Study connected to gastric bypass

I checked into the hospital today to be a part of a diabetic study of people who go through a gastric bypass. I'm not diabetic (luckily), so I get to be a control.

I checked in at 7:30 a.m. after a 1-1/2 hour drive from home with no coffee, and fasting. They took blood every minute for about 10 minutes, then every 2, then every 5, finally every 20 minutes until about 12:30 p.m. In the first half hour they also injected me with a concentrated dose of glucose, and then took blood. That was quite an experience. First there was a funny taste in my mouth, and then my whole body flushed and got hot.

Finally, I was able to order lunch and breakfast and eat and drink something besides water. After that I had to walk up and down the hallway while they measured my heart rate. Now I am here until tomorrow morning, when they will repeat the blood draws.

I have my own room, TV, my computer with wireless access and some books and some work to do, but I could do with a little company. It's a good rest though, I have to say that. And I get to eat off a menu like a restaurant. I have to keep to the basic diet, but the food is good, nonetheless.

I've been on a 1,000 calorie diet for the last week in preparation for this. I've lost about 8 lbs. this week. Next week I start the mainly liquid diet I'll be on until the surgery. It's to shrink my liver to make sure they can do the procedure laproscopically. I ate some things I knew I wouldn't be able to have after surgery before I started this, but for now, I am already changing my diet and I eat a lot less than I used to. And I am ordering the supplements I will need to take two or three times a day.

I am having a hard time figuring out how many of each supplement I need. I visited the Web sites recommended by the dietician and I ordered what I thought I needed. And then I went to Costco and saw a lot of things I thought I could only get off the Internet. And of course it was cheaper, and of course it was after I had already ordered it off the Internet.

I feel like I need to hook up with some people who have done this before. I think I know what's coming, and what I need to do, then I get confused about how to take care of the details.

Ah well, on we go!