Diana_in_Philly

FMLA - Family and Medical Leave Act covers unpaid time off for an individual's medical condition or medical needs of a family member. If your company has at least 50 more employees and you have worked for them 12 months or 1250 hours, you would be eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during which they must hold your job open. PTO - paid time off -or sick leave, may be something your employer offers which would give you paid time off while you are ill. It could be a combination of vacation and/or sick leave. You probably want to talk to HR to find out what you would be eligible for. I'm a desk jockey and I took less than a week off. Most desk jobs folks take about 2 weeks off.

Generally, the people having issues with dehydration early after surgery is because of discomfort with swallowing or the liquid being in their new stomach. For me, I had to play around with temperature in those first few weeks until I found the "goldilocks" temp for beverages - not too hot and not too cold - either could cause cramping, spasm and nausea for me. Some people become afraid of pain and then don't drink which leads to dehydration. Pedialyte is filled with sugar - and a big no-no. I was told in a pinch I could use Powerade Zero since it is sugar free, but I found the taste was not tolerable to me in those first weeks after surgery.

FWIW, I hate the elliptical. If I make three minutes on the elliptical its a banner day! Find something you like. Turns out, I like to fence. (As in, en garde.) I love it. I fence 5 hours a week now. Plus do weights and what not in the gym. Find what you like. Then do it.

Adding to this - not trying to steal anyone's thunder - I'm about 20 months out, down about 110. Sometimes, I'm losing, sometimes not, because my concentration right now is on building muscle mass and reducing my overall body fat before plastics. I'm answering because I'm not vegetarian in the hopes that I can provide other answers - 1- On an average day, I eat about 100-120 grams of protein. I start most mornings with a shake because it is easy for me time wise to get out the door to work. I use Fairlife skim milk, a scoop of protein powder, a handful of frozen fruit and two tablespoons of Oikos triple zero vanilla yogurt. That accounts for 39 grams of protein and makes it pretty easy to get the rest in. For a morning snack, I'll have a container of Oikos Triple Zero (another 15 grams). Lunch is usually salad greens with chicken (usually left over from one I've roasted) about 4 ounces of chicken for another 30 grams of protein. So at this point in the day, I'm at 85 grams without too much trouble. In the afternoon, I'll have some cheese or some nuts - but I'll get in a 10-15 gram of protein snack. Dinner - is usually whatever I cook for the family - but again - I'll make sure I have another 20-30 grams of protein. Usually my calorie count is under 1500. I eat what I want. Some foods, my tummy doesn't like. I can only eat a little bit of pasta or I will feel ill - same with very sweet stuff. A few bites and I'm done with it. I have a cocktail or glass of wine when I want to. I always stay under 1500 calories - so if I dont' have extra calories for a glass of vino it doesn't happen. I drink at least 64 ounces of water a day - closer to 100 on days I fence because I will drink a quart of water while fencing. Exercise - I fence (as in en garde) - started doing that a year ago. I burn on average 900 calories doing 2 hours of fencing. I fence roughly 5 hours a week (Monday and Wednesday - 6:30-9 pm). I work with a personal trainer once a month to keep my routine in the gym fresh and I lift weights/do strength training at least 2 hours a week. I do Pilates for another 1 or 2 hours. I make the time because getting in shape is important - and like I said - I''m trying to drop my body fat in the range of 28% before I have plastics. (I"m at 31% right now, with is pretty good for a 56 year old menopausal woman!) Excess skin - for me - I couldn't. I have bat wings that make noise and I'm going to have to have a tummy tuck done. If not for the excess skin on my abdomen, I'd be wearing a size 6 or 4 pants rather than the 8 I'm wearing. (I really shouldn't complain - that's down from a 24). I'll probably have the abdominoplasty next year. I'm fortunate - my insurance will cover it. How do I feel - Like a new person. People don't recognize me sometimes. My knees don't really hurt any more. My only regret was waiting this long to do this.

I try to be more mindful of things - more grateful and more kind. I try to be more patient. Its not easy. I try to declutter the house and find things to rehome to those who need them - and declutter my time to make more room for the Holy Spirit. (Anglo-Catholic - high church Episcopalian - I sing in my church's choir and we sing a full mass setting every week. My music pile for the next week looks like a music library threw up.)

Odds are they will cover most of that but you will have copays. E.g. if a specialist visit costs $30 under your plan, that's what you'll pay to see your surgeon, psychologist and/or nutritionist. If lab work has a co-pay of $10, that's what you'll pay. If you have a deductible that needs to be met, you will have to pay that part before they start to pay. So if you have a $250 deductible, you will have to pay that amount out of pocket for various services before they will start paying. Call the number on the back of your card and ask someone at your carrier what you will be responsbile for. Every plan is different.

If you belong to one of the Philadelphia area YMCAs , they offer up to 2 hours of child care per day. Maybe sneak in a half hour work out between daycare pick up and home and let him have some play time at the Y. (My girls used to love the kids room at the Y.) When they are little, its really hard and the weather here has been MISERABLE. I'm not going to tell you to get up any earlier, because I feel your pain - the alarm goes off at 5:30 here to get the high school freshman out the door and the rest of us off to work. Once the weather gets better, it will be easier. Maybe you can add some walking at lunch during work or park further away (or get off SEPTA at a stop or two further from your work.) Good luck.

I use the Vitafusion women's from Costco. $10.49 for a bottle of 220 - standard dose is 2 a day which is what I take. I also take iron, b12 tablet and a hair/skin/nails combo for biotin/C and E. All from Costco. My labs have been great and my team doesn't care what brand I take so long as my labs stay good.

I eat anywhere from 60-100 grams of protein a day. I do not eat added sugars. I eat very few things that have more than 10 grams of sugar in a serving unless it is fresh fruit. I fence (as in en garde) 5 hours a week. I spent another 2 - 3 hours doing strength training, agility and yoga or pilates. I drink at least 64 ounces of water a day - probably double that on days I fence. Today, I did an hour of Pilates and 45 minutes of lower body/legs weights including squats with about 70 pounds on the bar. I can deadlift more than I weigh by about 20 or 25 pounds. Tomorrow, I will do an hour of core and upper body work. Sunday, I will fence a tournament for 3-4 hours. In 2 hours of fencing, I burn about 1000 calories. I don't eat what I burn. I work hard, but it has all been worth it. I'm trying to get my body fat down to about 26% - hoping to get close to that by the fall.

My guess would be at 3 years, it isn't going to change on its own. You don't say how old you are and age is a factor with skin "snapping" back. I've been to meet with a plastics doc and was told that while I can lose some more fat, potentially, the skin is always going to hang and flap. I'm trying to decide when I want to have the surgery done.

At my heaviest, I was probably over 300, but wouldn't get on a scale. By the time I went to the surgeon I was 271.5, but had lost about 15 pounds. I'm now 162. So I'm down about 110, and my body fat percentage is around 30% right now. Looking to get the fat down to around 26 and working with my trainer on that. I'm 5'3" and had my surgery at 55. I now fit into clothes that my two teen daughters no longer fit into. Went from a size 24 to a size 8.

I make shakes as breakfast a few days a week as I don't have time to sit down and eat something with getting myself and my high school daughter out of the house on time. On days I work out hard (e.g. I fence where I can burn 800-1000 calories in 2-3 hours) I will use one as a supplement for muscle recovery. My team is fine with using the occasional shake but given my physical training regimen, I need to be up near 100 grams of protein a day. I just physically can't do that on food alone - it's more food than I can consume. So the occasional shake and bar happen.

Once I was on to "regular" food (which was about 6 weeks post op on my plan) I was eating out with my family. Often, I would order an appetizer portion of something that was primarily protein. Or I would order a soup as my "main course" and the rest of the family would have appetizers - I would take a plate and make it look like I had some to keep odd questions from servers away. Six weeks post surgery I ate out for almost a week solid as we had to be out of town for my mother's funeral. It requires some planning and forethought, but isn't hard. I eat out frequently. I was on vacation last week with my daughter who was on spring break from college. We had dinner one night at Outback. I didn't eat the bread. I had some salad (boxed up the rest to bring home). Ate about 3 ounces of my steak and a few bites of broccoli and had the rest boxed to bring home - had dinner and lunch out of it during the week. As for eating a starch - I don't think I added starches back in until I was about 8 months out because I didn't want to go down the rabbit hole - carbs are my cryptonite. Now, 20 months out, I can eat half of a very small baked potato along with my steak and some salad -but I don't have the potato often.

Ziplining more than 1200 feet Horseback riding Deadlifting more than I weigh Fencing (as in en garde) Stand Up Paddle Boarding (sooo much fun) Buying really great clothes at thrift stores (e.g. picked up a LIly Pulitzer skirt for $10 - retail $98) Not being tired all the time Not having my knees hurt all the time Wearing smaller jeans than my two teenage daughters.

Why not? Long story short, I was 55 at time of surgery. My kids were 17 and 13 at the time. I had surgery August 2016 - just before the start of my older daughter's senior year of high school. They saw me have to stop and meet them later during college tours because I couldn't walk the whole campus. They knew how miserable I was. What was wrong with telling them - I've tried everything. Nothing has worked. This is my last hope of not dropping dead before either of you graduate college. And I sat them down (after I had told my hubby and we decided the best way to do this) and said this is what I have decided is right for me. (Both my girls are overweight.) I told them the nature of the surgery and answered questions. My younger daughter was angry and lashed out at me - it was fear because with any surgery there is a risk of death and I was up front about that. But that passed. As of this moment, I'm in better shape than both my girls physically. I wear the clothes they outgrow. I can workout harder and longer. And I'm setting a damn fine example of how you can turn your life around if you are motivated to do so and how you can take control of your health. The only people who knew of my surgery were my husband, my two girls and my two best friends. My mother and my sister don't know and never will. As to everyone else, I tell them I eat a very high protein diet, I restrict sugars and carbs, I exercise like a maniac and record every bite I eat. All of that is true. Don't lie to your kids. They will find out. They will likely resent the fact that you didn't think you could either trust them to keep the secret or handle that you were having surgery. They are grown people - they understand and believe me - they know your limitations due to your weight. If you are really concerned, consult with a social worker or family counselor who works with bariatric patients. Your group should be able to refer you to someone.

Take up something that will keep you hands and mind busy - needlepoint, knitting, crochet - handwork of some kind. It requires you to focus your attention on what you are doing and keeps you from being able to put anything in your mouth at the same time. I knit and do needlepoint. I've done those for years before but I find it helpful now when I get antsy and stressed.

Get back on the vitamins, up your protein. Stress of any kind can cause hair loss. Moving and new jobs are up on the list of life stressors. Also, if you are starting to have peri-menopausal symptoms it may be slower for the hair to come back or may come back in a different texture.

55 at time of surgery (August 2016) I'm bone on bone in both knees and had the surgery because my orthopedic surgeon wanted my BMI under 35 before he replaced my knees to limit complications. Highest recorded BMI was 49. Looking at older photos, I'm pretty sure there were points I was over 300 pounds and I'm 5'3". Complications - I'm down to once every 4 weeks for an asthma injectable and have seriously decreased the doses of all other asthma meds. (Haven't had an attack since surgery, either.) I don't take narcotics for arthritis pain any more. I am more active - I'm in the gym 4 hours a week and fence (as in en garde) another 5 hours a week. The biggest complication - I've had to buy a new wardrobe because even the skinny clothes at the back of my closet were too big. I've gone from barely fitting in a 24 to a size 8 headed toward a six. My orthopedic surgeon thinks I can probably get to 65 without having my knees done. The only time I need something more than Tylenol for my knees is after fencing in a tournament with younger fencers (as in kids I could have given birth to young).

Because of my schedule, I usually have a protein shake in the morning (protein powder, 1 cup Fairlife skim, 2 tablespoons of Oikos Triple Zero vanilla and a bit of fruit) for 30+ grams of protein. I eat at least 1 5.3 oz serving of Oikos Triple Zero daily for another 15 G - so before "meals" that's 45 grams of protein. (I shoot for close to 100 a day - I am training for fencing tournaments right now). Then if I eat "high" protein meats/seafood (fish tends to be higher in protein per ounce than meats and easier for me to get in) I have no trouble getting to 100 grams in a day. But, as an example, went to Outback tonight with my daughter. Ordered a 12 ounce strip steak. I ate about 4 ounces and have lunch and dinner for tomorrow! For me, 18 months out - I can't eat more than about 4-5 ounces of steak. You will find your balance

As others have said, everyone is different. My doc's rule was drive as soon as you have stopped taking narcotics for pain. I didn't use anything other than Tylenol after I left the hospital. I was in 1 night. Used 1 dose of nausea meds on the way home (felt a little car sick) and slept alot that day and the next. (Surgery Tuesday, Discharged Wednesday, Slept Thursday.) Friday, I did the grocery shopping, but made the family carry the bags because I had a 10 pound lifting restriction for 2 weeks post surgery and cooked dinner for my family. Did a couple hours of work from home that day as well. Monday, I was in the office for a full day - moving a little slower, but worked 9-5. So, it depends. To be honest, I would have rather my family been somewhere else and left me alone instead of asking me how I felt every three minutes. But that's just me. Best of luck.

I live with my husband and two teens. I wished I had lived alone! I would have loved a day or two of quiet. I cooked dinner for them all the night after I came home! I am able to split my work between home and office. I had surgery Tuesday, got home Wednesday. Friday, I did the grocery shopping as normal, but had them carry stuff in because I had a 10 pound lifting limit until my post op appointment. I worked from home most of the day Friday. I was in the office on Monday for most of the day. Tuesday I worked from home a full day, as I would normally do and by Wednesday, a week after getting home, things were pretty normal for me. But your mileage may vary. Just make sure you have what you in in the house before you head out for surgery and consider finding a pharmacy that will deliver your prescriptions so you don't have to wait for them or go out to get them after you get home. Best of luck on your journey.

Arrived at hospital at 7 am on Tuesday. Discharged at 1 pm on Wednesday. I didn't use any Rx meds after I got home other than one dose for nausea from the car ride.

Anything that triggers lymphedema is never a suck it up situation. Plain and simple. Call the office. You are going to need to find a protein powder that works without doing that because for the first few weeks after surgery it is going to be your source of protein. Don't mess with it. Also, stay off the damn scale. There is no reason to weigh yourself daily if you cannot brush off the 4 pound swings. I still get them and I'm down 110 pounds. If you are going to make yourself nuts, there is no point, unless you like torturing yourself - at which point - go for it girl.

While my insurance did not have a 6 month requirement, my team had a three month requirement - but by the time I got all the testing scheduled and done, it was almost 5 months before I had my surgery. My program required the information session (April 2016). Then I started with the surgeon's office in May and my surgery was at the end of August. What I can tell you is they are looking for your ability to stick with the plan you will be given. I was given a high protein almost no carb plan to follow from the start - not very different than how I would be eating post-surgery. And I had to schedule the endoscopy, the pulmonary clearance, the cardiac clearance, the psych eval (which took more than a month to schedule and then another month to get the report back.) The time flies. I understand your frustration, but the biggest part of making this work long-term is getting your head in the right place.

Please talk to the dietician on your team about your protein drink and try something different. There is no reason to have to swell after each drink.