Weakness and No Hunger--still?
Hi everyone!
I am three months out from my RNY. I had lots and lots of complications and spent 2 months i the hospital post-op. I've been home for about a month now, but I'm still really weak and I always feel that my legs are going to fall out from under me. I also am still having trouble eating. I'm never, ever hungry and when I do eat, like I'm suposed to, sometimes the food stays down, sometimes it doesn't. Is this normal? Does hunger feel differently after surgery? If so, what have you all experienced with regards to hunger? How long did it take to eat "normally" (i.e. eating most foods and not having to vomit after certain things). According to my surgeon, I should be able to eat almost anything now and my pouch should handle it, but that is soooo not the case. I feel like I'm still 1 month post op. The weakness really bothers me. If I can't get some strength back, I feel like I'm headed back to the hospital.
Oh! and pills! Good god, I can't take 'em anymore without throwing up! That includes my daily multivitamin. Anyone have any suggestions for taking your vitamin? Maybe you've found a really, really small one (not children's--I can't take the taste)? Any help you can give will be so much appreciated. I read all of your stories and am so inspired by your courage and wisdom. I hope I'll get there one day, too.
Jenn
I am three months out from my RNY. I had lots and lots of complications and spent 2 months i the hospital post-op. I've been home for about a month now, but I'm still really weak and I always feel that my legs are going to fall out from under me. I also am still having trouble eating. I'm never, ever hungry and when I do eat, like I'm suposed to, sometimes the food stays down, sometimes it doesn't. Is this normal? Does hunger feel differently after surgery? If so, what have you all experienced with regards to hunger? How long did it take to eat "normally" (i.e. eating most foods and not having to vomit after certain things). According to my surgeon, I should be able to eat almost anything now and my pouch should handle it, but that is soooo not the case. I feel like I'm still 1 month post op. The weakness really bothers me. If I can't get some strength back, I feel like I'm headed back to the hospital.
Oh! and pills! Good god, I can't take 'em anymore without throwing up! That includes my daily multivitamin. Anyone have any suggestions for taking your vitamin? Maybe you've found a really, really small one (not children's--I can't take the taste)? Any help you can give will be so much appreciated. I read all of your stories and am so inspired by your courage and wisdom. I hope I'll get there one day, too.
Jenn
Hi Jenn - I am so sorry that you've had all these problems. As far as hunger goes, mine didn't return until the seven month mark after I had RNY. I'm currently out 8 and 1/2 months, and I still don't have hunger feelings anywhere need what I had prior to surgery. I've read posts from other post-ops and this seems to be pretty common at least for other RNY patients.
I know that I really didn't feel 100% until about 4 months after surgery. That's when I felt like I had all my strength and stamina back. Before that time, I slept more than usual for me. I definitely had lots of energy early on, but I couldn't sustain that for long periods of time, if that makes sense. You're still pretty new to this at 3 months out, so try not to get discouraged. It is definitely a learning process.
Good luck with the food issues; I had to relearn to eat more slowly so that I could give my new pouch enough time to tell me when I'd had enough. I finally feel like now I have a pretty good grip on that. Everything takes time.
Take care,
I know that I really didn't feel 100% until about 4 months after surgery. That's when I felt like I had all my strength and stamina back. Before that time, I slept more than usual for me. I definitely had lots of energy early on, but I couldn't sustain that for long periods of time, if that makes sense. You're still pretty new to this at 3 months out, so try not to get discouraged. It is definitely a learning process.
Good luck with the food issues; I had to relearn to eat more slowly so that I could give my new pouch enough time to tell me when I'd had enough. I finally feel like now I have a pretty good grip on that. Everything takes time.
Take care,
Rhonda
Hi Jenn,
So glad you reached out for help. I think it is perfectly normal, what you are experiencing, given your complications post-op. The best advice I can give you is to see your PCP and have a full blood screen done. Surgeons are only concerned about one thing: cutting. They may talk the talk otherwise, but don't believe it. You need to have a medical advocate overseeing your care. My PCP couldn't believe how dehydrated I was and full of infection and just plain "wore out" when I finally called him in after my month of complications post-op. I spent at least an "extra" month adjusting to the concept of eating food again (I had had a PICC line for about 3 weeks) and wondered if I would ever be able to eat normally again. It did happen, but I would say not before 6 months. Gradually I was able to add to the list but it was slow and gradual. I ate a lot of cottage cheese at the beginning! And crabmeat... and raw clams of all things!
You won't experience hunger for awhile, I'm sure. What kind of complications did you have? I was very weak for a good long time after my final release from the hospital.
It is VERY important that you make SURE you are taking in at least 64 ounces of water daily. Protein drinks count towards that number. Keep water with you at all times. Sip constantly, even if you don't want to. This will help increase your strength.
Also you need at least 60 grams of protein a day. Are you getting that? The food tolerances will increase once your strength comes back.
Regarding pills and viatmins, split them up if you can't stand the chewables. Break them into manageable pieces. Capsules are great if you can find them. Caplets work too but sometimes are pretty large so I break them up too. It is very important that you take your vitamins.
This WILL get better. You are recovering from a huge assault to your body and it is going to take you extra time. Please keep us posted on your progress and feel free to ask questions any time. Hope this has helped some...
So glad you reached out for help. I think it is perfectly normal, what you are experiencing, given your complications post-op. The best advice I can give you is to see your PCP and have a full blood screen done. Surgeons are only concerned about one thing: cutting. They may talk the talk otherwise, but don't believe it. You need to have a medical advocate overseeing your care. My PCP couldn't believe how dehydrated I was and full of infection and just plain "wore out" when I finally called him in after my month of complications post-op. I spent at least an "extra" month adjusting to the concept of eating food again (I had had a PICC line for about 3 weeks) and wondered if I would ever be able to eat normally again. It did happen, but I would say not before 6 months. Gradually I was able to add to the list but it was slow and gradual. I ate a lot of cottage cheese at the beginning! And crabmeat... and raw clams of all things!
You won't experience hunger for awhile, I'm sure. What kind of complications did you have? I was very weak for a good long time after my final release from the hospital.
It is VERY important that you make SURE you are taking in at least 64 ounces of water daily. Protein drinks count towards that number. Keep water with you at all times. Sip constantly, even if you don't want to. This will help increase your strength.
Also you need at least 60 grams of protein a day. Are you getting that? The food tolerances will increase once your strength comes back.
Regarding pills and viatmins, split them up if you can't stand the chewables. Break them into manageable pieces. Capsules are great if you can find them. Caplets work too but sometimes are pretty large so I break them up too. It is very important that you take your vitamins.
This WILL get better. You are recovering from a huge assault to your body and it is going to take you extra time. Please keep us posted on your progress and feel free to ask questions any time. Hope this has helped some...
Hi Suzanne,
Thanks to you and to all of you for your kind words of support! To answer your questions about complications, I had two different infections, one w/ an abcess that had to be packed daily (yuck-o!). Then, I developed a total inability to keep anything down, including water! It turned out to be scar tissue between the opening of my new pouch and my intestine, but it took two months in the hospital to figure that out, go in with a second surgery and fix it. During the time I was in the hospital I became septic and almost died. It was awful and I don't remember much of it. During the time I was septic, I was unconscious or literaly "out of it" and I lost two months of time. So even though I am three months post op, I feel, (at least in my head) that I'm really one month out.
Jenn
Thanks to you and to all of you for your kind words of support! To answer your questions about complications, I had two different infections, one w/ an abcess that had to be packed daily (yuck-o!). Then, I developed a total inability to keep anything down, including water! It turned out to be scar tissue between the opening of my new pouch and my intestine, but it took two months in the hospital to figure that out, go in with a second surgery and fix it. During the time I was in the hospital I became septic and almost died. It was awful and I don't remember much of it. During the time I was septic, I was unconscious or literaly "out of it" and I lost two months of time. So even though I am three months post op, I feel, (at least in my head) that I'm really one month out.
Jenn
Sorry to hear you are having a rough time.
I wanted to answer your questions but wanted to say that I feel Ive had it extremely easy since I had surgery almost 2.5 years ago. I have never thrown up once since surgery and have no issues with taking pills/vitamins. As for hunger - I still rarely get hungry... I only get hungry if I wait too long to eat or if I dont eat enough at a previous meal. I have a food schedule and try and stick to it, Ive basically programmed by body to eat at certain times so it now expects it. For me hunger is now physical... I will usually feel my tummy rumbling or just get a feeling that I need to eat (thats the best I can explain)... sometimes I will feel a little shakey and definately know its time to eat!
Eitherway just take it easy especially since youve had a lot of complications... you should get strength back over time, your body has been thru a lot! Just try and keep focused on eating and getting your vits/supps in to help the healing process and gain some energy.
I wanted to answer your questions but wanted to say that I feel Ive had it extremely easy since I had surgery almost 2.5 years ago. I have never thrown up once since surgery and have no issues with taking pills/vitamins. As for hunger - I still rarely get hungry... I only get hungry if I wait too long to eat or if I dont eat enough at a previous meal. I have a food schedule and try and stick to it, Ive basically programmed by body to eat at certain times so it now expects it. For me hunger is now physical... I will usually feel my tummy rumbling or just get a feeling that I need to eat (thats the best I can explain)... sometimes I will feel a little shakey and definately know its time to eat!
Eitherway just take it easy especially since youve had a lot of complications... you should get strength back over time, your body has been thru a lot! Just try and keep focused on eating and getting your vits/supps in to help the healing process and gain some energy.
First visit to surgeon - 288 ~ bmi 45.1
2 week pre-op 252 ~ bmi 39.5
Total lost - 153 Since surgery - 117!
Goal weight - 155 (mine) 180 (surgeons)
Current weight - 135 (2020 I lost 10lbs due to dedicating myself to working out more and being in better shape)
1/14/2025 still maintaining 135 :-)
Extended TT, lipo, fat injections - 11/2011
BA/BL/Arm Lift - 7/2014
Scar revision on arms - 3/2015
HALO laser on arms/neck 9/2016
Thigh Lift 10/2020
Thigh Lift revision 10/2021
If you have weakness in your legs, that could possibly be from the two months stay in the hospital and it takes time to build up the muscle. I am 7 months post and the only time i have ever thrown up is if i eat to fast or i don't chew my food properly. First i get the foamies and try to spit that out but sometimes that never even helps. I would follow up again with your surgeon if it continues. Are you measuring, journaling and chewing your food until it is total mush.
As far as hunger, I don't have a lot. I stay on a schedule also to make sure i get enough in (as the wt loss slows down if i don't eat enough). I do have to be careful not to go back to old habits of nibbling for the sake of nibbling as i have caught myself doing that when i know there is no way i should be hungry.
Take care and keep up posted.
Pam
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