1 week post op!

Hi everyone,

I am officially 7 days post op and I've been struggling! I would say probably about 10 times a day I get a really sharp pain in my stomach, like a contraction. Sometimes its when I'm drinking water, or drinking my protein, or if I take a deep breath, sometimes for no reason at all. Wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

Besides the sharp pains, I really have just felt hungry every day. My surgeon has me on liquids for 2 weeks, and I'm dreading the next 7 days! I know most people say that they aren't hungry at all a few weeks post op so I'm wondering why I'm experiencing this. I guess I never realized how much of a food addiction I had. I'm trying to tell myself its all in my head but I really feel like I'm hungry.

If anyone cares to share their experiences with a newbie, I'd appreciate it! I feel like I'm in the regret phase now. I'm sure it will get better :)

I would say everything that you just described is exactly what I have experienced in the past wee****ep telling folks that I am hungry all day and then they ask is it in my head and NO, like straight up hunger pains! I am finally free of the deep breath issue, finally able to take a deep breath! In the past week I probably regretted the decision 6 time, never really fully but mourning the food that I will no longer be able to enjoy. I am holding on to faith and the guidance of others, that it will get better. Do you have a local support group you attend?

My stomach would spasm when I drank for the first 2-3 weeks. It hurt! Members of this forum suggested that I try room temperature beverages instead of cold drinks, and I found that it really helped.

Make sure you take your omaprezole or whatever your doctor instructed because acid can mimic hunger.

I am about 7 weeks out and still can't eat more than a few ounces at a time, so I feel hungry every 3 hours or so. I find that a small amount of protein is sufficient to make that hungry feeling go away. You might just need to have some protein drink more often.

It does get better.

This is not an uncommon way to feel as you're healing. But, if you're concerned about any pain, you should always call your surgeon to ask!

Hunger at this point post-op is most likely due to acid or dehydration. Are you taking a PPI such as Prilosec or Nexium? If not, ask your surgeon if you can. That will help with the acid. How much are you drinking? You should be getting at least 64 ounces of fluids every day and more is better.

Right now your stomach is healing and this means you can't trust anything it's telling you. Hang in there!