NEED HELP!!!!!!

I need some help. I havent had surgery yet. My bmi is 85.3. I was wonder if some one could tell me how the delt with edema. What kind of excerises they use before surgery. Can any one let me know what worked for them to lose some weight before surgery. It would be a great help. Thank you.

For weight loss before surgery I used 2-3 ready to drink Atkins shakes per day, plus one meal of lean meat (3oz, about the size of a deck of cards) and as much vegetable as I wanted.  No fruit, no sauces, butters, etc on the veggies or meat, except soy sauce now and again.  Nothing with hidden sugar like ketchup either.  I lost weight very quickly when I stuck to this plan.  Other people have used medifast and optifast with good success. 

For edema, a low salt diet and as much water as you can drink will help more than anything else.  Lose sodas and diet sodas, and stick to water or mild diuretics like tea.  As far as exercise, from what I understand swimming is fairly effective for edema because the pressure of the water helps to circulate the fluid in your legs better.  Have you had your blood pressure checked recently?  My hands and feet swelled much worse when my blood pressure was high and untreated.  Any other exercise that moves the large muscles of your legs - walking, exercise bike, etc, will help with fluid accumulation in your legs. 

Compression socks or compression hose can also be very effective, and elevating your feet at night can help to bring the swelling down.  There are some nice foot creams and gels with mint in them for cooling sore achy swollen feet and legs.  Also massage can definitely help, professional or amateur, or even massaging yourself.  Try to use upward strokes from ankle to knee to push the fluid UP your veins and lymph vessels. 

I hope that helps, I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you continue to post here.  I started at a BMI of 83 so I can definitely relate. 

I can't top that great advice, but I wish you luck and pray that you will find your way to our losers bench and be rid of that edema once and for all.  I was on a 6 week Medifast liquid program, but I ate a lean & green dinner. Keep us updated on your progress.  HUGS  Jeanine

This is what i did to lose weight before surgery.

All the veggie's i could eat. Nothing on them other then low fat spray dressing, salt, pepper, seasoning salt, soya sauce, flavoured vinegars, lemon or lime.
Lean meats cooked with no fat (grilled or BBQ'ed) nothing on them other then salt pepper, lemon, lime, herbs, spices. (no sauces)
up to 2 eggs a day

For fruit I ate 1 pear or some cantelope or 1 serving of berries. But only one serving a day.
Only one glass of milk per day and no other diary.

1 small baked potato plain each day. No othere carbs.

The only thing I drank was water, no juice, no soda, no cyrstal light.

I also increased my exercise each day in simple ways, such as walking to the bank (it is not far) , walking an extra bus stop. Parking at the far end of the parking lot and forcing myself to walk furthur to get to the store. and sometimes at night forcing myself to go for a walk.


And it worked!  I lost 15 lbs in about 4 weeks. (i am a really slow loser)
Good luck

catnip

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOT THE ADVICE. IT HELPS. I DO WALK MORE. I MOVED FEATHER AWAY FROM MY DOC SO I WALK  TO SEE HER. THE EDEMA IS OK COULD ALWAYS BE BETTER. I'M TRING MY BEST. I REALLY WANT THE SURGERY. I WANT A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE. I'VE GOT TWO KIDS TO RAISE. I STARTED AT 447. THATS MY HEAVIEST. I WENT DOWN TO 407. A FRIEND CAME TO LIVE WITH ME AND I  AND I REPEAT I MESSED IT UP. I NEVER GO ALL THE WAY BACK UP. I GO TO 432 AND THEN DOWN AND UP. IM AT 422 RIGHT NOW. I'M WORKING MY HARDEST TO GET TO WHERE I NEED TO BE. I THANK YOU ALL FOR THE HELP ILL TRY IT ALL AND SE WHAT WORKS FOR ME. THANK YOU
CHRISSY.