Pre surgery nutrition

[Bernie & Bonnie]

Has anyone used pre surgery nutrition products such as Impact?

[marysue]

I haven’t heard of Impact but I do know that the trend is now to get yourself in shape pre surgery by eating well and doing exercises if at all possible.

While waiting for my first TURBT in 2008, the health food store was one of my first ports of call. Even though I wasn’t officially diagnosed with bladder cancer yet, (I’d only had some x-rays and a cystoscopy exam that showed several most likely cancerous tumours in my bladder), but I knew that I had something serious going on, I sought advice from the health person there. She recommended some really good vitamins and a green foods supplement that she said would help detox my body and build up my overall strength for the surgery.

I also had lots of acupuncture treatments pre and post surgery and still go for a treatment every 4-6 weeks to stay tuned up. I also smartened up and stopped eating processed and sugary foods. I increased my intake of fruits and veggies and reduced my meat consumption considerably. I would have tried vegan but unfortunately live with a houseful of meat and potato consuming males so that makes it difficult. I compromised by just eating less meat overall and bigger veggie portions. I drink lots of water, green, herbal and black teas. I stay away from coffee, soft drinks and hard liquor. I do occasionally have a glass of red wine.

I started walking a lot more and took up yoga. I also ride an indoor stationary bike- more in the winter when the weather is too bad to walk outside. I did try to get back into lane swimming but working it into my schedule has been challenging. I will at some point get back to it. I feel that my efforts have paid off.

The above is what worked for me. I believe that we all have to figure out what is best for ourselves. As for the Impact product and any other dietary needs pre-surgery, I suggest asking the advice of a dietician maybe at the hospital or clinic near you. ((((HUGS))))

[Bernie & Bonnie]

Thanks Mary Sue! This is a good time of year for fresh veggies – so we’ve been eating lots of garden produce from the farmer’s market. Bernie is ‘hesitant’ to eat less meat. We’ll reduce meat after surgery!

[marysue]

Sometimes it is easier to cut meat consumption by simply substituting the protein. We sometimes have omelets or cheese dishes instead of a meat item at a meal. I’m married to a Vietnamese husband and we eat just about every nationality of food under the sun.

In the Asian diet, a lot of dishes like stir fries require minimal meat and you can substitute things like tofu or shitake mushrooms which believe it or not taste a lot like meat. I have made a point with these dishes to increase the veggies and keep the meat to a bare minimum. Over time you hardly notice the difference.

The big motivator for me was that cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage have compounds that could help with the prevention of bladder cancer. Research into this has been a bit inconclusive but I figure the extra veggie consumption would benefit not hurt me and that belief is what helped me consume the extra no matter what the research says or doesn’t say.

Farmer’s markets are great places for fresh veggies if you don’t grow your own. My sister-in-law in Montreal lives near a really big one and now that her and hubby are living in senior’s accommodations that don’t allow for gardens, it has been a real godsend. (((HUGS))))

[Author]

Posts