One week post op

[Dram 0]

Please help. I am one week post op and still in a lot of pain. I feel like I was kicked in the stomach. I am also continuously tired. Will either of these symptoms get better. Today just broke down emotionally wondering if I made the right choice. Encouragement welcome...

[2muchfun 8,927]

I can't give you personal experience since I didn't really experience a lot of pain. But I see posts like yours weekly and they all come back within a few weeks with a "Phew, glad that's behind me". It does get better and if you're still taking pain meds, they only exacerbate the emotional roller coaster. Hang in there!

[StacyK 11]

Dram, I am also one week post op and I had a day exactly like that today. I cried and cursed the band. I considered asking my surgeon to take it out. I reached out to this forum and I did some reading and finally spoke with a friend who has been banded for a while, and felt better. Take a deep breath. This week is about healing. Make sure you are doing all you can to help that happen. My pain, I discovered, was about 30% hunger and 30% gas pressure and a heaping spoonful of anxiety. I attacked the gas and hunger with gasx and movement and thick Soups. I took milk of mag to get things moving along better, which also helped with the bloating and pain. Who knew hunger could feel like grinding stomach pain? I do feel much, much better. As for the anxiety, I read posts on this board and chose to believe my surgeon's wonderful nurse when he reassured me that others have gone through this and survived, and look back on it as a very brief and very rough part of the journey. I spent a full hour just trying to relax my body and breathe.

It will get better. This is not your new norm. Hang in there! Call your doctor's office to talk through the specifics of what you are feeling physically so they can help you figure out what you need to heal and feel better from this point.

Someone posted today that days 6,7 and 8 were her worst days.

[Dram 0]

Stacy- thank you so much for responding. It helped so much to read this when I woke up today. Heading off to my "Esophogram" which I am not looking forward to. I bought both the milk of mag and gas x before surgery and have not used either, I think I will take that today to see if it helps.

So glad to have someone to talk to, I do not know anyone who has been through this. Thanks again Stacy..

[StacyK 11]

Hey, thank you for validating that I was not the only one who was struggling a week out from surgery. I can tell you that I feel soooo much better today. Like a different human. I hope all goes well at the doc today and I hope you hit the turnaround soon!

[jenwebber 13]

I am 3 weeks post op, and I was in your shoes as well! I broke down and bawled to my husband at about the same time as you. At 1 week post op is when I got my staples out. Once I got them out, I started to feel better. I was still slow moving and uncomfortable. At 3 weeks post op though, I feel great! The pain is gone, and I move like I never had the surgery. The worst for me was the shoulder pain from the gas, but that is also gone. For the first 2 weeks, I did tend to take a nap after my kids went to school, but I am past that now. These symptoms will pass for you, and you will begin to feel great, I promise! You are not alone in this journey. You are on your way to a positive, healthier life. You've got this!

[Laneyb_00 81]

I'm 16 days post op ! I had my first moment like that last weekend...I thought the gas pains would never go away...but they did and my energy is picking up and I am almost feeling like the old me completely now...it will pass and will start feeling a little better each day ! Hang in there :-)

[Dram 0]

Thank you so much!! Looking forward to feeling that **** in a few weeks. Good to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks again!

[jennybean 175]

I am 2 weeks post op and feel much better. I had post op problems and had to be in the hospital for 3 days because I could not keep fluids down because I was so swollen. Almost back to normal. Loving mushie foods and feeling full after a small amount. Feeling good! It is normal to be emotional. Give it some time.

[Dram 0]

Laneyb and jenwebber sounds like 3 weeks post op is a great goal and something to look forward to. Thank you so much for sharing, it means so much.

officially one week down!