My first post-op whine! (water retention)

Intellectually, I know that RNY works. I know that we all lose at different rates and comparing my loss to how others are doing is irrelevant and irrational. I know that I'm following my surgeon's plan and that the weight will come off. I know that I have a history of retaining water in Atlantic-sized quantities. I know that we should ignore the scale because it will only lead to bouts of insanity. But... THE SCALE IS BARELY MOVING AND IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY! Okay, I feel better now. I'm now 15 days post-op and have lost only 11 pounds according to my trusty Tanita scale (need to lose 130 total to reach a BMI of 25). That seems a bit on the low side. I came home from the hospital up seven pounds and it took five days before I returned to my pre-op weight. My belly feels very squishy, and I'm pretty sure there's still some fluid sloshing around there. The inches are dropping nicely... good grief, my waist and thigh are both down two inches already! So I know I'm losing, presumably more than the scale shows, but it's still enough to make me bang my head on the wall. Yes, I know I just need to be patient, but if this surgery is going to make me hormonal and emotional I plan to take full advantage of it For the last two days I've upped my fluid intake by not counting anything but plain water for the 64oz (and am aiming for 80oz of water daily), plus I added lemon juice (1/2 lemon daily), but it's not helping so far. I was on a diuretic for hypertension before surgery, but my surgeon instructed me to stop taking it. Of course I'll ask him for ideas when I see him in a couple days, but does anyone else have any advice on how to make the tide recede?

I was up 10lbs from my pre surgery weight when I got home. All due to the IV fluids, I also was instructed not to take the diuretic for my hypertension but I decided to go back on it at least to drop the water weight, I also noticed my breathing was not to great when I had all those fluids, I did take the diuretic and it sure helped. I went in and saw my pcp today and she said that it is ok to take..so I will continue to take it. I just have to make sure to get in all my fluids. Hope this helps. Patti

My PCP had told me to keep taking all three of my hypertension meds. My surgeon told me to drop the diuretic. I went with his judgement since he's dealt with a lot of bariatric patients. (my PCP is absolutely wonderful, but I'm her bariatric guinea pig!) But... ugh.

So, you think you've got problems? I can whine louder. When I got home last Saturday, I was 18 pounds heavier than pre-op. I am still 4 pounds heavier, one week later. You're right, I had surgery to lose weight, I know how to gain all by myself, thank you. The surgeon gave me some Lasix yesterday to help clear the IV fluids out, but so far, no extra peeing happening. I wasn't on any diuretic before, but the epidural I had for pain seems to have confused my kidneys somehow. Hopefully, I'll be seeing the scale dropping soon. Debra M.

Ouch, you win! I came home 7 pounds heavier, and it took five or six days to get back to my pre-op weight. Now I'm drinking water like crazy to see if it helps. Maybe I'll beg for some Lasix when I see the surgeon tomorrow...