4 weeks post op & having complications ... need advice

Hi All,

I'm 4 weeks post-op and I've been having a few complications like abdominal pain in the right quadrant and I haven't been able to graduate to solid foods. I can't keep down solid foods without vomiting.  I have some questions for those of you having had success with the VSG, when you started exercising did you find that you had low energy? I've been trying to get back out on my bike but I've been having difficulty with fatigue.

My questions:

1. When you started exercising were you fatigued and had low energy? Did you need to increase your intake?

2. Did anyone else have issues with vomiting and a hard time keeping down solid foods?

3. Did anyone else have their weight stall at week 4 and not loose anything? :(

Thanks for any help!!

Putting aside the other stuff, pain in the upper right quadrant and frequent vomiting are things that need to be referred to your doctor, not an internet message board. If the pain you are experiencing is intense, you should go to an emergency room.

I am not a medical professional by any means but I do know that gall stones are very common after weight loss surgery and gall stone symptoms include pain in the upper right quadrant and vomiting after eating. But there are lots of possibilities -- I'm just pointing out one that definitely requires hands-on medical attention!

My surgeon gave me a booklet for post surgery and a chapter is on symptoms you might see after surgery and how to respond to the different symptoms. The symptoms you listed are in the "call us and head to the emergency room" category if the pain is intense and "call us right away" even if the pain is not intense. Repeated vomiting is not normal and should not be allowed to go untreated, let alone the kind of pain you are describing.

Stalls on the other hand are completely normal, especially 2-4 weeks out.

Thanks, I actually had a CT scan on Friday and am awaiting the results. I am concerned about the stalls and the lack of energy when exercising.  Any thoughts on this?

Ditto what Bufflehead said.  Additionally, I fatigued easily for the first few weeks.  I think it was 6-8 weeks before I noticed more energy.

I was tired for many weeks after surgery.  I am in my 60's so I attributed some of it to age, but I was surprised how long I was tired.  I don't know when it passed.  It just slowly improved, and at one year out, I'm feeling great.

Good luck figuring out the pain in the abdomen.  I hope it is diagnosed and easily resolved.

best wishes

Carol

1. I wasn't allowed to do anything other than walk for the first 6 weeks, so I walked a lot.  Then I started increasing my pace, walking more, and I added fitness classes and physical therapy.  I'm definitely fatigued.  No surprise, since I'm exercising 9-11 hours a week!  I haven't increased my caloric intake.  Too many people fall into the trap of rewarding their exercise with food, and I know that's not necessary.  So I don't.  

2. Not here.  Perhaps you've moved on to solid foods too soon for your body?  

3. I'm in my 11th week now and stalling for the first time.  I know why, though... my period came, my increased exercise, and I'm constipated.  It'll pass, so I'm not worried.  My trend according to TrendWeight is still going in the right direction.  

Thanks GwenMo for the feedback about the exercise.  I've been cycling and having a tough time rehydrating afterwards.

Do you hydrate while you bike?  One of those camel pack things might be useful.