Feeling overwhelmed (basically a post of me bi#$%ing)

I am five days post-op and I am supposed to be back at work at 8am tomorrow morning. When I am done with that job, I need to go to job #2. I have been so tired since surgery, I'm not sure how I'm going to make it through the day. I'm an accountant so its just a desk job, but just staying awake is going to be challenging enough.

When I get done with work, I need to study and then study some more. I am taking the audit section of the CPA exam in two weeks and I've barely started preparing for it. In my mind I was going to have a week vacation to sit around at home and catch up on studying, but I wasn't counting on not leaving the hospital until Thursday and then feeling like crap and sleeping more than my cats do.

Oh, and the day before my surgery I had a phone interview. I was hoping to get a call to invite me in for a real interview, but instead they sent me an email with a budget analyst exercise to do by Wednesday. Only if they like what I submit will they bring me in for an interview.

It just all feels like too much. Part of me wants to call in sick tomorrow, quit my second job altogether, blow off the exercise and the interview, and reschedule my test. The other part of me, the realistic part, says to suck it up and do the best i can and whatever will be will be.

Sorry for the complaining, I'm just feeling overwhelmed. I expected to feel sore, but I didn't expect to not feel like myself.

Is it normal that I have been taking like six naps a day since coming home from the hospital? How long did it take for you to feel "normal" after surgery and have the energy to make it through a full day? I guess in a bigger sense, how long did it take you to go from "what the heck did I have done to myself" to "having WLS was the best thing I've done for me"?

 I'm almost 3 weeks post-op and I still don't feel like myself. I have my first post-op appt. tomorrow w/ my surgeon. I also still haven't gone back to work, I'm hoping to feel well enough on Tues. to go back half days next week. I fely very tired and slugish the first week in a half, and sometimes I still wonder why I did this to myself. I'm starting to see the brighter side though, so I know things will and are getting better.

Good luck with all you have going on in the next couple of weeks.

Wow - I'd feel overwhelmed with that schedule and only being 5 days post-op.  I know people go back to work earlier than I did (I could and did take 6 weeks off)..but you have got way too much on your plate along with healing.

This is my advice.  Take it or leave it.  If you can get a few more days off - I'd do it.  Reschedule the CPA.  If you haven't started studying....reschedule.  (I've taken it unprepared and it's miserable).  If you're interested in that job - work on the problem during the next couple days.  If you're not - blow it off.  I think it sucks that they make you do a problem before an interview anyways...

Remember, even if your surgery was lap - it WAS major surgery.  Give yourself some time to heal. 

Good Luck!

I think you are probably taking on too much, too fast.  I was offf work for three weeks after lap RNY and I was too tired to have even attempted what you are trying to do.  I think Lori gave you some good advice about holding off on the CPA test and focusing on the exercise for a prospective employer.  I think the most important thing is to remember to take care of yourself.  Listen to your body......work your jobs part-time if you have to, but give yourself time to heal.

Take care,

RP

It would have been to your advantage to take more time off - yes, some people go back to their jobs the Monday following their surgery.  But I would never advise that.  I took a full 4 weeks just 'cuz I could, and I'm glad I did.  I understand what you mean about being tired, even just being home without a fraction of what you've got on your plate left me needing a nap every afternoon.  And I'm not typically a napper.

6 naps a day, tho, seems kinda crazy - are you getting in a decent NIGHT's sleep?  8-10 hours?  Your body IS HEALING from some major plumbing work, you NEED to accomodate that healing with REST! 

I'm sure you already know, too, that hormones are stored in your fat, and they're gonna mess with your head as you start to lose that fat.  Being pro-active to keep your life as minimally stressed as possible would be a blessing to you at this point.  Postpone/reschedule whatever you can.

And there's no set schedule for WHEN you'll feel the gratitude for having undergone WLS.  But if you take care of yourself and honor the tool you've been given, you WILL get there!!!

WOW
just 5 days post-op and doing all this?? NO wonder you feel over-whelmed....

dang girl - I'm worn out just reading that and I'm 17 months post-op!  You need to take care of yourself....this time is critical to heal properly!  I sure wouldn't advocate quitting a job ....but can you take some time off?  

And exercise?  Girl, don't even bother right now......you need the rest to heal properly!

WOW.....please take care of YOU

HOLY SMACK GIRLFRIEND! Did your surgeon tell you that you'd be able to go back to work that soon after surgery? WOW! Is there any way you can just work half days? Can you reschedule the CPA exam? You have way too much going on this close to having surgery.  You need some time to heal and rest. It takes quite a few weeks to "feel like your normal self".

Wow that's ambitious, 5 days post op and I was in major nap land.  I took the 6 weeks and am so happy that I did.  I am on my feet much of my work shift.  Don't overdo, you need time to heal too.  I didn't start to really feel normal till at least 4 weeks after surgery.  Hugs, Kathy

Thanks everyone for your posts.

I was a little surprised to get the responses I did. I talked to my husband about maybe taking a few more days off of work or rescheduling my exam and he looked at me like I was crazy and basically told me to suck it up. He loves me dearly and wants the best for me, but I think unless you've had the surgery you just don't get it.

I did call in sick and talked to both of my bosses today. They both said to take the time I need and not to worry about rushing back to work, so that takes a lot of the pressure off. I don't really have any sick time and the work will just continue to pile up and wait for me but I will deal with all of that later.

I'm slowly coming to the realization that always putting a lot of my plate is part of the reason I got so big to begin with - not taking time for myself and my health, so I'm trying to be more mindful of that going forward so I don't let this new tool I've been given go to waste. I've been going that way for so long, that I guess I was looking for permission (from someone other than myself so I didn't just feel like I was being lazy) to lighten the load a little bit.

In the mean time, I am heading to GNC today. So far I have been focusing more on getting my water in and just getting down what I can (applesauce, jello, etc.). Now I need to put more focus on my vitamins and protein and hopefully that will help with the energy level. I'm also off all pain meds as of today so that might give me a boost in the way of not making me drowsy as well.

Again, thanks to all for your support. It is sincerely appreciated.

Ask your husband to read the responses you got on this thread.  We can't ALL be wrong!  Your bosses apparently recognize that a person needs time to heal - hopefully your husband can understand that as well.

Your doctor re-arranged your guts, for crying out loud!  If you were to just "suck it up", you could F*ck it up!  You need to heal.  You need a little time to get aquainted with your pouch.  Don't over-estimate it's ability to make you thin and healthy, YOU have to treat it with respect to get the results you want.