Question:
What should I expect immediately following the surgery when I wake up?....
Will I have tubes? If I am able to have this surgery laparoscopic will I have the same amount of pain that some of the open RNY's have? Dr. Williams said that patient's usually wake up in ICU? — PVail (posted on October 19, 2003)
October 19, 2003
Phyllis, all our pain tollerances are different. I woke up in recovery in
pain and very nauseous (I was done lap). However, the recovery room staff
are VERY good at getting any pain under control without delay. They were
very good to me at the coliseum and put cold rags on my head and neck to
help the nausea and also put phenergan in my IV right away to help me not
to vomit. Don't worry, it won't last long. Mostly extreme soreness is
what I experienced during my stay at the hospital, but I assure you, the
nurses in ICU will keep you very comfortable.
— Happy I.
October 19, 2003
PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The first day was the worst. But every day you get
2000% better. I woke up in ICU, vaguely remember much other than the pain
and that I was HOT!! In and out of sleep, the first few hours I regretted
my decision. But after the first day you become more coherent and relize
you will be fine and the decision was a good one. Don't stress over what
you will be doing right out of surgery, honestly you will be on so many
drugs that you wont care.
— RebeccaP
October 19, 2003
O.K.-- the first thing I remember feeling was that I was in so much less
pain than I had ever experienced from my dozen or so knee operations over
the past 22 years. I had no tubes and no drains. The nurse was very
attentive and gave me a pain med shot as I woke up to make sure that the
pain didn't intensify. I remember being sore as anything, but happy that
the only two things that were connected to me were the IV and the catheter
(which I really didn't enjoy).
— SteveColarossi
October 19, 2003
I had a open rny, and the first thing I remember was PAIN, and the nurse
saying, okay honey, we are giving you something for pain right now. She
must have been a angel.
— cindy
October 19, 2003
You will have a tube down your nose, and it isn't too comfortable, but will
be taken out soon, so try not to let it bother you. Depending on your pain
tolerance, you will be in pain... how much depends on how well you tolerate
pain and your pain expectations. Expect it to be extremely painful, and it
won't be so bad! :~) You will typically not have NEAR the pain that open
RNY'ers have because you will not have that much skin and nerves cut... so
don't even compare lap to open, okay! :~)
— Sharon m. B.
October 19, 2003
Hey. My doc started the morphine before I woke up, so I had minimal pain. I
also had no reaction to the morphine. (Some get naseous or itchy) I woke up
in my room, and woke up only when someone would bug me after that. They
ended up turning the morphine down a tad b/c I was excessively sleepy. When
that happened, I learned the joys of the pump. I sat up that night and
watched Friends on TV. I was walking the halls the next morning. You will
do great. I wish you the best!
PS-I had my surgery done lap.
— jenn_jenn
October 19, 2003
With laparoscopic you will have a drainage tube in your abdomen and a NG
tube in your nose, also let's not forget the wonderful catheter (ugh!) My
only pain was actually in my shoulder when I woke up. The nurses said it
was because the drainage tube was pressing on a nerve. I heard different
theories from others. But everytime they came and messed with that tube the
pain returned. Go figure! Other than that I had mimimal discomfort at my
incision sights. Hopefully this helps. Good luck with your upcoming
event!! You're on your way!
— Michelle B.
October 19, 2003
Hi, Phyllis: Please remember that you'll get many different answers to
this question, because each surgeon does it differently. When I woke up
from my lap rny, the only pain I felt was from the gas that they had used
to inflate my abdominal cavity. They gave me medication for that, and
after I got up and walked around, the pain reduced greatly! You may have a
drain tube coming out of your stomach like I did, or you may not. You may
have an NG tube in your nose, or you might not. You might have a catheter
in, you might not. These are things you need to ask YOUR specific surgeon.
The hospital I used has its own bariatric wing, so I went straight from
recovery to my own private room. Just know, that they will be looking out
for YOUR best interests, and will do whatever it is that YOU need. Good
luck, take care!
— Moysa B.
October 19, 2003
Contrary to Brooke's wishing you'd never done this...I was overjoyed when I
awoke. Thirsty as hell, but VERY happy I was finally there! I've never
regretted my decision to have WLS - I wish I hadn't been so incredibly
thirsty immediatly postop, but no regrets!
— [Deactivated Member]
October 19, 2003
Phyllis - ask your surgeon at your next appt or give his office a call to
alleviate your fears. Every doc is different. In my case, I awoke to a
friendly nurse and my hubby. I was very groggy, but without any tubes in
the nose, mouth or other orafices (smile). Shortly after waking, I was
taken to my room and told I could get out of bed as soon as I wanted.
Since I needed the bathroom, I was out of bed with assistance. I spent
most of the day sleeping, using my morphine pump occassionally.
Best of luck to you... you are about to start a really fascinating journey.
You will learn things about yourself and be tested... and, you will do
just fine with a positive attitude! Keep the communication lines open with
your doc! Open RNY 3/20/03 255/175/145
— teresa M.
October 19, 2003
Hi Phyllis. Just to let you know, I had Lap, but I also had VERY, VERY
little pain. I took 1.5 pain shots in the hospital and the half one, I told
them to give it to someone else. LOL The only tube that I had was my
drainage tube in my abdomen and that more than anything irritated me. But
manily because it felt like an alien. I did have some pain in the left
side about 14 hours after surgery and took a shot for that, but it quickly
went away. I was up and walking about 2 hours after surgery. I was
incredibly thirsty and cranky. And I also felt this amazing full feeling.
My first thought, was "Thank you God for bringing me over to this side
of life." There were only a few times that I wondered if I did the
right thing and I never, contrary to Brooke, wondered why in the world I
had done this. NEVER. I went in expecting the most horrific pain ever and
was thrilled when I was just sore. But like everyone else said, everyone
is different as is everyone's surgeon. Good luck on your journey - it can
be a bumpy ride, but it's got a GREAT ending! Best wishes! Cheryl, Lap RNY
6/2/03 -100 lbs.
— Cheryl M.
October 19, 2003
Different surgeons have different training and surgical techniques. Five
of us in our family have had lap RNY surgery. We spent no time in ICU, and
woke up in the Recovery Room without any tubes or drains....just six tiny
1/2" incisions covered with strips of tape and an IV. We received
injections for pain on the day of surgery, but by the next morning the IV
was removed and we were receiving pills for discomfort. Our surgeon has
his patients up to a chair and walking in the room on the evening of
surgery, then walking in the hall at least eight times the day after
surgery. We were discharged home two days post-op, and were back to work
full-time 8-14 days post-op. I wish you the same great experience!
— Diana T.
October 19, 2003
I was so convinced I would die during surgery I was shocked to wake up! I
was LAP and had just a bit of pain that went away fast. Its not bad and I
was walking once I got back to my room.
— bob-haller
October 19, 2003
Pain, wanting to go back to sleep and being scared--were the feelings I
had. Now 1 year post op, having the surgery was the greatest decision I
ever made. Know that the nurses are there to help you--if you are scared
tell them so, then they will know how to help you
— barbara A.
October 20, 2003
For me - lap RNY - no real pain and little discomfort when I woke up. Had
to feel around on my abdomen to make sure they really did do surgery! I
wanted to go back to sleep, but instead worked at waking up, coughing and
taking deep breaths, doing ankle pumps and moving my legs around as much as
I could whuile in bed.. My husband - lap RNY - didn't seem to be
uncomfortable and keep using the PCA Morphine, which depressed his
respirations. I was in recovery room with him and the nurse and I (I'm a
nurse, too) had to take it away from him for a bit so he would wake up!
When he finally got up to his room, he walked in the halls then sat up in
the chair and watched TV before he went to bed for the night. He went home
the next day. The only tubes either of us had were the foley catheter into
the bladder (out the next day) and an IV.
— koogy
October 20, 2003
Hi there! I had Lap RNY on 4-10-03, and before I went into the OR, the
nurses told me that when I wake up to tell them what sort of pain I was in
by saying numbers between 1-10, 10 being the greatest amount of pain.
While very groggy, after waking up in Recovery, I remember telling the
nurses, 7-8 for pain. I consider myself having a high tolerance for pain,
so 7-8 was a good level. Due to the anestesia, I was in and out of sleep
however. I remember having that horrid NG tube down my nose and throat, I
had a catheter, and an IV where they hooked me up to the wonderful morphine
drip. Thank God, I was able to sleep through the first day. The second day
the pain was much more bearable, and by the third day, I was off of the
morphine, and able to walk around with little pain! Good luck to you! God
Bless! :)
— EHarding
October 20, 2003
Phyllis - I, too, worried about what I would experience immediately. I
remember waking up in the Recovery Room and just blurting out
"HURT". I was given something right away and went back to sleep.
I was given a hand-held morphine pump that I could use whenever I needed
it. I only used it the first 24 hours or so and my pain was really quite
minimal. I did not have any tubes in my incision sites and did have oxygen
in my nose which was really not a big deal at all. I had a catheter until
the next morning which was fine with me. I had my surgery just a little
over 5 weeks ago (lap) and am truly amazed at how great I feel every day.
I truly feel as though I have been given a new lease on life. Oh - I am
off all medications (diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol and irritable
bowel) and have lost nearly 50 #s. Hooray!! Best wishes to you as you
begin your journey. Don't worry!
— Phyllis W.
October 20, 2003
When I woke up I was gagging on the tube that the idiots still had in my
throat, but that was because of my sleep apnea. I had pain but it was
pretty well controlled.
I had open surgery got out of surgery at about 12 noon, I was up walking
about 8pm the same night. The bariatric bed actually caused me more pain
than my surgery!
Everyone is different, if they put you in ICU sometimes it is a precaution
becuase alot of obese people have health problems that need closely
monitored.
I have actually had some people that went lap say they had alot of pain at
first due to all the air they must pump you up with to work inside you!
They will take good care of you, no worries!
— Saxbyd
Click Here to Return