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Hi, and welcome to your support group.

First and foremost, you should be telling all these symptoms to your doctor. If you have a therapist, even better, but you've made a major change to your entire digestive system, and that's like getting hit by a Mack truck sometimes. Most of us have some level of difficulty post-op.

I can't advise you on any true medical problems, but you sound anxious. I can relate to that. Take any time you have to sit calmly, close your eyes, and focus on breathing. Inhale as deeply as you can through your nose, then making the "Om" sound, let it all go slowly out of your mouth. Do this until you feel calm. Give it all the time it needs.

Try finding the online pdf file for The Only Diet There Is, which I've written about many times in this group. It's not a diet book. It's a "diet from negative thinking." Sondra Ray (I think she wrote it) suggests mantras you create for your own feelings, like "Everything I eat turns to health and beauty."

The key to affirmations is to think positively. So instead of saying, "I'm having a really tough time," you'd say, "I am healing and growing into a healthy person," or something like that. "I am [positive thought]," not "I am [negative thought like "exhausted, shaky, starving, etc." You're not lying when you tell yourself an affirmation. You're repeating it and repeating it until it becomes the dominant thing in your thoughts.

There is a free pdf file on the internet and lots of other references to it with passages you can read. But calm down first. Call your surgeon or therapist or see your doctor. It's not uncommon for people to visit Initial Care or make a lot of phone calls to their surgeons. They've heard it all. And they are ready to talk to you.

I'll stop here because I don't want to overwhelm you, but understand, most of the group has had the surgery and we've all had a lot of different experiences, including some negative or painful ones, and difficulties with food or getting enough water, etc. First, call your surgeon. Then call your doc or go to Initial Care if you're hurting. Then do a search of this group for your symptoms, like "starving," etc.

I'm 17 years out and I had my RYGB via major surgery. Believe me, I understand what you're going through. But I'm here to support you, not to give you medical advice.

Make a phone call. Best of luck. You will be fine. In fact, you're already fine.
 
I went back to work after my 1 month post-op follow-up. Luckily I work at a small shop where the employees all care about each other, so explaining my limitations was easy, but definitely go in to your supervisor and explain your medically necessary breaks to sip/eat throughout your workday. It is important that they clear you upfront for this. I still forget to stop and drink often enough to fight symptoms of dehydration off. You have to be able to focus on this or you can get lightheaded or shaky at work. Physical exertion is still going to drain you quicker because of the reduced calories, sometimes surprisingly so, just listen to your body's signals and communicate clearly with your supervisor/coworkers how you feel and why so they can help or at least understand the new you.
 
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