Post Op Questions and Concerns

irishprincess966 · April 28, 2011

Today I am 10 days out. I am feeling better than I thought I would. I have more energy than I thought I would, even though its not a lot. I only took 6 days off from work and returned Tuesday, but I have been having some concerns and could really use some guidance from more experienced sleevers.

When I was in the hospital I was in terrible pain. It didn’t feel like my stomach was accepting anything, i felt liquids were getting "stuck", and I was very nauseous. I threw up after having my swallow test and it was 4 oz. I was amazed my stomach was holding that much. Isn’t that a lot for 1 day post op, or should I not be concerned?

I had my follow up yesterday and my dr showed me a tube of toilet paper and told me that was how big my new stomach is. That’s pretty darn big! Can that be right?

Also, since I am sitting I am feeling my main incision "stretching" I guess would be the best word. Its like its pulling me from the inside out, and it hurts. My incision pain hasn’t been too bad, but with sitting its really bothering me. Any suggestions, other than to get up and walk?

I have lost about 15 pounds since my surgery (depending on which scale I use). I have seen other people who have lost 30 pound by the time they are 10 days post op. I know 15 is a lot but why is it coming off so "slowly" by other peoples weight loss rates? I am doing 2 Protein Drinks a day, and yesterday I started 1 oz of applesauce and 2 oz of greek yogurt. I am still not feeling full but I am too scared to have any more than that.

And finally (for now lol) I am angry. Angry at myself for having gained so much weight, angry for not being able to get it off on my own, angry because I am having terrible head hunger and cravings that are so bad there are times where I wonder what the harm would be if I just ate a piece of chocolate or bite of a hamburger, and then I get so angry at myself for having these thoughts that I start to cry. I know most of this emotional rollercoaster is normal, but its probably the hardest part for me.<BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR style="mso-special-character: line-break">Sorry for the long ramble. Any suggestions would be great. Very few of my friends know I did this, so there is not a lot of people I can reach out to for support. Any help would be awesome.

Thanks!

Amanda131 · April 30, 2011

Today I am 10 days out. I am feeling better than I thought I would. I have more energy than I thought I would, even though its not a lot. I only took 6 days off from work and returned Tuesday, but I have been having some concerns and could really use some guidance from more experienced sleevers.

When I was in the hospital I was in terrible pain. It didn’t feel like my stomach was accepting anything, i felt liquids were getting "stuck", and I was very nauseous. I threw up after having my swallow test and it was 4 oz. I was amazed my stomach was holding that much. Isn’t that a lot for 1 day post op, or should I not be concerned?

I had my follow up yesterday and my dr showed me a tube of toilet paper and told me that was how big my new stomach is. That’s pretty darn big! Can that be right?

Also, since I am sitting I am feeling my main incision "stretching" I guess would be the best word. Its like its pulling me from the inside out, and it hurts. My incision pain hasn’t been too bad, but with sitting its really bothering me. Any suggestions, other than to get up and walk?

I have lost about 15 pounds since my surgery (depending on which scale I use). I have seen other people who have lost 30 pound by the time they are 10 days post op. I know 15 is a lot but why is it coming off so "slowly" by other peoples weight loss rates? I am doing 2 Protein drinks a day, and yesterday I started 1 oz of applesauce and 2 oz of greek yogurt. I am still not feeling full but I am too scared to have any more than that.

And finally (for now lol) I am angry. Angry at myself for having gained so much weight, angry for not being able to get it off on my own, angry because I am having terrible head hunger and cravings that are so bad there are times where I wonder what the harm would be if I just ate a piece of chocolate or bite of a hamburger, and then I get so angry at myself for having these thoughts that I start to cry. I know most of this emotional rollercoaster is normal, but its probably the hardest part for me.<BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR style="mso-special-character: line-break">Sorry for the long ramble. Any suggestions would be great. Very few of my friends know I did this, so there is not a lot of people I can reach out to for support. Any help would be awesome.

Thanks!

Hi SarahsMom-

First, don't worry. You haven't described anything in your post that many before you haven't described feeling. Sounds like you're normal. Seriously, though, I see a lot of similarities between our post-op experiences. I also feared my stomach was too big because I could take in so much more than others. Alot of times it's because the swelling went down faster for us. And, if you're tall like me then you may also have a longer stomach which equals a bit more room. Remember liquids move through the sleeve pretty quickly, too. I'm betting that when you get to the mushy/solid phase you'll feel just how tiny it is.

I also returned to work at 6 days post op. I had pains when sitting too. I found that my pants were rubbing an incision wrong and that sitting upright for long periods of time was just more than the newly operated abdomen could handle. I did a lot of leaning back in my office chair and took an extra 1/2 day off a couple of times to go home and fully recline.

At 10 days out you're still in a difficult place mentally, in my opinion. The mental games really didn't let up on me until about 5 weeks out. Remember, you just changed your whole world and your head needs a little time to catch up! I did a lot of journaling, a few posts on here and actually even continue to see a therapist once every few weeks to help me deal with the emotional side of being a former overeater. If nothing more, write down why you choose to have surgery and when the mind starts trying to convince you to push your limits with food, refer back to that list. Don't get angry that you had thoughts about poor food choices, rather feel victorious that you had the thoughts and didn't act on them.

Finally, 15 pounds in 10 days is rockin' awesome! That's 1.5 pounds a day friend! I only lost 20 in the first THREE weeks. Each of us will lose differently, but right now you're body is in a bit of shock over being invading, losing a giant chunk of tummy and being ripped off calorie wise. It may need a little time to catch up.

During those rough first few weeks, I encourage you to focus on the future and how great you're going to feel as the weight drops and you learn to live with this tool.

Best of luck! Feel free to message me anytime you need someone to talk/vent with. I imagine it's really hard to recover without your support network even knowing that you're in recovery.

*HUGS!*

Amanda

irishprincess966 · May 5, 2011

Thank you so much Amanda! You comments made me feel so much better. I am doing better mentally and physically. The incision pain is getting better. Sneezing still hurts, but not much I can do about that. lol Once I realized that I hadnt damned myself to a life of Protein Shakes and broth I started to feel much better. I snuck a hershey kiss the other day and it actually didnt taste as good as I remembered. lol. Unfortnately I have hit the dreaded stall already, but I know that this too shall pass. Thank you again for your encouraging words. If you ever need someone to talk or vent to, I am here for you too!