I am 3 days post op and am having pain and much gas, I have 5 holes and my port was installed above my navel because of previous gall bladder surgery scars, just wondering am I expecting to much or is this normal? needing pain meds and heat compress to sleep.

It's normal! It took me until about day 5 to stop seriously hurting. The best thing you can do is walk around, even though you won't feel like moving much. It really does help. I noticed that the longer I sat in one place, the more stiff and sore I got. I even used to get up in the middle of the night and do laps around my kitchen and living room just so I could ease some of the pain and go back to bed! The heating pad is great, I slept with mine for about 10 days post op. My nurse also suggested sipping on hot liquids to ease some of the discomfort in my stomach. I alternated a lot between popsicles and decaf tea. It was a personal choice for me, but I think cutting back on my pain meds and switching over to liquid Tylenol around 5 days post op really made me feel better. The pain meds left me in such a fog that I didn't start to feel even remotely normal until I was weaned off of them. I know pain tolerance is difference for everyone though. Every day you will notice that you feel a little bit better, so don't worry, it DOES get better Best of luck to you!

Karate chops to shoulders and back for gas pain. Short and fast and not too hard. Gone instantly.