Feeling wimpy :(

Hey everyone, I had my surgery last wednesday and this is the first time I have felt even partially normal enough to come online and post. The good news is that I made it through the surgery! The bad news is that I just feel awful. I usually have such a strong pain tolerance and this operation has just kicked my butt! My incisions don't hurt badly at all but I have had a really hard time dealing with the anthesia. Headaches like crazy. This morning is the first time that my head literally didn't feel like it was cracked in half. I have no hunger issues thankfully. I can't even imagine wanting to eat at this point and my main reason for being right now is drinking water. I am not getting in as much as I feel I should but I am doing all that I can and that will just have to be good enough til then! My kids are really a bit out of sorts. Don't know what to make of the whole situation because I don't feel like I prepared them enough. I really didn't think I was going to be in this bad of shape of so I really downplayed how awful I might feel to them. I am hoping since my head is feeling a bit better this morning that I can spend some time looking at a book with them or something because I really haven't been able to spend any time with them at all since surgery. I have been having a bit of a rough time going to sleep. All I want to do is to curl up on my side but of course that is absolutely impossible. I thought i was able to find a good position last night with the help of a dozen pillows or so but I woke up after a few hours in quite a bit of pain. I have been limiting myself to liquid tylenol for pain because I am too sensitive for the narcotics. It seems to help as long I don't wait more than the four hours allowed in between doses. I now realize that I am really rambling here and my belly is getting sore from sitting here so I am going to sign off for now. Please keep me in your prayers if you are so inclined, as I am in the why did I do this to myself stage right now!

Hi Eileen, My heart goes out to you. I too had those terrible headaches for about a week. The first week is definitely the toughest, but you will start to get better dramatically every day now. Do you have a recliner you can sleep on instead of the bed? I couldn't sleep in bed for a full two weeks! If not, then maybe you can try the couch, but sleep sitting up diagonally across the couch maybe. All I can say is this will pass and you will be feeling like yourself soon. Hang in there,ok? Anne

Hang in there, sweetie! It's only been a few days. You keep us posted about how you are feeling!

Hi Eileen, I'm so sorry you are feeling so poorly! I hated that WHY DID I DO THIS feeling. Thankfully it only lasted a couple of days. I would try recliner sleeping it makes all the difference in the world! If you don't have one rent one. We rented ours for 2 weeks for $50.00.(It has more then paid for itself!) I was also sensitive to the narcotics but am able to tolerate the tylenol with codeine. Maybe if you could take that before sleeping you could get better rest. I'm going to pray for you and please post as soon as you hit the WOW I FEEL LIKE A NEW WOMAN stage. I bet it's just around the corner. Sandy

Eileen, I had my surgery in July..and in retrospect I think my headaches were caused by caffeine withdrawl. Its the only thing I didn't do to prepare myself..to wean myself off cofee before surgery. Just wondering if that happened to you. Each day does get better..and I know you hardly feel like it..but get out for a walk, even if its a quarter mile. I had to push myself and it did wonders for me. Hang in there...we are all proof that it does get better. I will keep you in my prayers Joanie

Eileen: I also had some bad headaches after I left the hospital. I was told it was from the anesthia (sp?). You will start feeling better every day. I hated having to sleep on my back. I just started to sleep on my tummy again. I took the pain meds at night just so I could sleep. Does your surgeon have support group meetings? I know I get a lot out of my meetings. You are in my thoughts and prayers but just please know it does get better!!! Chryssie

Eileen, I am very sensitive to pain meds, but found that I tolerated the morphine and then later the Tylenol w/codeine very well. The minute I stopped tolerating the meds was the minute I no longer needed them! Don't deny yourself the pain relief. You need the sleep to feel better. Also, each day-the anaesthesia's effect dwindles. I know I felt "weird" for about a week. Good luck to you...keep us posted on how you are doing! Ann

Did you have lap band? Did Barba do the surgery? The reason I am asking is this is the route I want to go. I understand some people get an epidural when they have the surgery. Did you have an epidural and is that why you are getting spinal headaches? It has been 4 days so I hope you start feeling better right away. Mayben tomorrow!!!! Good luck to you. Joanne

Hi Eileen, Well congrats on being home and having your surgery behind you . I can't help you with the sleeping issues as I had the surgery laproscopically and had literally no pain to speak of. However I did have these wicked headaches when I first got home. Didn't have an epideral either. At first I thought it was from my sleep apnea (prior to the cpap I was getting bad head aches from the oxygen deprivation) but I was using my cpap so that wasn't it. Believe it or not it was from low blood sugar during the night. My doctor suggested changing the time I had my evening ensure to later (around 9pm or so) and sure enough the headaches went away. Who would have thought that 2 oz of ensure would make that difference but it did!! Don't suffer, call your doctor if the headaches persist. Try the recliner for sleeping etc. it really will get better!!! Linda

Sorry to hear you're not feeling well. Hopefully it will get out of your system and you'll start perking up. Maggie