Pain after surgery

[Guest Rosalind]

I am reading these regret stories and it is scaring me. I have a couple of questions. Please let me know about your pain experiences and pain med that the doc gave you. Did you have limiting conditions like diabetes or high bp? How long did the pain last? Did doc have you on a 2 week liquid diet? And finally, do you have a low threshold for pain?

This week, I will have my 5th supervised diet visit.. Next one.........early August so I am really close.

Thank you for your input!

[InProgress 3]

I feel like I have a normal pain threshold and the spin has not been bad for me. The recovery room sucked but that was over in minutes. I had the expected shoulder pain for a few hours but it was NOT bad at all. I used the pain pump intermittently and took the liquid Loritab once in the hospital and once the night I came home. The "pain" as I see it (for me only of course) is equal to my trainer being ticked at me on an ABS day. My drain hole is starting to bother me a little because it wants to be healed but the dang drain is in the way but other than that it really isn't bad.

I only had to do 2 days of Clear liquids preop but it was Clear Liquids ONLY and I did it at a softball tournament. NOt fun. Lol.

I don't have any comorbidities but I am really big so even though there's nothing else to cause extra pain, moving probably pulls more for me than many.

Obviously it's different for everyone but that's my 2 cents.

[KristeyK 3]

Haven't been sleeved yet, but I did have the lap band a few years ago. It was not bad. (I have a 3" incision from my port being put in too.) It hurt, I won't lie to you about that, but it wasn't bad after a day or two home. (Didn't feel a THING in the hospital thanks to the better drugs.) However, I have a HIGH tolerance for pain. I finally got rid of my Rx pain meds for it about 6 months ago, and I MAYBE used two doses out of it. I'll be able to tell you about getting sleeved in exactly a month from now.

Good luck!

[Guest Rosalind]

Thanks. My doc requires a 2 week pre op diet even though I have been on 6 mos. supervised. I have changed my eating habits by eating a well rounded low fat, low cal diet and I watch carbs as well. 35 down so far and it hasn't been easy.

It is frightening to hear people say they made a mistake. My doc says the pain will be from gas but he has never had a sleeve!

[Nancy Rivers 24]

I had no pain after I came home. I had no need to fill the prescription for the pain medication. I do have diabetes, but that has become easier to control.

[cindy lynn 0]

I was just sleeved this past Thursday (July 21). I have not experienced any stomach pain. The only pain/discomfort I have felt is the pain from the gas used during the procedure. I walked several laps around the hospital floor a few hours after surgery because I didn't want to experience the shoulder pain I had heard about. I continued to walk every couple of hours as I could...and I did not ever feel the shoulder pain. I was discharged from the hospital 1 day after the procedure and I still only had the discomfort from the gas around the abdomen. It was very hard to get comfortable, although sitting/lying in a recliner did help. Finally on Saturday (2 days after procedure) most of the gas discomfort has disappeared. I did fill my hydrocodone liquid prescription (for pain) and my promethazine liquid prescription (for nausea/vomiting) and have been taking these as directed....and have experienced no pain or nausea (only a little nausea when in the car for an extended time).

Oh, by the way I did not have any co-morbidities (high blood pressure, diabetes) although I do have a "super obese" BMI.

Hope this helps.

[Hanir 1]

I had surgery on week ago tomorrow. I've had almost no pain. No gas pain. Very little nausea -- and only in the hospital when I 1st started to sip liquids. I was getting some sort of pain meds in my IV. I also had a Morphine drip which I used maybe 2x the 1st day after surgery (just to experiment!) and none after that. The worst pain I had was "mild" about a "3" on a scale of 1-10. I didn't have any gas pain. I haven't taken any prescription pain medicine since I've been home. I have tightness where my internal stitches are but it doesn't really hurt. Strangely enough every night my forearms ache to the point where I have to take liquid Tylenol in order to be able to sleep -- this is the biggest pain I've had. I'm really surprised at how painless this has been!

[Leslie 14]

I had surgery on 7/12. To be honest, I did have pain. I would rate it from kinda annoying to pretty bad depending on the day. That being said, my pain was almost gone at a week out. Now at almost two weeks, nothing hurts at all. I am able to walk 3 miles a day will no pain or ill effects. I can drink without issue and I haven't had any food cause me problems but I am still on a pureed diet. I did have byer's remorse for a few days but I feel great now and I am soooo glad I had the surgery.

Blessings and good luck!

Leslie

[CowgirlJane 14,261]

I have not yet had the sleeve surgery (pain after being banded wasn't bad) but the doctor told me that most people experience about a 3 out of 10 on the pain scale. It sounds like there is a lot of variety in that. I wonder if having a hernia repaired makes it more painful??

[Leslie 14]

I had a hernia repair with the VSG and I think it definintely added to my pain. In fact, it MAY have been the majority of it. I wouldn't let the fear of the pain from surgery scare anyone away from having it done. The pain is temporary but the weight loss is worth it.

[Danielle86 0]

I had my sleeve done six days ago and no one mentioned how much post op pain there was. I was in recovery acting a ass! I couldn't help it. It was unexpect and excrusiating(sorry I can't spell good). the nurse kept telling me she gave me meds but it was gas pain that's why's the meds didn't help...the walking around did help with the gas but later on in the day the pain subsided. I never really got higher than a 4 or 5 on the 0-10 pain scale. The drain removal the next day didn't necessarily hurt it just felt weird like a tube just being pulled from ur insides...I have only taken a couple doses of lortab since I've been home. The gas pain is no more pretty much and no other pain really.

[MsDownToMe 2]

I am 3 weeks post op. I had no gas pain, but a lot of abdominal pain from the incisions. Mainly on my left side-and it still hurts. I started off on the morphine pump in the hospital, which I used as I needed to. After that I was on the liquid Lortab which I continued at home, but now I only take Tylenol every once in a while (usually at night) for the pain/burning on my left side. I think it has taken me a while longer to get rid of this left side pain because I have a one year old that I have to lift. All in all, I did regret my surgery for the first couple of days just because of how sore I was, but now I have NO regrets. In my opinion temporary discomfort is so worth it when you see that scale moving down, down, down!

[Tara B 0]

I was just sleeved on the 25th (so this past Monday) and I have no pain currently. The first night was by far the worst after that, but once the pain meds kick in, your good to go. I just had my drain removed and I just feel sore really... my belly is VERY bloated due to the gas (but i luckily have had no gas pain!) HTH!

[LVikingFan 14]

My surgery was on the 22nd very late in the day. I didn't get to my room until about 11pm and they got me up to walk at 2am. I did ask for a dose of pain medicine after the walk. They gave me Demerol in the IV. I think this pain was just from the actual surgery not necessarily the gas. I never did have gas pain. The second day right before I went home I got hiccups and they hurt like (insert your favorite expletive here)! My doctors advice was to take the liquid Lortab to cover the pain. I had to take it three times when the hiccups returned. I have been two days free of hiccups and pain medicine and I woke up yesterday feeling like a new man. I cleaned our pool and took out the trash before my wife even woke up! I have all sorts of co-morbidities but I can't believe I am off some of my meds already. I had to do a 10 day liquid diet before the surgery and I am glad I did, it sort of prepared me for the post op diet. My advice is to follow every rule they give you and to walk, walk, walk. Just laying around makes you weaker and sorer.

[La Dolce Vita 1]

I had surgery on July 22nd. I did a 5 day liquid diet pre op which was not as bad as it sounds. it definitelty prepares you for post op. Pain was not as bad as I thought it would be. it is tolerable. when it is not I take the liquid loratab which works wonders. I had nausea once in the hospital but the nurse said he could have caused it by giving me my meds and antibiotics to quickly. i walked alot in the hospital and did the breathing exercises as well which i think helped with not having gas pains, I did burp and fart but it has not been painful. my second day home was the hardest, I felt like i was hit by a bus, my whole body hurt. i took the liquid loritab and rested, now i am on day 6 post op and i am only taking 15 ml of loratab maybe 3x a day, in the hospital i was getting dilaudid every 2 hours then swtiched to loratab every 4 hours. walking is very important. i get up in the morning and make my daughter Breakfast. i have been relaxing all day and taking time to heal. I do not have buyers remorse. i have no hunger pains or cravings. i drink my 3 Protein Shakes and have Jello in between and maybe some broth and i also am getting in Water in between, every day gets better. the end result is going to be amazing. do not be afraid of the pain and let that stop you. if you take something that does not work tell the drs and they will find something that works for you. good luck