when will i feel "normal" again?

[macleay 0]

It also took me about 3 weeks to feel totally normal again, but really, after the first week, I felt better every day. My port is located right under my largest incision. I've got 5 incisions, 4 of them very small, and one about 1-1/2 inches long--it's under there according to my doctor.

[Tweety39 0]

I know how you all are feeling. I havn't strated my vitmins yet monday, so i hope it will help, but i have found myself cying, and i realy do not know why, has anyone else feel this way?

[erinrutledge 0]

i cried last night when i was trying to get comfortable in bed, and i cried the other day because i felt awful & i didn't know why, so i just cried. so i can feel your pain there.

[Tweety39 0]

I wonder if this is normal, to feel this way:sad:

[cariel 0]

I was banded on the 28th and started to feel much better on Friday. Still tired and sore where i assume the port is, the largest of the 5 incisions. I also started walking on my treadmill 1 week post op, only 15 minutes, but more than I was doing pre-surgery. so I feel good about it. I am hungry, and have cheated on my liquid diet, which is also stressing me out.

Anyway, good look at work tomorrow! You'll probably want to take a long, hot shower and a nap when you get home!

[cariel 0]

Just read the "crying" part. I have not been crying, but I have been very easily agitated and irritable. Have no idea why, but I am sure having something put inside your body and all the drugs during surgery, as well as the mental part leading up to the surgery takes a toll on everyone in different ways!

[banded3 0]

I was banded on 01/27 and the first week is hell. The gas is bad and the left shoulder pain was bad for me. I called my doctor and the RN suggested Gas X for the gas. I got the Gas X that dissolves on your tongue and got some real great relief from those. Also on day 8 after surgery I switched to eating soft foods and I felt 1000 times better after eating Protein from food instead of drinking it. You will feel better.

[acidic 0]

I can definately agree with the crying, i suffer from mental illness since a child, and i can determine the differences in sadness.. i know it sounds stupid but i always get very down after or during any sickness or surgery, i cant explain why... not from the pain but mentally just very low...

i do try and think positive and havnt let it get the better of me this time but came very very close.

I am 1 week post op today hoorah. still sore in the larger incision, but managed to sleep somewhat on my tummy last night so felt alot better this morning. back at work today also, i am tired and exhausted but glad to be going back to normal everyday routine instead of doing nothing!

i dont know about the gas that is really painful, but its just annoying, feeling like burping, but opening my mouth only to hiccup kinda and inhale instead!

i managed also today to lift some kind of heavy-ish thing and didnt hurt my tum so must be healing ok!

definately waiting to be "normal" again though!

[wilbe 0]

Hi all, I'm new to the site but this is a great thread. It was all I could think about ("When will I feel normal/good again?") as I went through early recovery. I was banded Jan 19 so tomorrow is 3 weeks out. I can say that week 1 was pretty bad with pain and nausea, mostly from the gas rather than incision sites. Week 2 I started to feel better when I had full liquids, especially something with Protein in it. I had a lot of that feeling like my heart was in a vice being squeezed - I gather that was actually my stomach from what I've read. Happily that seems to have passed now too. I did cry a few times too - I'm not really sure why but I think I was just feeling crappy and wishing I felt better and then felt like I was going to miss eating normal foods. That feeling also passed. Good to acknowledge it and then just release it again.

Things definitely got better every day and I went back to work on day 13 post-surg to a desk job. I worked for 3 days last week and then on the 4th day, was just exhausted and needed to go home at noon. I am still feeling exhausted today but otherwise, the surgery stuff itself is not a problem (feels much more normal!). I felt I finally had the energy to walk on my treadmill quite comfortably on day 14 post surg but I can't count on that energy from day to day yet.

I still feel uncomfortable sleeping on my left side which is where my port is, but my right side is great for sleeping. The bruising aroudn the port site went away around the end of week 2 but it is still a bit tender. I now get a funny feeling when sitting or driving long periods that is uncomfortable where the port is. This is relieved by sitting up very tall and leaning back slightly to take pressure off the port site. I am taking Tylenol rapid release gelcaps to help with discomfort as needed (these have not gotten stuck and are much more convenient than splitting the larger tylenols and tastes better too).

Hang in there everybody - it does get better each day and a week seems to make a world of difference in how you feel overall in these early stages. I am pleased also to say that I've lost about 22 lbs since Jan.5 when I started Optifast. Most of it was lost post-surgery (I only dropped about 6-8 lbs pre-surg) so the band seems to be working at least!

[erinrutledge 0]

well thanks for your input & welcome to the site!

i went back to work today, felt a lot better to get back into my normal routine. i'm very exhausted now, so i'm just bumming around on the couch, which i'm completely comfortable with.

i think it will get better every day

[AirForce.Wife 0]

I had my surgery a week ago tomorrow and I already feel normal. I still burp a bit but I expect that will pass very soon. My incisions are a little itchy but that's probably because the glue just came off. I've been able to sleep on my sides & stomach, clean my house, get up and down off the floor/couch/whatever, have sex etc.. I am just dying on this liquid diet! lol

[Tweety39 0]

Wilbe, Thank you so much for your post! I went out today the first time since my surgery which was a week ago tomorrow, and I felt so out of it I was light headed and dizzy. So when I got home I had to call my Dr. office regarding m appt. and they told me to go to the full liquids, and that did help, but I had too much I felt sick after having my yogurt. they said that is OK just have less next time... So tomorrow I'm going to go to work for a little while and get paperwork from the week before ( I'm a medical biller) and i can do some of that at home, since here in NY we are awaiting a snow storm on wed...The crying as pretty much as stooped