Struggling after surgery

I had a nissen fundiplocation surgery about 4 years ago with a huge hiatal hernia repair. The surgery went well at the time and I healed very very quickly. Within 6 months, though, it started to slip. Now, 4 years later, I had surgerty to undo the old surgery, elongate my esopahagus by using part of my stomach and mesh, repair the hiatal hernia and a new nissen fundoplication. It was thankfully done all laparoscopically. I was in the hospital on strong strong meds for 5 days. I have now been home for just over a week, sent home with strong oxyc. I am suffering greatly. I finally weaned myself off the oxys which at times was making me feel worse than the pain. I had a drain in until last week.

I am extraordinarily weak. I can hardly eat anything. And now the weakness is leading to incredible sadness and I want to cry constanty.

Any advice? My husband says that since my first surgery was such a piece of cake and that this is so much more intense, I was caught off guard.

Thank you, Tony G.

I am trying to eat but I have no appetite and eating seems to fill me up uncomfortably after a few mouthfuls.

I am off the pain meds as of over 36 hours ago. Although what I am feeling is no longer pain as such, it is intense pressure all over my chest that makes it hard to take a deep breath.

Now that I am no longer taking pain meds I am no longer sleeping as much as I was which was a lot but I am most comfortable laying in bed and so do most of the day. Sitting up is hard.

As far was eating is concerned, I am on a "full liguids" diet, meaning all juices, clear soups, pureed soups, yogurt, puddings, soft cereals (Cream of Wheat). My doctor recommended ensure and Breakfast Essentials but both make me gag.

I am trying to stay hydrated but I can tell that I am not getting enough fluids -- my tongue is pasty all the time and my lips chapped even though i am trying to sip juice during the day.

Thank you for reminding me that this is much more invasive than the simple nissen I had years ago. I just keep thinking that something is very very wrong and that I won't get any better. The progress has been sooooo very slow. The spots where the drains and the incisions are hurt when I try to take a deep breath but they all look like they are healing well.

I guess mostly I am trying to find out is why I am still in such bad shape and is this normal to still be so weak and ill? I do have my first post-op with the surgeon tomorrow but I am feeling so weak and out of it that I would like to postpone it a week (I won't though.)

I guess I should mention that I am not a youngster -- I am 61 but was in great shape, exercising 15 biking miles a day every day prior to the surgery. I feel like an elderly dying kitten.

Thanks for any words of advice from anyone who has also gone through this.