Worried About Post Gastric Sleeve Surgery....

[mchez1986 6]

my surgery is on december 8th, and while I am very excited and anxious, I am very fearful of what the hospital stay/pain will be like.....I have never stayed in a hospital and I think I am just syking myself out?? please help!!! :confused5:

[5McK 10]

Obviously it's different for each person and at each facility.

When I woke up from surgery I hurt, but it was not something I couldn't handle (I've had 3 previous c-sections, so maybe that is why I dealt with it ok). The nurses stayed on top of the pain and had me taking my meds regularly to stem off the worst of it. I was one of those patients that got up within 4 hours of surgery and started walking and I did this every few hours. I was one of the last ones sleeved on a Thursday and I was the first one released on Friday morning because I was doing the best. I truly believe it was because I made myself get out of that bed and Iwalk.

This surgery is alot like childbirth in that at the moment you are going through it you think, what have I done?! I don't want to do this. But give it some time and you will be thrilled and it is so worth the temporary pain!!!

Best of luck on your journey!

[mullet head 18]

Like 5Mck said, each persons experience is probably a little different...but one thing that is ABSOLUTELY the same with ALL of us...is the importance of getting out of bed and walking ASAP!!! It really, really helps the recovery process.

As far as the hospital say, i will be honest and say "my" experience was good, BUT, it was harder than I thought it would be...I have not been through any prior surgerys before other than ortho stuff on knees, shoulders, etc...the gas they fill your tummy with is not particuliarly pleasant and my main source of pain is the main incision...all that being said...the hospital is usually on top of it, they give you adequate pain relief and try and make your stay as comfortable as possible.

The really good news is that your recovery curve is HUGE...each day you feel sooooooo much better!!!

surgery date: Oct 12, 2011

[mchez1986 6]

thank you both for the feedback, it means alot =-)

[RhondaLynn 10]

I am 4 weeks post op.. Ihave had several surgeries... this one was BY FAR the easiest one!!!

I never hurt and never had gas pain. I know everyone is different and every level of pain tolerance is different... but I went in to this surgery on cloud 9 and staying there throughout it.. I think attitude is a lot of what makes it good or bad.

That said.. I know you can have different situations that make it better/worse than mine.. just know the nurses and doctors want the best for you. and keep your attitude positive! Know it will hurt, but if you have had ortho surg. on your knee you know pain... this should be not that much different... just different. Tell the nurses you want pain meds... they will give it to you. You will also go home with some good medication! use it!!

Rhonda

[Oopsseedaisy 90]

The hospital staff is there to take care of you and that is exactly what they do. Even if it means waking you up in the middle of the night to take your blood pressure.

I will say that this was one of the easiest surgeries I have had. I had no pain and could walk normally a few hours after surgery. I was lucky and could sleep easily in any position right after the operation.

Sending calming vibes and hugs out to you

[FishingNurse 1,211]

I am going to be honest-- it was no picnic. But you will manage! I wasn't fully prepared for how I would feel post-op-- and I have been a nurse for 8 years! I really had no pain-- just discomfort in my abdomen and the more I walked, the better I felt. It is so nice to get the IV out of your arm and sleep in your own bed at home! Trust me I would do it again. Feeling how I feel now makes it sooooo worth it!

[Penpen 28]

Hi there! You will be okay. I did have some pain and at one point, some nausea and once vomited but it was because my meds had lapsed. I wrote all about my stay in the hospital on my blog if you'd like to read about it. Here's the link: http://sliceofhealthyplease.blogspot.com/2011/07/surgery-and-hospital-stay-part-1.html

Hang in there! I remember being in total fear of the unknown. You will make it through this and come out of it on a much brighter side. The beginning is hard but tolerable. Keep smiling and know that we are all here cheering you on....AND that if I could get through it, so can you! And I'm a major scardy-cat!

[waldy43 4]

I just had my surgery on Monday (first surgery of the day) and I can say I was in some pain on Monday but the nurses were great at making sure I didn't let my pain go over a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10.

On Tuesday morning when the doctor came in she said that the second day will be the worse because I will go through a stage of 'why did I do this to myself'. However, I never did have that stage, I know exactly why I did this to myself and knew that it would be better tomorrow and each day after, largely due to reading here for months before surgery. It was nice to have some of the nurses who also had weight loss surgery come in and ask if I had any questions about recovery.

I had an excellent hospital experience and the doctor said the nurses were praising my progress and attitude.

My best advise would be to make sure you let the staff know what you pain level is and take the pain meds. There is no sense in suffering if you can prevent it.

Best Wishes.

[mchez1986 6]

thank you all so much, and penpen your blog really helped!! do they send the pain med home ith you or is that something I will have to stop before I go home and get because I have a feeling that I will want to go home asap lol :biggrin:

[Penpen 28]

thank you all so much, and penpen your blog really helped!! do they send the pain med home ith you or is that something I will have to stop before I go home and get because I have a feeling that I will want to go home asap lol :biggrin:

Hey mchez1986! In the hospital, I was given pain shots. Then when I was sent home, they gave the same kind of medicine but in liquid form to take by mouth which tasted terrible but worked wonders. My surgeon did give a prescription for it that we had to stop and pick up on the way home but my husband did all the running and getting. I was out of it because before I left the hospital, I asked them to give me one more shot each for the nausea and pain. They gladly gave me it.

[Penpen 28]

thank you all so much, and penpen your blog really helped!! do they send the pain med home ith you or is that something I will have to stop before I go home and get because I have a feeling that I will want to go home asap lol :biggrin:

Oh, thank you about my blog! So glad it helped you.

[iegal 460]

You need to turn that fear into excitement. We are fearful of what we do not know, so educate yourself. There is a great thread you can click on called "what you need for your hospital stay."

Post op - well, I had this surgery done as an outpatient procedure and took liquid over the counter pain meds once to sleep only, not for pain. Now, I was uncomfortable (could not sleep on my side that first week) but never in pain. Oh and I am a wussy of the worse sort. I think them putting in the IV preop was worse than any pain after surgery.

So, for you- read about being prepared. Pain in minimal but having someone around to fetch for you in really nice. Stock the pantry with those needed items to make yourself more comfortable.

You can do this! The results are so worth the discomfort experienced.