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I've got the post surgery blues.

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Ostomies
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Posted 6/15/2008 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
This happened to me the last surgery, too. It seems like no matter how well or how bad I'm doing, I get a serious case of the blues about two weeks out. Or, at least, I'm moody - to the point of one minute I'm okay and then the next I'm crying. I think it hampers my recovery time, because then I lose the will too get up and go. I take less walks, and lay around a lot more. Is this a normal reaction? Anyone else go through this? What did you do to "snap" out of it?

I hate feeling like this. I watch TV and actually get jealous of all the people on there who are normal and bag-free, and then I get more depressed. Boo. I just want to be healed and done with it.

Posted 6/15/2008 1:54 AM (GMT 0)
(((HUG)))

I've been there, and I'm sorry you're feeling bummed out. I always assumed my body was just reacting to coming off of the strong pain medicine they gave me after surgery. I never bothered to ask my doctor about it, because it usually didn't last very long.

What always seemed to help me was watching a comedy. Ask your hubby to go down to BlockBuster and rent you your favorite funny movie or television show, and watch it instead of something depressing, like the news.

Also, vitamin B is a natural mood lifter, so pop a couple of those every day. :-)

I hope you feel better soon,
Cecilia
Posted 6/15/2008 3:39 AM (GMT 0)
I can't say I've been there because my husband is the one with uc in this pair, but if it makes you feel any better when you're watching tv, there's a lot more people than we all realize who have ostomies and we would never know it. Obviously not all of them do, but I guarantee some of them do.  You can find a couple celebrities if you do a search online, not everyone has told the general public since that's personal health information, but you'll find a few.  A lot of people envy the people on tv for other reasons as well because their lives always just *appear* so perfect.

Posted 6/15/2008 3:56 AM (GMT 0)
my fav part of the surgery recovery was laying around watching tv and playing video games, lol.
But i do remember getting depressed a little while out, in fact i believe it was prob about two weeks out. It may have something to do with the pain meds, but for me, i think it was becasue i started feeling "better" but i still knew i couldnt' do the things i wanted. Also, my son was living at my grandmas and that was very very hard for me, to only see him a little bit at a time, i am a stay at home mom and used to seeing him alot.
Posted 6/15/2008 3:56 AM (GMT 0)

Jo, hugs to you. I don't have UC nor have I had surgery but I remember this happening after each of my children's births. Thirteen days after each I hit a wall. Couldn't get the energy to get dressed, walk to get the mail, nothing but nurse them. Each time this happened, my mom wouldn't take no for an answer. She made me get dressed (even in sweats), made me sit in a chair on the patio, made me walk to the end of the driveway with her and back again. It wasn't much but it was her way of making me change my scenery. I remember thinking I couldn't even muster the energy to do any of those things. Over the next few days, she would make me get in the car with the baby (and any kids in tow) and we would drive to the mall (or supermarket). Mind you both of us hated shopping. But she would help push/pull me back into civilization.

Do you have anyone around who will be your support? Someone who will make you get moving, take that short walk with you? It's hard, but try to remember to take one day (or even one hour) at a time. Try to find something positive/happy about the day. Maybe you were able to eat something that you haven't for awhile. Maybe you were able to get up out of the chair without too much pain. Whatever it is, enjoy the moment.

I want to thank you for bringing this up. It never occurred to me that someone would go through this after surgery. It is something I will look out for.

Posted 6/15/2008 3:46 PM (GMT 0)
Jo,
I've been thinking about you and hope you're feeling a little bit better today. I agree with Bennie to try to get outside in the sunshine, if you can. Even if you just sit in a chair outside, that might help you feel better.

Taking a long, hot shower helps, too. If you're too tired to stand in the shower, you can put a chair in there and sit while you're washing your hair.

I take back what I said about not watching the news. I was watching it last night and found myself feeling very fortunate that I don't live in Iowa or China right now with a flooded house. It reminded me that things could be a lot worse.

Counting my blessings and focusing on being thankful for what I have, like a loving husband and family, always helps me when I'm feeling down. Hang in there, you won't feel this way for long.

:-) Cece
Posted 6/15/2008 7:54 PM (GMT 0)
Thankks, everyone. It helps to read these posts, and know I have friends that care and think of me, even though I haven't met you!

I am feeling better today, even though I am having trouble with the loop ileo. It is high on my waist and close to my belly button AND on the left side. So that's a lot to deal with! It has been leaking every night for two nights in a row. Ugh.
And so -
But, I feel better mentally. I woke up this mornign and thought - I am Not going to feel sorry for myself today! I'm not!
Posted 6/15/2008 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
Jo, give yourself little goals for each day. Today was to get up and start the day with a positive attitude. Great job!

Posted 6/16/2008 1:46 AM (GMT 0)
Jo,
I went thru the same thing, thinking to myself "why am I doing this & did I make a mistake by having these surgeries" I had no energy and it took all I had to get ready to go anywhere, especially in the morning. I had so many things that I wanted to get done while I was off on surgery, but didn't have the energy to do any of it! Did the same thing with the tv and noticed that the really "pretty" people all had long hair while mine was coming out in clumps!

Hang in there, it will get better! It was like someone turned on a light switch after my last surgery and I finally got the things done that I wanted to and things are getting better, just slowly. Just this morning I thought about what I've been thru this last year and wonder how I did it without losing it all together! This forum really helped me because I knew I wasn't alone!

I hope you have better days and agree with Cece that finding things to be grateful for will help.
Posted 6/16/2008 3:42 AM (GMT 0)

Jo,

I felt the same exact way after my surgery...I had my ileostomy surgery and was in the hospital for 6 days, then I went home, but 2 days after being home I had to go *back* to the hospital because I had an obstruction... sad    got an NG tube (*horrible*), etc....trust me, you sound a lot more upbeat than I was when in the hospital...!

It is so hard to get yourself going when you really do not feel well.  I had this one nurse (I called her "the drill sergeant" in my head) who would come in each day and and pretty much *make* me get up and go on walks, get up and get a shower, etc...at the time, she kind of got on my nerves, but I realized that she was doing me a favor, and I thanked her for it! 

When you said "one minute I am fine and the next minute I am crying," --that was Exactly what I did!! :)  When they were going to order me my very first meal after not eating for almost 14 days, I was so excited and anticipating it all day!  I was supposed to have a cheeseburger, sherbet and iced tea, but when the girl delivered my meal, all I got was a dry, cold English muffin with some margerine!  And I actually started to Cry!  (I was so embarrassed, I tried to hide it, though..).

anyway, I know each day you will feel a little bit better...!  I hope today is your best yet! :-)

Posted 6/16/2008 4:21 AM (GMT 0)
it's ok to cry abotu your food i did that too, lol. Once i got home i ordered a cheese ravoli thats all i ate for forver and when someone brought it to me, i opened it and it had meat sauce!!! which i cannot stand. I busted out in tears, just bawling over my ravoli.
something you coudl do, is find your list of reasons you wanted to have surgery and read over them, or read the "little things" thread on here, it has a lot of silly little things that have made us happy
Posted 6/16/2008 10:29 AM (GMT 0)
Jo,
I'm glad you're starting to feel better. You are definitely not alone in this.

When I was in the hospital in March for an obstruction, I had to have an NG tube in. I couldn't eat, was in pain, and was not a happy camper. Every commercial on TV was a food commercial, and that made it even worse.

One morning, a lab tech came in to draw some blood. He stuck me once and missed. He went to stick me again, and I started crying. It wasn't because it hurt, it was because I was frustrated and tired of being sick.

I ended up getting a PICC line later that day, and when he came in the next day to draw my blood, I was smiling and joking around with him. He probably thought I was schizo, but I didn't care. I was glad that I was able to apologize to him and explain why I had been so sad the day before.

about your ileo being close to your belly button and leaking - I might have a tip that can help with that. When you cut the hole in the wafer, cut it off to one side (I think it would be to the right), so when you put it on, it moves the wafer away from your belly button. If you get a good seal, it should stop leaking. Good luck!

Cecilia
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