Cried a few min this morning and then ....

wiped my tears and took a deep breath.  I keep reminding myself I'm only 5 days post op.  I want to be perfect at this and I'm really frustrated with myself.  I'm frustrated that I haven't gotten that 3rd protein shake in the last few days.  The stupid pain meds make me feel sick and so do the vitamins.  I'm sipping liquids all day but sometimes even they are making me feel full and queasy.  I didn't take pain meds last night and I actually slept soundly for about 8 hrs. 

Today is a new day.  Today I feel okay and will try hard to get in the protein and not worry about the vitamins.  I've had several other major surgeries and not one of them hit me as hard as this one.  I am so thankful for this opportunity and I am lucky I haven't been too nauseous and overall I'm doing good.  I guess things are just starting to hit me now and still being on all thin liquids (2weeks pre-op and now this week) is a struggle.  The thought of drinking another cup of broth, protein drink or water is, well, kinda depressing.

Thanks for listening and letting me whine a little.  I know there are better days ahead.  Kari

It will get easier, just give it time and get plenty of rest. You won't be perfect and that's OK. Just focus on getting in what you can and don['t beat yourself up. You sound like you are doing great being compliant. Hang in there and rest! It only gets better from here!

Thanks Laura! I think my big downfall was I shouldn't have compared this surgery to my others.  I had preconceived thoughts of what "I thought" it would be post op and the reality is, it's nothing like I anticipated.  I see everyone on here and I know I can do this.  I'm just so tired off and on throughout the day.  One minute I feel like I could go shopping, the next minute I'm sleeping lol-very bizarre. 

I'm quickly finding I need to take things an hour at a time.  I have been reading everyone posts like crazy and it's really making me feel better and that I'm not alone.

Yes, comparing ourselves to others is very tempting and hard not to do but it's not the best habit to get into since we're all different in our journey and what we can expect of ourselves may not be what others can expect of themselves. This is major surgery and emotional highs and lows are normal, as is the fatigue. A week after surgery a simple trip to the pharmacy was exhausting for me and I burst into tears on the way home and thought I was a basket case. It turns out I was just tired and overwhelmed! Your energy will return soon and it sounds like a great idea to take it one minute or one hour at a time as you suggested. Most people on this forum are very kind and have been through a lot of what you described so its a good idea to rely on the people on here for advice and support! You are definitely not alone! HUGS!

I looked at your signature and thought wow looks like she has had a bad go of it the last few months.
A leak must be a little scary I hope you will feel better soon.
At first I couldn't do vitamins either they tore me up and so I waited 2 weeks and it went a lot better.
Chin up and I hope the broth stage passes quickly at 6 months out sometimes I still drink my unflavored protein in my broth on occasion. I didn't think I would ever drink broth again at 4 weeks out though.
 

Yes I honestly thought I was golden losing all my weight with the band and just living my life.  I woke up one morning last April and I had absolutely NO restriction.  I couldn't believe it.  I was then able to eat large quantities of food again with no restriction.  The reason I had the band was because I couldn't control my portion sizes.  I probably went from eating 800-1000 calories a day to double that-and my weight went up quickly.

After many tests my surgeon couldn't find the source of the leak so he couldn't just replace a part of the band.  My choices at that point was a full band replacement or gastric bypass.  I knew in that instant that I wanted the bypass, the thought of something happening again with the band is high and I can't keep going through surgeries.

Thank you for this board.  It is my life saver right now, just as it was 8 yrs ago. 

*Hugs* It will get better. I'm 7 weeks post op today & just in this past week have I been able to get in all my protein plus some. It was like "Bam"one day & I could get it all in. Liquids are not easy I know, but it will be worth it all in the end & it can only get better from here. I still struggle some days with getting all my water in & I can tell it in my skin, but you do the best you can & that's all that is expected of you. Keep your chin up. You are doing great!

I was just thinking today, I wondered how long it took most people to be able to eat all of their protein without needing to supplement with shakes-That's my dream.  Can you tell me what kinds of food you tolerate?  Some write about pinto beans with melted cheese omg I think I would die for that.  Thank you for your hug and words of encouragement.

I have never supplemented with protein shakes or bars. There is too much fear mongering on here about protein and vitamin deficiencies, perpetuated by people *****ally do NOT know what they are talking about - it would take months of not getting enough protein for us to get any sort of protein deficiency!!!

A reasonable level to aim for is 30g at 30 days, 60g at 60 days and 90g at 90 days. At 5 days out you should be only concerned with hydration and if you manage to get ANY protein in, it's a bonus! More people go to the ER for dehydration than EVER go for a protein deficiency!!!!

Good luck - and as my mum used to say, just do your best!

 I certainly felt the same way several times during my first 3 mths. Just do the best you can without making yourself sick. Keeping hydrated is most important...sip sip sip. The rest will fall into place. Relax and know that it WILL get better. Give yourself big hugs for getting through the surgery!!!