My inquiring mind wants to know

OK everybody.  How much does RNY actually hurt.  Don't sugar coat it for me.  I've had two c-sections and cysts removed from my ovaries, but I was much younger and recovered quickly.  I know us 'older' folks don't heal or recover as quickly.  I really want to know what to expect.  Please be graphic, don't hold back.
Jan

HI, I am 68 and had a gastric sleeve done 03/32/09.and it hurt like a sucker and they gave me dilaudid every time i asked for it and when they wanted to get me out of bed and walking I didn't want to do it .After the ist 36 hrs I felt ok and came home in 48 hours.I did well at home and only took the pain meds for 6 days.When I was not taking narcotics I was able to drive which I did the following Monday and have been better each day.the hardest thing i have is to not eat and drink at the same time.The saving grace in all this is that I lost 30lbs in 5 weeks.I'm sure you you will be fine once you get through the 1st couple of days
Dianne

Thanks Dianne.  I have reactions to most pain killers, but if they make me dopey I'm sure I'll survive.  I've had people say, oh, it's not so bad if they do it laprascopicly, but they're a lot younger.  I usually drink at least 2-3 glasses of whatever with my meals.  It's going to really be hard.  I'll make it through tho.
Jan

Hi Jan,   In response to the pain med a t home .if they give you a liquid narcotic get it filled at a pharmacy near the hospital as most neighborhood pharmacies don't carry liqiud .There is also meds they give you for the gas pain ,it is the worst as in just has go away by itself.The pain really lessened after The gas  is from them injecting air to visualize the stomach .It is the gas that causes the most pain in the begining..I was able to drink clear liquids the next day and now I am on soft.I have the same problem as you,drinking after meals but when you drink right after you eat you will have discomfort or the water will come back up.I only did it once and now i am being careful note to drink when eating.

Hi Jan,
I will be 52 next month and I just had my RNY last Monday.  I promise I won't sugar coat it.  It is a major surgery.  It does get better with each new day, but at 6 days out, I am still very swollen in my stomach and I feel like I've been sucker-punched on my left side, but from what I understand, that's to be expected because most of the work is done there.  It wasn't too bad at all in the hospital because I had constant and continual pain management with an internal pain pump and a anti-inflammatory injection in my IV every 8 hrs., along with Darvocet every 4-6 hrs.  I came home Wed. night and that proved to be difficult.  All of your pain management is suddenly taken from you, and to make matters worse, I had to get my script for pain meds filled, which seemed to take forever when I needed it the most.  Needless to say, I was at least 1 hr. overdue for my pain meds and I was hurting.  For anyone who hasn't had the surgery yet, the best thing they can do is get their script for pain management before their surgery so that they can have it on hand when they get home from the hospital.
I have no appetite, which I suppose is good as I'm on a clear liquid diet for 10 days out.  That doesn't mean you will be - every doctor seems to have a different plan for their patients.  I feel like I have a lot of gas pains that just won't pass, and that's making me uncomfortable - a real bloated feeling.  I move around quite a bit with very little discomfort and I'm able to get in all of my fluids pretty effortlessly, which is an absolute must.  I never went through a c-section, so I can't compare this to that.  I did have back surgery and I felt far worse with that than this.  I also had a total hysterectomy - this was a little more intense than that surgery was.  The only complication that I did have was a major drop in blood pressure but it was easily treated.  I hope that I've answered some of your questions but please keep in mind that every person is different and will handle certain situations differently.  It's by no means a easy surgery, but one that will be well worth the pain and inconvenience to get us to where we need to be.  Good luck with your WLS journey!

Thanks Marlee,  I just want to be prepared and not go at it like it's not going to hurt.  Good suggestion about getting the pain meds before I go home.  I'll have hubby do it.

hi jan

i was 57 1/2 when i had my surgery.  i was not in much pain at any point.  i
was feeling out of sorts for sure the first two weeks, but not in any real pain
that required medication.

the worst problem i had, pardon me being graphic, was horrid loose bowels
for about a week, to the point i had the hubby buy me some diapers.  of course
that went away, followed by the constipation most of us get in the first few
months.

every person is different, if you are someone who feels pain, you may feel
pain from this, if you are someone who tolerates pain, you may be just fine.

either way, the first couple of weeks are an adjustment, because yes, your
body has been thru a major surgery.

dont stress, you will be fine, jacki

Jacki, I can always count on you for a good reply.  I recovered easily from my c-sections and cyst surgeries, but when I tore ligaments in my knee.....that was the worst pain in my life.  I was a real baby.  I can usually handle pain fairly well, so hopefully I'll be ok.

my RNY was 5 years ago so i may not remember it as well as some--
i chose to have it done open--i had a bad experience with laproscopy years before.

the biggest problem i had was to have stomach spasms-spasms in the muscles --when i tried to stand up --so they gave me a shot of something and -gone!

i was in the hospital less than 48 hours(****edit --- i lied- just checked my profile- was 50 hours and 25 minutes) -walking does wonders!!! i was able to sleep in our bed at home except that i stayed on my back with pillows propping me on the sides for about a week-some folks use recliners- we didn't have one....i'm a side sleeper so that was an adjustment!

i was tired and sorta weak for a few weeks-napped when i could-but had an 18 month old at my house too!

we do come home weighing more than we started -it doesn't last long and it was a few days to poo-read my profile.....

i had 3 children almost totally drugless, a tubal ligation (that was the laproscopic and i hated it!) and had a hysterectomy, a hernia repair on my lower belly , ankle repair(broke it in 3 places) --this (RNY) was much simpler on my body--it was major surgery-yes!-but i rate it less painful than the others!!!

drinking with meals is a no-no!! start NOT drinking with meals NOW!!!!!! at 5 years out i sometimes do now and it is a BAD thing.....

Hi Jani.....Yes, it hurt.  It was major surgery!  But to be honest with you, I've already forgotten that part.  Whenever it got bad, I had the pump to relieve any discomfort.  Just like having a baby, and I had two of them 44 and 41 years ago, I forgot about the pain.  It was no big deal.  The results are what was important to me.  I wanted to feel better and get my life back again.  I had RNY Nov. 19, 2008 which is only 5 months ago and I have lost 85 pounds and still going down, down, down.  I was 66 years old 4 days before the BIG DAY.  Best darned Birhday Present I ever had.  I'd do it again in a heart beat.  I hope to be at goal by md summer and maybe I'll make it before that.  I have 24 pounds to go.  I am 5 ft 7 inches tall and people are telling me I look 20 years younger and believe me, I FEEL 20 years younger. I have so much to be Thankful to God for.
You are going to do great Jani and I am so happy for you.
Just don't worry about the pain.......Like I said, after  a while you won't even remember it any more.  The last part of January this year I had kidney stones......This was a heck of alot worse than my WLS  or Child Birth!!!! 

Hugs from me to you,

Sandy