Hernia Surgery - Gained 3 Pounds?????

I had an incisional hernia repaired last week. The doctor said he thought the hernia was small enough that he could re-open 2" of my RNY incision. The hernia ended up being much larger and he used all 4". It still all seems pretty minor and I was in and out the same afternoon. I haven't been on a starvation diet but I have been eating light (800-900 calories a day) and getting my water in (no exercise, though). I weigh myself every Friday and so I got on the scale and had gained 3 pounds!!!! Now, before, three pounds was nothing but I worked hard for those 3 pounds and am totally freaked out. Since Friday, I have been walking around in a funk. I am not looking for "there,there's" so much as I really need to know if I just got really sloppy somehow or weight gain is normal after a surgery like this. I would never have believed that 3 pounds could send me into a tail spin like this. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks, in advance. Judi C PS: I have written this thing and deleted it twice...maybe I'm just being ridiculous about 3 pounds and part of me is wondering if that's not why I am in a funk.

Judi, I had a hernia repaired and I saw a flucuation in my weight, I just figured it was due to my inactivity. so I upped my water and made sure I was getting all my protein, then about a month later I got that awful MRSA infection in the mesh the doc used for the hernia repair, he had to remove the mesh and put in a different type then I had 6 weeks of home infussion with antibiotics, my weight actually started to drop and my dietician said my body needed extra protein while I was healing so I added one protein shake a day. now my weight has pretty much been the same for about a month but it will go up and down about 3 pounds. with school starting Tuesday and my 16 year old getting back on a schedule I plan on getting back on my schedule. I am going to kind of go back to what I was doing last year. I have a note book to keep all I eat and drink plus I am going to use fitday again. I think I just got used to how things were this summer and also got into a rut, I got sick again with a high fever after the fourth of july and spent 4 days in the hospital, just doing nothing,. I know once I get back on a schedule and start walking daily again I will feel better physically and mentally. my husband said I was in a better mood when I was walking my 3 miles a day. my husband is on to me because he thinks i have lost too much but I think that once I get active I will look better. Donna 277/150 ish

Donna, What were the symptoms of the infection at the site of the mesh? I had a hernia repaired on June 23. I have been having lower abdominal pain on the right side of my abdomen. I have no appendix, so I know it's not that. It may be my ovaries. Who knows? I go for an ultrasound one day this week.

Could you have some subtle swelling from the surgery? Or if they pumped you full of IV fluids, could you perhaps still be clearing out the extra fluids from your system? I would wait another week or two and see if those pounds magically go away--I bet they're not real gain, but just a fluctuation having to do with your surgery. Just don't eat out of frustration and worry or you'll make them real! And your emotional state is probably also fallout from the surgery. I know that general anaesthesia messes with me in lots of ways--I wouldn't be surprised if there's an emotional component to it. It does take days for it to totally get out of your system. ---- Leslie

I would definitely chalk up the weight gain to the surgery...IV fluids, swelling at the point of surgery,and etc. I had hernia surgery on June 23 (not WLS related), and I noticed a slight weight gain. I took off the extra pounds a week or two later. Give yourself time to heal. You will lose it! Hugs and happiness, Tammy

Definately IV fluids! They can take weeks to work their way out of your system. I put on 14 pounds In ONE day after my last PS and it took close to 2 months for all the swelling, & water retention to get off of me. It may be bothering you more than ususal buecause surgery is a teremendous strin on your system. With any surgery Post op depression can occur. baby yorself a little. eat well! to heal. You do need addtional protein and nutrients to heal. the fact that the surgery was outpatient does not mean it was minor, Your body was cut open, there is no such thing as minor when It comes to abdominal surgery. Minor surgery is a mole removal. This required general anesthesia, it is no way small or minor. It is my honest opinion that you will not possibly get all the nutrients you need to heal from MAJOR surgery on 800-900 cals a day. Your body is going to hold on to everything it has to try to conserve energy for healing.

I gained 9 lbs. It was gone within 2 weeks. I was on IV fluids for almost a week. Just follow the rules and it should drop pretty fast. G