Question:
3 days post-op of TT and hernia repair and weigh less now

I thought I would be gaining weight because of the fluids. I have weighed almost every day since my RNY 20 months ago and today I got on the scale and expected to see about 10 to 12 pound gain, but I've actually lost 5 pounds since the morning of my PS. I haven't yet asked the doctor how much skin was removed but I'm expecting about 4 pounds. Once the fluid/swelling goes down how much am I expected to weigh? I know everyone is different. I guess what I'm asking is; if you gained after your surgery how much do you think was fluids after deducting your skin loss from that amount? Does this question make sense? I'm just trying to get an idea of what the fluid weight is on me now.    — jocelyn (posted on August 5, 2004)

August 5, 2004
After 3-4 weeks I started losing weight. I had 8lbs of skin removed -LBL, and have lost 16 lbs since surgery(6/14/04). The shock must have kicked me into a losing streak again. I am still swollen and was told it takes months for all of the swelling to go down.
   — Gail O.

August 5, 2004
I had my abdominoplasty on Monday and the surgeon said she removed about 5-6 lbs of tissue. I hold onto IV fluids - and I told them so before and after surgery so they would hold off on giving me boluses of fluid. I know I have some swelling, but I am not sure how much. My weight is also down from the day I went in for surgery, which I didn't expect either. I also have noticed that I don't have much of an appetite, so I am sticking to the basics and getting my protein shakes in. I have heard that sometimes this surgery will kick start weight loss again, and I hope it is so. I would like to drop another 40 lbs., after being stable for almost a year after WLS! I don't think there is a way to calculate how much extra fluid you are carrying.
   — koogy

August 6, 2004
I think, like just about everything else in life, this will vary person to person. I had an extended abdominoplasty, hernia repair and brachioplasty three weeks ago. The surgeon said he removed between 12 and 15 pounds of skin and fat. I came home from the hospital weighing 14 pounds less than when I went in, but have gained back 2 1/2 pounds (with what I've been eating, there's no way that's fat gain--I must be retaining additional fluid). I can see considerable swelling in my arms, and some on my tummy, and my two remaining drains are pumping out over 200 ccs of fluid a day, so I know I'm still carrying fluid. I have no idea where I'll end up. Like you, I didn't expect to weigh so much less when I got home (and neither did I expect to GAIN in the meantime). Patience seems to be the key.
   — Vespa R.