Low energy/Lethargic

[speechick1969 22]

Hello, I am scheduled to be sleeved on 8/22. We have some travel planned for the end of Sept. that includes attending a two day outdoor music festival. I realize I will still be on purees, according to my MD recommendations. In addition my job is very demanding and I often work 50- 60 hours a week. It is not physical work, but takes mental focus and much multi tasking.

How long did it take you to regain energy after being sleeved? I realize we probably need to cancel our travel plans :(. But I am trying to make a plan for how long it takes to get back to normal life. Did you return to work after 1 week? 2 weeks? Your full shift? What did you find helped you get through the day and not be exhausted?

I am really excited to have this surgery! Thank you for sharing your experiences!

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

Do you have a high pain tolerance? If you do then you can probably solider on. If you don't, well it might be harder for you. Pain tolerance seems to be a major factor.

I had enough energy at 4 weeks to be fairly normal. you just have to plan so you can relax or sit if you need to.

Everyone is different though and this is major surgery. You have no idea what you post-op life is going to be like until it happens and other people can't really tell you.

[Introversion 1,876]

I returned to work after two weeks, although I could have gone back after one week. Back then, I worked 12-hour shifts as a floor nurse at a small hospital.

My energy level was somewhat low for 6 weeks post-op due to a phenomenon called post-anesthesia brain fog. I felt a low level of fatigue and mental fuzziness during that time.

As always, your mileage may vary. Good luck to you.

[biginjapan 647]

As OutsideMatchInside has said, everyone is different. Some people have a lot of pain/energy/fatigue, some barely any, and others in between.

I was prepared for the worst, but in fact I did very well after my operation - I was walking as much as everyone else on my floor combined. And although I was tender in places, I really didn't have any pain. By day 3 post-op I was walking at least 10,000 steps plus a day (sometimes over 20,000 (day 5)). Did I have the same energy as before? No. But I found that after I pushed through my initial fatigue (usually having to take a short rest every 5-10 minutes for the first half hour), I started feeling energized afterwards.

What kind of music festival are you going to? Is it a lot of sitting around? You'll probably be okay, but, and this is a big but, it depends on what your recovery is like post-op. I travelled to Germany exactly 4 weeks after my operation for 10 days (for business) and I was fine. I was no longer on purees by then (soft foods were okay) but I didn't have a single problem when I was there. I was just conscientious of what I could and couldn't handle, brought extra Protein Powder for drinks in case I needed it, and it was ok.

In any event, you should talk to your doctor about it.

[speechick1969 22]

Thank you for your responses. I wish I knew the key to a quick recovery other than do what your MD says, which I plan on doing!! We went ahead and cancelled the festival tickets - it was outdoor music, food and bourbon festival, so not exactly my post op protocol! I am amazed at all of your numbers!! Can't wait to join you!

[Joann454 1,329]

It took me 8 weeks to get my energy back (and then some)! My pain was very manageable but that lack of energy was hard. I'm 53, if you're younger you may bounce back faster.
Probably best that you cancelled the festival. Focus on your new life is needed for a few weeks.

[Dabearo 118]

My energy was very low for two weeks. Then I increased my carbs a little and that helped a lot. Week three my energy level was at 75%. The brain fog lifted after I increased my carbs slightly. The less than 20 net carbs was keeping me down. Now at week 6 energy is fantastic, no brain fog and I've been able to lower my carbs.

For the nurse in his thread. I'm a nurse and there would have been no way I could have done a12 hour shift from an energy and brain fog side of things. Of course I'm 44 yo, that could have something to do with it. Ha