Post Op day 3

Hi All!! Well I am finally on the looser's bench! But now I am having a few mixed feelings about this entire procedure. I thought that this is what I wanted but the way I have been feeling these past 3 days I have been asking myself "What have I done?" or "Have I just made a big mistake?" I was so excited about having this procedure before hand and now I feel awful. I am having a difficult time getting in my liquids and all I keep thinking about is "will I ever be able to eat and feel normal again?" Did anyone else have these feelings this soon post-op? In desperate need of encouragement.... Thanks, Anya

Anya, I want you to know that you are not alone. I had my surgery with DUKE on FEB 8 with DR. Portnier, and I was feeling just as bad as you. I'm only 10 days post -op so believe me I know what youa re going through. I had a hard time getting all my fluids in but as the days go by and you start feeling better you will get more and more of your fluids in. We are all here for each other..I know what you will be feeling better soon. Please email me if you want to chat. [email protected]

Thank you for the words of encouragement. I will definitely be emailing you soon.

In my mind one of the big things about this surgery is I will NEVER EAT OR FEEL LIKE I DID BEFORE THE SURGERY AGAIN. I think the feelings you describe are pretty common but you have to remember where you came from and where you are going. You have made a decision to move to a healthier self. I applaud you for it. I had surgery on February 7th and I can tell you by the 7th day all thoughts like you are having now will be gone. To get more fluid in, try pedialyte. There is les sugar in it and your body will let you drink it faster. Once you are able try a glas of gatorade everyday.

Thanks for responding... It is encouraging to hear that my feelings are normal! Does pedialyte have flavors? I never thought about Gatorade. Do temps of drinks still bother you?

I had my surgery 1/9/07 so I am almost 6 weeks out. I am still having mixed feelings about the surgery. I had no problems and got all of my liquid in up to 3 weeks post op. I was having a conversation with a friend regarding the surgery. I used to enjoy eating but now it is a chore to eat. It takes forever to eat which I know is a plus when you are trying to lose weight and not overeat. I have pain anytime I drink or eat too quickly. I have to constantly remind myself to eat, drink, and chew slowly. I have only been out to eat 2 times so far since surgery and both those times I have felt very uncomfortable after eating. But I know the end result will get better and the uncomfortableness will get better too. I keep reading everyone's postings a few times a week to get more encouragement when I am not feeling up to par or get discouraged. Hang in there I am sure it gets better as time goes on. I know the weight loss so far I would say is worth it. And looking at the time line of others who have had the surgery that by the time I get to my anniversary date that I will be the size I was in high school and college. And to me that is worth it. Amanda Stone-Secrest

Thanks for the encouragement. I didnt quite realize how something as necessary as food could make me have such feelings.

I didn't realize what an important role food plays in our life. It still pays a large part because I have to plan 5-6 meals a day and make sure that I am getting the proper nutrients. I did weigh****chers in the past and various other diets where I had to watch the nutrient values but I feel that now that I have a permanent tool to manage that I will be able to do it. When I went to the grocery store I was there for almost 2 hours reading labels to make sure the sugar content was too much, the protein was high enough, and the fat content was low. I have had the dumping two times and that was more than I ever wanted to have. This site is great for keeping the spirits high. Amanda Stone-Secrest

Hi Anna, I am almost 1 year post op. I felt the same way you do now even a month after surgery. The first few days i felt ok about not eating. I didnt really mourn food. I was sore and could care less about the smell or taste of the fluids. Then it got harder. my soreness went away, i was more energetic and felt very normal. Normal enough to want to eat normal foods but I knew I couldnt. I cried and cried a few times during the preparation of my family's meal. I called a few post op friends and coped. It will get easier. like i said i am almost 1 yr post op and down 167 lbs. I eat normal for me even though the rest of my family thinks its not normal. I eat more times during the day. usually snacks because when i eat a meal i overdue it. i choose wisely, low carb everything, i still have sweets, just sugar free. ( be careful with those, the sugar alcohol will come back to haunt you if you eat too much). I feel like i get enough and i am no longer mourning food. It will get better. Hope this encouraging. Adrienne E mail me anytime [email protected]

Hi Anya, Everyone tells me that a serious bout of depression is very normal after this surgery. I definitely went through it, and for a while was even more of a couch potato than I was before surgery. Remember, your hormones have been thrown completely out of whack by this procedure, so they need a little time to adjust to the new goings-on. You will get to feeling better soon. I promise. Trust me. They kept telling me, and I didn't believe them; then all of a sudden, I could not sit still to save my life. My house has never been so clean. Keep moving forward. Take it slow, and you'll be able to get those liquids in. My best friend bought me some of the soy protein drinks at Wal-Mart...the kind that weight lifters will use. I really liked those; just mixed it with some FF Lactaid, and I still keep some of it around. I never cared for Boost or Ensure. They had a weird, sort of chemical taste to me. Yuck. Please keep us posted on your progress. Best, Lisa