Energy level

First Merry Christmas to you all........

So I will be 4 weeks post op on Tue....all has gone really good, but I am tired a lot.......I generally go to bed around 11- but then wake up anywhere from 3-5 and am up for at least 2 hours--- sometimes more.....I love a nap and have been trying to not take one hoping that would make me sleep better at night- but if I skip the nap I still wake up and just feel more tired the next day.....

I have been getting in my fluids and anywhere from 60-80 grams of protein a day.....people say you must have so much more energy with losing weight....I just agree- but in my mind I am screaming I wanna nap....I push myself to do things during the day when I would just prefer to crawl into bed......

Anyone else experience this?   I keep telling myself that my body has been through a lot and I need to let it heal......This is really new to me as I was always a high energy person before surgery.......

thoughts??   thanks-

It takes some folks a few months to get their energy boost. You're still recovering from major surgery, if you can squeeze a power nap into your day, do it. The energy will come. I'm routinely running on 6 - 7 hours of sleep now. I don't know why that is, but I've read where people sleep less post-op than they did pre-op.

--gina

 I totally get what you mean...it happened to me too...I wouldn't worry about how tired you are...your body is recovering still and also starving..which is what it's supposed to do but still exhausting...
make sure you get lots of liquids...because that can lead to fatigue... I would often have a protein shake RIGHT before bedtime so my body did not wake me up in the middle of the night...when you are not eating much you do sleep less and  the late night protein drink helped me sleep longer..like a baby...LOL....so good luck and don't worry....and be kind to yourself...SEAVIEW

It took me much longer than 4 weeks to get my energy back.  At 4 weeks, I could make it through the day without a nap but was sleeping 10 hours at night.  I still sleep 8-9 and occasionally 10 but have always been a good sleeper.  I have tons of energy now, but am ready for bed at the end of the day.Getting protein and fluid certainly helps.  Begin active during the day helps you sleep at night.  I also think my energy improved when I started eating solids, which was around 6 weeks.

HI, Owosso guy, I grew up in Ovid.  Small world.

Anyway, I remember talking with my doc at 5 weeks post op about my less than stellar energy level.  He asked me, and "why do you think that is?"  I said, " maybe" because I had major surgery a few weeks ago",  and he said, "and you are probably getting in only about 500-600 calories a day, of course your energy is not the best."  It will improve as you heal and you can ingest more.

I can tell you my energy is much better now at 10 weeks po.  I do deep tissue massage and
I am up to 7 a day and I am fine.  Just have to make it a priority to get that protein in or I loose steam fast.  I think the protein drink before bed is a great idea.

May you be stepping high and fast soon!

thanks all.....the shake idea is good - I was trying a glass of milk....worked ok, but maybe tonight I will try a shake......
Ovid huh-- it is a small world....I was born and raised here, been in Owosso all my life....

We have similar sleep patterns. I can manage to stay up til 11pm, but then find myself up at 5 or earlier, only to need a nap 2 hrs later. I slept wonderfully on the pain meds, but it's been downhill since. If I try to go to bed earlier (like 10pm or before), I'm wide awake at 3am.

Hope this figures itself out soon for me b/c I start back at school in early Jan and I don't have time for naps. Good luck finding your energy! :)

 Yeah the milk won't give you enough protein to keep your body quiet...try a good protein rich protein drink....sleepy nice...SEAVIEW

I went back to work 3 weeks post surgery and had a nap when I came home every day for about a month.  It took me about 8 weeks from surgery to have all my energy back.

Yasmeen