4 days post-op, trouble staying awake?

[ahappycamper 81]

Last night I went to a cafe to do some homework. I was climbing the walls and so bored. It was great to get out, but there was a lot of brain fog to work through. By the time I got home, I was exhausted. Definitely think I will be waiting before I go out again if I can help it. I have class on Tuesday and I really shouldn't miss it, but I may have to. Today I'm sleeping as much as possible to make amends with my body for taking it out on a joyride before it was ready lol

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[cassandramarie93 199]

@@ahappycamper it sounds like your on your way! I don't know if your still on pain meds but once my body detoxed from those the fog lifted from my brain ten fold. Hang in there! I think your doing well!

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[Jen-2+1 131]

I couldn't get out of bed except to go to the bathroom or get drinks for the first four days home. I was so exhausted. I didn't have any surgery pain, gas, or anything like that, I was just tired. Then on the fifth day I felt much more human and I started to function. I hope you are feeling better soon.

[ahappycamper 81]

@@ahappycamper it sounds like your on your way! I don't know if your still on pain meds but once my body detoxed from those the fog lifted from my brain ten fold. Hang in there! I think your doing well!

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I have been taking half the prescribed dose at night before bed, as I tend to have more pain at the end of the day. Tonight I'm going to substitute extra strength Tylenol to see if that helps. Thanks for the tip! This brain fog has GOT to go!

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[justabitunique 29]

This is a bit off topic but how was your pain right after surgery and for the next few days? Mine is in 2 weeks and I'm really nervous! I've never had surgery either

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[ahappycamper 81]

This is a bit off topic but how was your pain right after surgery and for the next few days? Mine is in 2 weeks and I'm really nervous! I've never had surgery either

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No worries!

The pain the day of surgery was slim to moderate thanks to the anesthesia and the IV drip I was on. They gave me a button I was allowed to push every ten minutes or as needed.

Day 2 is what you should prepare for. The anesthesia has mostly worn off and your team may or may not take you off your drip. Mine did. There were pills I was prescribed, but my throat was SO dry I couldn't get them down even cut in half. The first day I was only permitted ice chips. By day 2, they had me sipping Water, but because I'd only just started the Water, I couldn't get enough down to get the pill down without overdoing it. Partially the problem here is that my nurse told me incorrectly I wasn't able to crush them or cut them smaller than halves because it would hit me too fast. She was wrong, I later found out. Instead they had me drink liquid Tylenol with codeine. It made me very nauseous and it took about an hour to get the whole dose down. Between the anesthesia wearing off and the mess with my pain medication, day 2 was really really hard for me. I cried all day -- partly from the pain, partly from the frustration of seeing very little progress in getting what I needed from my nurses, partly because I was exxhausted, partly because it was an emotional experience and I hadn't really let any stress or anxiety out previously. The pain was about an 8 for me. Getting up to walk is paramount. It would have helped me so, so much, because a lot of the pain was from gas. Unfortunately, when I stood up for more than a minute or two, the gravity hurt my belly. I don't know why but it took 8 hours for my nurses to find compression binders and they couldn't get the right sizes. I had my grandmother bring me one from home. I'd ask your surgeon about ordering one ahead of time. It helped immensely.

So, that sounds scary. And honestly, for me it was. But the biggest thing that got me through is that I knew the gas pain subsides with time and that most recoveries are not outright horrible the whole way through. I knew the next day would be better. I'm also a huge chicken and a total newbie to being a "patient". I'm very independent and it turns out, relying on others sucks for me. I'm adjusting, though.

Day 3 I woke up at 7:30, still in a little pain, still burping non-stop, but I was walking within 30 minutes and didn't stop and until I was discharged. Once I got home, I slept. I was able to cut the pills smaller, and by then I could take it a little more water, so I took my meds and crashed for several hours.

When I coughed, bent over, stretched too far in one direction, or sneezed, I had a tiny bit of pain. Otherwise, very little if any. Except pain from the gas bubbles in my stomach, but that's pretty minimal and I'm 7 days out. Mostly that's just discomfort, I guess. Still lots of burping, which is super attractive, but it's not a huge deal.

I was expecting a much easier recovery, so Day 2 being so hard was surprising for me. The fact that I'm not yet driving at Day 7 is also frustrating, but I'm hoping in a day or two I will be. My biggest issue has been balancing fluids/protein with an upset tummy and potentially not being able to tolerate my primary source or Protein. I would not advise to freak yourself out, because it's definitely not that bad at all. However, I think if you prepare for difficult, you may find things are easier than you anticipated, whereas I did the opposite.

But remember 3 things:

1. Gas-X strips.

2. Everyone's recovery and journey will be different.

3. Time takes time. Time takes time. Time takes time. I repeated this to myself all day long on Day 2. It got me through.

You're going to do great and whenever you're scared or nervous, we're here for you.

You've got this.

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[justabitunique 29]

This is a bit off topic but how was your pain right after surgery and for the next few days? Mine is in 2 weeks and I'm really nervous! I've never had surgery either

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No worries!

The pain the day of surgery was slim to moderate thanks to the anesthesia and the IV drip I was on. They gave me a button I was allowed to push every ten minutes or as needed.

Day 2 is what you should prepare for. The anesthesia has mostly worn off and your team may or may not take you off your drip. Mine did. There were pills I was prescribed, but my throat was SO dry I couldn't get them down even cut in half. The first day I was only permitted ice chips. By day 2, they had me sipping Water, but because I'd only just started the Water, I couldn't get enough down to get the pill down without overdoing it. Partially the problem here is that my nurse told me incorrectly I wasn't able to crush them or cut them smaller than halves because it would hit me too fast. She was wrong, I later found out. Instead they had me drink liquid Tylenol with codeine. It made me very nauseous and it took about an hour to get the whole dose down. Between the anesthesia wearing off and the mess with my pain medication, day 2 was really really hard for me. I cried all day -- partly from the pain, partly from the frustration of seeing very little progress in getting what I needed from my nurses, partly because I was exxhausted, partly because it was an emotional experience and I hadn't really let any stress or anxiety out previously. The pain was about an 8 for me. Getting up to walk is paramount. It would have helped me so, so much, because a lot of the pain was from gas. Unfortunately, when I stood up for more than a minute or two, the gravity hurt my belly. I don't know why but it took 8 hours for my nurses to find compression binders and they couldn't get the right sizes. I had my grandmother bring me one from home. I'd ask your surgeon about ordering one ahead of time. It helped immensely.

So, that sounds scary. And honestly, for me it was. But the biggest thing that got me through is that I knew the gas pain subsides with time and that most recoveries are not outright horrible the whole way through. I knew the next day would be better. I'm also a huge chicken and a total newbie to being a "patient". I'm very independent and it turns out, relying on others sucks for me. I'm adjusting, though.

Day 3 I woke up at 7:30, still in a little pain, still burping non-stop, but I was walking within 30 minutes and didn't stop and until I was discharged. Once I got home, I slept. I was able to cut the pills smaller, and by then I could take it a little more water, so I took my meds and crashed for several hours.

When I coughed, bent over, stretched too far in one direction, or sneezed, I had a tiny bit of pain. Otherwise, very little if any. Except pain from the gas bubbles in my stomach, but that's pretty minimal and I'm 7 days out. Mostly that's just discomfort, I guess. Still lots of burping, which is super attractive, but it's not a huge deal.

I was expecting a much easier recovery, so Day 2 being so hard was surprising for me. The fact that I'm not yet driving at Day 7 is also frustrating, but I'm hoping in a day or two I will be. My biggest issue has been balancing fluids/protein with an upset tummy and potentially not being able to tolerate my primary source or Protein. I would not advise to freak yourself out, because it's definitely not that bad at all. However, I think if you prepare for difficult, you may find things are easier than you anticipated, whereas I did the opposite.

But remember 3 things:

1. Gas-X strips.

2. Everyone's recovery and journey will be different.

3. Time takes time. Time takes time. Time takes time. I repeated this to myself all day long on Day 2. It got me through.

You're going to do great and whenever you're scared or nervous, we're here for you.

You've got this.

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Omg thank you so much for such a thorough reply! I appreciate it so much. It makes me feel guilty to ask you something else.. but I hear so many people talk about the gas pain and say it's excruciating. Is it like typical extreme gas pain or totally different? How would you explain it? Is it like a sharp pain, throb, stabbing pain, etc? Again, I appreciate your answer so much! I just found this app and since I'm terrified and sort of preparing for the worst, it's helped me a bit.

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[JupiterinVirgo 846]

You'll probably be tired for the next six weeks! Plan on taking naps LOL

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[ahappycamper 81]

This is a bit off topic but how was your pain right after surgery and for the next few days? Mine is in 2 weeks and I'm really nervous! I've never had surgery either

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

No worries!

The pain the day of surgery was slim to moderate thanks to the anesthesia and the IV drip I was on. They gave me a button I was allowed to push every ten minutes or as needed.

Day 2 is what you should prepare for. The anesthesia has mostly worn off and your team may or may not take you off your drip. Mine did. There were pills I was prescribed, but my throat was SO dry I couldn't get them down even cut in half. The first day I was only permitted ice chips. By day 2, they had me sipping Water, but because I'd only just started the Water, I couldn't get enough down to get the pill down without overdoing it. Partially the problem here is that my nurse told me incorrectly I wasn't able to crush them or cut them smaller than halves because it would hit me too fast. She was wrong, I later found out. Instead they had me drink liquid Tylenol with codeine. It made me very nauseous and it took about an hour to get the whole dose down. Between the anesthesia wearing off and the mess with my pain medication, day 2 was really really hard for me. I cried all day -- partly from the pain, partly from the frustration of seeing very little progress in getting what I needed from my nurses, partly because I was exxhausted, partly because it was an emotional experience and I hadn't really let any stress or anxiety out previously. The pain was about an 8 for me. Getting up to walk is paramount. It would have helped me so, so much, because a lot of the pain was from gas. Unfortunately, when I stood up for more than a minute or two, the gravity hurt my belly. I don't know why but it took 8 hours for my nurses to find compression binders and they couldn't get the right sizes. I had my grandmother bring me one from home. I'd ask your surgeon about ordering one ahead of time. It helped immensely.

So, that sounds scary. And honestly, for me it was. But the biggest thing that got me through is that I knew the gas pain subsides with time and that most recoveries are not outright horrible the whole way through. I knew the next day would be better. I'm also a huge chicken and a total newbie to being a "patient". I'm very independent and it turns out, relying on others sucks for me. I'm adjusting, though.

Day 3 I woke up at 7:30, still in a little pain, still burping non-stop, but I was walking within 30 minutes and didn't stop and until I was discharged. Once I got home, I slept. I was able to cut the pills smaller, and by then I could take it a little more water, so I took my meds and crashed for several hours.

When I coughed, bent over, stretched too far in one direction, or sneezed, I had a tiny bit of pain. Otherwise, very little if any. Except pain from the gas bubbles in my stomach, but that's pretty minimal and I'm 7 days out. Mostly that's just discomfort, I guess. Still lots of burping, which is super attractive, but it's not a huge deal.

I was expecting a much easier recovery, so Day 2 being so hard was surprising for me. The fact that I'm not yet driving at Day 7 is also frustrating, but I'm hoping in a day or two I will be. My biggest issue has been balancing fluids/protein with an upset tummy and potentially not being able to tolerate my primary source or Protein. I would not advise to freak yourself out, because it's definitely not that bad at all. However, I think if you prepare for difficult, you may find things are easier than you anticipated, whereas I did the opposite.

But remember 3 things:

1. Gas-X strips.

2. Everyone's recovery and journey will be different.

3. Time takes time. Time takes time. Time takes time. I repeated this to myself all day long on Day 2. It got me through.

You're going to do great and whenever you're scared or nervous, we're here for you.

You've got this.

Sent From BariatricPal App

Omg thank you so much for such a thorough reply! I appreciate it so much. It makes me feel guilty to ask you something else.. but I hear so many people talk about the gas pain and say it's excruciating. Is it like typical extreme gas pain or totally different? How would you explain it? Is it like a sharp pain, throb, stabbing pain, etc? Again, I appreciate your answer so much! I just found this app and since I'm terrified and sort of preparing for the worst, it's helped me a bit.

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Don't feel guilty at all, we're here to help each other!

The gas pain is definitely not something you've likely experienced before. It's a lot. The pain can feel like a dull ache, bubbles rolling in your tummy, or like one giant a** bubble stretching your stomach which feels like a sharp pain. Again, day 2 was worse for me than day 1. I cried, but I also had that weirdness with my pain meds. I'm 1.5 weeks post-op and haven't had gas issues beyond burping for several days. Of course, if I drink something too fast or swallow too much Soup or whatever too quickly, I do get a sharp pain in my stomach and end up burping. The best thing to do for the gas while in the hospital is to walk as much as possible. That will break some of it up and your body can absorb it. The rest has to come out, one end or the other (not to be crass). I had very little intestinal gas and really have just been burping solidly since the surgery. All day long it seemed there for a while.

Was that at all helpful? I feel like I lost my sense of direction halfway through lol

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[Alva 21]

Sleeved 5/2015 123lbs loss.

I don't recall my first 3 months doing anything besides sleep! Lol

I also had not have any kind of surgeries. I started driving 3 weeks after surgery.

Once I went to work... All I could do is get home at 530pm drink a Protein sleep on the couch wake up at 8pm go to my bed and sleep until 6am.

Your body has encountered a majotlr change and it need to recuperate might be slower than the skin healing. You are perfectly fine...keep drinking your Vitamin your protein and don't look at no one else's weight loss...this is your journey and it will go slow or it will go fast... Do what you gotta do.

Exciting!!!!!

[gustavio 439]

I was so tired for the first week at least, I had no idea how I was going to return to work as scheduled bc I couldn't hold my eyes open for more than a few hours. I had no choice but to return because since I'm a secret sleever, I didn't know what to tell them if I took time off. (I have a set schedule. I work 7 days on and then am off 7 days.) so I recovered for my 7 days off. Anyway, I made it and the pushing myself to get up and getting working, helped a lot.

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[gustavio 439]

However, I am in no way suggesting you push yourself. Your body needs that sleep and rest to heal and get stronger. Make sure to add a little activity though. Even if it's doing a couple trips up and down ur hallway. It will help your stamina

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[Christyy41 7]

Hi justabitunique The gas pain for me was the biggest surprise. I had pain in my shoulders and chest and that was awful. This they said was the gas pain, which seems odd because it wasn't in my stomach. It definitely was painful, it hurt so much I didn't even feel my stomach. They gave me dilaudid and that worked but it made me nauseous. They had to put nausea meds in my IV even though I had the patch. This was all on day one, by the end of day two I was walking in the hospital and taking Tylenol with codeine in liquid form. Then I could feel my stomach but that pain was nothing compared to the odd gas pains. I had my surgery on Wednesday, left the hospital Friday morning and slept most of the day. Saturday I took pain meds once at bedtime. Today on Sunday I've walked a few times outside and haven't taken my pain meds. So it gets better every day!

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Edited December 5, 2016 by Christyy41

[tdia13 24]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering...is it common to be extra, extra sleepy all the time after getting the vsg? The last pain medication I took was around 4am. I'm to take it every four hours as needed, so it usually wears off by the 4 hour mark. I have slept all day long and am still tired. I could lie down right now and fall asleep easily. I'm not light-headed or anything unusual, but the constant sleeping is making is difficult to get all my fluids and Protein in. I try to stay awake and keep myself focused, but I drift off while reading, watching tv, knitting, browsing the internet, etc. When I'm awake, I try to walk as much as possible, but the second I'm done, I'm ready for another nap.

I'm not ready to drive just yet and there are limited places in my house where I can get comfortable, so I feel a bit tied to my bedroom.

I've never had any kind of surgery or anything done, so I thought maybe my body is still just in "wtf did you do to me" mode, but I'm not sure. My post-op appointment is on Wednesday and I'll bring it up then if there is no immediate cause for concern.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thank you all!

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Is slept a lot as well. My doc and nutritionist said to get the Water in and once I was done with that to try Protein. All Water first and rest is important. I set a time for 2 minutes so that I would take a sip of water. It took a little time but it got better.

Listen to your body but stay hydrated so you can heal

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[ahappycamper 81]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering...is it common to be extra, extra sleepy all the time after getting the vsg? The last pain medication I took was around 4am. I'm to take it every four hours as needed, so it usually wears off by the 4 hour mark. I have slept all day long and am still tired. I could lie down right now and fall asleep easily. I'm not light-headed or anything unusual, but the constant sleeping is making is difficult to get all my fluids and Protein in. I try to stay awake and keep myself focused, but I drift off while reading, watching tv, knitting, browsing the internet, etc. When I'm awake, I try to walk as much as possible, but the second I'm done, I'm ready for another nap.

I'm not ready to drive just yet and there are limited places in my house where I can get comfortable, so I feel a bit tied to my bedroom.

I've never had any kind of surgery or anything done, so I thought maybe my body is still just in "wtf did you do to me" mode, but I'm not sure. My post-op appointment is on Wednesday and I'll bring it up then if there is no immediate cause for concern.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thank you all!

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Is slept a lot as well. My doc and nutritionist said to get the Water in and once I was done with that to try Protein. All Water first and rest is important. I set a time for 2 minutes so that I would take a sip of water. It took a little time but it got better.

Listen to your body but stay hydrated so you can heal

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This was really, helpful, thank you! I haven't really been sure which to prioritize, and my nutritionist just keeps saying, get both in. I'm 12 days out and just the last day or so have had trouble timing things to get all my water in. Um transitioning back into the real world, and because I spend so much time in my car, sometimes I've caught myself going 20 or 30 minutes without drinking anything. My commute is 45 minutes one-way, so I can't keep doing that. Unfortunately, traffic is often in that terrible in-between place where it's very crowded, but not slow enough to always easily open my bottle of water every few minutes.

I'm going to have to find some kind of flip top water bottle since I can't use straws.

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