Depression After Surgery

[Elizabeth Jack]

I had an ileectomy over a month ago (I have Chron's disease).  I'm not in pain.  But I am so.  Freaking.  Depressed.  No one reached out to me, during the first week or two when I was home all alone, and I just... shut down.  I know I'm not okay, I know I need to talk, and get a hug.  But I feel like I've already slammed the door shut, and cemented it closed.  I don't understand why this is happening.  People have even apologised, but I'm still just - I don't want them.  I'm so sick of begging. 

[radical]

 

[Dutch Uncle]

 

Probably superfluous, but have you reached out to those who have had the same procedure?
F.e.:
https://www.google.nl/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=ileectomy&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gfe_rd=cr&ei=-enkV7qFGcqT8Qf9mLzICw#q=ileostomy%20recovery

https://healthunlocked.com/colostomy-care/posts/130044585/do-you-have-any-tips-for-recovering-from-an-ileostomy-op-and-how-to-manage-your-bag

Depression is also one of the five stages of loss and grief. At times it helps me in my recovery to realize I might not be depressed in the sense of a clinical (?) depression, but rather passing through one of the stages of grief, i.e. I'm mourning.

many 
Dutch.

[sanmagic7]

big hug to you.  i think dutch uncle made a good point about grieving.  after such a surgery, there is a loss, and any loss deserves to be grieved.  perhaps you're not feeling 'whole' anymore.   after my hysterectomy, a friend helped me with that.  she put some little things in a small paper bag, tied it with a little red ribbon, told me it represented my uterus and everything else that was removed.  i was able to say good-bye to those parts of me, and ultimately threw them in the garbage, ritually letting go of all the stuff that had been hurting me.  maybe you could do something similar, or get a friend involved to help you with it.

either way, i am sorry for your loss.  my heart is with you.  may healing energy speed you on your way to recovery.  depression sucks.

[Three Roses]

 

It may "only" be a cyber-hug, but it's genuine & heartfelt. Take care! Depression is a struggle, I know, so take care of yourself gently.
 

[Elizabeth Jack]

(Dutch Uncle, I had a less severe procedure than the one you linked.  I had an ileectomy, My ileum was removed.  No ostomy bag, no change of lifestyle, just a scar.  I appreciate it though.    Another word for it is a bowel resection.  I just didn't want you to think that I had an ostomy bag when I don't, that would definitely be a different animal!)


I don't know if I'm mourning or not.  I didn't lose anything 'important,' I lost my appendix in the deal but perhaps some closure therapy wouldn't be a bad thing.  I usually know myself, but I don't know right now.