IP and surgery recovery?

  • I am getting ready to have foot surgery and I'm starting IP at the same time. Has anyone else done this combo? I will be off my foot for several months and I thought this would mesh with my starting IP. I just need to know if it could potentially slow my healing. I am having two bones in my foot fused😳

    Thanks!

    2much fun
  • Talk to your coach and make sure your surgeon knows that you are on it, or will have been on it within X period of time before the surgery.

    It may affect the levels of anesthesia and monitoring that you need as a result of the metabolic changes that IP makes. Better to be safe than to regret it.

    Hopefully your surgery is successful and you have a speedy recovery!
  • I agree talk to your coach & your doctor.
    I did have major abdominal surgery (incisional hernia repair) about two weeks after I started IP the first time. I was in the hospital for 4 days and then home recovering for about 2 weeks. I brought my IP packets into the hospital with me and it worked out fine (I did get a number of RTD's to make it easier). Also I had a weekly menu written out beforehand that was VERY clear so the people taking care of me knew what to do.
    I healed VERY quickly and continued to lose weight throughout my recovery.

    Just my own experience--get medical advice for yourself!
  • Quote: I am getting ready to have foot surgery and I'm starting IP at the same time. Has anyone else done this combo? I will be off my foot for several months and I thought this would mesh with my starting IP. I just need to know if it could potentially slow my healing. I am having two bones in my foot fused��

    Thanks!

    2much fun
    Agree with previous posts: let your surgeon know. Healing takes calories, more than baseline, and IP as you know is restricted. Many weight loss protocols have a category for pregnant/nursing/recovering from surgery or trauma in which more food is precribed. I'm no expert by any means, but building tissue in a major way, as in healing, and ESPECIALLY fusing bones, is an opposite physiological process than breaking down tissue, as in weight loss. If it were my foot, I would prioritize promoting the best surgical outcome. I have seen failed fusions and delayed healing surgical wounds and they can be hard to treat.

    That said, if your surgeon and IP coach are okay with it (in that order), I would go for it! Two nice things about IP as far as wound healing are that it stabilizes blood sugar and provides loads of quality protein and veggies.
    Best wishes for a speedy recovery whatever you decide.
  • I wouldn't worry about what your coach has to say about this situation. I would ask your doctor.

    Worst case you delay your weight loss for 4-6 weeks. Your foot you will need for the rest of your life.

    Be smart.
  • Thanks for the replies. I meet with the surgeon Wednesday to discuss the surgery date and recovery time period. I will definitely talk to him. This is a slow recovery that will leave me on crutches until the bone heal sufficiently to wear a boot for another long period of time. Hopefully there will be no issue with doing IP while I am recovering��

    2much fun
  • Quote: Thanks for the replies. I meet with the surgeon Wednesday to discuss the surgery date and recovery time period. I will definitely talk to him. This is a slow recovery that will leave me on crutches until the bone heal sufficiently to wear a boot for another long period of time. Hopefully there will be no issue with doing IP while I am recovering��

    2much fun
    You might ask the surgeon about upping your protein during recovery - either through whole food or an extra packet. Protein is very important for healing. I had hernia surgery while on P1 and used extra packets while recovering. Plus they are so easy to use when you don't feel like eating.

    Best of luck to you!
  • Talk to the doctor. I can attest that the body needs more calories. I ate a regular p4 menu after mine and 2 weeks after I had dropped 5 pounds. It was not loss of appetite from pain killers because I could not take anything but OTC. There will be time to diet. Maybe talk to your coach about eating p4 without fun days and keeping your nutrition very clean. It will help healing.
  • Quote: Talk to the doctor. I can attest that the body needs more calories. I ate a regular p4 menu after mine and 2 weeks after I had dropped 5 pounds. It was not loss of appetite from pain killers because I could not take anything but OTC. There will be time to diet. Maybe talk to your coach about eating p4 without fun days and keeping your nutrition very clean. It will help healing.
    This makes a lot of sense to me. Also I would suggest not weighing yourself for a few days after surgery, or at least not being alarmed at a weight gain. The reaction to the physiological stress of surgery is to secrete hormones that hang onto fluid in a major way. It will self correct in a few days without you doing anything. Imho, it's best to let it be because it might be an integral part of healing.