I am the grumpy dwarf

My mom sat down with me this evening and told me that I have been exceptionally prone to overreaction/losing my temper/etc. these last few weeks since my surgery. She thinks it's important that I mention it to my surgical team. She's right. I have been very impatient, easily offended, hurt, edgy even maybe. I can be somewhat anyway. I like to blame it on a childhood of being too scared to defend myself, but I have noticed this has been more frequent lately. I've also been really tired, but I assumed that was just my body healing. Has anyone else experienced this post-op? If so, what was the cause, and what do I need to do? I have a 4 - almost 5 year old, and I can't keep getting so frustrated over nothing.

I are you seeing a counselor? I have been seeing one since 2 weeks postop. Hubby and I have our surgeries 3 weeks apart from each other and we wanted to make sure that we weren't taking anything out on each other. Dr Lucktong recommends counseling postop to help deal with how we allowed ourselves to get to this weight and to help us deal with the emotional aspect of rapid weight loss. But, we both went through periods like that and our counselor helped us worth thru it. I would mention it in your postop appt.

~Jenny

Who do you see? I have looked into therapists, but I was having trouble finding ones who deal with weight related issues as a specialty.

I see Steve Price at Total Life Counseling. I had seen him in the past for grief counseling and when I told him I was looking into the surgery last year he told me that he had multiple patients that had had the surgery and had rapid weight loss other ways. They also approved him for my psych consult for the surgery. I've seen him off/on for about 7yrs. I would highly recommend him or any of the other therapists in the office.

Thanks!

What you are experiencing is NORMAL. Hormones are stored in fat cells and when we lose weight at a rapid pace (like immediately post op!), those hormones are released into the bloodstream and HELLO CRAZY! Stick around these boards and you will hear the same story time and time again. I experienced it myself during the first month or two post op. Irritability, sensitivity, and feeling outright nutty some days. If you are seeing a counselor already, excellent, but if you aren't and don't want to, know that this time will pass once the rapid weight loss slows down after the first month or two. I'm sorry you're feeling "grumpy" ;) Tell your mom that it will get better and ask her to stick it out with you until it does!

I want to see a counselor anyway. I had looked into it for a couple of months pre-op, but I couldn't find any who specialized in weight related behavior modification. I'm hoping for a good recommendation! ^^

Consider having your blood sugar checked.  I had exactly the same experience as you, irritable, snippy, and tired tired tired.  My PCP took my glucose measurement and I was running low.  Since I have been aware of it and have changed a few things to keep my glucose up, I have not been as irritable or as tired.  Just a thought.

To me it sounds like the very, very normal emotional overload that we can experience in the first weeks postop.  The tiredness is also widely reported by postops in those early weeks.  You're not even a month postop yet, my dear.

You just need to ride it out.  Keep taking care of yourself by getting your nutrition and  your fluids, follow your plan, and get some exercise as your plan allows and as you are able.  It gets better.  :)