HELP! Freaking out - need honest feedback

[AvaFern 3,516]

I didn't have terrible gas pain. In the hospital they keep you highly drugged, so you really don't feel much, and while I didn't use the liquid narcotics at home, they give you drugs to take home too. I brought with me a heating pad which I kept under my shoulders, and I brought with me the meltable gas-x tabs. The hospital didn't have any and largely didn't much care when I asked for them, so I was glad I had the gas-x with me. I used the strips that melt, so you're not actually taking the pill version, which is a no-no. The gas pain usually refers to your shoulder area, so although in reality the heating pad scientifically isn't doing much for the pain, it made me feel better so I didn't care that it shouldn't actually work, lol. Overall, my gas pain was minimal- I was too busy being sick from the narcotics. I had them stopped at around 24 hours post-op, then I felt less awful, and I was fine with liquid Advil.

[redgirl37 43]

The thing that was most uncomfortable for me was the nauseous feeling. If you've had a child or children then trust me that pain is nothing. Also you have to realize that everybody body is different and everyone's toleration for pain is different as well so what may be painful to one person may not be anything to you

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[LittleBill 2,231]

Hi all. My surgery is Jan 20, and I'm in a Facebook group with others having sleeve surgery in January. The ones that have already had the procedure are describing horrible pain from gas. I have yet to read somebody who said it was tolerable. Everyone is in excruciating pain for the first few days, some even staying in the hospital 3 nights.

Does anybody have a surgery story where the pain was bearable? I know it's going to be painful, but I'm not ready for the blinding pain that's being described by others. Help! I'm freaking out!!

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It wasn't just tolerable for me, it was practically nonexistent. Regardless of my or anyone else's experience though, yours will be your own, and we are all different. The good news is, it does not last.

[RGJohnston71 5]

My pain was not bad at all. Gas is a miserable thing. Get up and move around it helps I promise. But take an antacid as they prescribe you or at least my doc did and you'll be fine. Tomorrow will be a week and I've not had pain meds in three days.

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[sleeved.tekee 18]

I don't want my experience to scare u but when they woke me up from surgery I thought I was having a heart attack. I remember yelling ( so I thought but I really wasn't because of I was in and out of it) my chest hurt, my chest, my chest hurt. Over and over. They was confident it was gas but they did do a ekg, and chest X-ray for precautions. Thank God it was gas but they could of warned me. So apparently people have gas in different places and I do happen to have mine in my chest. It slowly went away each day. Walking does help move it around.

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[LisaKatz 2]

I had my gastric sleeve performed on 12/20/16 in Tijuana, Mexico. I was told to pack a few boxes of Gas-X strips which I did. I honestly didn't have much gas at all. As soon as I woke up from recovery and was sent to my post op room, I started walking and walking - up the hall and down the hall. I walked a lot. I'd chat with other patients and walk a little more. I don't know if that helped prevent the gas but between walking and Gas-X strips, I had minimal discomfort. Some groups seem to feed off of each other and this group you are in sounds a bit negative. It would be better to get into a group with more positive people. My expectations were for a good and easy result and that is exactly what I got. You should have a good result too.

[LittleBill 2,231]

@@LisaKatz I agree with you on a couple of things here. I walked almost a mile in the half day I was in the hospital after surgery. I also agree with finding a more positive group. Who needs a bunch of people gassing on about the bad stuff?

[smyleetn 55]

I was in the hospital less then 24 hours. It was super hard for me coming out of the anaesthetic. I did have pain but pain meds worked. I had gas pain the first few hours on my chest then never had anymore. I was swallowing pills within hours and drinking Water. It hurt a bit in my stomach in the beginning but learnt soon that my sips were not small enough. No nausea, throwing up or dumping. Feel pretty lucky.

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[Vee16 33]

I only used pain meds in the first day and that's because they gave it to me. The pain for me was completely bearable. The gas didn't hurt because I let it go the moment I felt it. I walked a few hrs after surgery because it took me a while to wake from anesthesia. The worse for me was the gagging. That hurt a lot. But again I didn't use pain meds. Everyone is different.

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[pstarf 14]

Hi all. My surgery is Jan 20, and I'm in a Facebook group with others having sleeve surgery in January. The ones that have already had the procedure are describing horrible pain from gas. I have yet to read somebody who said it was tolerable. Everyone is in excruciating pain for the first few days, some even staying in the hospital 3 nights.

Does anybody have a surgery story where the pain was bearable? I know it's going to be painful, but I'm not ready for the blinding pain that's being described by others. Help! I'm freaking out!!

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I'm having my surgery on Jan. 17th. I am really super anxious about the pain as well. I had my gall bladder taken in April. It was more painful than I expected it to be but I recovered quickly. I'm hoping the pain will be equivalent to that or less. Can anyone out there compare? I know there's much more to recovery for something like this. I just mean pain in general.

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[Sandee29 113]

I had my sleeve on 12/21/16. I stayed in the hospital overnight. I did not have any gas pain, nausea or soreness. Very odd- I was expecting to be sore at my incision sites, but grateful for none of the above. My dr. gives all his patients a nausea patch before the surgery which I was told was very helpful. Good luck! Think good thoughts!

[Amy'ssleeve 11]

My pain was bad enough to go back to the ER the evening i was released. My doctor only sent me home with Tylenol (which I think is total crap). I was pretty mad that he expected tylenol to help enough. Anyway, it passes. You can do it. You might be one of the luckies. Make aure you get sent home with decent pain meds

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[Dub 10,070]

I had an abdominal hernia repaired the same time my sleeve surgery was done.

I was fully expecting to wake up in serious pain.

It never showed up...the pain. It was a big nonevent. I woke up.....groggy......sore a bit getting out of bed the first couple of times to walk....but nowhere near the pain I'd experienced on prior hernia surgeries.

Nothing to it. I went home the next day and had the liquid pain med for a day or two and then was doing fine without it.

For the record....the only pain I ever felt was directly from the hernia repair....never the sleeve part of the procedure.

I'd do it all over again without hesitation.

[highfunctioningfatman 2,675]

No pain here. I was off of the meds 4-6 hours after surgery. I had rolled into my side and felt like a fart in my back. I burped immediately after. I rolled on my other side and boom, once again burping. I kept doing this until I didn't burp. No gas problems whatsoever.

[up4challenge 54]

@@minervaxx6 First stop worrying and freaking out. The pain is more of a mental one than a physical one.

I had my surgery on 12/17/16 and I woke up 2 hours after the surgery in an ICU. I had severe nausea, but did not feel anything else. About 2-3 hours later I was shifted into my private ward and after 3-4 hours of good sleep I tried to get up for the first time. Was it painful - Yes, it was. I was unable to get up, I had help from my a nurse and my mom, but I couldn't. I tried some 4 times and finally was able to get up from the bed and start walking. Initially for half hour or so I felt some pain, but after that I felt walking really helped. Walk at least 50 steps every 45 minutes. I liked sitting in the chair rather than lying on my back.

The day after the surgery was much better, I did feel slight pain in my stomach but could get up and walk (however, needed help while getting up). 2nd day after the surgery I came back home and 1 week after the surgery I got back to work.

If I sleep I tend to sleep a lot, real sound sleep but most of the times I try to stay up.

Coming to the surgery incisions, last Friday my doctor removed the sutures and I've been bathing every alternate day and now 3 weeks after the surgery the incisions have begun to heal too.

Stay positive. Don't worry. And get up and start walking atleast 5 hours after the surgery. Walking will ease your pain. All the very best. I pray to God that he gives you lots and lots of strength before, during and after the surgery .