Initial questions

[Rage]

Hi everyone - I'm new to the board and so happy I have found this place.  Reading the posts on here has inspired me to explore the surgery route.  Before I have a consultation with Dr. Pope in Orlando (does anyone have experience with him?), I was hoping some of you could clear a few things up from the get go:

1.  I am overweight, 6'3, 280 pounds.  I have lost 20 pounds in the past year, but I don't seem to be losing anymore lately even though I am working out.  Will the doctor recommend I continue losing weight before he will perform the surgery?  I'm worried this is the case, because I don't want to wait any longer, I want this surgery now.

2.  My other question is regarding recovery.  How long were most of you guys out of commission?  I need to figure out how long I will have to take off work.  I sit at a desk all day, so I don't do anything strenuous.  However, It will be tough for me to miss a lot of work.

3.  Will anyone at work be able to tell I am recovering from the surgery? I understand you have to some sort of vest afterwards and there will be swelling.  Will anyone be able to notice?

Sorry for all the questions, and thanks in advance for your help.

[Grandpa Bambu]

Rage...

Welcome to the Site my man! 

Congrats on the weight loss. It's not an easy thing to do at times.  You say you can't loose any more... what is your diet and what is your workout routine?

Dr. Pope may want you to loose a bit more weight. He is a member of this forum. You could send him a PM about this issue.

With a desk job, you could return to work after a few days. Yes, you need to wear a vest for a few weeks. If anyone asks about it, just say that you pulled a muscle at the gym and your doc told you to keep some compression on it to help it heal...

GB