Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

BariatricPal

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Join BariatricPal free

  • Ask your own questions
  • Reply and follow topics
  • Message other members
  • No cost, no spam

How did you feel in recovery

Everyday my anxiety and fears are rising. My surgery is Monday April 14th. Can anyone share how they felt woke up in recovery? One of my biggest fears is waking up feeling like I've been hit by a freight train.

  • Replies 9
  • Views 786
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Featured Replies

U won't feel like u have been hit I will state however right when they move u to ur room they expect you to walk as much as possible u will feel lots of pressure in ur tummy after the numbing goes away... I threw up a few time... but after they get u settled in ur out for a few hours and u have ur pain button so not really to much pain I noticed only when they made me walk I barfed.... only issue I've had.. just remember walk walk walk walk gas pains hurt so do the burps but it gets the pressure out and good luck to you

Waking in the recovery area I was initially confused because a moment before I was talking to the anesthesiologist. Pain was not an issue, more like soreness to me. Staff kept asking me my pain number and acted accordingly. The pain part came when asked to get out of the bed much later. That didn't last long.

For sure you will have some pain and soreness, but for me it was all manageable. Now at 11 days post surgery I get a twinge at my incisions only if I laugh too hard.

I felt fine...never felt like I got hit by anything. The nausea was bad but that was days later and that soon passed as well. You'll be fine. Stop Worrying it's a great decision you've made. I

Have no regrets

So sorry that you are experiencing some anxiety. I had gastric gypass in late 2013. I've never felt like I was hit by a train. One thing you must remember is to be kind to yourself, accept help and let the hospital staff help you whenever you feel the need. I'm sure that your doctor wants you to be comfortable during the entire recovery process and should prescribe you some pain medication to be taken as needed. I would strongly advise that regardless of the procedure you have chosen, try to obtain an abdominal wrap before you have surgery or ask if one will be provided for you by the hospital. The abdominal wrap will help you keep mild pressure on your incision areas, will help you climb in and out of bed and help with walking, which is SO VERY IMPORTANT! I am almost 60 years old and don't know how I would have done as well as I did without my abdominal wrap, prescribed liquid pain medication and muscle relaxers. When you get home be easy on yourself, you are recovering from major surgery. If you take care of yourself and don't try to do too much too soon you will be fine.

Edited by Kay P

I guess everyone really feels differently post op.... My incisions didn't really bother me because my doctor injects the sites with a long acting numbing agent that lasts for three days. Now after day three it was sore but manageable..... just felt like i did maybe one hundred sit ups or so...lol Now one thing that stands out in my mind was that as soon as I woke up I felt a terrible and horrible pain in my left shoulder and under my Left breast..... I was afraid that it was heart related. When I told the nurse where I was hurting she told me it was from the CO2 gas that they inject into the abdominal cavity so that the organs show up more clearly on the monitor when doing the laporascopy surgery. That didn't go away until day 2..... And then there was excruciating back pain for me.... maybe it was from the way I was lying on the operating table i hear or lying flat for so long in recovery. But that might have been only specific to me because i do have arthritis..... I had to take morphine for pain in my shoulder and the pain in my back....... WEll expect the worst and then if you don't have a hard time then you will be grateful for an easier recovery then me..... The aftermath of severe nausea and vomiting was no fun either..... I stayed in the Hospital for four days..... a lot of people here say that they do a heck of a lot better than I did..... I hope you are one of the lucky one's who have an easy recovery.

I felt fine in recovery, in fact I was shocked I wasn't in pain at all. Later that evening and the next day nausea was the worst of it. Not much pain

  • Author

Thank u so much everyone. What's a comfort is if I do wake up in pain getting under control shouldn't be an issue. I'm praying I'm one of the ones that do really well.

I was sleeved March 3 and came home from the hospital thinking I had a really easy time of it. The other day I found notes I'd written on my iPad when apparently my potassium levels were bottoming the night after the surgery. They called the surgeon, there were all variety of STAT tests, responses and reviews . By morning things had leveled out and all was well. The funny thing is that I remember absolutely none of it. I am a journalist by training and my notes were very detailed. I even called the hospital to see if perhaps I'd recorded a dream, but that all did indeed happen. The point of this story-- don't let any of the immediate post surgical aches, pains or events shake you. Some people have all kinds of issues, some seem to have none at all. Neither is an indication of the success you and your sleeve will have in the months to come.

I didn't have any problems. I wasn't in pain at all. I slept most of the time.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.