In A Predicament!

[nhlapband 0]

:help: Hi there! I am scheduled for surgery on Dec. 20. I just found out that we are moving about a week or two later. I have made it public knowledge that I am having this surgery, and I don't think I plan to. Do you all think I'll be able to lift stuff by then, and if not, I wonder what I say to people who come and help us move? What a predicament! :omg:

[Candle 11]

For the first 2 weeks I was told not to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk and then for the next 2 weeks, nothing heavier than 20lbs.

You don't want to strain your abdomen muscles. Could make your port very sore and/or pop the stitches that are holding it in place.

Do you have enough people to help you? You might want to hire movers.

[HeavyHeartland 0]

So, you are not planning on having the surgery, but the friends you have enlisted to help you move think you are?

If you are an honest person, just fess up and tell them you changed your mind. Are these people simply helping you because you were having the surgery, or would they have helped you anyway?

If you are not an honest person, just lay in bed, complain about your stitches hurting, and don't lift a thing. After you move you probably won't see most of those people again anyway so ha ha, the joke will be on them.

[trystelle 3]

I think she meant to say that she wasn't telling anyone. I really think it is a bad idea to push yourself. I wasn't allowed to do heavy lifting or exercise other than walking for 6 weeks. Check with you doc.

[make33 2]

When I returned to work at almost three weeks, my surgeon said I still could not lift more than 10# for two more weeks!

We are not permitted to return to working out for 4 - 6 weeks, so please do not even THINK you are going to be able to help. And when the day comes, you may feel okay, but believe me, you will not do yourself any favors by lifting or stretching.

This is a lifetime change and you certainly don't want to harm your body. (It's been said in these threads that even when the stitches are looking and feeling healed, your abdominal muscles are way behind and still have a long way to go.)

Your friends should understand--but I would also try to recruit more people to help you move, just in case...

[Longhorn 1]

There are all kinds of surgeries. Could you tell your friends you've had surgery to repair a hernia? Turns out, I had a hernia that I didn't know about that was repaired during my surgery. If you don't want to lie (and don't end up having a hernia,) can you get away with just saying you've had some minor surgery but don't really want to discuss it? Or perhaps you hurt your back and your doctor said not to lift anything? Almost everyone has had back pain at some point in their lives so it's pretty well understood.

Whatever you decide, don't be lifting heavy objects! I suspect it won't be comfortable bending over too much by then anyway. It took me a little longer for my port pain to go away. You'll still want to take it easy. Good luck!

[VegasGrace 1]

Sure...but don't lift pianos or washing machines!

I moved 1 month after..but I have children that moved all the heavy stuff.

[faithmd 14]

:help: Hi there! I am scheduled for surgery on Dec. 20. I just found out that we are moving about a week or two later. I have made it public knowledge that I am having this surgery, and I don't think I plan to. Do you all think I'll be able to lift stuff by then, and if not, I wonder what I say to people who come and help us move? What a predicament! :omg:

I wanted to also ask if you are moving far from your surgeon? What I mean is are you moving a distance away so that you would need to see someone else for follow up? If so, then you really need to call and find a surgeon who will do your after care in the area you are moving to. That's the hardest thing to find, a surgeon who will take care of a band placed elsewhere. No matter if it's in the US or Mexico or wherever.

I second the hernia thing. When folks happen to see my scars (I reach up and have a shorter shirt on or getting dressed at work, etc) I say I had a hernia repaired.

[transformer 1]

Hi there!

If you don't want to lie about having surgery, I'd vote for lying about having hurt your back instead. That happens to people all the time! I'm so naughty--encouraging you to lie! :confused:

Seriously though, everyone's right. You can't be lifting things that soon after surgery.

I hope all goes well for you!

[steph_co 9]

I vote for the lie about it being a hernia repair. LOL That's what I plan on if I ever have to say I had surgery for something. If you go look at pictures of a hiatal hernia, it almost looks like a dang Lapband, anyway, just with the diaphragm instead and no positive results from it.

[snowbird 2]

No need to lie; just say that you recently had surgery and cannot lift. Believe me, you do not want to strain your abdominal muscles and risk band slippage or tearing your stitches. I helped my husband move something heavy even 6 weeks after surgery, and I could definitely feel the strain in my stomach. Not worth the risk.

[nhlapband 0]

Thanks for all of your responses. I especially like the hernia idea. And the saying I had surgery but don't want to talk about it. I appreciate all of your input. Thanks!

[Telecia 1]

You can also say you had your apendix out. which is done laproscopicly too. pretty much the same scars as the band and hernia or at least my appendix surgery did.

[kacee 3]

Making something up about what you had done is all fine well and good, but ULTIMATELY and in the END, a LIE BEGETS A LIE BEGETS A LIE. I'm sorry, but it really galls me that people give so much of their own POWER away in the name of "the line of least resistence". Don't give your power away to someone in your family, a friend, or a one time acquaintance who (GOD FORBID!) may JUDGE you on their own faulty terms (like what are you going to do as a result, spontaneously combust or something?). You are making a life commitment. OWN IT. Remember Star Jones and what happened to her after she side-stepped and lied and did "guilt by omission" to avoid conflict.... She never would have done that if she had seen the fallout that came down the road as a result. To me it is NOT worth it. Okay, you can pillory me for this but that's my observation and I am sticking to it.

[juliegeraci 7]

You must be very careful. I wouldn't lift more than 10 lbs if I were you.