George Saarinen couldn’t be happier that he won’t be eating a Christmas dinner.
A couple of weeks ago the 53-year-old got a phone call he’s been waiting to hear for nearly two years. Saarinen’s sleeve gastrectomy is booked.
“I’m ecstatic. I’m happy,” he said about his date Jan. 4 in Hamilton. “It’s finally here. I’m embracing it.”
Starting Dec. 12 Saarinen has to stop eating, instead going on a 900-calorie-per-day liquid diet. Along with protein shakes he can have things like sugar free popsicles or soup broth but that’s about it. For a man who loves baking during the holidays, peanut butter balls being his specialty, it may seem like a daunting task but Saarinen said he’s been preparing for a long time.
“I’m going to have 30 more Christmases. I’m going to have longevity. I have a future. I don’t really worry about the eating because I’ll have my family around. I’ll have my friends around. it’ll be great,” he said.
Although frustrated with the slow process at first, from referrals to countless visits with more than a dozen health care professionals, Saarinen now sees the time as a great way to get his body and mind focused on the surgery. It’s allowed him to focus on the reasons why he ate so much for so long and get ready for a life-changing surgery.
“It’s something that you have to do yourself,” he said.
While people at the Thunder Bay Bariatric Care Centre have warned him about some patients having a “food funeral” before surgery, Saarinen said he’s passed those temptations. His friends though are hosting a potluck dubbed “George’s Last Meal” though on Dec. 10 to celebrate his decision to go ahead with the surgery.
But he’s not worried about eating poorly there. Getting in the mindset of healthy eating, and small portions as his stomach will be reduced by 80 per cent, has already happened he said.
“Some people fall off the wagon. It’s something that you have to be careful with for the rest of your life.”
