Losing and Gaining weight pre-op

 Hey Folks:

As you got closer to your surgery date did the stress and anxiety make you lose weight or gain weight?  Right now I am still maintaining but I can feel my anxiety starting to rise up.  How did you handle it?

Tess,
I am right there with you.  My anxiety levels are starting to go up a little.  I am maintaining tho.  I have upped my protein.  I am not getting the hysterectomy done at the same time, they could not find another surgeon to do it, as  I did not feel comfy with the surgeon they had scheduled me with.  He is just out of residency, and did not seem confident at all.  Has never done a dual procedure with another surgeon, so I am waiting to get the hystero done after I am healed fro mthe corset trunkplasty and thigh lipo.

I would not have the hystero done either if I did not have confidence in my doctor.  I am lucky that the general surgeon and my plastic surgeon have worked together many times and both together have about 65 years of experience between them.  I feel good that one is fixing the hernias while the other is fixing the tummy.

I lost weight-about 5-6 pounds even though I wasn't trying to lose weight, per se.  I still hit my daily totals.  I don't know if it was anxiety as much as it was crazy busy.  I am a special ed teacher and I had a ton of stuff to do at work before I went on medical leave for my hernia repair/tummy tuck. 

I have noticed that my appetite is slowing down and my stomach gets a little queasy lately.  I figure that it is just nerves. 

HI Tess. I am so feeling what you are. I have been on that scale because I have gained 4-5 pounds after quiting smoking. This is my 22nd day not smoking. My stomach feels especially huge. I am worried that unless I lose about 10 pounds that my results will not be as good. But, I am not going to start smoking again. It has been so hard not to smoke. I have cravings so bad each day even though I have the patch on. I started to feel depressed as well. The smoking helped me relax and cope and now I do not have the crutch. I am also an alcoholic, clean and sober for almost 3 years now. I feel like I have nothing to just relax me so I keep as busy as possible. With the money that I saved on not smoking I put towards art classes and I find that when I am drawing I am very relaxed. My surgery is on June 12th. I am going to disneyland with my little one in 9 days and I know that we will be eating very good food, lol.

Teresa

My father n law quit smoking and he gained about 10 lbs. at first but slowly as he got over the shock to his system of not smoking, his weight came back down to where it usually hangs within a couple of pounds.  I think he was just looking to put something in his mouth to chew on and cope with.  I have a question to you though.  You said that you are using the patch.  Does that not have nicotine in it too?  Did your doctor tell you to get off all nicotine products a month before surgery including gum and patches.  It was on my doctor's no list.  I know you still have about two weeks before your month starts, but I just wanted to check on it with you.

Yes, patches and gum have nicotine. I hurried along on the first step patch and only used it for a week. I have been on the second step patch for 2 weeks and thre days. I have 5 days left of this step and then I will move to the last step patch. Each step has less nicotine. My doctor told me to not be around second hand smoke or use nicotine products for two weeks before my surgery. However, I am going off the patch when I get back from my vacation because I do not want to be on pins and needles with my kiddo at disneyland. So, that will give me 3 weeks without nicotine in my system and of course after this hell of quiting, I do not plan on starting again although if it were not bad for my health, I would start back after my doctor gave me the ok. I enjoy smoking so much, I miss it and when I stopped without the patch I lost it and was anxious, depressed and a mess for three weeks and ended up starting again to the happiness of everyone around me. So, I have to use the patch, even if that means post poning my surgery.

teresa

I am a nervous wreck!!! Luckily, I have not noticed a change in my appetite. I have however, been loosing sleep over it! Wi**** would just hurry up and get here already!!