elledubbs

I’m 11 days post- op and I’m constantly hungry. I have to eat every 2 hours or I go into scrounge mode. I eat anything I can lay hands on. Tonight, I let time get away from me and got hungry. I ate about 20 potato chips. I’m hitting and exceeding protein and fluid goals. I’ve started myself on rotisserie chicken 3 days early because I just can’t take it anymore. The only difference I’ve experienced since surgery on 5/30 is getting full faster but my hunger is probably worse. I get tired very quickly despite the protein and fluids. I’m so defeated right now. I feel like the pain and anxiety of the last few months has all been a waste.

I was sleeved on 5/30 and returned to work on 6/5 but I wish that I had taken more time. I also WFH with little physical activity. I had initially planned to take the week of 6/5 off as well in case of fatigue but my company has a BS 'unlimited PTO' policy which requires anyone absent for a medical reason for 5 consecutive days to go on short-term disability at 50% pay. With that being said, losing the pay would have been really taxing but not as taxing as working 40+hours was last week. Take the extra time.

I literally just made it out of the post-op liquid phase and felt the same way you did. I blundered and ate potato chips that my dbf left unattended. It gets easier after week 2. I started to feel true restriction and felt better after adding eggs, rotisserie chicken, and ricotta to my plan (my plan doesn't have a puree phase, just two stages of full liquids). The change to your appetite and hunger levels will happen so quickly. I was crying because I ate potato chips this past Saturday and by Monday, my appetite had completely changed. I will strongly encourage you to not eat the crackers but only because of the potential damage to your pouch. We are human and make mistakes.

I also wonder if I should have waited to return to work. My company has a crap ‘unlimited PTO’ policy which would have required me to go on short term disability after an absence over 5 business days. I couldn’t afford the pay cut and thought I could handle it because I WFH. Work dumped a ton of projects on me this week and instead of having the ‘light’ work load we discussed, I worked 40+.

I’m a bit late but I was sleeved on 5/30! Hope everyone is doing well post-op!

I obviously didn’t plan to eat potato chips and I know they have no nutritional value. I am prescribed omeprazole at 20 mg/day for 3 months. I’ve literally checked all the boxes. The hunger is not head hunger. I’m not craving specific foods and I’m not bored.