4 Days Post Op & Needing Encouragment
Everyday up until today has been wonderful. I know staying positive is one of the biggest pieces of this but today I am feeling like it has all stacked up and has gotten me down.
-I came home from the hospital 10 pounds heavier than when I went in (my own fault from weighing).
-I coughed yesterday and think I pulled something on my right side cuz there is now a new pain on that already tender side.
-I haven't had a bm in 11 days. A friends suggested Milk of Magnesia.
-I feel like my appetite and cravings are the same they were before I went in :0((( This one has the most upset because of all the stories I heard of patients who didn't experience hunger for over a year and didn't even desire food until then. Here I am haunted by every food commercial and meal that is brought by loved ones for my family. Is this head hunger or are some people just unlucky and never lose their hunger?
Thanks for any help.
You should have seen my first post after surgery! It wasn't pretty. I completely understand how you feel and everyone told me that it will get better. It does! I'm only 1.5 months out and feeling better everyday. You're right...staying positive is important, but it's hard to do that 100% of the time. I have a couple of recommendations that helped me: glycerin suppositories for bm and seek counseling if you get really down. You're going through the worst part, but you can do it!
First off--- the 10lbs is IV and surgical gas
Second- Laughing, coughing, and sneezing will hurt, but it gets better
Third- Take the Milk of Mag... it is nasty but really the only thing that helps. After which get yourself on a fiber regimen. Some people do Miralax, benefiber, or fiber rich foods.
Fourth- My NUT said I will be essentially grazing until I get to solid foods.
I hope you can keep your positive attitude. It does get better and you will be better off for it.
Love and Best Wishes,
Elizabeth
Oh dear, you do need some uplifting, and understandably so! So..... here goes:
1. I came home from the hospital about 10 pounds heavier than I went in, too. Including those damn extra 10 pounds, I lost 32 pounds the first month. Lost those 10 pounds plus another 23. That made me very happy - especially since I wigged out when I realized I was back up to over 250 coming home from the hospital.
2. You probably pulled a muscle when you coughed. Very normal. I had a similar thing and have heard many other people mention similar. To get the trocars in and your stomach out the surgeon has to stretch the heck out of the muscle tissue to make the openings large enough for things to fit through without out slicing you all open wide. This puts a lot of tension on the muscle and it tends to bunch up (for lack of a better descriptor). When you coughed the muscle probably pulled on an internal stitch. This is what my surgeon explained to me when what you described happened to me.
3. All sorts of BM "cures" try the Milk of Magnesia. You can also use Colace (stool softeners) or Miralax. I still use two colace per day and a half dose of Miralax (generic is way cheaper, btw) to keep things moving. This is a very normal part of Sleevedom! You may also find that once the gates open, you have very loose or liquid stool while you are on the liquid stage of your diet. This, too, is very normal.
4. Not everyone loses cravings or real physical hunger. However, what you describe sounds a lot like head hunger and grieving over what you cannot eat. Again, very normal. Even though I had no desire to really eat during my first week after surgery, I just about lost it, well, actually I did sort of lose it, when my partner went to Five Guys and brought home a double cheeseburger, large fries and a shake. I smelled it the minute he walked in the door. I was like, "WTF were you thinking????????" I didn't really want to eat it, I wasn't hungry but the smell and the sight of the bag was a trigger and a half! After my little tirade he was very careful about what he brought in the house for several months. LOL. I was also bothered by all the food commercials early out. I think it's normal to feel deprived at first. And let's face it, we didn't get to needing to be sleeved because we were good at being deprived! LOL! I know I wasn't
You sound like you are in the right place. I'm sorry that today sucks for you, but I promise you it will get better. You may also already be in the estrogen dump that happens when you start to lose fat rapidly. Stored hormones get released from the fat and flood your system. I was getting all sappy and teary eyed at Hallmark commercials during my recovery (I was sleeved just before Christmas and sentimental, sappy crap on TV abounded). It was down right embarrassing!
Concentrate on doing your new job of getting in fluids and walking to help your healing. You can do this. It will get better. Trust me.
Hiswill77- I too had the coughing that pulled on the right side- that strain lasted for a couple of days. I am also suffering from the sights on tv and the smells my husband brings through the door. I don't really want the food but it all looks so amazing knowing I cannot have it. As to the lack of bm, I did miralax and finally got relief on day 5 post-op and have had two more since at day 12 out.
You and I both have got this and I cannot wait to see how great you do!!!
VSG: 1/30/13
Height: 5'6 HW: 276, Pre-op: 263, SW: 249.5
Hugs!!!! The first few weeks I was a red hot hormonal mess. I wondered what I had done to myself. I over analyzed every ache and pain. I took my mind to bad places. I literally couldn't tolerate whey protein shakes for a few months and I was lactose intolerant. Now at almost 7 months out, I am doing great! I'm back drinking whey protein shakes and can tolerate milk although I prefer almond milk. It does get better !!!
Miralax works for me. The head hunger comes and goes for me.
Hang in there!!!
