Question:
I am a month post op today and I feel like total crap!
Food makes me feel sick. Water and liquids make me feel sick too. Everytime I eat or drink, my stomach tosses and turns. I don't throw up, but feel like it is going to happen. Also, how do I take my anti-depressants without them getting stuck (I take two 20mg Prozac)sould I take them like an hour apart so they can go down without a problem? I also have an incisional leak which has opened in a second place on my incision. I have been to my surgeon who says don't worry it is normal and to my doctor who took a culture and put me on antibiotics just in case. But my problem is that my incision still HURTS so much with these two openings. My surgeon is telling me to work through the pain and do more everyday, but I don't have the energy or strenght to do much more( I clean my house and take care of my four kids and cook.) Will I ever be able to eat and drink without feeling sick? Will I ever have my energy back? Right now I am sorry that I had this surgery done. Any suggestions or words of wisdom to share? — Dawn H. (posted on August 17, 2001)
August 17, 2001
If you don't have the energy you don't have the energy. I took six weeks
off from work and was tired all the time. My surgeon did a blood workup at
4 weeks because I was so pale and run-down. It will get better - every day.
Don't worry. Just don't be lifting anything heavier than 5 lbs now and
don't worry if the house is dirty. You'll feel better soon!!
— Kristy J.
August 17, 2001
Please go back and read your profile like I did before posting an answer to
your question. Before surgery you said that nothing would stop you from
having this surgery because you did not like the life you were having as
being obese. Give yourself time to recover. Try to stay calm and positive.
Try not to do too much. You need to rest and enlist the help of your kids.
Let them do things for you. The house doesn't need to be clean, just pick
up or have the kids do it. As long as you are tensed up, your pain will be
more. Things will get better. Just give it time. I know it is hard, allow
yourself that time. Try to take things slowly. You will be able to eat and
drink without getting sick. And you will get your energy back. Do you take
any B-12 sublinguals? And if you do are you taking them early in the
morning? I found that they helped my energy level but it did take time. And
I allowed myself time to rest.And to rest without feeling guilty!
— shemchin
August 17, 2001
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NORMAL. You will feel like crap for the first 8 or 9
weeks. I'm around 3.5 months post op and today is the first day that I
really feel good. Not that I felt too bad after week 9, but today I finally
have some energy.
It takes time and it just seems like it will never get better, but it will.
I did'nt enjoy food/smells until week 9. It took THAT LONG. It's normal. I
know you can't see it now, but it is a blessing as it will help your weight
loss along. You will lose more the first 4-6 weeks then you will later.
Right now I wish I had my food adversion back! I like food too much now.
;)
As far as the pain, (I should have kept a diary) I think it was around a
month before the incision stopped hurting so much. But occassionly it still
will. Just think, get through to week 8 or 9 and most of your pains should
be over. Honest.
— Danmark
August 17, 2001
I completely understand your feelings. I think we have all been there. As
far as your prozac, it comes in a liquid. It is mint flavored and thick,
but it will go down. Another suggestion is to empty the capsules into some
applesauce and add some equal or splenda to it because it is very bitter.
And as far as I know, it will get better. I hope this helps.
— [Anonymous]
August 17, 2001
yes,yes,yes...you are in the weeks from hell..things will change, in fact
at 6 1/5 months I wish food still made me feel so sick because it doesn't
now and that is what made me lose the weigth fast..now it has slowed down
and I get hungry now....You will feel better and you will feel better and
better as time goes on..take it a day at a time and try to be excited for
the future(I wasn't during those days)(LAP RNY 1/16/01 86lbs down)
— Debora H.
August 17, 2001
I too had a rough recovery period. Two incision leaks, one was SO deep it
required several feet of packing with gauze daily. The incision leaks made
the healing process slow! I also developed vertigo from dehydration. So
drink at least and try to drink liquid protein. The incision leaks have
healed but it was about 3 months post op until the packing wasn't required.
Try to keep slightly active, a slow walk in the evening was a tremendous
help for my recovery. I can relate to the sick feeling, and weakness and
yes even the pain. The openings caused me alot of extra pain when I should
have been totally healed. Believe me when the whole thing is behind you,
it will be a foggy memory! Hang in there!
— Katherine R.
August 17, 2001
Just taking care of 4 kids , cooking and cleaning would wear me out and I
haven't had the surgery yet. I applaud your courage and stamina. You are
going to get through this bad time and you will look back on this time as a
brief bump in the road on your journey to a better life. Your boys are old
enough to pick up. And school will soon start again. So keep telling
yourself that this too shall pass. Good luck and maybe when I have my
surgery and post a desparate plea like yours someone will remind me of what
I just said.
— [Anonymous]
August 17, 2001
Have you been scoped yet? If you're that nauseated, you'll need to get an
eyeball down in there & make sure the stoma is not tightening down.
Hopefully, you are getting at least 60g a day in good water based protein
supps? That'll help you get up & rolling, as well as your 64 oz of
water. If you slack on water, you can feel rubber legged & wet noodly
all day. But if things do not go through easily, that's mechanical, not
mental and easily fixed, once diagnosed.
— vitalady
September 10, 2003
Well Im 13 mos post op and I often wonder the same think I still have good
days and bad but as time goes by the there a more better days than bad but
I still have them. Just feel like crap and rung out and nausea. I think
this is a vitamin issue . I havent had a 1 yr post op lab work done I did
at 8 mos everything was fine I did add an additional iron vitamin this took
a few days but did seem to make a difference especially around tom :) God
Bless
— niteshadow181
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