Afraid that I'm going to let fear of pain prevent me from going through with surgery

[Oct517 527]

Exactly what the title says... I've researched this surgery up and down. I know it is the right choice for me. I am not concerned about the strict diet afterwards (I have lost over 100 pounds in the past through diet and exercise). I'm just having this really irrational fear of the recovery pain. I just want to know what to expect but of course everyone has a different experience. Especially with a lot of people posting "I have really high pain tolerance but..." lol. I don't even know what kind of pain tolerance I have. Sorry for this whiney fear-induced post.

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[White Sale 339]

Not going to lie, you will be in pain. Use your pain medicines according to schedule, not according to how you feel. Don't be a hero in that way.

The most pain for me was getting in and out of both the car and bed. You have to twist your body and use your abs for these two things, and they were not fun.

To me, a few days of physical pain beats a lifetime emotional pain.

[oopsydaisy 40]

I had this fear before surgery too. I'm sure a lot of people do! Don't let it scare you - it's a temporary thing that you can handle! For me, the pain was no exceptional. It was several days of fatigue- and feeling like I'd done A LOT of crunches. The fatigue was worse, but since I'd taken time off from work, I simply slept right through it. It wasn't unbearable by any means. Once leaving the hospital, I didn't need pain medication to get through.

Don't be afraid.

[CrankyMagpie 509]

I was just talking about this--the pain, not the chance I'll let it deter me from the surgery--with my spouse today. I'm ready to have 3-4 very bad weeks after surgery. I don't want it to go down that way, and I'll follow every direction I can to prevent it, but the first few days could be nearly unbearable: I don't honestly know that any pain meds work on me (I recall continuing to feel the pain, but just, falling asleep despite it ... and they won't let you sleep that long while you're in the hospital, I've been told). I hate hate hate vomiting. I hate being in pain. So I am aware that I might be in agony, at first, and in hard-to-deal-with pain and stomach discomfort, for a while, and I'm still set on going through with it.

But then, I have autoimmune arthritis pain to deal with if I don't go through this. My already painful joints will likely continue to deteriorate slowly but inexorably. I already can't walk much distance, due to plantar fasciitis, knee and hip pain, and pain in my lower back. I could lose even that distance and end up in a powered wheelchair when I have to leave the house. My hand and shoulder joints could get enough worse that I can't do the crafting I do for fun, or the typing on a keyboard I do for a living. (This could happen even with the surgery, but it has good odds of preventing it.)

Aside from the arthritis and asthma (which I've had my whole life, at every weight), I'm healthy. Yeah, even at 300+ pounds. It really pisses off some doctors. But the arthritis has decreased the exercise I can do and the amount of time I can spend preparing healthy foods for myself, which means I can't look forward to staying healthy, if I don't go through with this.

Without the arthritis, or another equally bad comorbidity, I wouldn't go through with it. That's real talk about me, not advice for you. You should weigh the pros and cons for yourself and decide if you're willing to endure one really bad month (could be more, could be a lot less, but that's kind of what I'm building myself up to deal with) or not.

[leebick 448]

I honestly had no pain from my surgery. I had laparoscopic surgery, so my incisions were only about an inch long. There were 4 of them and they were held together with "glue" and had a piece of tape over each. The only pain I had was some gas pain, up in my left armpit. As long as I didn't move a certain way, I was fine. It dissipated after a few hours.

[KimTriesRNY 1,853]

It is true, we all have different tolerances to pain. What may be excruciating for one person, may feel uncomfortable for the next person and there is no way to gauge how you will react if you have never had surgery.

It is okay to feel uncomfortable and you will survive it. The human body has processes in place to cope with discomfort, along with medications you will receive. Most of us are up walking mere hours after surgery. Sure we aren’t skipping for joy, but we are able to move, use the restroom, etc.

[Hungryman 42]

Exactly what the title says... I've researched this surgery up and down. I know it is the right choice for me. I am not concerned about the strict diet afterwards (I have lost over 100 pounds in the past through diet and exercise). I'm just having this really irrational fear of the recovery pain. I just want to know what to expect but of course everyone has a different experience. Especially with a lot of people posting "I have really high pain tolerance but..." lol. I don't even know what kind of pain tolerance I have. Sorry for this whiney fear-induced post.
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I thought the pain was minimal you just need to walk and do more walking that is the key!!!! Just sore but no sharp pain...you can do it

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[Svdlux23 31]

1 minute ago, Hungryman said:

I thought the pain was minimal you just need to walk and do more walking that is the key!!!! Just sore but no sharp pain...you can do it

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I agree 100%.. pain was not bad at all..ive had tattoos and childbirth .. this was a walk in the park!

[Oct517 527]

I always appreciate all the responses! Reading them tends to calm my nerves. In really hoping I have a minimally painful surgery like some of you have mentioned.

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[Oct517 527]

I agree 100%.. pain was not bad at all..ive had tattoos and childbirth .. this was a walk in the park!

Have not experienced childbirth but I do have tattoos and even had my nipples pierced when I was younger so I do know how to tolerate that sort of "pain" but I'm assuming that the pain that comes with this surgery is totally different?

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[insta_adventurer 1,046]

On 09/16/2018 at 19:02, Svdlux23 said:

I agree 100%.. pain was not bad at all..ive had tattoos and childbirth .. this was a walk in the park!

I’ve had tattoos and idk, I don’t find them that painful, but I was pretty uncomfortable after surgery. Never had a kid though, so maybe childbirth made you tougher than me! 😂

To the OP, I was you before surgery. My anxiety was through the roof. I totally thought I’d wimp out. I didn’t. Was I uncomfortable after? Yes. The first four days were a bit tough for me, but not so bad that I ever regretted my decision. I’m about two months out now and can say it has all been worth it for me.

[sillykitty 10,704]

5 hours ago, CrankyMagpie said:

I was just talking about this--the pain, not the chance I'll let it deter me from the surgery--with my spouse today. I'm ready to have 3-4 very bad weeks after surgery. I don't want it to go down that way, and I'll follow every direction I can to prevent it, but the first few days could be nearly unbearable: I don't honestly know that any pain meds work on me (I recall continuing to feel the pain, but just, falling asleep despite it ... and they won't let you sleep that long while you're in the hospital, I've been told). I hate hate hate vomiting. I hate being in pain. So I am aware that I might be in agony, at first, and in hard-to-deal-with pain and stomach discomfort, for a while, and I'm still set on going through with it.

What you're describing would be an exceptional case, from my experience, and from everything I have read on here.

I only had true pain right upon waking from surgery. It was pretty damn painful, I assume it was the gas pain. I'm not sure how long it lasted, but in my memory it doesn't seem like long, I was obviously petty groggy. Once in my room I received Dilauded via IV, and then took away any pain an made me sleepy. From that point onward I never felt any pain, just uncomfortableness and soeness. Nothing sharp whatsoever. I never threw up and only felt nausea when they pushed the pain meds (this might be a me thing, I'm not sure if it's common). I was up and walking in a few hours, reading on my phone, texting, etc. The next day I was just ready to get home, and I was fine without any help (I live alone), and on the car ride home. At the hospital the day of surgery, I was able to sleep, if they did come in, I was groggy enough to go right back to sleep. At night I was left undistrurbed unless I called or the IV alarm went off.

[fluffy562 110]

i can't say i had "pain". it was more like must being sore. It's definitely tolerable. Never once did i think why did I do this. you're so focused on drinking Water and Protein, pain didn't play factor

[AllyJonesVSG 184]

Being totally candid here, it wasn't that bad. First off, you have lovely IV meds in the hospital so there's no real pain there. Then they send you home with more pain meds--USE THEM. There's no heroism in resisting your pain meds; that's what they're for. On the third day, I think, I even took one an hour before I was supposed to, because I was hurting, but other than that, by the time the pain pills ran out I was fine. Didn't even need Tylenol or other OTC meds by then. The nausea/weakness/etc. lasted for a few weeks, though, and as I've said before here, be prepared to be weak/tired/have regrets for that first month. Just keep thinking : I can get through one month of unpleasantness for a lifetime of better health. I'm sitting here writing this to you being only 'overweight' for the first time in a decade--no longer obese--and I feel so amazingly better that it's like a miracle. Don't let fear of pain stop you from saving your life. That's why God invented pain pills, after all.

Good luck!

[Frustr8 7,886]

Cranky Magpie OMG I am a bird in your flock. Except,for,the Verdompt Arthritis I too am basically Healthy I am 72 and still that way, pisses PCP, why couldn't I fall apart better? But like the Energizer Bunny I keep going and going. And from the other side of surgery ain't all that bad ! Oh I have my moments, but 6 little slits and a tempermental pouch, I still believe I'll come out a winner. Come on and share this perch with me, beats somebody with a bb gun shooting us dead.