Is there a "normal" amount of weight to lose in the first week?
Hello all - first time poster on any of these boards. My surgery date was one week ago today (3/15) at 7:45am. Dr. Oakley in Boise, Idaho performed the Lap RNY. He does only one type of RNY, a proximal I believe, for all of his patients. I am 5'10 and was 373 pre-op. For all the work and prepartation for this surgery, it sure goes by in the blink of an eye, literally. I feel like I've been in a whirlwind. I had imagined it to be much more of an event -- probably because I've never had surgery before. I had no actual fear or anxiety, but I did find myself thinking about my children and that's when I got a bit emotional. I'm still not sure what exactly I what I found lacking, perhaps I was expecting to be hooked up to all sorts of machines and to be starring up to several worried faces on the number of bodies surrounding me -- maybe even to sense the frantic work of medical staff running around trying to figure out how to save me. But no, I woke up to my nurse taking my blood pressure and introducing herself. I only have faint memories of the recovery room. Neither exactly pleasant. I remember moaning and seeing a woman at the end of my bed. I realized I had an oxygen mask on and tried immediately to take it off, but that's when I learned of the man at my side who promptly scolded me and held it on my face. I heard him say, "You need to breathe, you've already stopped on us once."
Then again, I woke up to a nurse on the phone (with who knows where) and she was saying, "I think she's sensitive to the morphine, she keeps falling asleep every time I give her meds." Next thing I know, I was all clean and cozy in my room meeting my nurse for the night. It was really late, later than I expected. I felt lost, like I needed a blow by blow of the days events and no one wanted to tell me. I just didn't like the thought that time had escaped me and I had no memory of what occured. I didn't feel any different. My first question was, "Did they have to cut me open?" The nurse said, "Nope, just little ones." Then I fell back to sleep for a few more hours. Much more tame than I had imagined. I guess I watch too much Discovery Health Channel. =)
So, I weighed myself today for the first time, and my weight shocked me. I certainly can tell that clothes are hanging differently on me than before, I just never expected the loss that I've had. Maybe it's normal, so I'm going to ask.
My current weight is 349. I've lost 24lbs in one week. I figured 5-10 at the most. Anyone have a similar occurence?
Good luck to those with upcoming surgeries. Hope all goes just as well as mine has.
There's no "normal" amount people lose 1st week. We are all different. I lost 14 lbs first week. Some lose 5, some lose 30. It just depends. You are off to a GREAT start! Don't compare your loss to others or "statistics/standards". You are doing great. Yep, surgery day is definitely a "lost" day. This was my first surgery too!! Glad they didn't have to cut you open. I got lap myself and wondered the same thing when I woke up. Recouperation is a snap! Hang in there and keep doing what you are doing! It's working!
Emily,
I'm sure the initial weight loss depends on many factors so it will be hard to compare. I started out 6'2 and 478lbs and lost almost 30 in the first week after surgery. I think it is mostly water weight anyway, they pump you so full of fluids in the hospital. I was losing about 4lbs a day for the first week, now I have settled in to about a pound and a half a day. But again, I have so much more to lose than most others, I am sure it will come off faster on me at first. It sounds like you lost a lot of water weight and I am sure it will slow down. Just make sure you drink enough fluids so you don't dehydrate. Congratulations on the succesful surgery and the weight loss. Keep it up!
Take care.
Bonnie Most Active
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