Having surgery tomorrow
Hi everyone I'm new here. Having my surgery tomorrow. I'm excited but also a little nervous. I've lost 41 pounds since early December when I started the process. Am down to 292. Wanting to lose at least 120 more. Wondering if anyone has post op advice!
Congrats! Walk and sip as much as possible :) And remember that it'll take time to feel normal again after having major surgery.
VSG with Dr. Salameh - 3/13/2014
Diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder and started Vyvanse - 7/22/2016
Reconstructive Surgeries with Dr. Michaels - 6/5/2017 (LBL & brachioplasty), 8/14/2017 (UBL & mastopexy), 11/6/2017 (medial leg lift)
Age 42 Height 5'4" HW 319 (1/3/2014) SW 293 (3/13/2014) CW 149 (7/16/2017)
Next Goal 145 - normal BMI | Total Weight Lost 170
TrendWeight | Food Blog (sort of functional) | Journal (down for maintenance)
Having the surgery is easy. Just show up and the doctors and surgical team do the rest. The real work starts in recovery.
Make an effort to get up and move - even if it's just dangling your feet over the edge of the bed. Let yourself rest. Take baby sips of liquids - and you may want to try different temperatures. Cold soothes some tummies, hot or warm soothes others.
Don't be a hero about pain meds - take them on schedule until you feel comfortable that you don't need them anymore. And if one isn't working, let your medical team know. There are always other options.
Take colace or some other stool softener. Start that today. And have some miralax on hand for after surgery.
Plan to feel uncomfortable for a few weeks. There will be twinges and zingers and they're nothing to worry about. But, if in doubt, CALL YOUR DOCTOR. That's what he's there for.
Keep your nerve and see you on the other side!
Congratulations and good luck with your surgery tomorrow! It sounds like you're highly motivated knocking out 41 pounds since early December. Getting through the holidays is a rough road, so good for you!
Start walking as soon as you can in the hospital even if it's for short treks around the nurse's station. Bring mushy lip balm with you to the hospital because your mouth will be dry due to lack of fluids.
When you come home, continue to walk as much as you can. And start pushing those fluids into you. Sip small quantities and sip often. Many people have complications because they become dehydrated. It's annoying, but it's so important for your healing and recovery.
Keep in mind that your body is healing and will need rest. These first few weeks after surgery are the hardest due to the dietary restrictions, but FOLLOW YOUR PROGRAM TO THE LETTER. It's only temporary. Food is always going to be available to you, but you need to let your stomach heal.
Don't be frustrated if you weigh more than you did when you come home from the hospital. They pump you full of fluids. Your body will dump them out soon enough and you'll see the scale move.
Don't freak out if you don't lose weight every single day. It's common to "stall" around the three week mark, but it's only temporary. A true stall lasts much longer than a couple of days.
You will look back in a year and be amazed at the changes in your life. You're doing the best possible thing for your health and life. I wish you the very best
"Oderint Dum Metuant" Discover the joys of the Five Day Meat Test!
Height: 5'-7" HW: 449 SW: 392 GW: 179 CW: 220
You've given yourself a great running start, that's great. Keep up the hard work. Let us know how it went.
6'3" tall, male.
Highest weight was 475. RNY on 08/21/12. Current weight: 198.
M1 -24; M2 -21; M3 -19; M4 -21; M5 -13; M6 -21; M7 -10; M8 -16; M9 -10; M10 -8; M11 -6; M12 -5.