About three weeks ago I underwent spinal fusion for idiopathic scoliosis. The surg went well and my recovery is going very smoothly. I went in to the surgery at 150 pounds, 5'9 and three quarters. My doctor informed me that I could potentially lose as much as 15% of my body mass, so twenty two pounds during the first six weeks of recovery. I've lost eleven pounds so far after three weeks (though I am now 5'10 and a half!). For those of you unfamiliar, the instrumentation they grafted to my spine is negligible weight, perhaps six ounces or so. I lost eight pounds in the first week and a half or so, and three more in the last fourteen days. I've been holding at 139 lbs for the past four or five days, so I'm hoping not to lose anymore.
Obviously my appetite was effected the first two weeks after surgery due to anesthesia and other pain meds, etc. I've got my appetite back now though my hemoglobin dropped down to I think 10.8 (slightly lower than it should be, I've forgotten the exact number now) sometime after I left the hospital, so I am taking iron pills in addition to a mulitvitamin. I eat pretty healthy and pretty well, three or four meals a day, and I am also drinking myoplex protein shakes in order to add protein. They're also nicely filling, my metabolism was fast before the surgery and I think it's sped up a bit right now due to all the healing going on in my body, lots of muscle atrophy from the first week of relative inactivity in addition to I guess stuff being metabolized in order to further healing processes or whatnot. I am currently taking one and a half percocets every ten to twelve hours or so. To balance this and the iron and multivitamin I am taking senocot s as a laxative. I may get off the perc soon and switch to tylenol.
Does anyone have suggestions for weight gain? The Myoplex shakes I'm drinking are pretty lean, I could probably find something more fatty. I also can't work out or lift for a while, so adding muscle that way is out of the question. My doc said no intensive physical therapy, my body should heal most efficiently on its own simply from sitting, walking and going about my daily activities. He did say wading and walking through water would be good to build my core back up. For the doctors out there, do you guys think I'm done losing weight? I don't want to eat shit. I like eating good, healthy food, so if anyone has any suggestions I am all ears. I look like a fucking skeleton right now, it is very frustrating.
Obviously my appetite was effected the first two weeks after surgery due to anesthesia and other pain meds, etc. I've got my appetite back now though my hemoglobin dropped down to I think 10.8 (slightly lower than it should be, I've forgotten the exact number now) sometime after I left the hospital, so I am taking iron pills in addition to a mulitvitamin. I eat pretty healthy and pretty well, three or four meals a day, and I am also drinking myoplex protein shakes in order to add protein. They're also nicely filling, my metabolism was fast before the surgery and I think it's sped up a bit right now due to all the healing going on in my body, lots of muscle atrophy from the first week of relative inactivity in addition to I guess stuff being metabolized in order to further healing processes or whatnot. I am currently taking one and a half percocets every ten to twelve hours or so. To balance this and the iron and multivitamin I am taking senocot s as a laxative. I may get off the perc soon and switch to tylenol.
Does anyone have suggestions for weight gain? The Myoplex shakes I'm drinking are pretty lean, I could probably find something more fatty. I also can't work out or lift for a while, so adding muscle that way is out of the question. My doc said no intensive physical therapy, my body should heal most efficiently on its own simply from sitting, walking and going about my daily activities. He did say wading and walking through water would be good to build my core back up. For the doctors out there, do you guys think I'm done losing weight? I don't want to eat shit. I like eating good, healthy food, so if anyone has any suggestions I am all ears. I look like a fucking skeleton right now, it is very frustrating.
