5 weeks post op

here i am, 5 weeks post op, and just found out i have lost 33 lbs total since surgery. I know to some that sounds like alot, but to me i know i could have done better. i am still having troubles keeping down most foods, and having HORRIBLE migrains. i am supposed to return to work next thursday, but im not sure im ready yet. i mean its been GREAT getting to spend this time with my family, and i dont know if im ready to let that end. i am also concerned because i still do have the trouble keeping the foods down, and where i work, we are on the phones all the time, and if i am going to be sick, i cant just get up from my desk to go to the restroom. plus, i am still tired ALL the time. from what others have told me, it could take a few more weeks before i get my strength back and become somewhat normal again. just thought i would vent a little. thanks for listening.

Can you just stick to protein drinks at work? That's what I did. I haven't thrown up but my doc is very conservative and I couldn't eat for 6 weeks. I still sip on Isopur all day at work and just eat a little lunch. Hang in with the numbers though. I feel your pain, believe me! I'm almost 9 weeks post-op, getting 500 - 800 cal/day and have only lost 17# but my hips and waist have gone down 3 inches. I think I'm setting a record for the slowest loser. I must have the worst metabolism in the world. Laura

I recently returned to work myself. I find I do best if I take soft foods for my meals. So I don't have to worry if my pouch has a fit. I also take a protein shake so that I can drink it on the go. So far so good. I am a nurse in a doctors office and I can't always get to the restroom when I need to either. Good luck!

You can get a note from your doctor that releases you back to work with 'restrictions.' If you doctor specifies what your restriction are, such as getting up from your desk frequently to use then restroom, your employer will have to comply with that. I also enjoyed the time off to spend more time with my family. It was difficult to let that go and I was not ready to go back. During my 6 weeks off, I got accustomed to doing what I wanted and not having a boss breath down my neck. I had to return to work after the 6 weeks was over as I am the provider for my family. Your weightloss is going well. You are averaging about a pound a day. We lose more at the beginning, as the first thing that goes is water weight. I don't know if your exercising or not, but if you are not doing that right now, when you do, you will start losing more weight too. Tina Lynn

I went back to work 4 weeks post but only parttime for 2 weeks then closer to full time after 6 weeks. Soft foods and protein drinks..sip slowly slowly. I was so exhausted at first that just taking a shower and driving to work I would arrive shaking like a leaf! At the end of the day, I could barely drive home and cra****ake it easy ..it is hard at first but it is better now at 8 weeks post..I am beginning to have more energy and started exercising this last week..aqua aerobics..bad knees. And I think the exercise has actually increased my energy level LOL. Remember we are still acute post op for 3 MONTHS.

Hi Anita , Let me begin with a huge CONGRATS on your weight loss ! You and I share the same "rebirthday " . You are ahead of me in your weight loss total. I do understand how you are feeling with the progress. However , that is 33 lbs lost forever ! I have stopped stepping up on the scales. It was making me crazy ! I figure that as long as I follow the rules and the diet , the weight loss will follow . I returned back to work two and a half weeks post op. I must admitt it was hard at first. The one issue that was the worse was how very tired I became. I am a nurse and let me tell you ... there were times that I was thinking I was in more need then the patients. LOL Wishing you well and much continued success, Janet

Hi Anita, I had my surgery April 25th and I am doing the same thing. This throwing up is for the birds. I hadn't held anything down today and it ws around 4o'clock and I called my doctor. he is 3 hours away. I told him I had not held much down the last 3 weeks. It seems to go just to the middle of my chest and up. Like it gets stuck in there. It's right at the back of my throat. He told me to just try to drink liquids and popcycles today and he would call me in the morning before 9 o'clock and if I am not anybetter then I am to drive there to the hospital and be admitted and they will give me fluids and then on Monday morning do the endocsopy to see if there is a stricture. He said it sounded like that might be the problem. so many people feel so good after their surgery and here we are puking everyday sometimes 3 to 4 times maybe more . so that tells me something is not right. We should be feeling good too. I am like you I am so tired. I have lost 35 lbs since surgery and I am tickled pink with that. I am so disgusted with all this puking that I don't care about the amount of weight loss anymore. I just want to feel good again. I've never lost that much in 5 weeks in my whole life. I just want to be able to eat more that 2 or 3 little bites before I have to quit cause it seems to get clogged up. We should be able to hold 1/2 cup at a meal now and I can't even get 4 good bites in before I have to quit. I am eating slowly and chew chew chewing too. That 4 bites makes me feel like I have eaten a mountain and it got hung up in the chest up to the throat. Not a good feeling at all. Then I have to go loose it and then I feel better. This is just not right. I will let you know what happens. take care Judy

Dear Anita, I am almost two months post op. While I have lost almost a hundred pounds, I know a lot of it was water. Please please dont be discouraged. It is wonderful that you have lost 33lbs, and you will continue to lose, isnt it wonderful that we are no longer on the cycle of gaining weight? For the first six weeks I was only allowed protien shakes, crystal ligh****er, and soups like cream soups. I couldnt stand the cream soups, they made me sick...although I have had no trouble with vomitting. I would suggest the same as the others, try to stick to the shakes while you are at work or maybe if you tried somethng bland like mashed potatos? I will pray for you, this post op time is not easy.

Hey I had my surgery the same day and have lose 32... I think that we are right on track, I DO WISH I had lost more, but your body knows best. Before you know it we are going to be wearin a size 8!!

Just wanted to say thank you soooo much for all of you who have responded to my madness. I went to the drs for my son today and weighed and i have lost 4 more lbs in the past 2 days...so now im up to a total of 37 lbs lost. YEAHHHHH me.