baby and had to get some sugar as it was very low. I'm hoping to know the week before surgery if I will get an epidural vs. general so I can at least know if I can sip water/gatorade. Also if I need vicodin I plan to wake up just before midnight for my last dose with food and last drink. I will let the pre-op nurse know this as I don't want that to cancel surgery.

I have no idea if I see the anesthesiologist at pre-op or the morning of surgery to decide on general vs. epidural. The idea of possibly not being able to get an epidural and the thought of waking up from general with pain and vommiting is really stressing me out. Can anyone recommend a decent diet in case I have to have general anesthesia? I was severly sick for three days with the last general and I was allowed to eat anything before that.

Hi CM3!!

Lucky you, no bowel prep. Some doctors seem to require this be done and others don't. I was one who had to do one.

Please make sure your doctor is aware that you plan to do the suppository thing on your own though, just to be sure its ok.

From what I have read here on the site, I think many of us did get to talk to the anesthesioligist at the pre-op. I talked to one, but it wasn't the one I was to have, but he was very good and gave me lots of info, and asked lots of questions.
Your pre-op would be the time to ask them about what you should eat the day before your surgery if you don't have an appt. before your pre-op.

I wasn't told to eat anything special, but because I knew I had to do the bowel prep, I kept my meals light the day before.
Best of luck to you!!
Maria

I can only reply as to what was prescribed for my circumstances. It is long, but bear with me for it really has a purpose! Because of the cancer and not knowing how extensive the surgery would be with my bowels, I did have to have a bowel prep. But it was a several day thing. Three days before surgery, I was on a soft diet - steamed veggies, chicken, milkshakes, etc. Nothing fried, spicy or fatty. Also no raw fruit or veggies (this was the hardest part - no salads, no apples!!!) Two days before surgery I went to full liquids - yogurt, cream soups, milkshakes, ice cream......The day before the surgery, clear liquids and then late that aftrnoon, Golightly, which I understand you have the great privilege to miss! The point in being so long-winded is two-fold. One, I was de-bulked from all the food just lying in my bowels waiting to be digested, evacuated, etc. Two, my mom and sister have never done anything like this before their surgeries and nausea has been a problem for them. I had no nausea or vomiting, had both general anesthesia and an epidural simultaneously. If you are anxious about nausea and begin to feel nauseous, they have greta drugs for that too! Who wants to vomit after abdominal surgery!!! Hope your surgery goes well - and that you are not terribly anxious in the meantime. Please let me know if I can help you with any questions.

Like Viking Girl I had to do the whole bowel prep, and special diet. I had to have clear liquids the whole day before and nothing after 12 am. My surgery was at 9:30am. Your surgery date is still a ways off and they may tell you when you do your pre addmission testing what to do to prepare. Even after all the clear liquids I did get a little sick but that was just once and I believe it was because the room was so warm and the sun was beating on me. Once my DH closed the blinds I felt better. Good luck and see you on the flip side.