Question:
Your experiences please w/ pain, length of time in bed, pain medicines

I'm having an open RNY, can't have an epidural due to Heparin and wonder what people's experiences have been with pain, length of time that you've wanted to stay in bed most of the day, how you controlled the pain, when you found you could start walking 15 minutes a day, etc. Please give me your varied experience so that I can see the range and will know if I'm in the range of reasonable or not. Thanks!    — Mary H. (posted on March 19, 2001)

March 20, 2001
I had open RNY. I did not have an epidural. And, I am allergic to morphine. They have other drugs. By day 8, I was off of all pain meds. I was walking the day of surgery, and was up many, many times each day in the hospital, walking the halls. Walking is the best thing you can do at that point. I did take a lot of naps when I got home, but I didn't stay in bed all day.
   — Cindy H.

March 20, 2001
i had open rny 2/27. i got heprin shots in the bell daily and demerol in the butt every 3 hours for pain. i was miserable 27th/28th/1st. by evening of the 1st i felt much better and stopped asking for pain meds. i came home 3/3 and slept most of the day in my bed. i had trouble getting up, but i did it. on 3/4 we sere expecting snow so i went to the supermarket to stock up...i walked the entire store, bent over, but i did it. when i got home i slept for the rest of the day. i had my staples removed 3/7 and have felt better each day. i have had 2 post op unrelated illnesses...first a sinus infection then a 24 hour bug so i might have felt better sooner, but i can honestly say by day 18 i felt human again. today is day 22 and i feel 90% back to normal. i went shopping today with my 2 year old...in and out of the car 5 times. came home. had lunch and here i sit typing away. i still get kind of tired but much better than week 1.
   — Kathy831

August 12, 2001
I had open RNY just 5 days ago with an epidural for pain for the first 2 days of hospital stay. I asked that it be removed because it was really hard to get up and move around with that tube in my back. I went on oral meds for the last 2 days of hospital stay and did very well. I came home yesterday and as you can see I am still doing well. The incision site is sore when getting up and down because of the stomach hang pressure but other than coughing (which is HORRIBLE!!!) I am doing very well with the pain. I have almost taken myself off of oral RX drugs and on over the counter Tylenol. I have really bad gas also but I am dealing with that. Hope that I helped. Please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]. Becky
   — Rebecca C.

August 13, 2001
If you want an honest answer I can give you one. The pain in the recovery room was horrible until they got it under control. Then it wasn't too bad. The worst day was the day after surgery because all the the anesthesia is worn off by then. I was up out of bed within 6 hrs of surgery. The worst part was when I stood up it felt like my insides were going to fall out. This lasted about 10 days. By the 3rd week I was much better.
   — Terry H.