Home from hospital: gas pains, heartburn, pain

Hi all. I got home from the hospital yesterday (12/18/15). OMG it's so weird. One I had miserable gas pains even though I walked a ton. The day of surgery after I got out of recovery I walked about 2 miles (according to the nurses who were tracking my progress) and I got in more water the first day than the surgeon expected but the gas pains were still so bad. I was finally able to pass gas which happened this morning and it helped with the gas pains so much more than walking or sip sip sipping water. Two my heartburn (gerd?) is outrageously bad. It didn't happen until today when I finally ate for the first time since surgery, but now I cannot get it under control. My surgeon did not prescribe me anything for heartburn, no clue why, but if I can't get it handled soon I will be calling the on call surgeon for a solution because I can't even sip water without feeling the burn. Three pain, omg the pain at my incision cites makes me want to cry. I hate it. I have really strong liquid pain meds but all they do is make me sleep and then I wake up in pain. I know I chose this and I wouldn't take it back but goodness I need to figure something out. I can't sleep all day unfortunately it just isn't conducive to my life. UGH, I feel so wiped out. My mom is staying with me but I am mostly doing everything myself, she is truthfully kind of driving me nuts as she is using this time at my house as an excuse to drink too much wine and annoy me. We got into it last night because of her drinking. I basically said to her "How are you supposed to help me if you are drunk? What if there is an emergency and I need to go to the ER? You can't drive me if you've had three large glasses of wine". Sorry this is just kind of a rant but I need to let this all out. 

So - a couple of things. First - pain is temporary. It will change, it will heal, it will pass. Second, nobody has ever died from pain - complications, yes, but strictly speaking not from pain  :) I doubt this helps much but it may help with the 'look forward' perspective.

Definitely let it out here rather than making the situation worse with mom. She probably means well... 

You're doing well. While I haven't had my surgery yet, I've had gallbladder surgery which is almost exactly the same with it being done via laproscopy, gas to enlarge the area, incision sites being all annoying etc. If you can, avoid the pain meds because it will slow down healing... but not by much. Either way, you're doing real well! Itll get better. :) With my gallbladder surgery it took about 2 weeks before I felt a great deal better but it was better daily.

Pain meds don't slow healing.  The best thing to do right after surgery is sleep.  If the pain meds help with sleep, then keep taking them.  She just had surgery, pain meds are exactly what is needed.

No one is saying not to take them but yes, they do slow down healing. a simple google search will tell you that. Being pain free and sleeping better is ideal however. I'm not going to argue it but do the research.

Anyway, wishing you the best and cheers!

Tums for immediate relief and prilosec otc to get a handle on the GERD. Im sure the swelling has exacerbated the GERD. Im sorry you are in so much pain. Hot showers helped me a bit.  Really not cool of your mom to be unreliable when you need her. :( if you have an emergency get a taxi or call ambulance if shes drinking. 

((Hugs)) I'm sorry that you're going through a hard time. Just keep in mind that it will pass. Try to keep reminding yourself why you got the surgery and focusing on the positives that will eventually result from it.

Thank you everyone for all your supportive replies. Today has definitely been better especially since passing gas has moved things along. Water is going down much much easier though I need to bump up my drinking. I am getting about 20-25 ounces a day. I am focusing on sipping but with sleeping a lot from meds I lose that part of the day to have water. I'm trying not to be a jerk to my mom, and just get along, but she just wants to argue with me about stupid stuff. She came in just now and tried to tell me I was sleeping an hour ago, um no I've been awake since 8:30 pm pst when I made thinned down yogurt and have been reading OH and playing on Neopets (yes I know I am a child). She started explaining what happened that she came in and tried to turn off my lights and I told her not to, again this happened before 8:30 about a quarter to 8 (I looked at my phone) I know it's stupid but it just gets old when she is the one who can never remember stuff which she attributes to her age (she's only 62 and I swear she uses that as a crutch because she doesn't listen/bother to pay attention). At this point even only 2 days out I'm ready to ask her to leave. I'd rather struggle on my own and then have her here which raises my anxiety/annoyance. I started my period, which I looked up on OH, and it seems this is common from the gas they inflate your stomach cavity with, so maybe that's why I'm being such a huge b.

You're in post-op hell, the place nearly all of us (except a lucky few) experience for a week (or more). It will end (though never soon enough!). Get your surgeon to prescribe a prescription antacid, like omeprazole, to help with the acid. 

In the meantime, just take things a minute at a time, if you have to. I can't help you with your mom, except to say you're lucky to have one. She could have just blown you off to do something else after your surgery. If she's there, she cares.

psychoticparrot

Hey there ... I send my hugs and support.. I am 2 and a half weeks post op and still struggle remembering when to drink water and when not to.. I woke up in recovery in abject pain and started sitting up and trying to get off the bed to walk... I then walked for 16 hours until they released me... with little to no sleep... nurses amazed and I struggled with pain no matter what i tried to get down, had reflux no matter the position of pillows or bed, and have reflux on schedule around 5 am daily...for the first few days so i would get up and walk... even called my surgeon and he asked me why i wasn't taking the liquid tylenol he'd prescribed.. rest is hard ... but i grabbed it when i could i had come over 14 hours in winter conditions to have the surgery, and so i would travel slower towards home.  I had a heck of a time for the first week. I found once I was in my own bed I slept well, and that seemed to help along with the excercise... like another person mentioned a week of post op hell, that no one prepared me for.  

take care, take time to heal... one day at a time!