Question:
5 days post op....
I am 5 days post op and feel lousy, dont want to eat or drink really much at all. My doc gave me nothing for pain, told me to take es tylenol, which isnt helping. When do you start to feel more normal, as in have a small appetite back, sleep on your stomach, basicall i am asking when i will feel alive again. Right now i feel as a truck has ran me over a few times. Any advice from you guys on the losers bench would be appreciated. I am asking myself why i had this done? — sassy1696 (posted on March 17, 2009)
March 17, 2009
Give it time it's still very new you will get your appetite back
eventually, it will all be worth it once you start losing.The pain doesn't
last real long maybe your Dr. will reconsider. Just ask. You will feel like
a million bucks soon!!!!
— sunnie
March 17, 2009
call your dr. and let them know what pain you are in, everyone is different
and pain tolerance is different in everyone!! it took me a month to feel
better, but i had a stitch sewn to something else, and I couldn't stand up
straight, the moment that stitch busted lose I felt alot better, just hang
in there, and believe me your appetite will come back!! unfortunately!!!
lol
— Lisa Koch
March 17, 2009
Hi Well i hope u feel better
All I can say is that time will pass and you will begin to start feeling
better
I too would call your doc get pain pills if u need them u need them
nausea pills also it helps alot
walk as much as u can
sorry u r feeling so bad I sat under hot running water 2, 3 x's a day on a
regular chair in the tub. used heating pad on my lower back
I used lots of pillows
ate flavored ice
I hope u feel better soon
rest while u can
— Tammi Sandoval
March 17, 2009
I agree with earlier post, plan on a month before feeling like it may have
been worth it. Don't be shy about calling Dr again. You need help, and
there are wonderful meds to meet your needs. I had multiple complications
after my RNY January 14th. Such severe nausea, couldn't eat much of
anything for two weeks. Some people come thru like nothing, others don't.
Short 2 months later and I feel great. Am thrilled with results so far.
You'll be there too. but insist on getting the available relief now.
— tdspurr
March 17, 2009
After having major surgury your doctor should have given you something for
pain. You need to have control of the pain in order to be able to heal
also. Lortab is a liquid pain killer, similar to vicadin, but liquid.
That is what my surgeon gave me. Walk as often as you can just a little at
a time. I didn't have much of an appetite either at first but you have to
eat to lose. The food is the energy you need so you must eat, just eat the
proper portions required. I am now exactly 2 weeks post op and am finally
up and feeling like a new person with 30 lbs lost so far and went from 5
min walks a day to 50 min walks a day. Give it a couple of weeks and you
will feel better. Call your doc to get the liquid pain meds. Good luck to
you.
— michelle caballero
March 17, 2009
I completely understand. I am exactly 3 weeks post op lap rny today. I had
a very rough time and still struggle with the head part, but don't worry,
there is light at the end of the tunnel. I really started feeling better at
about 2 weeks out and I'm happy to say that I'm really feeling good now and
am eating and drinking just fine. I hope and pray you start feeling better
very soon. Just FYI, I bought a body pillow because I am also a
side/stomach sleeper and it helped me alot. Best wishes!
— princess111
March 17, 2009
Hi Louise,
It my not feel like it now, but things will get better! It was 3 weeks for
me before I felt better, but everyone is different. My surgeon gave me
Tylenol with Codeine Elixir-a liquid-that I had dilute with water due to
the sugar content. But it helped tremendously. There were times that I
would even forget to eat due to not having an appetite. I lost 40# the
first month. Hang in there! It will get better. Good luck-Barb
— babs71958
March 17, 2009
I cannot believe your doctor did not give you something for the pain.
Perhaps you can talk to your PCP about it. My doctor didn't order me
anything because I already had a supply of Vicodin at home for my
arthritis, which he said I could use for the surgical pain. I DID find
that getting up and walking helped more than anything else for me. I had
my Lap RNY on Monday, went home on Wednesday, stopped at the pharmacy to
pick up some more dressing supplies for my drain, and then pretty much went
out every day, walking or to the store, or got on my exercise bicycle...
and as much as you might hate to hear it, moving around really does help...
My surgeon told me I really wouldn't be hungry for something like 8 months.
Well, I've got to beg his pardon... I'm two and a half weeks post-op, and
my stomach gurgles and says "HUNGRY!!!" several times per day.
Good thing that I can only eat one ounce at a time! <grin> Give
your self some time, move around, and Good luck to you, I hope you feel
better.
— Erica Alikchihoo
March 17, 2009
Hi ! and Congrats ont he surgery. It will get better in time...My question
to you ...are you passing any gas? I had -not pain- but discomfort and it
was gas. I couldn't get it to come out..when my hubby took me for a bumpy
car ride..it started to come out. It took and hour of riding , but the
movement and occasional bumps shook things up and got things moving. It
odes get btter and when the weight starts coming off, you'll wonder why you
questioned yourself now. Hang in ..and God Bless! hugs, kim
— gpcmist
March 18, 2009
For one thing I would demand pain pills. You can not get through this
without them, and if your doc does not give them to you I would go to
another doc
— hlt1960
March 18, 2009
I felt pretty lousy for the first two weeks, some days were better than
others. I was sent home with Percocet, the Tylenol just didn't help. I also
had an internal stitch which the doctor warned me would be painful. Call
the doctor, tell him you need something to help the pain and the Tylenol
isn't working, and give yourself time to heal. It's a major operation and
it takes time, but I promise you will feel good again.
— jeannefitz
March 18, 2009
Things should get better in about another week. sleeping on your stomach
maybe a month from now. Hopefully you will be lucky and your hunger will
not return soon. I was so happy when I was not hungery at all. At 8 months
I still am not hungery oftem.
I can't imagine the first couple weeks without the pain meds. Ouch tough
doctor. Hang tough it will get better.
— trible
March 18, 2009
Oh honey. You just had MAJOR surgery and it's only been 5 days. Your
insides are healing, your body is healing and you are going through a ton
of changes inside and out - give your body and mind a break. You will start
to feeling better and better each day. Baby steps.
— jammerz
March 18, 2009
The first few weeks of healing is not a walk in the park for most of us. I
was so excited to finally have it done and I think I was also very
realistic in that I had already had a major surgery ( A removal of a large
ovarian tumor) and knew it would take time to heal first before I felt
better. I promise it gets better...and as you lose weight your energy
level also grows! My doc gave me oxycodin but only a month supply and would
not give me any more...I asked! LOL Told me to take tylenol as well...So
I did and it was fine...But I have to take 4 tylenol regular strength and I
have to chew or crush them and disolve them to get any relief from
pain...They do not work if I swallow them...They have to be dissovled to
work on me...I tried this experiment the last few days because I have had
wicked headaches (menstrual related) When I swallowed 3 tylenol...NOTHING
happened...When I chewed 3...it took the edge off the headache for about an
hour...When I swallowed 4 NOTHING! When I chewed four...headache GONE!!
YAY! So...Crush or chew! That made a HUGE difference for me! I needed 4
regular strenth which is just a few mg more than two extra strength
tylenol!
— .Anita R.
March 18, 2009
Call you doctor to demand pain medication. Yes, it's reasonable to be in
pain because you did have surgery. I'm surprise you went this long with the
pain. It's hard to feel any better being in pain. I hope that I'm an
exception. I'm 4 mos out and only now starting to feel better. I've read
lots of people bounce back within 2 weeks. Best wishes to you. I hope you
get to feeling better soon. -Corina
— Corina C
March 18, 2009
for me the first 10 days were the worse and then it slowly started getting
better.
— Alvernlaw
March 18, 2009
Probably a few days after surgery I started to get strong salt cravings (in
fact, I'm two months out and I still have very strong salt cravings), but
not so much for actual food. I would set out medicine cups (the 1 oz ones -
they actually gave me a big stack of them before I left the hospital) with
water, and make sure and time my drinking of them to make sure I wasn't
drinking too fast. I kept careful count of how much I was drinking and just
made sure to meet my minimum, which basically meant I was CONSTANTLY
drinking.
As far as appetite, I still don't have much of one. I'm still only eating
once or twice a day, although I realize I should be eating more. I drink a
protein drink or two each day, since that counts toward protein AND fluid
intake, but again, I'm not hungry when I do that. It's more out of
necessity.
As far as the pain, tylenol did nothing, or at least nothing substantial,
for my pain. I don't know how bad it is, but if your pain is preventing you
from doing anything, maybe ask if you can get something a little stronger?
I was still crushing my meds at 5 days...not sure if you do that, but it
may help increase absorption and in turn help the pain more.
I couldn't sleep on my side even for about a month, I think. I could sleep
on my stomach now, at two months out, if I wanted to. I've read that other
people could sleep on their side after a week or so. I can't imagine being
able to do that AT ALL, but apparently it varies (as does everything!) from
person to person.
I also felt like I had been run over by a truck. :) I was exhausted,
sore, weak, etc. Walking a bit each day helped some - I felt a bit more
human. I just took it slow and easy.
And as far as any possible regrets, I'd say that for a week or so after
surgery I was asking myself the same thing...WHAT HAVE I DONE? For me it
has gotten better. Now that I've lost over 60 lbs, I am definitely glad I
did it. It's still daunting to think of things not ever being the way they
were before, but if part of that is that I won't be as heavy or unhealthy
as before, I'll take it.
Please just give yourself time. This is a huge HUGE adjustment, more than I
really imagined. Take it easy on the food, be very diligent in getting in
enough fluid (getting dehydrated was so easy for me), and just remind
yourself that it gets easier and less painful.
— rachieo
March 19, 2009
first off call your surgeon and tell him you have to have something for
pain. That is not even realistic to send you home with nothing. If he
refuses to give you anything call your primary care and ask him. Secondly
make sure you get your fluids, even if you dont feel like eating or
drinking. You dont want to get dehydrated. Just take it a sip at time. I
found after my surgery that the worst part was lying on my back. I have a
bad back and have never been able to stay on my back for long. My sister
told me at the hospital the nurses were totally amazed because when I was
in recovery I was screaming to get up in a chair because I had been on my
back to long and it hurt! They brought me to my room and sat me in a chair
for a couple hours and I was still so out of it that I dont remember!
Anyway that night in the hospital I didnt sleep at all because everytime I
fall asleep I would want to roll over. But when I got home the next day I
found that I could get quite comfortable by lying on my side and placing a
pillow under my belly. This is how I had slept when I was pregnant which
is what made me think about it. I walked around the house alot. I didnt
go outside because I live in a rural area and there are no paved streets or
sidewalks and they dont want you walking on uneven ground at first. I went
to work 7 days after my surgery. I am a nurse and work 16 hours a day so I
was kind of apprehensive about going back so soon but it proved to be no
problem. I recently went back for my 6 month checkup and found that Ive
lost 93 pounds so never doubt that the surgery is worth what you go through
the first few weeks. Hang in there and stay focused on the future! Take
baby steps. The first step is getting a dr (any dr) to give you pain
meds!!
— cathysue58
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