Sleepy?

[Gayle 9]

I am 3 weeks out from surgery, on mushies. I am getting all my Protein and Water and Vitamins in, but I am sooooooo tired all the time! What is that? Did anybody else have that?

[mandems mom 3]

I'm just over 2 weeks out and I wouldn't say that I'm sleepy, but I'm definitely low energy. Lots of people on here recommend taking B12 supplements to help with energy; I just have a hard time getting myself to take pills so I haven't tried it yet.

[Rev Me Up! 75]

Yes, I sure did. I can still say that my energy level is still about 80% of what it was before surgery. I felt desperately exhausted through week 5. After that I think I started eating a lot more normal food and I started to perk up a bit more. I still have days where I am exhausted, but not as bad. I have had a hard time introducing exercise because of this. As it is I can walk for 30-45 minutes in the evening, but it has to be a very slow walk.

I don't know if there is a cure for it at this point. I eat between 600-800 cals every day and I think that is why my body just isn't back up to normal energy levels. I had bloodwork done and everything looks good except the Vitamin D.

Your body has been through something traumatic - make sure to listen to it. Don't force yourself to be active if you are truly exhausted. It will get better over time. I found my second month to be sooooo much better then that first.

Take care,

Lara

[foxgirl74 5]

It is 100% normal!!! Just think of the tiny amount of fuel you are giving your body to live on right now, so it's trying to conserve it and tap into all of that excess stored fat to survive. I was exhausted until at least 3 to 4 weeks out, and some days I still get super tired because it's hard to get enough calories in still!! It will get better, especially once you start on Vitamins and start exercising more. Take it easy for now and just gradually increase your activity and I can assure you it will get better!!

[Rootman 1,101]

Yep, as Foxgirl said - it's par for the course. You are after all healing from pretty major surgery, had a general anesthetic which puts you into a state that is pretty traumatic for the body. You've changed you diet drastically and started burning the fat reserves your body has so diligently stored away for years if not decades. Some glands are not producing enough of their stuff while others may be producing too much. You've had a hell of a shock and it takes time for the body to snap out of it.

If it doesn't get better tell your doc and have a complete blood panel done to make sure you are still getting all the Vitamins and minerals you need to get. And on the same note - take your Vitamins. Their cheap and good insurance against some pretty nasty diseases that could pop up due to deficiencies, stuff we'd never get before because we got a full compliment of them.

Rest, take naps, go to bed early. Take the next month, or 2 or even 3 off from hard labor or exercise if you need it. You will fell more like doing it soon enough.

[Megan 0]

I'm fortunate enough to have gotten all of my energy back before I even left the hospital, but I started taking B12 this week and it's definitely made me feel perkier. The anesthesia tires you out and you aren't getting in many calories so it is understandable. You may want to up your Protein if you can handle it and make sure they test your Iron too

[MRSKOUBiK 27]

It's normal.

Your body is adjusting! REST

[canada 0]

i am almost 7 weeks post op and stil get very tired and its hard to get motivated to exercise due to this, but i hear it will sort its self out and we will be feeling better than ever in no time at all, so heres to the future!!

[Ms Lady in NC 1]

I am almost a month out and find myself needing to take breaks more often. I think I read somewhere that it can take months to get back to where we were. Everyday gets a bit better but not by much in my book. I think with all the info we try to learn and use along with our bodies changing, makes us very sensitive in many ways and fatigue is not excluded. But like Rootman said, get checked out if you need to. Hope you feel better soon.