Don't tell my surgeon...
 

It's 50 degrees and sunny in Philadelphia -- and my bike has been staring at me ever since my weight loss surgery two weeks ago.

Don't tell my surgeon, but today I went out for a ride. Nothing much; no hills. But I did ride along the towpath until the end, then came back. Google is calling it about 2.5 miles each way. I didn't bring any of my cadence/distance/speed gadgets because I knew that if I did, I would be trying for "just a little more"....

I could feel a little fullness in my belly every time my left leg came up, just where the port is under the skin, but nothing painful. Question for others who have had lap-band or Realize surgery: does that sensation ever go away?

I won't tell, but please don't do it again! I know you must be feeling great and want to be active as soon as possible. I'm not an expert on this surgery by any stretch of the imagination. However, this is what was explained to me by a plastic surgeon when my husband had his face sliced open and had to be fixed: At about 10-15 days, the skin/healing scar is MOST likely to tear open (dehisce) than at any other time. Part of the problem is that you do feel better and feel ready to get back to normal activities.

I'm guessing a 4-6 week recovery is the requirement for post-op after this surgery? It's for a reason. I'm a nurse and even though you don't know me and vice versa, I can't just keep my mouth shut on this as I see nasty complications from all sorts of surgeries way too often. Sometimes it's as a result of patients not following instructions and sometimes it just happens even with the most stringent following of guidelines. What I can tell you is that it is NEVER pretty. And it is NEVER as easy or as uneventful a road as the original sutures/repair. Not just the trauma to the skin and underlying organs, plus the extended recovery time, but infection which can so easily be deadly now.

If your bike keeps tempting you, put him/her out of site for the time being.

Best of luck.
/rant

Jen, that wasn't a good idea. If you've just had a chunk cut out of you, let it heal first. The bike will wait for you.

Hi jeneralist-

Good luck with your surgery. When I did my lap band surgery 9 months ago, I was riding after
two weeks with the doctor's blessing. You should ask, but there is a good chance you will be
given a thumbs up. All surgeries are different, though, so your results may vary. My doctor
said "If it doesn't hurt, then it's fine." Actually, it was more than fine with him. Post-surgery
excercise is a big issue.

The lump does go away. I had a similar experience, but it disappeared after all of the post-surgery
swelling faded.


I'm down 110# at this point, and I'm still slowly losing weight. I lose about 1/2 to 1 # per
week now, and I have about 35# left to hit a BMI of 25. I doubt I'll ever get there.

JimDDD