Post Op Update

Everything you've written is perfectly normal. The first few weeks certainly isn't any picnic, but it helps to be assured that it gets better everyday. At six days out I think I was sleeping most of the time. Good luck to you.

I am 9 days out. Keep up the fight for water and protein. I'm not sure how I would get in the protein if I couldn't
handle the protein shakes - maybe try some different types? I am using Gold Standard Whey powder with water and it doesn't hit my taste buds as too sweet. I did try a Premium Protein shake (liquid) early on and couldn't fini**** so everything is open to experimentation. I started the powder 2 days ago and it made making it to 60 grams much easier.

I did find it was easier to get the liquids in when I kept up with low doses of the pain medicine. I'm taking liquid
pain meds so I could cut back when I didn't like the results of the initial dosage levels.

I too found the first 2 or 3 days home disheartening but it has gotten a little better/easier every day. Still can't sleep on the bed yet though. My recliner is the key for me.

You sound just like me! I am two weeks post-op, congrats to you!

You're a trooper about the pain meds, I needed them every four hours from the first few days in was out of the hospital. Now I just take a Lortab to sleep and use regular Tylenol during the day. Don't discount your body's need for pain management! A lot of the discomfort I had was from not controlling my pain (I tried to tough it out after the first few days) and its weird, because it IS just severe discomfort sometimes and not what I'd call actual pain.

What helped me was when I was keeping a friend company when she recovered from hip replacement surgery, inasmuch as she said something similar: that she wouldn't always describe what she had as pain, just severe discomfort and anxiety .... that her body was experiencing the pain in a different way because of all of the trauma and healing associated with surgery.

I've had the same experiences as you! Your days sound EXACTLY like mine. Fatigue fatigue fatigue. Showering tires me out, getting dressed tires me out, walking tires me out. I think its pretty normal at this point. Like you, I'm struggling to get my protein, but I think that's also normal.

My stools have also been similar, and all of my info says that's normal as well.

Food-wise what I can tolerate right now is: Greek yogurt, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, saltines, Keebler Club crackers, apple sauce, oatmeal, Muscle Milk shakes and tuna. Only teeny bits at a time though.

I do have a question for you, how much stomach discomfort are you experiencing when eating and drinking? Mine seems pretty sensitive and gets achy quickly.

Good luck and please post more, it helps others a lot!