Post-Op Sadness

[ringetsthin 4]

Hello all,

I've toyed with posting about this because I don't want to be a downer to everyone. I had my gastric sleeve surgery on November 20th. I am in my second week post-op and am in my first week of all liquids and Protein Shakes. I have been doing the Protein shakes with the liquids since Sunday (four days ago). I am absolutely miserable. I find myself sleeping later that is normal for me, I have no motivation to do anything, and I do not want to drink anything. I find that I can cry at the drop of a hat, especially whenever someone asks me how I am doing. My next appointment with me doctor is on December 11, when I will be able to move onto the pureed stage. I am dreading even having pureed foods. I don't feel hungry, but just sad and like a muted version of myself. I do not want to be a burden on my boyfriend by constantly moping around and I have gotten out of the house, but it has not help. I am a full-time teacher and grad student but I still find myself thinking about what I am missing out on constantly.

Someone please tell me that they felt like this too. I do not know what to do and I have so much longer to go until I can have real food.

Thanks

[Swanton_Bomb 522]

I think the surgery really screws with your hormones. The Protein Shakes are vile and not enjoying food does suck, but it is more than that. I was sleeved on November 8th and for at least a week I was extremely emotional. I found myself choked up at mildly sad or touching scenes on tv. I am very slowly starting to feel a little more normal. so improvement is coming soon.

[ringetsthin 4]

Yeah! I find myself emotional about the smallest things!

[Tink11 7]

I did not have this issue right after surgery, I don't know why. Mine happened about a year after surgery. However, I did know a lot of people who did go thru this issue at support groups. Most were missing food. Food is so wrapped up into everything we do. It becomes our emotional support, best friend and all round go to for anything happening in our lives. Sad-cry with a bowl of ice cream, happy-celebrate with ice cream! Missing food is normal. I have heard it referred to as 'mourning' many times. The trick is learning to deal with your emotions with food. Surgery fixes our body but not our minds concerning food.

You need to talk with someone. Most surgery hoops require seeing a therapist before surgery but it is not required after. I was very lucky that a person in my support group was a therapist and suggested a great person for me to see. My suggestion would find a therapist who specializes in food addiction or any addiction if you can't find one specializing in food. If a therapist is out of the question for you, I would suggest attending as many support groups as you can.

I am 15 years out last Sept. 4 years ago my step mother died and in a span of 6 months I gained almost back to my pre-surgery weight!!!! Scared the crap out of me when I finally got the nerve to step on the scale. I went back to the therapist and cleaned up my eating back to the way I am suppose to eat and can say I am back to my normal weight. Food addiction doesn't go away because of surgery. Please find someone to talk to.

[elcee 3,341]

It is often a side effect of anaesthesia.

[Matt Z 4,139]

10 hours ago, ringetsthin said:

Hello all,

I've toyed with posting about this because I don't want to be a downer to everyone. I had my gastric sleeve surgery on November 20th. I am in my second week post-op and am in my first week of all liquids and Protein Shakes. I have been doing the Protein shakes with the liquids since Sunday (four days ago). I am absolutely miserable. I find myself sleeping later that is normal for me, I have no motivation to do anything, and I do not want to drink anything. I find that I can cry at the drop of a hat, especially whenever someone asks me how I am doing. My next appointment with me doctor is on December 11, when I will be able to move onto the pureed stage. I am dreading even having pureed foods. I don't feel hungry, but just sad and like a muted version of myself. I do not want to be a burden on my boyfriend by constantly moping around and I have gotten out of the house, but it has not help. I am a full-time teacher and grad student but I still find myself thinking about what I am missing out on constantly.

Someone please tell me that they felt like this too. I do not know what to do and I have so much longer to go until I can have real food.

Thanks

Totally normal.
The surgery alone is enough to cause your hormones to go haywire.
Then add the meds, weight loss. Fat stores estrogen, so all this fat loss is dumping more estrogen into your system. Make sure you are getting PLENTY of Water (like upwards of 128 oz a day to help flush out your system and to help with more fat loss, it sounds like a lot, but it's really not that bad once you get yourself up to that amount).

[BostonWLKC 807]

You’ll be ok!
Yes the surgery really messes with your emotions for a little while. Give yourself a month to start to balance out a bit.
The whole journey is emotionally charged . When I went through it it was also a bit of reidentifying who you are too— you look in the mirror and see someone different sometimes. The changes can be very dramatic in your appearance but your mind still sees who you knew as yourself physically. It’s a bit of a trip.

The emotions level out just hang in there . It does get better once on solid foods

I agree with Matt. The more water/ Fluid you drink the more things flush out and that includes estrogen

Hang in there and visit the forums often for supports . Post. Read. We have been there and understand

[Jazzy1125 1,010]

Same thing here. I cried at the drop of a hat the first few weeks. I cannot watch Christmas Hallmark movies at the moment because they make me cry. I tried watching my 600 lb life, and the where are they now.. and it totally depresses me. I thought i would learn a thing or two being i had the sleeve, but nope.. puts me in a stooper. I have been taking naps after work the last few days because i cannot go back to my ballroom dance lessons til December 20th. Today i vow to not go home after work for a few hours. I normally eat around 7 or so, and maybe i will just take a Protein Shake with me, but i am going shopping LOL.. I need to go pick up a script. I am going to walk around Disney Springs and look at the christmas tree trail. Something, anything.. to stay out of the house and become more normal. I cannot wait till December 20th so i can go back to dance class. I even tried going there during events, and i cry. I cry because i cant participate yet, so i felt it was best to not even go until cleared by the doctor.

Sigh Better times are coming. I have 3 weeks left before full clearance!

[WriterMom71 2]

I had my surgery on October 10th of this year and have struggled with exactly the same thing. I'm so glad you posted about this. I did not realize what a huge role food and alcohol played in my life until they were no longer an option for me. I'm only down a total of 26 pounds from my heaviest weight, and only 16 since surgery, and I'm having trouble remembering EVERY SINGLE NEW THING that must be incorporated into my life: all the Vitamins, getting down 64 ounces of Water every day, trying to exercise 5x a week, waiting 30 minutes between eating and drinking, counting and getting in 50-60 grams of Protein every day but never having a serving size bigger than 1/3 of a cup, strictly limiting carbs... ALL of it! I get emotional so easily and my poor family, god love them, has no idea what I'm going through or how to help. I do appreciate their patience with me as I navigate this new lifestyle. I've started a food journal where I also log how I'm feeling that day, and put the bariatric support group dates on my calendar. Now if I can just add making myself stop mourning the death of my relationship with food and wine I'll be good to go! I do have a therapist I check in with every two weeks, and that is my saving grace right now. I'd recommend finding one who can give you the support you need and keep posting here. Thanks again for bringing up a tough subject. Take care.

[Letsgetgoing2018 448]

All that you’re feeling is normal. There are so many changes going on. The best is yet to come. Hang in there and be strong! You got this!

[Frustr8 7,886]

My theory as well as many others. As you lose weight there have been hormones and othernasties trapped in that fat, as your body starts using fat instead of food calories for fuel all of them get released into your body, and as they flood your system, confusion, sorrow, ambivalence, surface. Like puberty, but no zits, like pregnancy but no cute baby, like menopause but you're not certain it will ever end. And you are a trapeze-swinging rabid little monkey🙈🙉🙊until it all settles down! And even when you think it is complete, it can still pop up. Take me, I thought I was totally cool, them someone posted a picture of herself and surgeon just. before she went to surgery. I had me a cry-fest because I never had such a picture and now I never will. And I'm 3 months out on Wednesday- should have had my emotional act,together!

[Starry*Night 148]

On 11/28/2018 at 8:30 PM, ringetsthin said:

Hello all,

I've toyed with posting about this because I don't want to be a downer to everyone. I had my gastric sleeve surgery on November 20th. I am in my second week post-op and am in my first week of all liquids and Protein Shakes. I have been doing the Protein shakes with the liquids since Sunday (four days ago). I am absolutely miserable. I find myself sleeping later that is normal for me, I have no motivation to do anything, and I do not want to drink anything. I find that I can cry at the drop of a hat, especially whenever someone asks me how I am doing. My next appointment with me doctor is on December 11, when I will be able to move onto the pureed stage. I am dreading even having pureed foods. I don't feel hungry, but just sad and like a muted version of myself. I do not want to be a burden on my boyfriend by constantly moping around and I have gotten out of the house, but it has not help. I am a full-time teacher and grad student but I still find myself thinking about what I am missing out on constantly.

Someone please tell me that they felt like this too. I do not know what to do and I have so much longer to go until I can have real food.

Thanks

I feel exactly like you do - I'd believe I wrote this! I cry easily too, it seems like I don't have enough energy to spend any covering up how I really feel. I have no energy, and the struggle of always trying to get down Water has my mind constantly on food, even though I'm not hungry. I'm currently 17 days post op (sleeved 11/26). How are you doing now?

[missmoe 19]

On 11/29/2018 at 07:31, Matt Z said:

Totally normal.

The surgery alone is enough to cause your hormones to go haywire.

Then add the meds, weight loss. Fat stores estrogen, so all this fat loss is dumping more estrogen into your system. Make sure you are getting PLENTY of Water (like upwards of 128 oz a day to help flush out your system and to help with more fat loss, it sounds like a lot, but it's really not that bad once you get yourself up to that amount).

Hey Matt, sorry if you mentioned this anywhere else but how long did it take you after bypass to be able to get that much Water? I want to drink more but I’m almost 4 weeks post op and it’s still a chore to get the recommended amount.

[Matt Z 4,139]

On 12/13/2018 at 6:32 PM, missmoe said:

Hey Matt, sorry if you mentioned this anywhere else but how long did it take you after bypass to be able to get that much Water? I want to drink more but I’m almost 4 weeks post op and it’s still a chore to get the recommended amount.

Everyone is going to be different, but as long as you just keep working on your Water intake and just keep trying to get a little more, you'll get there soon enough!

[Frustr8 7,886]

And my post-OP sorrow came worst when I saw a picture of Bari-pal JakesMom with her surgeon on Surgery Day. You see, I dearly wanted such a picture, asked my son to do them to memorialize everything, I would never ever be that large again. Guess he thought I was delusional, over-sedated, like anyone who is chemically impaired, don't pick a fight, ignore them. But I have none, and I never will. I think I can remember in my mind but no documentation of a wonderful occurance in my life. I finally got a picture of my,Dr Needleman after trying for this many months, he kept resisting , told me he was UGLY , he's not, he was my physical life's rescuer, and I owe him such a debt of gratitude that I can never repay. Now I have a weight loss foundation tool, and I will work with it until and past my goal or until my dying day.
If you are still pre-surgery, take down your measurements like James M says, even your ankles and wrists, that way when you lose you'll not miss NSV when they come. When people are kind to you, take their pictures, on your Day of Days take a photo record, my anesthesia doctor was extremely kind, he also left me feeling calm and safe that day, all I know was his name was Dave, he had kind eyes and made me feel special. But no picture of him or the surgical nurses that helped me be ready, and I would have felt so honored to have them, sort. of like a visual aotograph.
So I did get a few from my recent unexpected hospitalization, gosh I thought I looked horrid, no wonder I got plunked in a room. But I did get several of Dr NEedleman's staff and a side view of my Big Kahuna in what I call his natural plumage, stopped to see me Still in Scrubs. And I shall treasure it like he was a Rock 🌟 because to me, He Always Will Be. Just got to make sure he's "backed up "somewhere so his image doesn't get erased.