Post-Surgery Help and Suggestions Please!

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Quasita
Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello!
I recently had surgery to remove a large dermoid cyst from my right ovary. I have been out of work about a month. When I started having problems due to the cyst, one of the telling signs was that I was working out and eating right but I had gained back several pounds I had lost. I was working hard and was hardcore plateaued. Anyway, before surgery I weighed 443, after surgery (like we're talking the next day) I had shot up to 453, and I have been sorta wavering since.

I did have a seroma develop, which has limited healing and probably accounted for some of the weight gain. Having a pocket of water in your belly, so to speak, can't be especially helpful for that I would think.

Anyway, my final post-op appointment is tomorrow, and I'm being released back to work on Thursday. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to regain stamina while losing the bedrest weight but keeping activity fairly light? I am waiting until the incision has 100% closed before I go back to my aquatics class, and I'm exhausted most of the time right now because of all this.

Help would be greatly appreciated!!

Replies

  • violet456
    violet456 Posts: 674 Member
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    Small steps, and do what you can. I think it is like when we started this journey and could barely walk a mile without wanting to colapse. Unfortunately you need to build up again, but don't loose motivation. Work on upper body movements, arm exercises, and light things you can do. Slowly, but it will happen quickly enough, you will be back to where you were.
  • BruteSquad
    BruteSquad Posts: 373 Member
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    Move what you can move. Such as shadow boxing, in chair leg lifts. Just don't over do it. You are supposed to be healing, and healing is the first thing you can do.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
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    My reason for asking is because according to my surgeon, I should have returned to exercising immediately following my discharge from the hospital but I couldn't do it for at least a week. She said that returning to aquatics was fine, just use waterproof bandaging for that time. She also recommended I drop down below 2k in my diet to lose weight when my TDEE is around 3400 and I almost got into an argument with her over diet theory instead of addressing the real issue...

    She seemed wholly unconcerned by the 10 pounds I gained during the 2hr surgery. Granted, her focus is on the big picture but I didn't understand why I gained that much, or how I could fix that gain. Since she doesn't seem to get the whole eating to lose thing, I thought I'd ask here.
  • caroleslaststand
    caroleslaststand Posts: 178 Member
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    I know personally how frustrating this is. When I came out of anesthesia, one of the first things my SO told me was that the pannus removed weighed over 20lb. So, I figured I was at least 20lb lighter than I'd been that morning, pre-surgery- that would have been 243. Within a few hours, a CNA offered to help me walk down the hall to the scales and I was stunned to find that I weighed 255. I insisted on walking down the hall to another scale and it was the same. I was extremely pissed and none of the nursing staff had anything to say that would help with my confusion. The surgeon stopped by and assured me that there is a lot of fluid from the surgery - it was being drained off into a couple of little bulbs that were attached to me and had to be emptied frequently. Part of the gain is fluid created by the "damage" and some of it was from the IV fluids being pumped into me. I struggled with that for a week and when I ended up back in the hospital had to go through it all over again, because they really flooded me with fluids this time. I was told that it can actually take months to get rid of all the excess fluids and not to be concerned about what I weigh as long as I was eating right.

    About a month after surgery, I was still struggling with weight fluctuation from fluid retention, so I stopped weighing myself (its temporary - I love to weigh in). I've been doing that for 2 weeks. I was told to drink water all day and I think that was important. My pee was always clear for at least 3 weeks - a sign that you're drinking lots of water. Keep hydrated and be patient. Before too long, you'll probably see the extra pounds disappear. I'm finding that I have to trust myself and weigh in less often, because if I don't like the number, I don't handle it well. I see it as an opportunity to focus more on trusting myself to eat right and push fluids (I don't trust myself, as a rule). This also can make the eventual weigh-in more gratifying - so I'm avoiding it for as long as I can.
  • caroleslaststand
    caroleslaststand Posts: 178 Member
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    OH - and I might add - like others are saying - go really easy on yourself. Gradually ease into your more active self and don't get cocky and think you're a living miracle who can defy doctor's orders. That kind of behavior almost killed me.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
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    OH - and I might add - like others are saying - go really easy on yourself. Gradually ease into your more active self and don't get cocky and think you're a living miracle who can defy doctor's orders. That kind of behavior almost killed me.

    Oh I know... but I'm actually "defying orders" by not working out at all and keeping it easy. I've been paying attention to myself and trying to do light house work as time goes to try and get more movement into my life... I still can't believe she told me to get back to aquatics. Maybe she thinks it's not an intense workout? I dunno.
  • toffeewaffle
    toffeewaffle Posts: 23 Member
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    Like others have said go slow. They also have youtube videos on how to work out from bed or in a chair. I would slowly get back into walking a mile + If you can maybe get an exercise bike. Since moving to GA it's been hot hot hot out. So My walks have been canceled. I bought a golds gym exercise bike that folds in half. Just the peddles. For around $25. With this bike you can also work your upper body.

    Hope this helps!
  • jenluvsushi
    jenluvsushi Posts: 933 Member
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    It is totally normal to gain quite a bit of water weight during surgery or anytime you are hooked up to an IV....I actually weighed 5 pounds more after I gave birth due to water weight. I also gained quite a bit both times I had surgery (10+ pounds). You will lose it in about 2 weeks or so depending on how much water you drink and sodium levels. As far as exercise, move your arms until you are able to move your legs.
  • rcolours7
    rcolours7 Posts: 69
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    there's a 10-minute solution pilates video....it will be good to get and start using as it is low impact. there's 5 segments of 10 min exercises. u can choose what to do when

    post-surgery - take it easy. walking is a good one to do.

    as for the dr......she's probably lazy in really understanding the whole nutrition thing.

    u may want to cut back on ur calorie intake for a few weeks until u start seeing that u r losing weight again. if you can't burn the calories w/exercise - have to cut them out for a short time.

    hope this helps.
  • mayerel
    mayerel Posts: 254 Member
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    Maybe try listening to your doc on the calorie thing? I know we all say don't drop below your BMR and only take away a portion of your TDEE, but under a doc's supervision you can eat less.

    Also, I agree with others, take it slow, do what you can. But I also know I didn't push myself or really listen to my doc after a surgery- I was supposed to start physical therapy within a week, I didn't, and wound up having to have a second surgery. Listen to the advice, and take what you can.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
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    Maybe try listening to your doc on the calorie thing? I know we all say don't drop below your BMR and only take away a portion of your TDEE, but under a doc's supervision you can eat less.

    Also, I agree with others, take it slow, do what you can. But I also know I didn't push myself or really listen to my doc after a surgery- I was supposed to start physical therapy within a week, I didn't, and wound up having to have a second surgery. Listen to the advice, and take what you can.

    I do realize that a person can handle more under a doctor's care but my regular doctor recommended that I eat 2600 for weightloss. It was working for a long time, and I dropped as I lost weight. My original TDEE was over 4k, and I have a history of being in starvation because I made the same assumptions my OBGYN is making.

    If my DO was saying eat lower, I'd do it, but he's not. I haven't been eating much since the surgery, though I'm increasing a bit now that I'm moving more... I just want to move the liquids out if possible, I feel so huge and ugly and like all the work I've done before this was for nothing.

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