I have my bypass Wednesday afternoon. I know I just had major surgery and don’t expect to be painless but I just wonder when it takes a turn for the better? I have hard time getting up by myself and the most pain isn’t near any incision, it’s to the left of my belly button where I assume they cut the intestine.

My discharge info said I shouldn't need painkillers beyond Tylenol after 2-3 days but I was in more pain than that. I took the oxycodone and Lyrica for 3 days and then just Tylenol on the 4th until I broke and had to have more oxycodone on the 5th. That said, everyone's experience and tolerance varies! I feel like my pain may have been worse because my nurses were super unhelpful and didn't show me how to get up safely (there's apparently a trick to it that a lot of people get explained), and I also didn't have any info about needing to sleep sitting up or anything like that.

You can always check in with your surgeon if it doesn't start improving too!

It just depends on the person. I have a very high pain tolerance and was in agony for the first 4-5 days post surgery. Most of the pain was gas in my chest/shoulder and from the hernia repair vs the actual VSG. I had almost no incisional pain. The surgery is so individual it’s hard to judge how your body will react and I know plenty of others that were in very minimal pain and needed zero pain meds after the same procedure.

I was miserable the first two days. Then I used spanx to keep the loose stuff inside still so I wouldn’t feel pulling. I’m four weeks out and still sleep with spanx. I avoided the couch because it was too low and couldn’t get up without pain. I also bought a raised toilet seat to be independent. It was $20 on Carewell.com . Do whatever you need to do to get through it, no shame. You will get through! Talk with your bariatric professionals. They know what’s normal.

So not everyone gets a binder to wear? I thought I read somewhere that wearing a binder helps a lot with the pain.

There’s pain & there’s pain. Our tolerance to it is different & we heal & recover differently. Around day 4 +/- you shouldn’t need the extra strong pain meds & over the counter ones will suffice (remember not NSAIDS). Often the gas pain is what lingers or the pain from your abdominal muscles being stretched & strained from the surgery) .

Some people swear by binders others don’t use or need them. I was one who didn’t use or need one but I was also able to sleep on my side & tummy pretty much from day one. I do think that if you do struggle with mobility & movement (especially getting up & down) or carried a lot of your weight in your tummy region (we all carry out weight in different places:) you may find one helpful.