24 hours after surgery - pain and difficulty drinking

[Fjallagras 2]

I’m approx 24 post surgery and the pain is intense. I’m in Norway - they don’t seem to believe in opiates or strong pain meds here so I’ve been getting infrequent doses of IV paracetamol and some sort of paracetamol suppository a few hours ago. The IV helped to sleep a bit, but the pain is way more intense than I was expecting. I’ve got a bad headache and feel dehydrated but drinking causes a lot of pain and discomfort. They gave me some sort of strawberry nutrition drink to go through before they discharge (no leak test planned) and it’s really rough. Hard to get down the tiniest sips, causing nausea and hiccuping which is painful on the incisions. I’m feeling awful and really regretful in this moment. My husband is a 3 hour drive away and is making his way here now for discharge and I am dreading the drive back home. I can barely sit up in the bed as it is without 7-8/10 pain.

[summerseeker 1,852]

Hello. Sorry you are in pain but it is a big surgery. My surgeon said my stomach would be as thin as the inside of a biro because of all the swelling on the suture line. Drinking is a full time job in the first week and everyone finds it tough. Take tiny sips. Try hot, cold and frozen liquids. You will find something you can tolerate. Then your headache will dissipate. If you can not drink enough you may need a visit to the emergency room for a drip bag of liquid.

Moving may be better if you can hug a pillow to your tummy. Try to keep moving. I had regrets too but it passes. Let us know how you get on. If you need anything else from us, just ask

[BranD 7]

Sip, pause, sip, pause. I've always been the type to chug a pint of Water in about 3 seconds. Drinking after surgery was the hardest thing. I was supposed to drink 2 oz every 15 minutes while awake. I kept a jug beside me and poured water out into a shot glass. The tiny glass helped remind me to take tiny sips. It may take several minutes to get that 2 oz down. I also had a lot of luck in mixing water and sports drink 3:1. Just seemed to go down easier than plain water.

Edited August 25, 2023 by BranD
So many typos

[Trisha95650 2]

On 8/22/2023 at 2:19 AM, Fjallagras said:

I’m approx 24 post surgery and the pain is intense. I’m in Norway - they don’t seem to believe in opiates or strong pain meds here so I’ve been getting infrequent doses of IV paracetamol and some sort of paracetamol suppository a few hours ago. The IV helped to sleep a bit, but the pain is way more intense than I was expecting. I’ve got a bad headache and feel dehydrated but drinking causes a lot of pain and discomfort. They gave me some sort of strawberry nutrition drink to go through before they discharge (no leak test planned) and it’s really rough. Hard to get down the tiniest sips, causing nausea and hiccuping which is painful on the incisions. I’m feeling awful and really regretful in this moment. My husband is a 3 hour drive away and is making his way here now for discharge and I am dreading the drive back home. I can barely sit up in the bed as it is without 7-8/10 pain.

Are you doing any better? I took liquid acetaminophen I got from Amazon and the hospital gave me liquid gabapentin. I only needed the pain meds for 4 days. I wore an abdominal binder until yesterday, so for about a week. That helped tremendously. I had a hard time drinking liquid. I would take a few sips and set a timer for 15 minutes. Then, I tried 12 minutes. That seemed tolerable. I’m now at probably 2-3 oz every 15 minutes but I haven’t been timing it. chicken broth with unflavored Protein Powder mixed in is my favorite “meal” right now. Between that and two or so Protein Shakes, I’ve been able to keep up on my liquid and Protein intake. It’s been a challenge to learn this new way of life, but it seems to be going well. I too had regrets after the surgery, but I don’t any longer. This is a life saving procedure for me, and I’m determined to be successful.