Hi! I had surgery on...

Hi! I had surgery on May 3rd and have been doing pretty well until this past week. I saw Lynn ( Dana was having her baby) on Tuesday and had my staples out and saw Dr. Toder as well. I started soft foods on Wednesday and I am miserable. The exhaustion is overwhelming at times and there are days that getting in my walk is torture. What I am eating must be wreaking havoc because I fell worse now than when I had surgery which is hard to believe. Saturday ( yesterday) I put myself back on a liquid diet but now what. I felt somewhat better last night after being on liquids all day. I even was able to go walking. I get in plenty of water, no nausea, no diarrhea or constipation. I just feel like I have the flu and my body hurts all over and it hurts to move. How much exercise are we suppose to be doing? I feel like I am doing so little. I could use some help and encouragement. I have not posted much because I cannot seem to get my posts on the message board. Teresa C. answered me but it did not get on the message board and I couldn't email her back to ask for help. This message board is very helpful. I just wish I could be part of it. Thanks. Suzanne C.

Hi Suzanne, It sounds like you had the open surgery, I had it done Lap. Maybe someone out here that has had open can help you with what you are experiencing more than I can, but, I will do my best for you. Your body is going through some major changes right now (you knew that ). Plus it will take a bit of time for all the gases that were used to finally leave your body. This causes that "flu" like feeling you are having. The good news is that it will pass, and you will start feeling more normal. Don't go back to "just" the liquids, alternate with your soft foods. Start with the bland soft foods, cottage cheese, yogurts, then slip in some tuna, applesauce etc. Do it gradually, pretty soon the protein drinks won't taste as good to you. As far as exercise goes, if you start to hurt or get out of breath..STOP. Start slow, don't push yourself, your body needs it's energy to help you heal. If you over do it, you will feel like crap. The trick is to do everything slowly & gradually. There will come a morning when you wake up and you will feel that you can take on the world. Everbody goes through this change at different paces and at different levels. The one thing that remains the same is, the day you wake up and you just know that the smile you see on your face is because you know you have a real life to enjoy and everyday is brighter because now you can run with your kids or your special someone can wrap their arms around you, you can walk to the mailbox, and still have the breath and energy to walk back. Life is a wonderful place, and you are well on your way to enjoying it to the fullest! Hugs, Cindy K.

Hi!Cindy! Thank you so much for the encouraging words!! I really needed to hear that I wasn't losing it. I will be kinder to myself and let the healing take its own time instead of my own time. Thank goodness for this message board. It sure would be lonely if you didn't have no one to talk to that has been through it. I hope someday I'll be able to help someone out,too. Thanks for the taking the time to respond. Suzanne C.

Hello Suzanne, Well it looks like Cindy has covered all the bases...I don't know what else to add. I do wish you luck, and hope you find the strength to trudge through the inevitable hard time that we all have in the beginning. Casey

Dear Casey, Thanks for your words. Just knowing you all have been through some of what I am experiences takes the panic out of me. I am more relaxed about this whole time since Sunday and I am not putting any expectations like I was. Thanks for encouraging all of us who are just beginning. Suzanne C.