1poundatatime

I was back to work this week at 3 1/2 weeks post-op. I did two busy 8 hour days. It was ok. I managed to get in my fluids and Protein. I was actually hungrier than I have been - I guess because I was more active. All in all. It was fine.

But, oh my, was I ever exhausted after the second day! I passed out the moment my head hit the pillow and slept like the dead. It definitely wore me out. I'm off now for a week (yay part time rotations!) and I'm sure I'll be 100% by then

Just now, LittleLizzieLilliput said:

I LOVE this!! Congratulations!!!

The first time I was able to buy clothes at a "regular" store was one of my NSVs (I only just learned what NSV meant. lol!)

Yes! Getting out of plus sizes is awesome!! No more XL for us. (I do find it amusing that I am celebrating being large lol)

You've lost 155lbs!! That is incredible!! Well done!

I'm a nurse who works in the OR and we wear hospital scrubs... with colour coded size tags on the back for all to see... ugh

Pre-op I've worn size "dark green" or XL for years.

I had my first day back at work this week and... I wore "light blue" tag pants. LARGE! I was so excited. I probably could have worn a large top as well, but there weren't any. lol

Pre-op, I made a list of NSV to look forward to and this was one of the first things I wrote down. Can't wait to scratch more off the list!

I'm sorry That must have been so disappointing.

It's good that they were able to take care of your spleen though. July will be here before you know it.

My husband opposed the idea at first. He didn't think I was "big enough" to do something so drastic and was worried about the risks. Fair enough. After hearing me out and understanding that my motivation is to improve my health long term. He got behind it and has become my greatest supporter.

I think it's perfectly normal to be concerned!

What you described though, is beyond normal concern. You allude to a previous incident that sounded traumatizing. You seem very worried about coping with your partner being vulnerable. Honestly, as far as surgeries go, this one is pretty easy recovery wise. Getting a hip or knee replacement (for example) has a far more difficult recovery period.

You know that you need to support him because this is something important to him. I suspect the best way you can do that is to seek counselling for whatever issues are being brought up by all this. That way, when his surgery date approaches you'll be able to be there for him and be able to cope with the anxiety from whatever happened before.

3 hours ago, barefoot_gardener said:

How do you determine body fat? I've always sworn I'm "big boned", but who knows. Maybe I can be small.

The nutritionist has a body composition scale. Immediately prior to surgery I was 44% fat... nice, hey? For a woman my age the healthy range is 21-33% body fat and they recommend the goal being 30%.

My nutritionist wants us to aim for 30% body fat, not a weight or BMI.

According to their calculations (body composition) that will put me at 186. I'm 5'7".

Apparently I've been right all along and my bones are made of concrete

If it was your first time trying those things, I wonder if it was the volume rather than the food itself? How much did you have? I could only manage 1 oz at first...

Have you tried making the tuna salad with plain greek yogurt instead of mayo? That's what I've been doing for the extra Protein. It tastes all right. Not quite as good, but a good replacement.

9 hours ago, kf42 said:

I am a nurse and I will be out 4 weeks. Mainly because of the lifting guidelines at my hospital. My surgeon said it may even be longer because of the amount of weight the hospital requires us to lift. I think it's more employee health that won't clear me u too surgeon says it's ok to lift the heavier weight.

Best to be cautious (if you can) with lifting. 4 weeks is probably wise.

Good luck!

Heading to Old Navy today... My jeans are falling off! I plan on getting rid of things as soon as they get too big and replacing as I go with the bare essentials.

No big shopping splurges until I reach goal weight, but I need to feel like I look nice, not swimming in my old fat clothes.

I'm a nurse too. I took 3 weeks off, but it will be 3 1/2 the way my rotation worked out. I go back on Monday and will let you know how things go. I do 8 hr shifts, but literally stand the entire day. Surgical-wise, I think I'll be ok. My incisions have healed well. I'm a little worried about my energy levels as I'm still not eating many calories. But, my main concern is fluids. I can't drink when I'm in the procedure room.

2 hours ago, helpingfriend said:

So finally my questions to you all are:

How are your friends/family supporting you?

What kind of support do you like/don't like from them?

Can you share how you keep up with your diet requirements throughout the day? Do you have a daily breakdown by hour or plan your meals weekly/monthly?

Are there any apps that you use daily that helps you with this new lifestyle?

Any quotes, ideas that you think on throughout the day to help stay positive about this decision?

Are there any favorite online resources that have helped you or that I can look into so I can help support my friend?

Sounds like he has a great and committed group of friends who really want the best for him, but unless he does the mental shift needed to continue losing weight, sadly he won't succeed.

I think the best help for him right now would be to start seeing a therapist regularly. He is sabotaging his own success by making food choices that are clearly not in line with that his nutritionist is surely telling him.

The meal plan might help. It sounds like he did well immediately post-op when the "rules" were strict and lost it once he had some leeway, so a new set of guidelines might be good tool for him.

I had surgery mid-March, so I'm just a couple weeks behind your friend recovery wise.

As far as support... I think the best thing people can do is Celebrate my victories, cheer me on, and keep any thoughts of doubt about this "whole crazy idea" to themselves. So far, I've had nothing but good experiences from friends and family. I'm not relying on anyone though. This is something I have to do for myself. No one can do it for me.

To keep my diet on track... I do plan what and when I'll eat through the day. It's those moment when you are hungry and rushed and have no dinner plan when you are more likely to grab the fast food. Stock the fridge with healthy and on-plan choices that you enjoy. I think that is key.

I track every bite on myfitnesspal. It's bit tedious at first, but it gets easier because it saves your favourite and you don't have to search for things so much. If your friend isn't doing this, he absolutely should. I have learned so much doing this. It also helps with keeping Protein, fat, carb targets as well.

I guess the main thing I keep at the forefront of my mind is that this is a tool and only a tool. If I don't use the tool, nothing will happen.

Wishing the best for your friend! Hopefully you can encourage him to get back on track, but if he doesn't don't wear it yourself, he is dealing with an addiction and only he can free himself from it.

I don't think it's crazy at all.

I started out with a BMI of 40 (but I doubt anyone would have guessed it was that high). I am otherwise healthy, but I figured I can't count on that forever. As I gain weight and get older, things like hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, arthritis, etc are bound to start cropping up. Plus, I had to look at how likely I was to even stay at my current weight... The trend has always been to gain.

I'm two weeks post-op now and have lost a total of 35 lbs (23 pre-op and 12 post). I already feel like a new person. I truly feeling lighter, more agile, and more like "me".

Do look into it. Research doctors. Read lots about the post-op process and be 100% eyes-open about what you're signing for.

I suppose it isn't for everyone, but it certainly can be life-changing!

I could have had it done in Canada for free (well, paid for by tax payers), but the wait lists are very long. I looked at private pay in both Canada and the US and made the decision to go to Mexico.

I'm 2 weeks post-op and am very pleased with my experience. I would definitely recommend it to others with the caveat of always doing lots of research first to ensure you find a reputable doctor and facility.

33 minutes ago, MeltsIntoWonder said:

I don't have anything to add, I just wanted to express my appreciation for nurses. You don't get nearly enough recognition for all of the hard work you do!

Thanks! I've worked in many areas and love them all

Thanks for sharing!! It is so encouraging to when we're just starting out!

16 hours ago, MelissaRose24 said:

Im a nurse. I work in a nicu so I work with small babies but still some babies are 8lbs or more and I was wondering how long I should request off. I know some people are good after a week. I was gonna do 2 weeks but im worried that wont be enough?

I'm a nurse too. I do 8 hr shifts, but literally stand the entire time and push a lot of stretchers. I work in endoscopy - not a "heavy" job but very fast paced.

I'm booked off for 3 weeks, but the way my rotation works I'll be 3 1/2 weeks post op when I go back. It this point (day 14), I think I'll be fine. My incisions are healing well and I don't have a lot of fatigue. My main concern is getting my fluids in when I go back to work. I can only drink on breaks.

I'll keep you posted how it goes for me! When is your surgery date?

I flew 4 hours to get to and from surgery. Surgery on Thursday morning, and was cleared to fly home Sunday.

It may depending on the history and whether you have symptoms of sleep apnea.

I only told a handful of "need to know" people before surgery. I've told a few more since and all reactions have been positive.

Whether you tell or not is totally personal and up to you

I didn't need help to look after myself, but I was glad my hubby had a few days off to look after the kids. Lifting them, bathing them, etc. would have been difficult. The only things that I couldn't do around the house was vacuuming, laundry (lots of bending with a front loader), mopping the floors.

We're on a journey and you learned something out of that experience. That's what matters!

Knowing what you know now, figure out some strategies for next time you're on the road. Bring Protein Powder for shakes? Stop in at a store and get some healthy options to keep in the hotel fridge? Eat before you go out, to prevent temptation?

It's a new day

The pregnancy was in a very early stage when you had your surgery, possibly prior to implantation which would limit the amount of medications the fetus would have been exposed to. Is the 6 weeks based on u/s?

In your situation, I would first find out exactly what medications were used and the safety of them in pregnancy. But, be prepared that most will have "unknown effects" as drugs aren't tested on pregnant women.

The second consideration would be speaking to a nutritionist asap about what changes will need to be made to your diet and Vitamin plan. Don't worry too much about the weight loss at this point, many people lose weight in the early stages of pregnancy.

Hoping for the best!

Fluids don't stay in your stomach long. I'm 11 days out and can eat an 8 oz bowl of Soup in sitting (over 20 minutes or so). Water goes down easy too - one sip at a time.

It sounds to me like everything is ok, but if you are worried definitely call your doctor.

Holy moly that's a long wait! You must be thrilled! Congratulations!