energy 10 days out

I am 10 days out from surgery, and I have tried several times to go for a walk.  I don''t make it very far before I am done in.  I feel physically weak.  I manage to go out and play with the dog for about 10 minutes, but not every day.  How long does this last?  Should I be able to walk a lot more by now?

Hi Kim, You'll feel the energy drain for awhile. Lots of reasons for it though. You're on starvation level calories, lack of water and after effects of the anesthesia, recovering from major surgery, what kind of condition you were in before surgery... My ex had similar issues, I had her just walking around the yard and house for a few weeks. We figured out she wasn't eating enough, she just didn't feel hungry or feel like eating, so we put her on a timetable of eating every 2 hours whether she wanted to or not. She ate out of a little 2 oz measuring cup for weeks. She also had issue with drinking water and for whatever reason couldn't drink cold water. We figured out if it was warm she could drink water without pain. Get your protein, it speeds recovery and healing after surgery. If your not on some type of protein supplement...start. Take your vitamins...every day. I've been told the effects of the anesthesia can last for months. If you weren't exercising before surgery it might be tough to get started. I was walking 2 hours a day before surgery (I had to do a Living Well exercise and diet program for 6 months pre surgery) but I could still only walk a few blocks the first week after surgery because of the energy drain. So I'd take a short walk (holding my incision the whole time, it felt like a runners stitch), never going so far I knew I couldn't get back. First a block, then a block and a half. I would do 6 or 7 of these short walks a day, eventually working up time and cutting down on the number of walks. I settled in at 2 - 45 min walks most days. ( I was off work for 7 weeks so had a lot of time on my hands) I would just take a walk, nap, take a walk, nap... worked for me. Basically, do what you can, don't hurt yourself but try to stay active. It speeds recovery. Carry something to eat or drink with you every where you go. You haven't lived until you're standing in line at Wal-Mart and the store starts to spin. A couple of peanut butter crackers or a Myoplex protein drink is like a miracle drug. Unfortunately, it could last for months. I had a little cooler of protein drinks every where I went. My ex would carry peanut butter crackers and a big mug of water with some protein mixed in that she would sip on all day. Good luck. Hope that helps. Earl

Thanks for the tips Earl.  I was a big water drinker prior, and I stll am, thank goodness!  Sometimes I think I am eating enoug, sometimes I think too much, sometimes not enough!  It is so hard to gauge.  my son said my body would tell me what to do, but I don't think it knows quiet yet!!!

You might want to keep a food journal for awhile and add up the calories. We were fortunate that OSU's program had a couple of nutritionist we worked with before and after surgery. My ex was taking in less than 300 calories a day. That's just not enough to stay healthy.