Posted by sleepy-in-seattle on December 20, 2007 at 08:55:11:

In Reply to: post mma 6th day need a lot of help posted by sleepdeprived on December 20, 2007 at 08:15:23:

Swollen - check.
Drooling - didn't have it, but it's not uncommon.
Constipation - check.
Depression - check.

The swelling can last quite a while, although you should be seeing a lot of it move down. A week from now you should see a big change. If you haven't seen ANY change since returning from the hospital, you should call your surgeon and get their guidance.

For the constipation, double your water intake and use something like benefiber or citrucil that you can stir into a glass of water or into a protein shake. The narcotics in the hospital and the pain meds tend to cause constipation - coupled with the fact that you're now getting zero fiber.

The depression is very common after MANY major surgeries. It is easy to think that somehow you made a huge mistake and life will never get better. Even though it's been 2.5 years for me, I can still remember clearly what it felt like to "hit bottom" on the fifth day. Believe me, it WILL pass.

Is the pain getting better? Are you dreaming at all?

At this stage, it's helpful to mark your progress by daily trumphs.

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