Question:
I have read that after open rny the pain is severe for 36-48 hours.
Do post ops agree? Managing the pain is my greatest fear as I have an extremely low pain threshold. Any suggestions? — Judith A. (posted on December 1, 2001)
December 1, 2001
I had open rny with a gallbladder removal on 10-23-01, and when i woke up i
had little to no pain, it wasnt really pain more than discomfort. i hardly
used the morphine pump at all. the doctor kept asking me if i knew how to
use it. Which i did, but i didnt need it. I will admit there is about a 7
pain wise from 1-10, when they ask u to get up on the bed to do the xray,
but walking helps alot. but just laying in bed, i felt like i didnt have
surgery at all.
— tracy G.
December 1, 2001
I had no pain in the Hospital until they took my "little buddy"
away (the pump). After the epidural was out the pain started. They gave me
liquid Oxycodone which was really good. That is what I took at home. My
first night home, I was in pain and didn't sleep that well. After that,
everyday got better and better. It wasn't that bad.
— Kris T.
December 1, 2001
I wasn't so lucky in the pain area because I'm allergic to morphine and
demerol and they didn't offer me dilaudid. So I started out on liquid
vicodin every 2 hours. For about the first 1/2 hour in recovery, the pain
was awful. BUT, the hospital didn't do well at all in managing my pain. And
I have a very low pain tolerance. After that, I only felt pain around when
it was time for my medicine again. It really isn't that bad. The trapped
gas is what hurt me the most. It's not that bad - you'll see. It's much
easier than the pain of carrying 100 or more pounds around.
— K T.
December 1, 2001
Judith...I have a VERY low pain tolerance and high anxiety about it...I
even have gas and valium to have my teeth cleaned! This wasn't as bad as I
thought. I agree, after 48 hours things got better hour by hour. I had
very good pain management with my Morphine PCA pump (that's patient
controlled analgesia...you have some control over when and how much). I
would have given my eye teeth to have the epidural like a lot of people
have, but they don't do it at the hospital I had my surgery. If you have
that option, go for it. But it really is manageable...compare that pain to
the pain we've suffered all these years being fat, with achy knees, back,
and all the emotional pain...it's worth it and I'd do it again in a
heartbeat!
— Yvonne R.
December 1, 2001
My worse pain after surgery was in my left shoulder from the gas used to
fill up my gut and although the abdominal pain was bad it felt more like I
had done a million situps than had surgery. I did not have a morphine pump
in the hospital but I was given some pain medicine every 4-6 hours. I was
home within 24 hours after surgery and I did not take any pain meds at
home, my choice because I was sent home with some. I found that although it
hurt to move that the more I moved the less the pain I had, if I just sat
for a long while then getting up again felt like h*ll!!
— dream_small
December 1, 2001
Everyone's experience is different but I disagree (respectfully of course)
with the previous posters. I found the pain very bad. (I've had alot of
surgeries so I can compare pain). In my case, there was no pump to control
pain. In fact I've NEVER (in all eleven surgeries I've had) ever had a
"pump". I think people have made that up. LOL. Just kidding of
course. But in my case it was'nt my guts that hurt, it was the muscle they
cut through to get to your insides! (I had the Open RNY on May 8th). But
the nurses were good to come in and ask if I needed pain shots.
"Anyway, there really is no way any of us can tell how much it's going
to hurt". We are all different, have different surgeons/hospitals,
have different health problems and so on. Try not to worry about it.
(Easier said than done). They will be around to give you pain shots (maybe
pills if you can tollerate them) and maybe even that ellusive
"pump" I keep hearing that exists! <smile>. I'd like to
meet up with that baby sometime as I will be having more surgeries in the
near future (not WLS). Anyway, you did'nt say if it would be LAP or Open.
If it's LAP your pain will be no where near as bad as the open. And you may
be as the previous posters... not to much pain even if it is open.
It would'nt have been so bad if I had known about abdominal binders and had
one on while in the hospital. It was the pain of getting out of the bed to
tinkle every 10 minutes or so (I have problems and have to go alot) that
hurt. If I had had something to hold my stomach muscle in better the pain
may have been alot less. In any case, for me, the pain was worth it.
— Danmark
December 1, 2001
I must have been lucky. I did have a pump, but didn't really use it. When
I woke up after the surgery, I got up out of bed, snuck outside, and smoked
a cigarette. Then I walked the halls and visited the other RNY'ers that
had the surgery that day or before that were still in the hospital. None
of us were really in any post op pain. As a matter of fact, I am 2 weeks
post-op, and the only pain I've felt since the surgery is a daily
headache... but the surgical area... not really any pain ever. Good Luck!
— Janet C.
December 2, 2001
Re the pain from open, yeah it hurt, but mine was worsened by the fact that
the first time I got up I got very nauseated and started dry heaving and
then crying(yeah, I was a wuss) Once i got up and moving (the nurses kept
asking me if I was in training for a triathalon LOL) I felt better. The
hardest part was learning how to get in and out of bed. My iv was was up so
high that I was peeing every five minutes, so it got to the point that I
was basically sitting in the bathroom with all the wires and tubes hanging
out the bathroom door. Of course, then I couldn't hear the deranged roomate
I had( a poor elderly lady with Alzheimers who didn't know she had a broken
hip and kept climbing out of bed) I called the nurses for her more than for
me. (GET A PRIVATE ROOM) I had no one with me so everything was more of a
challenge. And yes, I had my moment when I called mt DH crying, begging him
to come and help me with my bath cause NO ONE at the hosp would, until my
surgeon stepped in! (MY HERO!!!!) Love and encouragement, Donna in Al
— Donna S. C.
December 2, 2001
Donna is right. GET A PRIVATE ROOM!!!
Read my profile for more info if you'd like. I never, ever will get another
semi private room. NEVER!
— Danmark
December 2, 2001
I had open rny and a transection revision and both times by pain was not
severe except for the first 10 minutes or so upon wakening in the recovery
room. That pain takes your breath away when you first wake up but as soon
as it can be started the morphine pump took care of my pain. Pain meds at
home (oxyfast) alleviated any pain. It really wasn't that bad or I
wouldn't have had the second operation. It is very worth it!
— Marilyn C.
December 2, 2001
I am two weeks post op. I had a pump and I used it whenever it was
time...every 12 minutes. No pain at waking, maybe because the student nurse
was babbling how big my gall stones were. You sleep a lot the first few
days. The pain isn't like you would expect. I had back pain but I am not
a back sleeper and I had to become one. The gave me Tagadol (?) inbetween
and it helped the back ache. After 3 days I was getting Darvon instead.
It worked fine. Don't worry about pain...but do breathe deep and walk when
they tell you, even if you do not want to..you feel human again sooner.
And yes, get a private room. The noise from the hall made me nuts and I
insisted on keeping it closed...sounds like a party right outside your
door. Hell would have been having a roomate and their visitors....
Good luck...I am still in the ...what did I do to myself stage?...but
getting better.
— valerie S.
December 2, 2001
I never felt any pain-pain because of the morphine pump and
once they took that away I never needed to take any pain
medication. The only so-called problem I had was trying to
get out of bed. The incision and tape felt like there was
a ruler stuck in my stomach and I couldn't bend in order to
get out of bed. Walk A LOT after the surgery and it will
help trememdously. Do not be afraid. Good luck!
— Betty Todd
December 2, 2001
Personally, I wouldn't say my pain was ever severe. I had an epidural that
I controlled. I loved it!!! Really the only pain I had was getting in and
out of bed; but that was because I didn't realize there was a proper way to
get in and out of bed. BUT, there were people that I went to see since I
had my surgery that had morphine and seemed to be in more pain than I ever
was. Really the only time I had pain was my first night home--I really
missed the epidural. It wasn't by any means Severe. Tylenol took care of
any aches and pains I had. I would say with a good dose of medication
immediately post-op, and tylenol a few days out; you should (hopefully)
describe your comfort level as SORE.
— Kristin R.
December 3, 2001
My surgeon numbed up my incision. I was up walking in the recovery room and
every hour after that along with using the blow bottles. Yes I was
uncomfortable but by moving a lot it kept me from tensing up, helped
prevent blood clots, helped prevent lung problems, got my intestines
working faster. The pain meds are constipating and I found the gas pains of
needing to have a stool the worst pains I had after surgery, luckily milk
of magnesia took care of that.
Remember even a paper cut hurts, as a cut starts to heal it feels better.
Ask your surgeon to numb up the incision and start walking and using your
blow bottles right away and often. Just do it. The pain medication gets
you loopy besides making you constipated. It just changes your perception
of the pain. The epidural actually numbs the nerves to the site or like my
dr, he numbed around the entire incision. I did better than I ever
imagined. I was expecting the worse. A pleasant surprise.
— Helen B.
December 3, 2001
There is pain that goes along with this surgery. But,
they will help you deal with the pain when you are in
the hospital. I was on a Morphine pump for the first
48 hours. When they took me off of the morphine, it hurt,
but not bad. Make sure you do some deep breathing and
walk. You will feel so much better. Another trick that helped me out was I
packed my own bag, brought my own pajama's, slippers, my own bathing
supplies, my own pillow and my favorite blanket. It made the stay in the
hospital
pleasant. Well all those things and a private room.
— Antonia D.
December 4, 2001
I woke up from open RNY with NO pain! My surgeon says he 'fills up the
cavity with some pain reliever" and that lasts until the pain meds
kick in. It was great. They can manage your pain, the key is to 'stay
ahead of the pain' with the meds, don't wait until the pain is unbearable
to take pain meds, take them regularly. by day 8 I was off all pain meds
— Cindy H.
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