OK, guys. Let's think about this for a second. What we did when we had this surgery is:
1) Had 5-6 blatant holes made in our abdomen for lap, or a huge incision for open. We don't come equipped with zippers. Someone actually used a knife to access your innards!
2) Our stomach was cut, sutured, manipulated and severally pissed off.
3) Had our intestines moved, yanked, played with, cut, stapled and generally insulted.
4) We bypassed a good portion of our small intestine, producing mal-absorption syndrome. Most Americans (and Canadians too) have to go on Survivor to create this type of calorie restriction.
5) The biggest part of the whole deal is this:You've done all of this damage on your gastro-intestinal tract that you now need to heal from. And on top of that, you're taking in, like 6 calories a day! (OK, you better be taking in more than 6, but you get my point). Healing takes calories, and so does living. And you're barely supplying any.
Is it any wonder you're exhausted? If you didn't put gas in your car, would you be shocked that it wasn't running right? No, you'd be amazed that it was even running at all.
This surgery isn't like any other. When you have a hysterectomy or a galll bladder removed, you body can demand the exra energy it needs to heal. But our's can't. We are pushing our systems into overdrive...and it takes more than a week or two to recover.
So, give yourselves a break and head for the nearest recliner. Stay on top of the fluids (this is VITAL!), eat what you can according to your surgeon's recommendations, and get that protein in via supplementation. Be kind to yourself....and nap!
Good luck to you...
