Just Home and Feel Low

[fed-up 72]

I didn't consider how bad the anaethestic (sorry) would make me feel .I crashed out the whole day and my surgeon woke me up early next morning saying I should be up and walking .I'd also had a hernia repair and felt utterly poorly .I struggled to get up but did and had a wash , then I did the corridor slowly .It was made clear to me that I was expected to go home after just the one night , the package was for 2 .On top of that there were huge problems around me taking my regular pills because they weren't soluble.I really needed my anti depressants . Not a great start and don't feel like I'm at the beginning of a new adventure , just tired, poorly and low .Anyone else felt like that ?

thanks

x

[ShoppGirl 4,790]

What do you mean they aren’t soluable? You didn’t get to take your antidepressants?? I was able to take mine that next day at the hospital. They really need to figure out some solution to that. If you can’t take that pill for some reason maybe they can get in contact with your prescribing dr and give you something else. If you can’t take ANY pills I believe I have seen on here that A few come in liquid form. I know for certain that some antidepressants can be crushed (but not all so always check with dr or pharmacy).

Edited August 19, 2022 by ShoppGirl

[fed-up 72]

Hi Shopp - some of them are tablets and apparently I'm not supposed to take them if they aren't liquid, soluble or melt .I just got an e mail from the dietitian saying if they are small you can swallow them .I ground them and swallowed them and I'm still here !! I know the coated ones can't be chewed or ground up but yes,I had to go without my pills which isn't brilliant .

[SHORTY_ 154]

2 hours ago, fed-up said:

I didn't consider how bad the anaethestic (sorry) would make me feel .I crashed out the whole day and my surgeon woke me up early next morning saying I should be up and walking .I'd also had a hernia repair and felt utterly poorly .I struggled to get up but did and had a wash , then I did the corridor slowly .It was made clear to me that I was expected to go home after just the one night , the package was for 2 .On top of that there were huge problems around me taking my regular pills because they weren't soluble.I really needed my anti depressants . Not a great start and don't feel like I'm at the beginning of a new adventure , just tired, poorly and low .Anyone else felt like that ?

thanks

x

That's really unfortunate the type of care you are receiving.

Tired... yes. I feel a lot more exhausted than I was before. Sometimes I get bursts of energy so I try to take as much advantage of it as I possibly can.

I really hope it starts to get better for you!

[tranquil_chaos 47]

Hey there! I had RNY with hernia repair on August 9th so I can totally feel how you are feeling right now. I felt really horrible my first week home and I'm feeling slightly better this 2nd week.

I felt pretty good at the hospital, but that was because I had constant IV fluids & they automatically gave me a variety of pain meds to manage pain (I was in a lot of pain). When I went home 2 days later, WOW, it was a shock to my system. I was exhausted all the time, probably because of the lack of fluids. Getting fluids in is HARD at this stage. Forget about trying to "eat" any liquids. It was a rough first week. Plus, I was so swollen and retaining so much Water.

My advice is rest as much as you need to right now. Don't feel guilty about resting. You just had 2 major surgeries (remember the hernia repair counts!!). I'm one of those people who is extremely active, so just allowing myself to lay down and rest was a challenge. I did too much one day and it was bad. My partner said I was the worst patient ever because I wouldn't listen to him and just REST and take the pain meds.

Also, don't feel guilty about taking the pain meds either. I know society has made out these meds to be the big, bad guy (and they can be) but think about what your body has gone through...someone had opened it up, cut it apart, pulled stuff out, and stitched things back together. It's going to hurt even though we can't see it. I took the pain meds every 6 hours for at least the first week home. I'm on week 2 now and I take them less, but I still need something to manage the pain.

During the first week, I did get up and walk every couple of hours just to prevent blood clots. But, it wasn't like I was hiking or anything. Just circles inside my house and very slow, short walks outside with my partner.

I am on 6 prescription meds (all pills) and they gave them to me at the hospital, but I was only allowed 2 at a time so it took all day to get those 6 into my body. I'm following the same schedule at home + all my new Vitamins (it's a full time job!)

[KimA-GA 540]

no advice. just wanted to hope you feel better and ask you keep us updated with how you are doing.

[SleeveToBypass2023 2,605]

1 hour ago, tranquil_chaos said:

I am on 6 prescription meds (all pills) and they gave them to me at the hospital, but I was only allowed 2 at a time so it took all day to get those 6 into my body. I'm following the same schedule at home + all my new Vitamins (it's a full time job!)

I chose the sleeve over the bypass because I was told by my surgeon that you can't have pills with the bypass. I have meds for MS which can't be substituted, crushed, melted, or broken open. They must be taken as-is. I could have taken liquid or gummy vitamins, so I wasn't worried about that. But my MS meds are non-negotiable, so that pushed me to a sleeve and not the bypass. You mean to say I could have taken my pills, even if it took all day, with a bypass?????

[LookingForward22 320]

I was sleeved on the 16th with a hernia repair. I’m definitely not at my best right now, I’m tired and deep breaths still catch me like a short shot in the ribs sometimes.

This first week is bound to be the hardest on us but it’s going to get better in soooo many ways. Try to focus on that when things are feeling bleak.

I’m so sorry your team was not more on top of your medications and having you address what you could and couldn’t take or finding alternatives by working with your prescribing dr.

Maybe reaching out to your prescribing dr now to ask what you can do to make sure that you stay on top of your meds could offer any help. Maybe even a temporary change of some meds that can be cut or crushed while you heal is possible?

The low energy thing - I’m right there with you. So far I have been ok with my Protein & Water goals but not my calories - so I’m sure that is part of why I’m dragging. The discomfort doesn’t help either.

I’m hoping if I can get through this week - the pulling at my sutures when I move certain ways will be less, the purées will mean more calories and having a little more energy. And I’m expecting each week will get a little better.

Hang in there, you aren’t alone and we can do this.

Updates on how you’re doing would be great when you are filling up to it.

[catwoman7 11,212]

34 minutes ago, SleeveDiva2022 said:

I chose the sleeve over the bypass because I was told by my surgeon that you can't have pills with the bypass. I have meds for MS which can't be substituted, crushed, melted, or broken open. They must be taken as-is. I could have taken liquid or gummy vitamins, so I wasn't worried about that. But my MS meds are non-negotiable, so that pushed me to a sleeve and not the bypass. You mean to say I could have taken my pills, even if it took all day, with a bypass?????

I had my bypass several years ago and take pills. The only thing you can't take are extended release pills, but there are usually substitutes for those.

although I don't know about pills for MS, specifically.

Edited August 19, 2022 by catwoman7

[tomhanks22 3]

good luck

[fed-up 72]

I really appreciate every answer - thanks ,I feel so much better knowing I'm not the only one who feels whacked out .

I just read my discharge papers and it looks like the hernia repair was a Fundoplication which is more major than I thought .One of you said you get sharp pains in the ribs which leave you breathless , sort of sucks the breath out of me too ,so it's good to know it's not just me .

I so identify with feeling bloated and retaining Water .I feel heavier than before I went in . The hernia repair was to help with gastric reflux , is that the same reason some of you guys had it ?

xxx

[LookingForward22 320]

On 08/19/2022 at 16:38, fed-up said:

I really appreciate every answer - thanks ,I feel so much better knowing I'm not the only one who feels whacked out .

I just read my discharge papers and it looks like the hernia repair was a Fundoplication which is more major than I thought .One of you said you get sharp pains in the ribs which leave you breathless , sort of sucks the breath out of me too ,so it's good to know it's not just me .

I so identify with feeling bloated and retaining Water .I feel heavier than before I went in . The hernia repair was to help with gastric reflux , is that the same reason some of you guys had it ?

xxx

I had mild reflux and a smaller hernia. My surgeon said there was no benefit to not fixing it and a whole lot worse if I we don’t in the long run.

I’m assuming some of my discomfort, breathing are related as much to the hernia repair as the sleeve.

[tranquil_chaos 47]

3 hours ago, SleeveDiva2022 said:

I chose the sleeve over the bypass because I was told by my surgeon that you can't have pills with the bypass. I have meds for MS which can't be substituted, crushed, melted, or broken open. They must be taken as-is. I could have taken liquid or gummy vitamins, so I wasn't worried about that. But my MS meds are non-negotiable, so that pushed me to a sleeve and not the bypass. You mean to say I could have taken my pills, even if it took all day, with a bypass?????

I had consults for almost a year before surgery and my surgeon told me as long as they weren't extended release tablets, then I could have them after bypass. Medications were high on my list on concerns since I have asthma and a mental health condition that I wasn't willing to mess around with. I've found there is so much variability among bariatric surgeons with meds, diets, etc. that it's so hard to compare experiences, but yeah, they were giving me pills at the hospital pre-op day 1.

[Tomo 1,191]

3 hours ago, SleeveDiva2022 said:

I chose the sleeve over the bypass because I was told by my surgeon that you can't have pills with the bypass. I have meds for MS which can't be substituted, crushed, melted, or broken open. They must be taken as-is. I could have taken liquid or gummy vitamins, so I wasn't worried about that. But my MS meds are non-negotiable, so that pushed me to a sleeve and not the bypass. You mean to say I could have taken my pills, even if it took all day, with a bypass?????

I had a bypass a year ago and I swallow 5 pills (3 are pretty large supplements) all together at the same time every morning.

Edited August 19, 2022 by Tomo

[Arabesque 7,245]

Feeling crappy after surgery & sleeping much of the first 24-48 hrs isn’t uncommon. You had a pretty major & more complex surgery. If this is your first surgery, it will be more of a shock to realise how generally blah you feel. But certainly trying to go for a short, slow walk as soon as possible will help you generally feel better more quickly.

They had me swallowing tablets in hospital. Wasn’t easy as I had a lot of swelling. I did it but they weren’t those large ‘horse’ tablets just small pills & capsules. Most definitely have a conversation with your prescribing doctor/s for all your meds as soon as possible. Depending upon your surgery factors such as where your med is most absorbed in your body, if it is slow release, etc. are all factors that need to be considered & may result in changes to certain meds. You should have been told this before surgery so it could have been sorted then.

All the best.