Regretting my decision

Hello,

I am now at my one week post op and I am regretting doing it. You never read about how horrible you could feel or at least I didn't. I am barely able to drink water and can not tolerate any type of protein shake. Im always hungry and have headaches from not taking in anything. I'm down 14 pounds but at this point that doesn't even make me happy. Had anyone felt this way before? Do you have any pointers? Does it get better? 

Hi!  What surgery did you have?  

Everyone goes through this "oh sh*t" moment where you wonder what the hell you've done to yourself but I promise you it does get better.  Give it some time, you just went through major surgery.  Focus on healing.

Awww yes (felt that way) and YES (it will get better.)

I felt that way for a few weeks in the beginning. Cried at least once a day. Lots of WTH did I do? Did it have to come to this? thoughts and it's hard to complain to friends and family about something you wanted so badly. It does get better. Sip water every chance you ge****er is the most important (dehydration is one of the main reasons for readmittance) so keep that bottle close. Walk a little each day outside... breath fresh air (clears the drugs, anesthesia haze that adds to the blues) and try and do a little better each day than the day before on protein... try changing to water/protein or lactose free milk (sometimes its the lactose) and try a travel mug. Some other tips.  Most of us within a few weeks would do it all over again if we had to. Hope you will soon be feeling the same. 

Keep talking with your Dr's office if your pain is not manageable or getting worse don't let them push you off if it doesn't feel like normal pain after having major surgery.

Sending you good thoughts. 

~Michelle "Shelly"

My first week was awful, I felt like I'd been hit by a bus. I can't do hardcore pain meds so I did the whole thing on Advil, and I slept for almost an entire week. Such is life after major surgery!

Week two was better, I was finally able to get up and move a bit, have popsicles, get down teeny amounts of water (I used paper bathroom cups and did less than 1oz at a time) and some broth when I could. Even with an abdominal binder, sitting up or moving for much time was rough and I still napped a lot, but I was back to work after about two and a half weeks.

It took probably about a month after that to get completely back to normal, I felt like I was running at about 80% for a month or so. I'd nap after work most days, did a little bit of walking for exercise but not much more, and felt generally groggy and run-down. It takes our bodies a while to adjust, and that's OK, even though it's very frustrating.

Do what you can. Nobody expects you to be drinking an entire protein shake at a week out; sip as much as you can, a teeny bit at a time, move when you can, and get lots of rest so you can heal. Some of us feel like we've been hit by a cruise ship, others bounce back quickly, everybody is different.

Thank u all for your support. I had the gastric sleeve. My Dr says I have to drink 2 protein shakes a day along with 64oz of water. I can't even get 1/4 a protein shake down and if I'm lucky maybe 16oz of water. I'm glad to hear that things will get better because right now I'm so discouraged. I am able to walk though BC my pain is gone which is the only upside.

don't worry so much about the protein right. Now. At one week out ,be more concerned with getting in liquids. Dehydration is the most threAt to new post op,our bodies have plenty of stored nutrition to break Down and use for energy. 

As the days go by. You will be beginning to be able to drink more,so hang in. There, it does get better.

This^!  I couldn't get the protein shakes down right away either...try not to stress out about it and focus on healing and fluids.

"I can't even get 1/4 a protein shake down and if I'm lucky maybe 16oz of water."

THIS is why you feel so very terrible.Dehydration will make you feel terrible, and it can KILL you. With this sort of intake, you need to go to the ER RIGHT NOW for some IV fluids. You are too far behind to catch up just by drinking.

Go. NOW.

I'm 14 months out from surgery. And I remember me regretting the surgery and was like wtf did I do too myself. I was miserable and sick. But I can promise you that it does get better. I'm 14 months out and I don't even  feellike I had RNY until I eat something that doesn't agree then I am like wtf did I do? But it does get better. You may not think so now but you Will see in a few months how better you feel and how much weight you lost.You'll get through it I promise. 

You won't regret this !  It will be worth it......just try to stay hydrated....give it time......I had GB about a week before Thanksgiving !!  It WAS hard, but I survived......been four years....maintaining a 90 lb loss.   Hang in there, it gets better.