Creekimp13

You've been researching and preparing for this for months. Trust your saner self. Everyone has a little freak out when it becomes real in the final hours...which makes sense, because surgery is kinda scary:) You've got this. It's gonna be ok:) Wishing you a healthy effective outcome and an easy surgery. Remember to get up and walk ASAP. Sip, Suck, Stroll. Sending you good vibes!

If it's coming out of your vagina...it's menstruation. They don't go anywhere near your reproductive organs with the surgery, so it's not the result of anything surgical. Your hormones can be totally screwy after a surgery. I was due my period on the 11th. It showed up finally, over a week late....and weird and heavy. So...yeah...that kinda stuff can happen, particularly if you've been missing months and months of periods. OH! Keep in mind you've had some anticoagulant shots to prevent blood clots over the course of your surgery....that could certainly effect how your lining is shedding, get something going...., or make a fibroid bleed like crazy....all sorts of options. Since you have irregular periods, I would suggest paying a visit to your gyno and getting checked out. Just make sure all is well and you don't have anything major going on. As long as you're not bleeding enough to drench more than one pad/tampon every couple of hours.....I'd hang in there and phone the office in the morning. I'm guessing that anticoagulation drug has something to do with what you're experiencing.

I'm an Atheist, so not really good at praying. LOL. But I will definately send good vibes your way and hope for an excellent healthy outcome:) Best wishes!

I'm two and a half weeks out...I drink decaf mostly, but once in a while when I want to get my heart rate up before exercise, i'll do a cup of half regular/half decaf. I put my Premiere protein Caramel shake in it for creamer and it's really good. My doc is cool with one cup of regular, but wants the rest to be decaf. I've grown really fond of ginger lemon tea, too. Soothing on the new stomach and I really like the taste.

Cottage cheese, yogurt, beans, tofu, homemade soups, split pea soup. I'm two and a half weeks out, I eat rotisserie chicken in broth and soup cut up really fine. Plans differ so wildly... Just make sure you're eating enough calories, and getting your protein and fluid goals. All is well:) Be patient. I'm gonna have finely chopped up turkey, mashed taters and gravy at Christmas. I do a lot of smoothies and put some leafy greens and fruit in there (watch the sugar and calories)

Lady Rogaine. I'm using it as a precaution cause I know mine's gonna thin horribly. Has after surgeries in the past. Does grow back, though. Also...Paul Mitchell anti-thinning shampoo helps.

it's good for the little granuals in capsules, too. Open the capsule and sprinkle the grains on the Cool Whip. I take my Omeprazole like this:)

Add a little cardio. Power though the stall:) Watch calories. You're doing great! No worries.

I love Dr. Now. He's adorable.

Clothes....lounge pants, loose long teeshirts, and a long cardigan, cause you'll feel cold. To the hospital....bring lounge pants or PJ bottoms. You'll still have to wear the hospital gown on top, but putting some bottoms on makes it a lot nicer to get up and start walking the halls. Bring chapstick! Was never so glad someone mentioned this. You'll need it.

It will differ for each person...there is no way to tell how you will respond as an individual. That said...I can speak to my experience.... The only time when I experienced anything other than mild discomfort was bedtime the first night after surgery...it was a little hard to get comfortable. Had a pain shot and was out like a light. I was pretty unstoppable. Woke up from surgery and wanted to start walking. Got myself out of bed with no problems...surprised the nurses, and just kept going. Day after surgery, I felt very much like myself, and went home that night. Incision pain was pinchy for about 3-4 days. I'm two weeks out and could easily do crunches or a rowing machine, but I'm being good and just walking 7 miles a day instead. The only thing that really slowed me down was a lack of calories. Needed fuel to think, heal, move. Once I got eating a little more, I felt terrific.

Whenever I get the "I don't wanna" blues...I watch a few episodes of My 600 Pound Life. It's a reality check, and it gets me on track. I know that's weird, but it really helps motivate me to make better choices. I want to improve "My Eating Habit" and make Dr. Nowzaridin proud. LOLOLOLOL

Get a tube of chapstick for the hospital. I did just for the hell of it cause I saw several people mention their lips being dry and cracked the day after anesthetic. I was so grateful I did! Wow, do you get dry that first day! Also...take some comfortable lounge pants. You'll still have to wear the gown cause of your IV and all....but putting lounge pants on your butt will make it a whole lot nicer to walk the halls as often as you can...which will help you more than anything. Sugar free jello. If you take any meds...get sugar free Cool Whip. You can crush them and put the dust in the Cool Whip...goes down easy. Liquid Tylenol/Acetominophen for adults. You'll want to get off your narcotic prescription ASAP so your bowels work again and so you can drive. I was able to get by with just regular Tylenol the first full day I was home...sped up feeling like myself. A hot water bottle to take to bed. You get cold after surgery. Not sure why. Having a hot water bottle to put my feet on in bed was a really nice comfort item. A thermometer. If you're going to discontinue blood pressure meds after surgery....having a blood pressure cuff is a great idea to make sure it's going ok.

You've lost 28 pounds. That's an insane loss for the first month for someone your weight. Your body is resetting your metabolism to starvation levels. If you don't up your calories (my nutritionist pushes for 1000 calories per day by week 5) you will waste your one chance to reset your metabolism to a healthy level...by setting it at a sluggish starvation level that is associated with future regain. Yes, we all love losing weight fast. It's not healthy, and it'll screw you up long term. EAT. Make HEALTHY food choices. You're going from being a habitual overeater to being a habitual starver....stop with the extremes. Develop a healthy eating habit and the vigorous metabolism that goes with it. This is formula for lifelong success. Starving yourself and developing a starvation metabolism sets you up for disappointment later. One day you'll have to eat again. Escape the cycle of extreme thinking.

Food for thought: https://www.livescience.com/43839-too-much-protein-help-cancers-grow.html Not making judgements about anyone's choices....just throwing some information out there.

You can ask for the radiologist's report and read for yourself what it says. Might be something completely simple, might be something more serious. Best to get it checked out and be sure. I know it's enough to ruin your day. Been there. I flunked my upper GI x-rays...they came back abnormal and I had to get an endoscopy where I had to be sedated. I learned I have chronic gastritis....which isn't any big deal, but they needed to take biopsies of my stomach to make sure I wasn't carrying the ulcer bacteria and start treating it before my surgery. Your lung issue might be something as simple as a weird scar artifact from an old case of bronchitis, or something as complicated as a mass. Only way to know is to have it checked out. Either way....you know and can move forward to the next step in taking care of your health. Sorry about the stress and frustration....I know it's hard.

it's safest for you to have all the information on the table. Keeps everyone on your team aware and prepared for any issues that might be unique to you. More info is a good thing. It won't stop your surgery...it will make your surgery safer.

Only reason I asked...was that I didn't know I had one. I had pretty bad acid before surgery. My upper GI looked abnormal, and my upper endoscopy showed I had chronic gastritis likely due to the acid. When my surgeon did my sleeve, he said he found a hiatal hernia.....which he fixed. I have been mercifully without ANY acid since surgery. Not meaning to brag about that when yours is so miserable...just wanting to make sure that's not a possible solution. No acid...for the first time in years. That, in itself, was reason enough to have the surgery done!

A lot can have to do with extra water and edema you might have carried. Your fluid level can also be hormonal, and you might be a touch on the dehydrated side, even if you're getting your required fluids. You do go a few days without consuming calories that week, and you do burn a lot of calories healing from major surgery. I think it's pretty common to lose around ten pounds or more....but how much of that weight it really fat loss, and how much is water redistribution is a big guess. Also, because dehydration is such a risk, they tend to load you up on fluids at the hospital. You've peed most of your spare fluids out at this point, so it's extra special important to pay attention to your hydration. Also possible, you're just a smokin fast weight loser....which would be too cool, no? Stay hydrated and let us know what your monthly total is in a few weeks:)

By any chance, were you evaluated for a hiatal hernia?

Best wishes on a safe and effective outcome!

About a week. Once I had their "Approved" letter in my hand I felt so much better.

Love, love, love my Fitbit. Best "exercise equipment" I've ever bought. I set a step goal, work on it every day until it's easy, and then increase it. That's it. The difference is HUGE. it gives me a little vibration to let me know I've been sitting on my butt too long...reminds me to get up and walk. it keeps track of how I'm sleeping. I started out getting 6000 steps a day. Now, I do 16,000 per day. Just a little increase at a time. It keeps track of how much of your activity is fat burning, how much is cardio, and how much is peek (cardio+).....you can just pick up the pace, or walk up hill. It keeps track of the number of stair cases you do. I try to do ten a day. With my Fitbit, I can measure the calories I'm burning each day and make sure I'm eating appropriately. If I want to eat a little more, I get a couple more thousand steps in. If I'm feeling lazy, I watch my calories more. I like that it's quantifiable. I hate the guessing in dieting. I want to know that what I'm doing will eventually get the results I want.

They gave me a couple of blood thinner shots in the hospital, but no meds to go home on.

I would be thrilled with 9 pounds a month. You didn't gain all your weight in a few months...you won't lose it that fast either. Your body consumes an insane number of calories healing itself immediately following a major surgery, plus you had several days of not eating at all in there. You've done the heavy lifting of healing at this point, and you're starting to eat again. You can only lose the number of pounds your body is consuming in calories. According to Mayo Clinic...A 250 lb. female who is moderately active burns about 2,050 calories per day. Assuming you're eating about 1000 calories a day....the best you can hope for is about 2 pounds per week with moderate activity. If you want to up this number...you have to up your calorie burn....which means more exercise every day. The other way to up the number, is to eat fewer calories....which is a trap, because while you will lose a little more weight, you'll end up resetting your metabolism to a starvation conservation level that makes weight loss more difficult...and regain more likely. If you want to lose more....exercise more. But 9 pounds a month....is phenomenal progress. Be happy you're doing so well!