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Pain with surgery, what can I expect?

Hello, I've never had surgery before in my life. I was approved and my dr recommended the VSG, and my surgery date is March 20. I know everyone's pain is different, just wanted a few opinions from some folks with experience, thanks!

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The pain wasn't as bad as I was expecting from reading posts on here. As soon as I woke up I could feel a heaviness and tightness in my chest, but I couldn't feel much pain from the incisions because of the pain medicine they give you. I had my surgery on Thursday so I'm still in some pain but it's just when I get up and down and I'm also still on the pain meds the hospital gave me. The heaviness in my chest is also still there but has almost gone away completely. This was my first surgery as well and I'm a definite baby when it comes to pain lol

VSG was my first surgery as well.

Pain was at a 9/10 when I first woke up. For down to a 7/10 the first morning after. Fluctuated between 7-8/10 until I left the hospital. By 4th day post op I was at home and at a 6.5/10. Went down one every day but there were a few set backs with coughing and sneezing as it put pressure on my stomach and in turn my stitches and it burned.

You'll do great!

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Thanks a lot! What the chest pain from the gas?

I'm just ready to get this over with and hopefully it gives me a new lease on life!

Thanks a lot! What the chest pain from the gas?

I'm just ready to get this over with and hopefully it gives me a new lease on life!

yeah! The nurse warned me about it while I was waiting in pre-op that it was going to feel like an elephant was sitting on my chest and not to worry. I'm sure your surgery will come in no time(:

I was in a lot of pain when I first woke up....but the key is to communicate with the nurses if you are in pain...they will get the doc to give you more...or something else. Some people feel like they are bothering the nurses....I say, that's the most important job they have is pain management. If you are in pain you aren't going to get up and get moving, which is key to a safe and speedy recovery. Until you have something to compare it with everyone's view of the pain isn't going to make sense to you. Just make sure to ask for better meds if you need them. After I got the good stuff I was able to get up and walk two hours after surgery. Because of that I didn't have to wear those stupid compression cuffs...and I felt so much better so much faster. Good luck! And congrats to your new beginning!

My hospital uses a 1-10 pain scale for patients to describe their pain. Once in recovery my pain was a 10 . By the time they rolled me to my room, I was at a 7. Most of the time I was in my room I bounced between a 4 and a 2. At one point I let me pain get ahead of me and was at a 7 again. After that I timed my meds so that I went for walks or potty trips after meds were given. That way I was able to move around a lot more than many of my counterparts.

I had a complication so my pain may have been more sever than non complication but the first 24 to 48 hours was uncomfortable and I was hitting the morphine pump often. After that when I could move around

I Felt better quickly. So when they say walk, walk you will feel better!

Hello, I've never had surgery before in my life. I was approved and my dr recommended the VSG, and my surgery date is March 20. I know everyone's pain is different, just wanted a few opinions from some folks with experience, thanks!

If I'm being completely honest, I thought getting my wisdom teeth out was worse than the VSG but that is NOT to say that I was without pain, because right when I came to in the recover room a remember crying and being a little bit frantic because the pain in my shoulder was pretty severe. But that being said, They gave me something right away and after that I never rated my pain higher than about a 4 or 5.

I think part of the reason I did so well was because as soon as I was awake enough to kind of be with it and know what was going on I was up with the nurse walking. I didn't go far the first time but I did take probably 50 steps and becoming mobile helped the gas pain in my shoulder and it also helped me sleep once I got back to bed - it sounds silly but that little bit of activity was enough to tire me out.

There was only one time that I was nauseated and it was not severe - the night after surgery the nurse gave me ice chips and those didn't go down well. Nothing cold went down well for me.

I will say it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. The gas pressure in my chest was the worst part and after the drainage tube was removed the pain was pretty much gone! Good luck and focus less on the pain and more on what your doing to make a positive change in your life!

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Author

I'm also having the HH repaired, I keep hearing that the pain of swallowing even water is horrible, can anyone tell me what to expect from their experience?

I'm also having the HH repaired' date=' I keep hearing that the pain of swallowing even Water is horrible, can anyone tell me what to expect from their experience?[/quote']

I heard that as well but didnt experience it at all after my surgery. Hopefully you won't either!

I'm also having the HH repaired' date=' I keep hearing that the pain of swallowing even Water is horrible, can anyone tell me what to expect from their experience?[/quote']

I had that as well, I noticed no additional pain compared to other people.

I'm also having the HH repaired, I keep hearing that the pain of swallowing even water is horrible, can anyone tell me what to expect from their experience?

I had that as well and I didn't feel any worse. I use to drink water and get horrible heartburn but with that fixed I no longer get heartburn!

Another thing your not going to feel like it but WALK. My doctor had me walking about 3 hrs after I woke up. Not like a marathon but down the hall and back. I held a pillow to my stomach and that really helped. I had a pain pump but really didn't use it much because it made me itch

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