Hi guys,

I am 4 days post-op VSG. Everything went really well and I haven’t had to take any pain meds since prior to leaving the hospital upon discharge Wed 1/24. I was not allowed to drink or eat anything at all on 1/23 after surgery until I passed my upper GI swallow test the afternoon of 1/24. I was then allowed clear liquids and those seemed to go down well.

I was super encouraged by the positive experience that I had while at the hospital but now I feel like that’s all gone to hell in a hand basket. I’ve developed a cold and started my period in the last few days and I am have a terrible time getting my liquids, especially protein, in right now.

I am so tired and emotional and run down and I’m starting to question why I did this. I miss food. I miss cigarettes. Hell, I miss the plain lettuce I was allowed during my 2 week pre-op diet. Every thing tastes disgusting, including water (that could be my cold).

I was able to get up and out yesterday for a bit and while I think it helped, I was so exhausted when I got home. I can’t even imagine things continuing this way and having to go back to work. I feel like I’m wandering around with my head in the clouds. Just very airy and confused. I already know the anesthesia kicked my ass because I don’t remember much from the hospital (visitors, etc) and I slept nearly 24 hours after I was discharged.

I don’t know what I’m looking for at this point. Encouragement? Understanding? I don’t know. This whole thing is very isolating. My phone has been blowing up with friends and family checking in which is great, but they don’t understand what I’m really going through so I usually just that I’m feeling fine.

Help!

HW: 252

SW: 239

CW: 231

GW: 145 or lower

Height: 5’3

Age: 31

Blog: https://fearlessagentofchange.wordpress.com

Twitter: hd_buttahz

Instagram: agenthdbuttahz

The cold can't be helping, but I kind of understand where you are coming from. I also had very little pain, but my feeling at that point was that the first month just pretty much sucked. I got so sick of the sweet taste of protein drinks I could barely get them down. The broth I tried seemed disgusting. Fudgesicles helped . . . but I also had no energy at all. It took forever until I felt more or less normal.

It will get better! that's virtually a promise . . . real food helps enormously, even though you will only be able to eat a few bites at first. Hang in there, though. It's worth it!

You were hit hard post-surgery at home. You were still healing (even with it going well) plus a cold, your period, a desire for cigs, taste buds are off kilter, and you've had lettuce cravings. Not easy at all. My taste buds were off too - sugar-free Popsicles and jell-o tasted too sweet. The salmon my daughter was making (which never made me feel sick before) smelled horrible to the point of nausea. About water and protein, I'm still not close to my goals. It takes awhile to get there. I hope you are feeling better very soon. Your body probably needs a lot of rest right now. Try not to overthink it because anxiety about work may set in. Keep focusing on what you need in the moment and eventually you'll get to where you want to be.

hdbuttahz, if you slept for 24 hours when you got home, you're probably really really dehydrated. You need to sip, sip, sip, and you might not be able to make up for that lost time on your own.

Please pay special attention to the symptoms of dehydration. If you think you're in trouble, call your doc and maybe even consider going to urgent care for some fluids IV.

Not only will dehydration make you feel run over by a truck...it can also increase your risk of blood clots.

Pour yourself four little one ounce cups of water every single hour you're awake and challenge yourself to drink one of them every 15 minutes. Drink anything you can tolerate....but please drink an ounce every fifteen minutes you're awake.

I totally understand feeling discouraged and freaked out....have so been there.

But seriously, girl...hydration is critically important...and that floaty feeling you're describing concerns me.

Sip, sip, sip.

And you're dead right...no one gets it who hasn't been there.

One of my discharge nurses told me when I went home that the most common cause of emergency dehydration was sleeping for extended periods of time after arriving home. She actually cautioned us to set a timer and take 30 minute naps...so that we could get our water in each hour and not get behind.

Pay attention to the color of your urine. if it's very dark, you might be suffering dehydration. Pick up the skin on the back of your hand...it should snap back down. if it sort of tents and oozes down...you're dehydrated.

Edited January 28, 20188 yr by Creekimp13

1 hour ago, hdbuttahz said:

I don’t know what I’m looking for at this point. Encouragement? Understanding? I don’t know. This whole thing is very isolating. My phone has been blowing up with friends and family checking in which is great, but they don’t understand what I’m really going through so I usually just that I’m feeling fine.

Hi, I did not have any of your issues after my surgery, but I will tell you this:

What you are feeling WILL pass. It may suck currently, but you just have to be brave and push forward. Some of what you are feeling might only last a few days. Just be sure to let your surgeon know what you are experiencing and follow their instructions to the letter. Do what you can to stay comfortable and just know that having the surgery WAS the right decision.