I was wondering from those who have had surgery about there recovery. I have a 2 month old and a 21 month old. The 21 month old requires me to lift me occasionally but the 2 month old I carry all the time. Will this be a problem after surgery? If so how soon do you think I'll be able to lift them?

One other questions.....I saw a thread here about loosing 100 pounds in 4 months? I know its been done so it's not impossible but part of me is skeptical. I know how much one pound is I can't imagine that much in 4 months. I'm starting around 335....do you think that is possible for me?

Thanks

Gwyn

Amerigirl,

I think 100 in 4 months would be the exception...and not the rule. It may have happened but I'm sure there were other contributing factors such as perhaps surgical or healing complications that preventing taking in nutrition etc. However...it seems to be very likely that you could lose 3-4 pounds a week with the sleeve...(pretty much twice as fast as any other weight loss dieting plan). It's all individual and depends on how hard you're willing to work the "tool" and do the exercising etc.

As for picking up baby......I was told not to lift anything more than 15# for minimum 3 weeks after surgery. I believe the risks are developing a hernia or straining your staple line if you disregard these cautions. Some one with more experience will probably jump in here and answer this!

Tracy

I was not allowed to lift anything over 10lbs for at least 6 weeks post-op. I had this same rule with my band surgery.

I think 100 pounds loss in 4 months is very doable especially with proper dietary adjustments, and exercise. Usually, light weights (lower BMI) lose slower, and patients who have more to lose, lose a bit faster. Plus, I've read about men losing faster which has always been the case in my readings. I lost over 100lbs in 6 months. Yes, I had complications, but I was also very strict with the rules in the first 3-4 months. I did have bouts of nausea that kept me from eating a lot of calories in the first 2 months. During my initial month of recovery I was completely restricted to not take in anything by mouth, no food, no Water, not even ice chips, and I was fed 1800 calories of TPN (Fluid bag) through a pic (central line catheter) line in my arm. I didn't lose a huge amount of weight the first month due to the 1800 calories I was being force fed. Now, once I started the post-op diet, pounds dropped for me, and I was averaging 6.5-8 pounds loss per week. Around mid-October (4.5 months post op) I was able to get my weight loss to slow down to 2-4 pounds per week. I am now trying to maintain as I am only 2 pounds from goal as of today. Again, I was extremely strict with my "food" intake in the beginning. I also stayed on the mushy/soft food stage longer because I just could not stomach dense Protein.

If you follow the doctors post-op diet, you will maximize your initial weight loss which will give you a good foundation. It's called the honeymoon phase for this exact reason. If you cheat on the post-op diet, and incorporate foods too early not only do you risk damaging your staple line, causing complications/leak, you can stall your weight loss early on.

Tiffykinsn, if you don't mind me asking what kind of complications did you have?

I am a band to sleeve revision patient. The band damaged my stomach tissue severely.

2 days post op with the revision, a leak was found on my final leak test. Rushed to surgery to repair it. My lungs would not recover and I was in ICU on a ventilator for 4.5 -5 days. Once they woke me up and I was able to get out of ICU, I was set up with the pic line, and sent home 2 days later with a home health nurse coming in every other day to change dressings. I had 2 jp drains. This went on for over 3 weeks. Once I recovered from that episode, I was doing well, but July 13th, I was hospitalized for 7 days, for Fluid pockets/abscesses in my abdomen and dehydration. I had 2 different pigtail drains placed to shrink/drain the fluid pockets, and they stayed in place for over 3 weeks. I was prescribed heavy antibiotics (3), and Zofran for nausea. I was finally released for normal activity the end of August/first part of September. They believe that during the leak repair, a few microscopic pieces of bacteria may of been left behind during the flushing process of my abdomen which led to the abscesses forming in the first place.

Wow, that sounds rough. I'm glad to see you are doing well. You look really great in your pictures.

I was given a lifting restriction of 15 lbs. for the first 4 weeks. As for the weight loss, I've seen (read) that people with more to lose tend to lose faster than "lightweights." My weight loss speed far exceeded anything I ever expected/hoped, but although I was compliant with MY surgeon's post op diet, I did begin adding more carbs back in a lot sooner than others, which probably kept me from losing as fast as I might have.

I also have small children, 18 month old = 20 pounds, a 3 year old = 30 pounds, 5 year old = 40 pounds. Prior to surgery I would lift all of them, obviously the 5 year old the least and the 18 month old the most. My doctor said I would have a 10 pound restriction for two weeks and 20 pound restriction for 4 weeks. I still am not sure how I will handle the when my 5 year old is back at school and my husband is at work, but for now (4 days post op) I am just trying to take it easy. To hear Tiffykins say 10 lbs for 6 weeks really freaks me out and I will be talking to my doctor about it more at my next appt. I would difinitely discuss it completely with your doctor before surgery.

Amerigirl-

I'm late on this thread but I also have a 22 month old baby. Not lifting her wasn't an option for me. But I put her in daycare for a week and my hubby took care of her. After that week I was fine. I lifted weights (albeit light) at the gym and was fine. My doc told me to let my body be my guide. if it hurts don't do it. I had no restrictions or other guidelines. My husband deployed pretty much right after my surgery, so I was on my own with baby lifting from then on.

p.s. i also have a 110 lb great dane puppy who i often have to wrestle.

I also have small children, 18 month old = 20 pounds, a 3 year old = 30 pounds, 5 year old = 40 pounds. Prior to surgery I would lift all of them, obviously the 5 year old the least and the 18 month old the most. My doctor said I would have a 10 pound restriction for two weeks and 20 pound restriction for 4 weeks. I still am not sure how I will handle the when my 5 year old is back at school and my husband is at work, but for now (4 days post op) I am just trying to take it easy. To hear Tiffykins say 10 lbs for 6 weeks really freaks me out and I will be talking to my doctor about it more at my next appt. I would difinitely discuss it completely with your doctor before surgery.

I don't mean to freak anyone out, but what a lot of people do not realize is that they may be laproscopic sites, but they are still incisions. They cut through many layers of tissue to get inside your abdominal cavity.

Hernias can appear at the incision sites especially the larger incision site where they remove the large portion of the stomach. Plus, your staple line is healing, and you do not want to stress that staple line by doing too much lifting and stretching of the abdominal muscles.

I'm sure other people can lift more sooner post-op, but during my revision, my surgeon removed large amounts of scar tissue, and adhesions therefore leaving my abdomen probably more vulnerable than most patients. I'd err on the side of caution during the first month with any lifting over about 15lbs. I would not want anyone to go through another surgery due to hernias, or even abscesses forming at incision sites from overdoing it.

I had a 10 month old @ 18 pounds when I went for surgery. I emailed Dr Aceves office about this before I went, b/c I know my baby, he loves being held.

They told me 10 pound limit the first week and 20 after that. I was there for 4 days of the first week, so that was no issue, lol. I had a really hard time not lifting him that weekend I got back. I mostly just asked my husband to hand him to me while I was sitting. I won't lie, though, it was difficult. My baby is very squirmy. You might have an easier time with a younger baby, though.

I stupidly shoveled snow @ one month out, and that was a HUGE mistake. I pulled a stomach muscle and spent a week worrying about the damage I had done. It was so dumb of me!

Best of luck.

My mom is going to be here with me and I have my husband. Since it was too long ago since I had the baby I was restricted for a little while before I could lift my 21 month old. I'm sure it won't be a problem. As long as I can hold the baby sitting I'll be fine. I would just miss it.

Thanks

I agree with Tiffykins 100%. I was given a binder from the hospital which includes instructions that I cannot lift, push or pull greater than 20 lbs for the 1st month. At this time I will have another appointment with my surgeon and he will decide what my next steps are. I have heard too many horror stories of people who have complications due to their own disregard of the warnings. I am personally trying to do my best to follow all the rules so that this can be as successful as possible. I look at these first few months of torture as the necessary building block for the new me!

BTW....I have 3 kids (3, 9 & 13) who know how sore and sometimes sick daddy is, but they know how much fun we will be having this summer and next Christmas when daddy is better than they have EVER seen him. It truly is a small price to pay for a wonderful future!