FIRST POST- Had my surgery last Friday - should I still be in pain?

I have been reading this forum since October when I went for my first appointment to see about having WLS. 6 months and a bunch of red tape and hoop jumping later, I finally had my surgery last Friday. I am doing fine with getting in my protein and fluids and have lost 9 pounds since the surgery. My question is about the pain. I ache near one of my incision sites whenever the pain medication wears off. And in my left shoulder. Is this normal? My doctor told me when he discharged me from the hospital not to be a hero and to take the pain meds before I felt pain, but the medication is almost gone and now I am scared I will just have to deal with the pain. I also had a really large hiatal hernia fixed and I have fibromyalgia. I just want to be comfortable as I embark on this new lifestyle. Any thoughts?



SURGERY DATE: 4/19/2013 HW: 278, SW: 268, CW: 261

Hi, congrats on being sleeved, I hope the rest of your recovery goes smoothly!

I'm not a vet, so they probably will have more to offer, but the shoulder pain is most likely gas, very normal.  as for the incision site, is it hot to the touch and/or more red than before?  If yes, it could be infected.  Either way, aren't you having a one week follow up visit with the surgeon??  Call and tell him, he can either see you, or call in another prescription for you. 

Best of everything to you!

Sophie

I had really bad shoulder pain, and my doctor assured me it was gas.  Walking helped a little bit, as did the Gas-X strips.  If it got really bad, I would just take a quick nap, and it seemed to feel better when I woke up.   Best of luck to ya!

The pain is normal. Folks who have hernia repair seem to have pain a bit longer than most. Call and get your prescription refilled. I agree with your doc.....don't be a hero. 

Thank you guys for weighing in. I wanted to make sure it wasn't just me freaking out! The incision is not red or hot, but it does feel like there is a hard "bump" under it. My follow up appointment isn't until next week, but I am going to call and ask them to prescribe me more pain meds.

The "bump" is probably an internal stitch used to close your abdomen.  Even though lap surgery is a lot less invasive than a full open surgery, they still have to poke holes into your abdominal cavity and they have to close them up when they pull the equipment out.  The site at the belly button is where they typically insert the largest of the scopes, so it tends to be the sorest.  Keep an eye on it, but no need to panic.

The doctor's office confirmed that the hernia repair is probably why I am still in pain. They have called in a new prescription. thank you guys, you have made me feel so much better!

i'm guessing the pain you are having is around the big extraction site near belly button?  that's where thye cut through a lot of muscles, etc.  it will be tender for a while, then suddenly gone.

Actually the big pain is at a 2 inch scar on my right side beside the belly button. I think my surgeon had to go in to fix the hernia there because he said the hernia was much bigger than he anticipated. My other surgery "holes" don't hurt at all.