Your comments have been great. At this point, I can honestly say that my weight does not matter anymore. I am so lucky to be here today that my health is all I am concerned with. The removal of the cyst and ovary went great (at least we thought). I came home Friday night after the surgery and seemed fine other than being groggy from the anesthesia. My boyfriend came to check on me before going to bed, but I was unresponsive and pale. He turned the lights on and started shaking me. Finally I came to enough to try to walk to the bathroom. I only made it a few steps before passing out. The ambulance came and told my family that I had overdosed on pain killers and they were unable to get a blood pressure. I had only taken 1 1/2 vicadin. After going to the nearest hospital to be stabalized, then taken to the hospital where I had surgery, they found out that I was bleeding internally and did emergency surgery. I lost 2 1/2 liters of blood. The doctor claims that she used a laso type stitch to sew me up and when the swelling started to go down, the stitch slipped. She said she would never use that kind of stitch again. I don't know that I am truly convinced that she is not just trying to cover a mistake on her part, but at least I am alive. My dad told me after it was all over that when he walked in the door before the ambulance took me, I looked like I was already gone. It is hard to accept that things can happen so fast but knowing that I have another chance and being here for my son means so much. Weight is not even a consideration at this point. This has made me realize that there are some things that are not worth wasting time and worry on. My family has always been close but I believe this has made us all see the more important things in life. Please do not let this worry any of you, but let it help you to see the important things in life.

My doctor told me that the actual cysts don't weigh a lot themselves. I think that the weight has to do with all the fluid that comes with the swelling, bloating, etc. My guess is that it's a lot of water weight. All I know is that before my surgery, I wasn't close to fitting into my pre-pregnancy clothes (my surgery was 3 months postpartum) and after I was right back into them. Then the holidays happened and I didn't watch my diet or get much exercise, developed a new cyst on my remaining ovary and gained about 10 lbs. For me, diet and exercise seems to be the key. Every time I stray from either one of those, the lbs pile back on quickly. By the way, that cyst grew and then eventually shrunk and dissolved. I now have a new one...sigh.... I am doing better with my diet, but am still debating going back to the gym.Good luck to you! :)

Thank you for your words as well.  Congratulations on your success with Weight Watchers!  You are right you are still healing from surgery and it takes time.  Our real beauty shows in that merry twinkle in our eyes that offers hope and understanding to others. That "twinkle" has no boundaries for age, size, etc...It is what I am now striving to achieve.

mermaid26: I just wanted to thank you for your words. They were a comfort to me and I hope they are a comfort to austinsangel, too.  Since May I have been keeping the same 5 lbs on, going up and down.  When they found my cyst I thought, well, thank YOU!  Now can I get the weight off after they take it out?  I have been following Weight Watchers for nearly 2 years with a 40 lb weight loss.  Do you think I got rid of the 5 after surgery?  NO.  I joked to my husband that if I were on my death bed I would probably refuse a milk shake.  How sick is that?

I am thankful for my body, no matter what size.  Thanks for reminding me of that. I now realize that, at 3 weeks after surgery, my body is still swollen and healing.

austinsangel: I, too, didn't want to show my fear to my family. My husband, who is a physician, didn't want to show his fear to me. What happened was that I ended up feeling that I was making too much out of something when I had every right to be scared.  Who wants anything growing in us?  It's not natural.  When I came out of anesthesia the nurses said that my husband had a VERY relieved look on his face.  I told him the nurses ratted him out!

Grateful,
Lori

When you have a vertical incision, each side is clamped and pulled apart so that the surgeon can have the optimal view into the pelvis.  We don't feel this because we are under anaesthetic but it's trauma to the lower abdominal muscles nonetheless.  It takes time for the muscles to recover and rushing into things will only make matters worse.

Be calm, let your body heal and then go for the exercise.  I would give it 3 months.  Then you will be raring to go and be able to put all that pent up energy to good use.

Our bodies release prolaxin during pregnancy which have a profound effect on the muscles of the pelvis and lower abdomen.  Trying to exercise so quickly after giving birth is useless unless you have two nannies, one for the day and one for the night.  Then you might achieve the skeletal like figures of our so called 'celebs' who are super thin (00) 2 hours after giving birth.

Your weight post surgery is neither here nor there.

Your healing is what counts.

Take care.

Just wanted to say that my stubborness, etc... almost killed me too.  I suffered from anorexia at sixteen and luckily got it under control.  Looking back it was my attempt to be in total control in a world where I felt controlled and misunderstood and unappreciated by others.  I have been very ill this year and couldn't lose weight no matter what.  I had bact. pneumonia last year, watched was I was eating, ate healthy, etc... Well since Sept. I'm now losing the weight faster than I wish. Being totally healthy is also about an attitude that is unfortunately often masked with the "physical" appearance.  I'm the be careful what you wish scenario.  Try not to stress about the weight, I know it's very hard, but I would rather feel myself and feel well again if I had to choose.  Don't worry about worrying your family, that's what they are truly purposely designed for and remember that your "family" is bigger than you think, we are all connected and our heavenly Father never fails to provide the strength and comfort we need.  God Bless.