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What They Dont Tell You



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Hello everyone. I've read dozens of books on RNY but one thing that's not very clear is the pain that can be expected post op. My surgeon is about to submit to insurance, so my date could be looming soon. ( Yay Yay yay!!!). I would love for you all to give me your honest feedback on what your experience was regarding the pain level. I'm hoping to return to work 1 week post op. am I being optimistic?

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The first 24 hours are rough, no joke. But for me once I got of the morphine pump and onto the liquid pain meds, it went so much better. The key is to walk as much as you can. Especially right after surgery, as soon as they will let you up, take it slow and walk walk walk. And do the same when you get home along with making sure you sip on your Water all day long, getting in as much as you possibly can! What kind of job do you have? I guess it depends on that...

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Way to go, I'm happy for you.

As far as the pain, the 1st 2 days were a little rough. That was mainly due to the gas and bloating from the injected air.

I had a little discomfort when I was released but nothing too bad. I actually never opened the pain medication they sent me home with.

You'll be fine and whatever pain you do experiance is well worth it. I don't remember the pain but I do remember the 90 + lbs. I've lost.

The best of luck to you.

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OK... I am the world's biggest baby when it comes to pain, I have zero tolerance. The first day or two is very uncomforatable, I really can't say pain..just uncomfortable. I was on a morphine pump as well and sure as heck used it. I walked, walked, walked... which made me feel better. What hurt was my very sore stomach muscles. I was back to work in one week, I had surgery on a Monday and the following Monday I was sitting at my desk. I worked half days in the office and 1/2 days at home for the first week. I did not have sutures or staples, just steri-strips to hold my incisions closed so that was one thing that was good, no discomfort from the incision sites. On a scale of 1 -10 pain level with 10 being the worst, I would give this surgery a 5 !!! I have had my share of surgeries and this was not one of the more painful ones and this is coming from a 0 tolerance pain person - LOL. You will do fine !!! and good luck on your new journey :)

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I loved the morphine and when I got home I loved the Loritab! They made me sleepy and I never felt pain. My discomfort started when the Loritab stopped:) But it wasnt intolerable. U will be and do fine. As for work I think u will be ok with that too.

I did have a small huge pain moment when the anesthesia wore of and before they gave me the morphine. I think they just wanted to make sure I woke up from surgery ok. It felt like my guts got cut. Oh wait. They did. Lol. Any how then came the morphine so no worries.

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Thank you all for your feedback. I'm growing impatient with the pro op process. I want and need to start my new life ASAP.

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Thank you all for your feedback. I'm growing impatient with the pro op process. I want and need to start my new life ASAP.

Ok. I had my surgery on last Wednesday. I woke up in pain but used morphine. Out of the 20grams they had in the pump I only used 4 and that was while sleeping. I took one dose the first night home just in case, but have not use it since. You could say I have a high tolerance for pain, but it wasn't bad at all if you can handle gas pain. Just walk and drink. I also had no complications so I hope you don't either. I've had a C-section also so I knew what kind of pain my stomach would be in, but it was nothing compared to that. I will be returning to work tomorrow or Thursday. Good luck! It will be here before you know it.

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Well I'm thinking it can't be worse than childbirth and I've had 2 kids au naturale! No painkillers at all.

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I went back to work a week post-op and I'm a university faculty, teach on two campuses, and it was pretty fine

Sent from my Galaxy S III using RNYTalk

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I ended up needing 5 blood transfusions and 2 units of plasma so my story isn't typical. But I was not prepared for the pain. I have a high tolerance. I have several piercings and a tattoo. I was in the hospital five days and then used pain meds for a week at home. I went home with a drain and staples. I think it's like child birth in that your body eventually blocks out the memory of pain because the result is greater than the pain. The gas is the worst! On a scale of 1-10. For me it was probably an 8 or 9 at times!

Jess...Surgiversary 9/19/12

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Sorry... Double post

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I had surgery last wed and i made a thread regardging 3 days post op, i feel i have i high tolerance for pain but the pain i felt was on a scale of 9.... I just cried and kept pumping morphine every ten min until i was released from hospital. Once i got home i was on percoset first few days and just slept... Srry i hardly walked because the pain killers had me lethargic.... Today is first day without any and im slowly feeling better...... The pain is tolerable with pain meds, i also had two csections, and felt this was worst. Everyone is different and will feel different. The gas hands own was the worst..... I just cried and cried..... But im slowly healing.....good luck, you will be fine!

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Well I'm thinking it can't be worse than childbirth and I've had 2 kids au naturale! No painkillers at all.

Dude! U r gonna b just fine! There is no way it will b worse than natural childbirth!!!!!"

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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