still in pain

i had my surgery on sept 12, i had complications where i lost alot of blood and had to stay in the hospital 2 extra days and come home with the drain for an additional 5 days. i still have pain in my left side so the dr sent me for more blood work and a chest xray today. i keep hearing all the stories of how well you all did and i feel like i should be bouncing back to normal also. i try hard to get some walking in everyday and follow the diet pretty close as the dr ordered. has anyone else had these problems? well on the upside i have lost 25 lbs already but dont have the strength to celebrate yet. all my family and friends keep telling me i look so pale.

Jackie, I am so sorry you are suffering. I am pre-op so I dont have experiences to share but I do know that everyone heals differently. You can't base your progress or success on anyone elses. I hope the healing goes quicker for you!

Thank you Beth. the funny thing is i had my gall bladder out on Sept 12 and did not have my gastric bypass until sept 19. Sept was a tough month lol.

Hi Jackie, Who was your surgeon? If you have any questions, you should call their office right away. Did you have open surgery or lap? You had two surgeries, you had major surgery...you had your internal plumbing altered. Give yourself time to rest and recover. It takes time, especially if you had a bit of a set back. Surgery usually takes a good 8 weeks at least to recover from, you may have to add a bit more because you had two within a week with a complication. Try to get up and walk around a few times a day to prevent blood clots. Rest, and get in as much protein as you can (at least 65 gms a day) and lots of water or calorie free beverages (like crystal lite, etc) to keep yourself hydrated. Even if you get a bit dehydrated, you could feel more tired and weak. Give yourself the time you need. Don't rush things. But try to get a little more active on a daily basis. Funny as it seems, the more you walk, the better you will actually feel. It gets the toxins from anesthesia out of your body and helps you to heal...as will the protein, also. Hang in there and post when you ever have questions. There is always someone here to lend a helping hand. paula

Paula thanks for your support. i did call my dr and he ordered more bloodwork and a chest xray. im still waiting for the results. it could just be me rushing things. i usually bounce back so quick from surgery and this one just knocked me on my ass. i do walk everyday and get in my water but not the protein i need, so today i went to GNC and purchased some protein powder stuff to make a drink. i tried one tonight and it was ok but i would rather just eat a steak

My go to Dr Ehrlich and he is wonderful really seems to care about his patients. if i call or email i get a response right away. i would recommend him to anyone.

I am so sorry for all of your complications. I am glad you are getting everything checked out. I usually bounce back from surgery quickly too, but I had a lot of pain on my left side as well, because they do a lot of work there, even though I had lap and you had open (I suspect because of your complications). Just get it all checked out, but take it easy and get support. Best of luck. I hear Dr Ehrlick is great. Jennifer

Jackie, I know I was in a rush when you stopped by the mall the other day, but why didn't you tell me you were in pain????? Did Dr. Ehrlich tell you you could take tylenol?? That might help with the pain a little bit. The J tube is probably where you are having the most trouble I am guessing??!! Call me if you are still having trouble, I will try to help out as much as I can. I am working Tuesday and will be traveling on Weds and Friday, I can chat with you while I am driving. Helps the time go by too. There is a post op meeting at L and M in 2 more weeks, we'll go to that and you can get some good advice from others there too!!! Make sure you call me or stop by the mall so we can chat!!! Jen

Hey Jen, i would like to go to the support group in NL just let me know when the date is and hopefully im not working that evening. i go back to the dr in a few weeks also so maybe they can figure out what is going on. they did an xray and bloodwork i didnt hear anything so i guess everything is fine. they said it might just be scar tissue forming. i dont know but if thats scar tissue i think its holding a knife and twisting it in my left side. lol. (its not as bad as it was, so i guess its getting better)