Just had my surgery Thursday, 11/5...

I am miserable! Can someone tell me when this ill feeling will pass? I can barely drink, the pain isn't too bad but it kinda hurts to get up once I'm lying / sitting down. My mental state is really taking a toll, I'm so scared I will never feel "normal" again :-/ I've been keeping up on my water requirements, but have maybe had 2 oz of protein drink and 3 TBS of vegetable broth. I'm just not hungry at all, even the chewable vitamins I'm taking fill me up. I would love if someone could tell me they went through this post surgery mental trauma and that you came out okay with no regrets. All my well wishes to all of you out there - xoxo

Of course you're miserable! You just had major surgery! It doesn't tickle! You are in the earliest stages of the recovery period, which can last weeks. Some perk up a week or two after surgery; most take longer than that. You're probably calling yourself the worst kind of fool for putting yourself through this misery. I know I did.

The good news? Your ability to drink more liquid will increase almost by the hour over the next few days. Handle as much protein shake as you can -- that will increase too, and right now, water is way more important than protein.

The even better news? Your regrets and mental trauma will recede as you heal and are able to eat more normal-type foods. Learning how to eat with a sleeve takes time and practice. It's not meant to be fun.

You're in post-op hell right now. Accept it and just do your best. You will come out okay with no regrets.

psychoticparrot

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I'm in tears right now, but in a good way, as you have made me feel so much better. I don't know what I expected post surgery, but my brain is mush. Fortunately, I'm off work for all of next week, too, which gives me quite a bit of time to recover. 

Truly thankful you responded and made my day brighter! Many thanks-

Hang in there! I had my sleeve 10/26/15. I sure was miserable the first 2-3 days. I couldn't stop vomiting. I couldn't even hold down my anti nausea or pain meds. By day 3-4, I really perked up. It was amazing how much better I started to feel. You seem to be a little better than I was though, I couldn't finish a 16 oz water bottle in a day!  Hang in there. You should start to feel better within the next few days. Continue to sip, sip, sip and walk, walk, walk. 

msecanales, thank you so much for your kind words. It helps to know I'm not in this alone. I have been walking and sipping :-) I just ate a sugar free Popsicle and it went down pretty smoothly. If I can just make it through a few more days...!

again, thank you! Good luck on your journey! xoxo

Long view. Take that long view.... This is early days and you are going to go thru so many stages during this process. And not all of them will be fun. But they will pass. And you will feel better than you do now. In fact you will feel better than before your had your surgery!

That is the whole point, remember?

; -)

Oh sweetie. I had my surgery 10/29/15. I was miserable for the first several days...and still I am not 100%. The day after I got home, I was wondering what the hell was wrong with me that I put myself through this and couldn't lose weight on my own. I could barely drink anything and was so tired. 

I was just marveling this morning how I can eat a full yogurt now. Sure, it takes me awhile, and a cup of any kind of liquid goes down much easier as well. I can drink about 1/2 cup of soup as well. 

I am still in the liquid stage of post op....which it a drag. 

I went through a day or two of depression...but then when I write down my weight every time I weigh myself, and see the pounds dropping off...it helps a lot.

I went shopping to a couple places to get vitamins and a few other things today with my husband. He drove and I leaned on shopping carts...lol. But I have to tell you, still, at 9 days out, I was HELLA tired, almost fell asleep in the car on the way home. 

My stomach is still sore (the outside) and gurgly inside. I have had a cough that started BEFORE surgery, went away, and came back a few days after surgery...let me tell you how much it hurts to cough....The skin on my stomach is ugly from the scabs, stitches and bandage tape remnants that will NOT come off in the shower, no matter how much I scrub!!!

Well, what I am saying is that it can all be a bit overwhelming. But we persevere, we get on with a daily routine, we survive Give yourself time to heal. Give yourself time to learn new habits and let go of old ones. This is all a journey...and not every day will be filled with roses. You will be fine. Just give yourself some time....

Oh boy those bandage tape remnants... I still had some on me at a month post-op. I finally asked my husband if he had any ideas and he brought some sorts of goo-remover spray from the garage. It got it off, but I made sure to clean the area well afterwards since it's not really meant for skin.

Thank you so much for your advice and personal story. I feel like the emotions come in waves, and sometimes they're all-consuming. When I feel good and look at the scale, everything is okay! When I think of never having a certain food again or when I get angry that I had to "cheat" to get to a healthy weight, I get all emotional and wonky. I'm hoping this levels out a bit and that I will feel normal soon. I'm off work for another whole week and look forward to the down time to try and recover. At this point, I'm having to kind of hold my tummy when I walk around, like if I don't, it might pull me to the ground. I felt a similar feeling when I had my gallbladder removed back in 2009. And I have a small cough that comes just every now and then that scares me senseless, because I'm afraid my incisions will split if I cough too hard! Eek. 

I can totally relate to what you are saying. First off, I also had to walk around holding my tummy for a few days...AND I STILL have a cough that I had prior to surgery. It is starting to go away now, but your incisions will be fine. Hold your hand or a pillow to your stomach when you cough. It helps. 

Now, let's just get something straight....you didn't, in fact NONE of us "cheated" when it comes to weight loss. We needed a tool to help. Believe me, if you don't work with your sleeve down the line, the weight WILL come back. Right now, losing weight seems almost effortless. However, in about a year, if you have not developed the eating and exercise habits you need to maintain it, you will find ways to eat around your sleeve and gain it back. 

For some people in this world, losing weight is never an issue. They lose and gain an re-lose almost in the blink of an eye. Other people are naturally at their optimum weight, and never change, and still others couldn't care less what they weigh. These people will NEVER understand how there are people in the world who, for whatever biological reason, cannot lose and maintain that loss, no matter how hard they try. For us, we are lucky medical technology has created tools. These weight loss tools, put us more on par with people who can and do lose weight and maintain it, with a little effort on their part.

So, don't think of it as cheating. Think of it as a chance that has been given to you to actually become a healthy weight, and more importantly, a chance to develop healthier habits.

Cheers!