Eating issues post-op

I had a LAVH on July 6th (so I am 3 days post-op). I was on a clear liquid diet they day before and the day of the surgery. I am concerned because I having trouble eating again. When I was on the clear liquid diet before the surgery, I did consider whether it was ethical to murder someone to get a steak and baked potato , but now that I can eat, I am not interested. I haven't been hungry since I woke up from the surgery and when I eat I get nauseous and my stomach hurts for about 10 minutes afterwards. It doesn't help that I bit the crap out of my tongue in recovery and it is still swollen and painful, but I thought I would be more interested in food by now. Has anyone else had issues with this? Does anyone have any ideas for getting my stomach back online or is this just one of those "wait and it will settle down soon" issues?

Thanks for the help and advice!

I had a TAH, and I was not interested in eating much until 7-10 days after, when I started feeling a little better. I just limited my portions, tried to eat a variety, and keep control of the gas. The gas was causing some of my problems. Now, I need to start working out more so I can work off some of the too much food I was eating and not enough moving around!

Someone else may have better advice, but my experience was no activity and gas caused no appetite and stomach pain. The better I started to feel, the more I started to eat. Hope this helps!

Just eat what you can at this stage and make sure it is healthy for you. I was the same and I normally love food! I got back to normal within a week or so.

Are you on pain meds? They can make you nauseous and kill your appetite.

I had a tvh w/AP repairs on 7/6. Still feeling nauseous and not wanting to eat much. Trying to make sure what I do eat is high fiber and somewhat healthy. I'm going to call Dr tomorrow if it doesn't settle down, just to see what suggestions he may have as to what is causing it.

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Originally Posted by Phantomslady I had a LAVH on July 6th (so I am 3 days post-op). I was on a clear liquid diet they day before and the day of the surgery. I am concerned because I having trouble eating again. When I was on the clear liquid diet before the surgery, I did consider whether it was ethical to murder someone to get a steak and baked potato , but now that I can eat, I am not interested. I haven't been hungry since I woke up from the surgery and when I eat I get nauseous and my stomach hurts for about 10 minutes afterwards. It doesn't help that I bit the crap out of my tongue in recovery and it is still swollen and painful, but I thought I would be more interested in food by now. Has anyone else had issues with this? Does anyone have any ideas for getting my stomach back online or is this just one of those "wait and it will settle down soon" issues? Thanks for the help and advice!

I had the same eating issues...it will get better, mine is still getting there and im 5 weeks out...anesthesia plays a huge part...my BF is a anesth. and she said it takes a while just to recover from that alone...plus the pain meds and also the antibiotics...and not to mention the surgery itself...ive lost some weight but dont want the bowel bloat either so i am eating light still...i do good stuff tho...i make fruit/yogurt smoothies...and maybe some nuts during the day and salads with a bit of protein...and i am drinking a lot of water...if you can eat yogurt it helps with the stomach issues...i was also eating ginger snaps when i was feeling really nauseous...dont know if this info was helpful...

I am 4 weeks post op and finally getting my appetite back! Just this past week I started feeling hungry for the first time. Food tastes good, I simply have not been interested in eating. I am a fluffy sister, so I am totally shocked at my reaction to food. As others have said, it takes awhile for your body to recuperate from surgery. At my 2 week check-up my doctor was not concerned about my loss of appetite and simply said it will return in time.

I got some fresh fruit and kept it close. It's a good time of year for it. Plus it helps with the constipation. I also kept yogurt and cottage cheese in the fridge for protein. And I got some prunes... for some reason they sounded good. And also helped with the constipation.

I'm out 5 weeks and eating better, but still not like I was. Which is a good thing... i'm also a fluffy sister. It will get better. Be sure to stay hydrated most of all!!!

Thank you for all the great answers! I am starting to feel better. I ate some yogurt with fruit and granola this morning without nausea or pain! :-)

This site and you sisters have been lifesavers for dealing with all the what-ifs and random stuff the doctor didn't mention.

I had appetite issues for a long time post hysterectomy--so much so I ended up having to see a nutritionist for weeks.

Some tips that were shared with me included drinking your nutrition. Sometimes when we can't eat, we are able to drink a bit so we should maximize that opportunity if we can. I was brought a chocolate shake every day in the hospital, trying to tempt my appetite. I was also "prescribed" two High Protein Boosts per day. At one point at home, I was told to add dry milk to a glass of Carnation Breakfast as that didn't increase the amount of what I was trying to take in, but it upped the nutritional value.

I was also told to make everything I ate count. For instance, I was seriously told not to eat salad! Why? Because I wasn't going to take in enough nutrients to make it worth my while. Instead, I was told to fill up with something more substantial. If you happen to love salad as my niece does, you could try what she did when she experienced appetite issues with a medication. Add anything you can think of, except the kitchen sink! Cheese, lean meat, veggies, etc.

Unless you are drastically losing weight or ending up underweight like I did, you are probably okay. But do remember that your body does need nourishment to heal, even for those would love to experience weight loss during recovery.

Slow and steady will win the race, one bite and one drink at a time!

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