HELP! Freaking out - need honest feedback

[minervaxx6 21]

Hi all. My surgery is Jan 20, and I'm in a Facebook group with others having sleeve surgery in January. The ones that have already had the procedure are describing horrible pain from gas. I have yet to read somebody who said it was tolerable. Everyone is in excruciating pain for the first few days, some even staying in the hospital 3 nights.

Does anybody have a surgery story where the pain was bearable? I know it's going to be painful, but I'm not ready for the blinding pain that's being described by others. Help! I'm freaking out!!

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[Kaylamh 144]

I had a DS, which involves your stomach being sleeved, along with some intestinal malabsorption. I had pretty bad gas pain, but to say it was intolerable for me would not be true. In the hospital it was tough, but walking helped a ton. It was a little worse when I got home and moved to full liquids. I slept propped up for a few nights, but once I was home I only used my pain meds at night. It lasts about a week (or 3-5 days) and then gets much better.

Don't let the pain scare you out of the surgery. It's more than worth it!

Edited January 4, 2017 by Kaylamh

[MowryRocks 679]

I had sleeve surgery 10/26/2016. I had minimal gas pain in my left arm only. Completely bearable. I also had a hernia repair at the same time and had very little pain. Walking as much as possible after surgery helps a lot. I would say I had about the best experience you could have with surgery. I followed plan and did what they told me to do. I have only experienced heartburn twice and I have NEVER thrown up. Don't let them get in your head.

Will your experience be the same? No telling, but don't let it stress you. You'll be fine.

[minervaxx6 21]

Thanks. I'm thinking of leaving the group. It's scaring me. I've had past surgeries before, and while I had discomfort, it's nothing compared to what I am hearing when patients wake up in the hospital. I'm having so much anxiety!

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[kmorri 1,689]

I had a little pain while waking up from surgery.....once I was completely awake I was fine! I never had to take pain meds once I was home. I only spent one night in the hospital.....I did use the pain med pump they had me on, but not really because I was in pain...it was just good drugs...hehehehe You be fine!

[theantichick 2,204]

I had the sleeve 8/17, and didn't have pain that bad. I don't like hydrocodone, so my doc had written orders for IV dilaudid and oral tramadol (which is less potent than hydrocodone). The dilaudid, which is usually considered stronger than morphine, didn't do anything for me. The tramadol wasn't quite enough to completely take my pain to zero, but it wasn't bad enough for me to want to deal with the side effects of the hydrocodone, so I didn't bother asking the nurses to call the doc to change the orders. I just took the tramadol and walked more. By day 3 my arthritis hurt worse than my surgical sites.

[ddkVSG 32]

I had sleeve surgery 10/26/2016. I had minimal gas pain in my left arm only. Completely bearable. I also had a hernia repair at the same time and had very little pain. Walking as much as possible after surgery helps a lot. I would say I had about the best experience you could have with surgery. I followed plan and did what they told me to do. I have only experienced heartburn twice and I have NEVER thrown up. Don't let them get in your head.

Will your experience be the same? No telling, but don't let it stress you. You'll be fine.

This is pretty much my exact experience. My surgery was12/27/2016. Gas ex strips, walking and Water got me through it. Walking is really the best thing you can do to move the gas.

[Kaylamh 144]

Gas-x was a life saver the first few days haha

[clc9 644]

Think of it this way: Who gets more sympathy and attention from strangers? The person who has intolerable pain and suffering or the one who had pain which could be managed by meds and walking as prescribed? Who is more likely to post online?

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[minervaxx6 21]

Think of it this way: Who gets more sympathy and attention from strangers? The person who has intolerable pain and suffering or the one who had pain which could be managed by meds and walking as prescribed? Who is more likely to post online?

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100% agree. It's a private FB group and everyone who has had the surgery so far is a mess. Wtf? Are they really that whiny or am I unaware of how painful. I'm tough but these girls freaked me out.

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[LipstickLady 25,682]

I had surgery on Wednesday morning, I was walking the halls by 3pm with a bit of discomfort in my shoulder and back from gas, stopped pain meds on Thursday morning, home by Thursday afternoon and driving and operating as usual by Friday.

The pain is manageable but walking it off is key.

[DeletedMember 715]

I had RNY, but my experience was that I woke up in a LOT of pain, but it only lasted a few hours. The IV narcotics wasn't cutting it but once they added Tramadol the pain subsides and never came back. By that evening the pain was well under control. It sucked, but only for a short time. So worth it in the end.

[Armygalbonnie 643]

I never had any gas pains. I did have pain but it was totally manageable. I know there is a recommendation for Gas X, but this won't help with the gas they put in your stomach for surgery. Gas X works in the intestines. The gas they pump you full of is in the stomach cavity. Just walk, walk, walk. That's what I did and everything worked out great!

[Samara1974 116]

i had barely any pain from surgery. It felt like I did a bunch of situps, sore if I was immobile a little painful (like tiny twinges of pain) if I moved around but mostly I was tired. I walked a lot, my doctor had me on no pain meds when I left the hospital just anti-inflammatories. Everyone's pain tolerance level is different so what other say is the worst pain in their lifte may just be an annoyance to others.

[HurricaneU 131]

Thanks. I'm thinking of leaving the group. It's scaring me. I've had past surgeries before, and while I had discomfort, it's nothing compared to what I am hearing when patients wake up in the hospital. I'm having so much anxiety!

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I havent had the surgery yet and I am on another social site for people having the surgery. Ive heard many different version, as you know everybody respond to surgery differently. In view of why we are all here, I think it will be worth whatever pain or discomfort comes with it. Remember it wont last forever. The longest I heard was 4-7 days in regards to the gas pain and pain from the incisions

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