pain to expect

Me again - I have had 2 C-sections, and appendectomy and a partial hysterectomy in my lifetime - but never a laproscopic surgery.  I'm kind of wondering what level of pain I will be in and how long the painful stuff lasts.   Whatis it like when they first get you up?  How soon are you relatively mobile without horrible pain? If surgery is Tuesday, how will I be feeling by the weekend? Just curious what to plan for. Thanks, julie

Julie,

Best of luck on Tuesday.  I can't answer your questions...I'm just starting my journey and hope to go "under the knfe" before the end of the year.  I can tell you this, laproscopic surget will leave you wih th eminimum amount of pain and the quickest recovery.

Let us all know how you feel when you get back home!

Hi Julie, I had surgery last tuesday Sept 5, and the first night you will be in some pain, but controlled by drugs!!! the second day they will get you up and walk it will be hard, but do it!!!! you will feel like you did 3,000 sit ups and a 100 lb man jumped on you. by day three pain is getting better only real pain will be the left side port were they did most the work. I am now 11 days out and 0 pain. This can change from person to person because the lady I was with had virtually no paine the second day were I felt yucky. So good luck and I have to say i read it on here a thousand times to walk, this is what took the pain away for me It is like magic you heal quiker trust me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't answer based on my knowledge of the Lap RNY - I am going throught the process now and hope to have a date very soon.  I did have a LAP procedure done about 5 weeks ago (gallbladder) by the surgeon who is going to do my bypass - and the pain was not bad at all!  The worst of it was the pain from the gas that they use in your abdomen.  Having said that it was not even really that painful after the first day, more like uncomfortable.  The best thing for me was to get up and walk, the more I walked the better i felt.    Best of luck to you on tuesday - you will do fantastic! Shana

Julie,  I myself had 3 c-sections and to be honest I thought the pain for that was worse.  I do feel that everyone is different and I feel I have a pretty high tolerance for pain.   I had my lap. surgery on March 5th and the day after I was very groggy but the pain was not bad, felt crampy but I also on pain meds....by day two I was walking and feeling much better.  My husband the day or my sugery and the day after was very worried because he kept saying I was sooo out of it and I was because of the drugs....when he came to see me on day 2 there was a look of relief on his face and he said you look 90% better.  Certainly wasnt able to lift anything but I was fine 4-5 days later....I pulling feeling but tolerable.  I am not a good pain med person so once I got home I didnt take any pain meds.  I went back to work 3 weeks after my sugery but I could have easily gone back in 2 weeks, it was more about eating for me than the pain.   One thing I was prepared for was the first 2 weeks I was very emotional and cried very often and kept thinking OMG what did I do etc...I would cry several times a day which is soooo not like me....I can remember just looking at my kids and bursting into tears....lol  I was told that it was all normal by the wonderful people on this website, which made me feel so much better.   So just be prepared in case in happens to you :) I wish you the best of luck on Tuesday and I will keep you in my prayers! Marianne

Hey Julie, My thought is that your pain will be less than that from the c-sections and hysterectomy.  Someone I know had a hysterectomy and lap RNY and the lap RNY was not as bad as the hysterectomy in terms of pain.  My surgery was the first thing in the am and I was up and walking the floors that evening.  I kept up with the PCA pump and didn't have any problems with pain. When I first got up to walk I would feel a little sore and shaky but the more I walked the better I started feeling.  I was off pain medication before I left the hospital...I did fill the Rx they gave me just in case I needed it.  I was able to do pretty much anything that I needed for myself once I got home. My Mom was there to help so she did things like dishes becasue she is awesome but I would have been ok with it.  I did get tired and took some naps,  Just getting in water on some meals will keep you pretty busy.  I was able to walk a mile each way and sit through a two hour movie at less than a week out.  Good luck with everything...you are going to do great! ~Cher