RNY-Open @ TrumanMed 07-19-05, any suggestions/Chronic PAIN MEDS!!

I am scheduled for open RNY bypass on July 19th, 2005 at Truman Med Center in Kansas City, MO. Anyone with ANY comments would be so very welcome. I am extremely worried, not because of the actual surgery... I have a Fused Back and also need to have knee replaced but need to lose 150 lbs first. So I have been on HUGE amt of Pain meds for last 2 years and am so worried about surgical pain. (Daily Oxycontinx80mgx6 perday, roxicodonex30mgx3perday,Muscle relaxers) When I had my back fusion surgery they worked on my back for 7 hours and 3 days later opened my front and completed operation. I was in such pain post-op I was suicidal! I swore I would never allow surgery again, BUT... This is too important to miss. ANY HELP PLEASE!!! THANKS SO MUCH. Ken in Kansas City [email protected]

Ken this should be a breeze compared to back fusion surgery! My surgeon told me it would probably take a couple of hours from start to finish and from what I have heard there is only pain the first day. Haven't had my surgery yet but scheduled for Aug. I would think the thought of being able to be off the pain medications would be the best motivator. Keep a positive attitude and hope it goes well. Becky

I was wondering why you opted for open surgery instead of laproscopicly? I haven't had the surgery yet so I don't know what to tell you about that. I do know that you will feel so much better after surgery. I know you have talked to your surgeon about the pain so maybe he is ready for the pain. Hope you do well. Penni

Thanks so much for your quick replies. I love each time I hear that the pain is so much less than my back fusion operation. And I have to have the "open" because I still have huge scars on my stomach from the back surgery and even from gall bladder in 1985. I saw a dermatologist and my skin scars.. period. Also the "open" instead of "lap" has a weight limit, I think it is 350? I do have one other item. When I had my first back surgery I was working in Bakersfield CA and went to a "BAD" General Practioner. I had a case of Cellulitis for first time in life. He put me one of the worst hospitals in Southern California and I got staph infection & Hepatitis-C. A visiting nurse later told me she wouldn't put her ex-husbands Dog in that hospital... and she HATES that man and his dog .. I didn't know any better as I had been in town for 3 weeks. Closest person I knew was in Texas. Then I ended up in 3 different hospitals for 3 months and back to my hotel room which I had to keep renting the whole time. I had to pay taxi drivers to go and buy me big-mans underwear every week. So anyway, the surgeon might open me up and see scarring on Liver and just close me up. He doesn't think this will happen as my liver functions are great, but it may happen. This is another reason for the "Open". KEN

Wow, sounds like you have had some bad times with that stupid hospital and all of your misforturnes. Sorry you have to have open wls, I am sure everything will be fine. I know you have researched your surgeon and are trusting him to do what he needs to do. Well, good luck and I will be praying for you. Penni

Hi Kenneth, My husband also had the surgery to lose about 150 lbs. so he can have hip surgery. Although he had LAP RNY, pain was minimal. Open will be somewhat tougher for you, but I bet nothing compared with what you live with on a daily basis...from our experience, it will be well worth it for you. My hubby had surgery on 3/5, and it now down 104+ lbs, and feels great! Good luck to you.

I had the open RNY surgery and it was nothing compared with an abdominal hernia repair I had like 3 years before. With the hernia repair I was sicker than I've ever been. Come to find out it was from the morphine. But being sick to your stomach after having abdominal surgey is the pits! With the RNY I told them NO MORPHINE! I had demorel and that was better. They even stopped it the third day after surgery. I had some pain pills I would take at night but I didn't need them at all after about a week. If you've endured the kind of pain you've described, this should be a breeze.