REALLY, THOUGH, HOW WAS IT?

Hi. I am sitting here reading all the posts and cannot help but wonder about the stuff we are all so anxious and scared to death about. What is it really like? How much pain is there right after? Is the nose tube out when you wake up? Did you have drains left in and why? How many laparoscopic cuts did you get, 5 or 6? Did you have trouble sitting up by yourself and walking to the bathroom in the hospital or out into the halls, since they want us up and walking right away? When you drank something for the first time was there a contraction in the intestine (pain in the chest)? These are all questions swirling around my head. I am counting down 9 days and really wish I was 9 days post-op. AMEN to that!!! LOL SHELLEYANNE

Heh! I'm totally with you about wishing I was 9 days post-op. At least I do know some of the specifics that are making your mind whirl. I'll have six lap ports, the NG tube will still be in, I'll have either one or two drains, and I'll have a catheter. Ugh! And apparently I have a time to beat for being up and walking of 45 minutes. That's the quickest anyone has gotten up with my surgeon. I don't know that I really want to break records, though. Between two to four hours should work quite well for me.

I am still pre-op and scheduled for surgery on 7/13. My doctor doesn't usualy use drains. I am not scheduled to have one. I will have 5 incisions and I am scheduled to be up and walking within 4 hours after surgery. Dee

I know i'll have a drain, six lap incisions, a catheter, and a morphine pump! yeah bring on the drugs!! lol but my surgeon said most of the pain will be around the ribs. but i think it'll mostly be gas pain which hurts when moving unfortunately!! Not trying to freak you out any more!! hehe Sondra

Hi! I'm not until 7/14, but I know that I'll have 5 incisions, a drain (so that any fluids can drain out and fluid colors can be monitored), a leak test while I'm still knocked out, a SAM (Self Administering Medication) pump, nose tube should be out (unless a complication occurs), up and walking as soon as the wooziness wears off, second barium leak test the following day. HTH, and best of luck on your surgery next week!

I just had the surgery this past Thursday and here are my answers: 1. Not much pain right after. I was so extremely nauseous though I don't know if I could even have felt the pain. It was more painful on the second and third day but very managable with the pain meds. 2. I had no tubes or drains in when I woke up. 3. I have 5 cuts. 4. Walking was a little hard because I was so tired and was very nauseous. They helped me though. It was not that bad. 5. No pain when I drank for the first time. Right now the only pain I have is from the port site. It is very uncomfortable when I sit up, sit down, bend over, etc. Good luck! It will be easier than you think.

Hi Shelleyanne, Firstly, everyone is different with different tolerance levels, so please keep that in mind. There is also a large variance with regard to surgeons. I'll try to answer each of the questions you posted and then you can check out my profile for the rest of the story. I am currently 4 days post-op. I woke up with a considerable amount of pain after surgery, an 8/9 on the 'ole pain scale. However, the Residents worked with me and eventually it was down to a manageable level. Just don't be shy about asking for different pain meds and don't try to tough it out because this slows recovery. I never read or heard it said before surgery that the pain would be concentrated on the inside where all the alterations were done. I just assumed the pain would be at the incision sites only, I know...I shoulda known better but this was my first surgery. Most of the pain was/is on my left side just below my ribs. And yes, there was a lot of gas pain. I was up and walking ASAP and started actually passing that gas on post-op Day 2. I was walking about 6-7 times a day in the hospital, I can't imagine how long that gas would have stayed around had I not made it a point to walk! I did not wake up with the naso-gastric tube still in my nose. I had a catheter, one drain tube hanging out of my mid abdomen on the left side with a collection ball of sorts attached to it and of course an IV in my hand. I have 6 one to one and a half in*****isions and one hole for the drain. Each of the incisions was glued together and had what I think was residual glue on the outside. It was a crusty little mound that I probably pick at too much because I'm curious to see the incision which is hidden below. My drain collected quite a bit of reddish liquid with some clumps (sorry if you're grossed out at this) in it the first day but this slowed considerable by post-op Day 2. That's when they pulled the drain which was not at all pleasant, it kinda ached and hurt at the same time, but it is over very quickly. I did have some trouble sitting up by myself, so I used the bed to sit me up and then the bed rails to pull myself up the rest of the way. My hubby helped a lot too. The first time I got out of bed it was tough, there's no way around it. But the good news is - it gets a bit better each time you do it. I didn't walk a lot the first time -maybe 15-20 feet, but then I got my sea legs so-to-speak and was doing several laps around the floor by the end of the 1st day post-op. It was also much easier after the catheter was pulled in the AM of Day 1 post op! When I had my first drink after surgery it was fine...no contractions, no pain, pretty unremarkable actually. The warm broth on Day 1 and the cream of corn soup on Day 2 was very soothing. I hope this helps calm your nerves some. You'll be ok! Just do what you know you're suppose to, esp the walking, and it will be alright. Any other questions just shoot me an e-mail. Take care, Sue

I had surgery almost a week ago. The day of surgery will totally suck. It WILL be painful and you'll think "what the hell did I do to myself?". Pain: For me, it was an 8 or 9 that day and that night. It was not pretty! I was very very drugged up and groggy so I was half out of it anyway. The next day, it was maybe a 5/6 and then a 3/4. Since I've been home I don't have that much pain other than some neck/shoulder pain from the gas put in me for lap. My surgeon does not use an NG tube thank god!! I had an iv and catheter. No drains here. I have 5 incisions, 2 almost under my breasts, one in my belly button and two underneath. The first walk I took the nurse helped me but after that I could walk fine. The hardest part to me was pushing the IV cart around because it made my hand sore after a while. Luckily, my IV popped out mid-second day and they decided not to put it in since I could get hydrated from liquids having had my leak test cleared. It was wonderful not to have to push that thing around. The first three days after surgery I could barely keep my eyes open and sustain any mental attention on anything. I would walk, sleep, drink, eat, walk, sleep etc. Now my energy level is just about back to normal. Not bad at all. My problem is that I have to keep REMINDING myself not to do more than I should like vaccuuming or lifting. I've had no pain with eating or drinking at all and no nausea so far either. My problem is I'm afraid of how fast/slow to drink because I don't seem to know how to pace it. I have been drinking two slow --- one shake in the course of 3-4 hours is not good! But I'm also scared. I'm also bruising all over the place which is a little scary, more than likely from my two blown vessels when they tried to i.v. me, all the poking and prodding and the blood thinners. Hope this helps, Dawn

Thank you all for your great responses. To Dawn... yeppers, that is what I was asking for, a blow by blow, of the experience. Sure everybody is different and experiences pain differently and all surgeons have their own protocol but reading what happens to someone now, in these days, and the truth, is what I am after. Not the yada, yada, yada answers. Thank you so much. I feel better knowing I am going to be a mess....giggle...just kidding....giggle giggle. ShelleyAnne

I am five days post op. My surgery was early morning. When I woke up: - was nauseous, was given nausea meds and slept most of the day. - up and walking that night with a j.p. drain on my right side and five small incisions. - nothing really hurt, the nausea was the worst, given plenty of meds to be comfortable. - walked, walked, walked. in the hospital a few extra days due to swelling at the pouch/instestine site, but no pain whatsoever. - vitals were fine, rested, anti nausea, nothing by mouth for five days, not hungry, but still no pain. - things loosened up, finally got to drink and go home. drain removed before i came home. some soreness at drain site, discomfort really, not painful. feel great, just tired a bit. still not in pain and not hungry. just anxious about the future and sipping my water CONSTANTLY! Best wishes to you!