Future Surgery

If your surgery is a sudden experience, try to incorporate as many of the following suggestions as possible. You may, however, find that you can't tolerate the dosages given, so cut back to your tolerance level then gradually increase up to the recommended dosages.

If your surgery is elective, then you can start this intensive protocol two to four weeks before your surgical date. All of these supplements should be of the highest quality and potency. Don't buy what is on sale and expect to get a good result.
If you normally take more supplements than the listed amounts, please continue.

General Considerations:
Surgery is nothing but an oxidative stress assault on the body. Repair is the word and everything you do should be to maximize it. So this means, starting the day you find out you need surgery and continuing until you are healed:

	SLEEP get plenty of it.
	WITHDRAW from smoking, drinking alcohol, caffeine, and refined sugar products....I don't really need to tell you, but you should not be doing these activities any way...if you are, and successfully withdraw, don't ever start them again after surgery.
	EAT well balanced meals, especially increasing your fruits and vegetables for their phytonutrients. Be sure to get adequate daily protein for repair.
	WATER intake should always be 8 glasses per day minimum. Add an extra glass of water each day for every cup of tea or coffee you drink.
	EXERCISE! This stimulates the circulation of your blood and lymphatic system. If you can, purchase a small trampoline and start bouncing daily for five to ten minutes three times a day. Increase this to tolerance. Resume this activity as soon as possible after surgery. Be sure your pain tolerance can support the bouncing and use supports to maintain your balance.
	VISUALIZE! Meditating is fine too, but you want to really visualize your body taking in the supplements and building a defense to aid the planned surgery. Visualize the repair process and each time you visualize it, make the repair occur over a shorter time span. Use the same meditative music and alert the doctors that you want the music to be played via ear phones during your surgery. That way your body will be healing as the surgery is being performed. Be sure the recovery room is aware of your request for ear phones, too.
	SUPPLEMENT as indicated below. If you already take supplements, be sure to increase to the below listed amounts.

Two to Four Weeks Before Surgery:
Liver Cleanse: This is most important because your liver is the organ that is going to detoxify all of the drugs the doctors are going to give you....and you will only be adding to liver stress if you take extra supplements and can't utilize them effectively.
The proper way to detoxify is to first evaluate your ability to detoxify. If you can't do that, then:

Support Sulfation via Vit A, adequate protein intake, adequate dietary sulfur intake in foods like onions and garlic.

Support Glucuronidation via Magnesium, EPA/DHA intake, stop smoking, and stopping high fructose intake.

Support Glutathione reactions by stop drinking alcohol and supporting amino acid conjugation (which is the function of glutathione) by supplementing with glycine or taurine.

Metagenics has a product called Lipo-Gen that helps support liver detoxification. Take two with each meal.

One to Two Weeks Before Surgery:
    Vitamin C - 2 grams 3x each day [total 6 grams/day]-- this dose may need to be increase slowly according to bowel tolerance...Vit C can give one diarrhea in large doses. If you are not used to taking Vit C you may need to increase slowly. If you can't get to 6 grams/day work the dose up to the level you can tolerate.
    Zinc picolinate - 30 mg 2x each day after eating [total 60 mg/day]-- at this dose nausea may be a problem, if it is stay at the dose that does not give you nausea.
    Vitamin A - 20,000 IU 2x each day [total 40,000 IU/day]-- If you are a smoker and drink alcohol [you should be withdrawing!!!] increase to this dose only for the two weeks prior to surgery...long time dosage at these levels of Vit A has increased the occurrence of lung cancer in people who smoke and drink alcohol.
    Beta Carotene - 30,000 IU 2x each day [total 60,000 IU/day]
    B-Complex at least 100 mg of each B vitamin - 2x each/day [total 200 mg/day]
    Vitamin E - 400 IU 2x each day [total 800 IU/day]
    Multivitamin with Minerals - 2x each day
    DO NOT TAKE IRON! Folic acid and Vit B12 are ok but iron is an oxidative stressor in your body and unless you have a documented iron deficiency, do not take iron!
    Essential Fatty Acids/[EPA and DHA's] - 2x each day - These are the elements used in cell membranes and communication...very important in the repair process.
   Protein "Power Shake" - 2x each day - If you can add the Vitamins to the power shake do...absorption is easier when associated with eating. The power shake is to supplement your body with amino acids, the building blocks of your cells.
    PROBIOTICS, pro(for)biotics(life) like Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus casei, or other normal intestinal flora, should be started if you know you will be taking ANTIBIOTICS, literally translated "anti(against)biotics(life) any time during your surgery. If you don't know for sure, check with your doctor. By taking these probiotics you will help prevent bowel problems associated with killing off the normal bowel flora by the antibiotics.
    End of Life Directives & Living Wills - Surgery is the closest activity associated with death humans can encounter. So, it is wise to have discussed "End of Life Directives" with the person you want in charge of making decisions for you while you have essentially disengaged with your functioning mind. Take some time in filling this out. Take a copy of it with you to the hospital. State laws differ on Living Wills but if you have a copy of your directives on your chart, it will be easier for the medical personnel to do your bidding.
    Prayer Chains - Larrey Dorsey has been proving the benefits of prayer, even though religions have known this for millenium. So place yourself on prayer chains or ask friends to help you by praying for you. Sometimes the simple things we can do for others seems to slip our minds.

Admissions:
When you arrive at the hospital be sure the person you want making decisions for you is recorded in your chart and attach a copy of your "Living Will" and "End of Life Directives" to the chart. Be sure you have discussed these documents with your doctor ahead of admissions. Doctors, by law, are required to disclose the surgical experience to you ahead of time...it is only polite to disclose your positions to your doctor ahead of time, too! You need to know that your doctor will honor your locus of control even when you are out of control. If they won't, then you need to change doctors or make compromises.....at least you will know your doctor's feelings ahead of time.
Have your doctor agree to the following and have them fill out additional medical orders stating such. Be sure to have these accompany your pre-op and post-op orders.

	Use of ear phones and visualization techniques in surgery and recovery room
	Use of IV supplements until you can take your own oral supplements
	Use of your own supplements from home, not hospital issue
	Use of a trampoline with assistance to facilitate drainage...this can be postponed until you get home...just gently bounce at the side of your bed.
	Authorization for someone to bring in your food if the hospital food is not to your high standards.

Day of Surgery:
    VISUALIZE - Have your ear phones on and visualize the surgery cutting the problem out of your body. When you wake up in recovery, visualize your body healing. Continue this daily instead of watching violence on TV.
    POST-OP FLUIDS - Have an agreement with your doctor to supplement you with multivitamins and extra Zinc in your IV fluids until you can take your supplements by mouth.
   ACTIVITY - As long as it is not contraindicated, begin to move as soon as possible. Begin your trampoline again as soon as possible to help move bodily fluids, otherwise, just gently bounce up and down at the side of your bed.
Do deep breathing exercises as instructed pre-operatively by the hospital staff.
    SUPPLEMENTS - Continue with the above supplements when you are allowed to take oral foods and fluids. Add to the regime the following:

	Bromelin - 4 capsules of 250 mg 4x each day on an empty stomach (at least 20 minutes before eating or 1 hour after eating.) Continue for at least 5 to 7 days depending on swelling and bruising.
	Citrus bioflavinoids - 2 grams 3x each day with foods. This increases the antioxidant effect of the other antioxidants you are already taking.
	Arnica Montana (Homeopathic Remedy) - 1M potency ASAP after surgery (OK this with your surgeon before surgery, make sure they write it on their post-op orders!!!) Follow this initial dose with 30c potency 3 pellets 3x each day for the next 7 days after surgery. Other homeopathic may be used to speed healing depending on the condition.
	Vitamin E or Aloe Vera to the incision after the first dressing change. The incision generally closes after 24 hours, so don't apply anything to the incision until after that first 24 hours.

HOSPITAL FOOD - Check it out ahead of time! If they don't cook according to your high standards, have someone bring in your food! Continue your morning shakes. It is better to have a morning meal high in protein with carbohydrates in the late afternoon. One way to do this is with the shake and another is with eating fish in the morning. There is nothing sacred about "eggs and bacon."
Don't compromise your health for a health system's service built on out-dated facts.

GOOD LUCK!.....and let me know how you do with this protocol. Any suggestions would be welcomed...we'll add them so others will learn from your experience.
REMEMBER......it is still your body, even if you are loaning it to a surgeon to operate on!