For new and new-to-be post-ops

Yup, you are right: you feel like crap.

If you have had the good graces of a good surgeon: YOU ARE GODDARN NORMAL. Normal. Anesthesia does a one-two punch to your system and goodness knows that your vetted surgeon has done a one-two-three-four-five to your digestive tract, so just chillax and feel that cool chill of the pillow. Please. Let family members or your hired hands massage your feet and get your cooled liquids, which you dearly need.

If you have extra hired hands, please send them to my house. If there are extra, extra, then we can form a line here of folks, but please know that you are GODDARN NORMAL to feel like crap.

Personally, I felt like crap for three months or so (yea, so what?) because this is major surgery that messes with everything that is YOU. Don't think that you're gonna walk outta the hospital on water, okay?

I am a soon-to-be post-op, and I appreciate your coming out and saying so.
 
I have been getting the picture from the forum that a couple of months' worth of pure adjustment to having been sliced and diced is normal. Also that, since I am having my surgery done laprascopically,  I will heal on the outside long before I am done healing on the inside. I need to beware a false belief that I am healed, when I just happen to be having a good day. It would be really easy to do too much and hurt myself.

Thanks for putting it in such plain English.
Lisa

yup, you will feel like crap. Physically your body just went through a medical war and the healing process is anything but fun. Emotionally your dealing with hormones and wrapping your head around what just really happened.

But thats why we're here I love seeing the posts of new post ops who vent that they feel like crap. It normally means they are doing great! I remember posting at a few weeks out with a "***** what did I just do, I feel like I'm going to die" post

This may be kinda dumb, but I was talking about all of this potential "buyer's remorse" with my best friend... telling her that I'll hate myself in the beginning for having this surgery, and I'll be upset that she didn't even try to talk me out of it at any point (she's been very supportive).

Well, she didn't care for that at all, and suggested that I make a list of all the reasons I want to have this surgery.  Write down how I feel right now, just to show myself afterwards that it's not all sunshine and daisies at the moment.

I took it a step further (stole the idea from "Parks and Recreation"), and made a video for future me.  I figure if I'm feeling bad enough at that point, I'm not going to want to read a piece of paper.  I'm really hoping that I won't need to refer back to this video at all... but it may be something that helps a bit for me.  I'm sure I'll still be miserable no matter what, but if I have this reminder, then hopefully it'll help keep my brain in check.

I think there's just no real way to prepare for the aftermath.  I think it's impossible to really have an idea of how it feels.  I'm just educating my family on the true signs of something being wrong (stiture, dehydration, etc), and letting them know that I'm going to be a ball of grump and whining, and probably far worse than that.  I think it's all I can do at this point.

I'm sure posting about it helps to reassure yourself.  I'm certain they know they are normal, but there's just something about putting it out there in print, and getting support from people individually.  I think it helps calm the nerves or something. lol

Nic

Hey- good idea about the video! I'm stealing it!