Hi everyone. I'm scheduled for 7:30 am on Monday for bypass. Nerves are starting to settle in. My husband had bypass a year and a half ago and I remember when he immediately came out of recovery he was shaking so much from pain. This is all I have imprinted in my mind right now. I know his pain was temporary but I'm wondering if it was just his reaction to anesthesia or if it happens to everyone. Seeing him like that was enough for me to put off having surgery for this long. I'm going to do it regardless, but my nerves are getting the best of me. Ahhhh!!!

Everyone reacts differently to surgery. I personally didn't have much pain, just discomfort from the gas in my left shoulder. I also didn't react well to the narcotics (I never have reacted well). Don't worry I'm sure your surgery will go fine and recovery will be speedy. Just try to walk as soon as you are able.

Normal to feel questionable right before surgery. I'm 11 days post op and have had a pretty easy time, albeit not without SOME occasional pain. Irony forget to tell the anestieologist your concerns when s/he comes in The morning of your surgery. Best wishes!

I just had surgery 6 days ago and the first day I just kept pressing the morphine button for the first 24 hours and that seemed to help. But later on day 2 I asked to be taken off the morphine and it was not that bad. I only used liquid pain meds for the rest of Day 2 and then stopped Day 3. I think getting the gas out is key to relieving any pain and obviously taking it easy. So I wish you good luck.

I am 12 days out and I did have pain. Most notably the first time they made me get out of bed to try to go to the bathroom on my own on day 2. I remember crying to my hubby because it hurt so bad and thinking at one point I was never going to make it through. It did get better even by the end of the day. Negotiating getting out of the hospital bed was the worst but every time you move it gets a little easier and by day 3, I was ready to leave the hospital and go recover in my own home. I could not stand laying in that hospital bed any longer and I needed to get up and just wander around with out having my bottom stick out of my hospital gown. Looking back, gas was a major contributor to the pain that I felt. Once I started to pass gas again, the relief from that pressure and pain started to dissipate. Best of luck to you! Just remember the end goal, it will help you get through the bad stuff.

I had little to no pain after surgery. I was given meds via an IV, so I didn't have any problems. When it was a bit more pronounced, it was increased. By 3rd day no pain meds needed at all. Everyone has a different pain threshold.

I didn't really have "pain" from the surgery, just gas pain in my shoulders. That was worse then anything I was experiencing in my abdomen.

It could be that that image of your husband emerging from surgery in pain was more a gut reaction of seeing someone you love hurting, and not being able to do anything about it.

It's harder sometimes to be on the waiting room side, than to actually be going through it yourself. The patient will have pain medication waiting just a hair's breath away. So any pain will be controlled almost immediately, and as has already been said, everyone's experience is different. Yours could very well be much easier.

Good luck and congratulations!

Today was the day hope all is well and let us know we're you able to walk at all today or were you asked to. Congrats on your day finally arriving.

Thank you!! I'm fantastic. Walked 5 laps around the hospital. Worst part was the catheter...go figure. I can't believe I did it!!! I'm so excited for the future.

Fantastic news! Congrats!

CONGRATS! Glad to hear you are doing well

This is the start to a new beginning... enjoy the ride!

Congrats!! I'm on day 6 and my incision hurts but I'm managing.

Surgery went fantastic. Had it yesterday at 9:30 am and I did so well they sent me home!

I just wanted to say thank you for those who gave me advice that my husbands pain might have looked worse than it was and that all people are different. I am doing great, only pain I have is neck/shoulder pain and it's tolerable.

My diet consists of chicken broth, Jello, and Isopure. I am having a hard time getting my 40 grams of Protein in though. I take a few sips, then get that full feeling and then forget to drink again. I'm probably getting 30 grams per day. However, my urine output is 3 times a day, and it's supposed to be 4, so I don't consider that too bad.

I was so scared last week and now that it's over I can't wait to start seeing the scale numbers go down! Thanks again for all the support. This is a great forum!

Anyone still having major pain almost a month after surgery? I still wake up with bad pain that's continuous throughout day. Is this normal?