Question:
how is the pain?
on a scale from 1 to 10 what would everyone say there pain was? im having open RNY jan 27th..i have only had one surgery in my life and that was to have appendix removed so i cant even think of what i could compare it to! im also a huge wimp when it comes to pain and for some odd reason vicodin and perkiset i can eat like candy and not feel a thing..is morphine much stronger? and has anyone used lortab after surgery for pain? if so what is it like? :) — christine S. (posted on November 28, 2002)
November 27, 2002
I used TORODOL. Talk to your surgeon or anesthetist about it. It was highly
recommended and proved to be excellent. I had no pain- just sore.
— charlene M.
November 27, 2002
OK, no lies here, just my honest experience..when I first woke up in the
recovery room, I felt like screaming...pain was absolutely HORRIBLE..mostly
stomach cramps. THey were fast with the morphine and that helped to settle
the cramping and the pain. ONce the morphine pump was attached, life was
much better. When I was discharged, I was sent home on percocet. I only
took it at night for pain. I was fine the rest of the time. I would go
throuhg this procedure nce a year for these results!!
— Vicki L.
November 27, 2002
Christine, I had never had surgery before my OPEN RNY in August (8/15)...It
was 10X better than I thought it would be. On a scale of 1-10, a 4. But
remember, EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT! That is the MOST IMPORATANT thing to
remember when having this surgery, no body is the same. I was on morphine
while in recovery, switched to demeral on day 1/2 and then when to morphine
shots again and on days 3-6 had Tylenol Codeine Liquid! Oh, it wasn't PAIN
per se, it was discomfort. I have had cramps worse than my RNY surgery!
— heathercross
November 27, 2002
For the first day or two, I was clicking the morphine pump every ten
seconds or so!! By the third and fourth day, they had removed the pump and
I was asking for the oral pain meds every 5 hours, though I was allowed to
have it every 2-3. I did make sure I took it right before the ride home
from the hospital. It is uncomfortable to get around at first but each day
there is a huge difference in how much less pain there is. I am down 37
pounds from 6 weeks ago and already I have less pain in my back, feet, and
knees. Persistent body aches for a few years now vs. a week or two of
tolerable pain. Hmmm...you do the math :)
— Yolanda J.
November 27, 2002
You may not believe this but having my appendix out was more painful than
my open RNY. My doctor doesn't use the morphine pump, because he believes
pain can better be controlled by hourly shots. I would have to agree with
him, because I had the pump for the appendix removal, and the pain was
about an 7 on the 1-10 scale. For my RNY surgery, I never said higher than
3. Good luck
— barbara A.
November 27, 2002
I expected the pain to be horrible, but it wasn't at all. I was really
nauseated at first, but with phenergan it went away pretty quick. I had a
Demerol pump and slept all the first day and part of the second. I did have
some muscle cramps and they gave me a muscle relaxer. The worst pain was
getting in and out of bed and coughing and that was a 5. Everything else
was about a 3. I came home with pain meds, but never took them and at 2
weeks out and down 25 pounds, I feel great.
— LM O.
November 27, 2002
I used Lortab after I got home for pain, for about 3 days. It works really
well, but tastes NASTY. The pain wasn't so bad. like a previous poster
said, worse when getting up and down and coughing.
— Lesa H.
November 27, 2002
OK you asked for an honest answer, and I don't want to scare you, but I
wouldn't want to lie to you either. I have a high tolerance for pain! The
pain after surgery was the WORST pain I ever experienced!! (And I had
NATURAL child birth--twice!) They gave me an epidural for pain control,
but it didn't work. The second day, they started me on oral meds, and that
was MUCH better. I remember waking up in the recovery room moaning in
pain. My level stayed between 4-8. Good Luck with your surgery.
— Tammy .
November 27, 2002
First off, I want to say that everyone is different. I had a c-section with
my daughter and an open tubal ligation before my open rny on 11-19. The
pain itself seemed to be well controlled in the hospital, although for me,
at times it did range to about a 7. The pain has also been pretty well
controlled at home, the highest point for me being a 4 or 5. The one thing
I want you to know (once again - everyone is different) is that I felt like
I had been run over by a mack truck for a couple of days, even with the
pain controlled. I really started feeling better on Tuesday, and this
morning was a little rough again. Some people have a breeze according to
what they write on this site, but mine has not been that way. But, it is
bearable. I just want you to know - IT CAN HAPPEN! Not trying to scare
you, but I was really upset because I felt like no one had told me I could
possibly feel so bad. I hope your surgery goes wonderful and your recovery
is easier than mine! Please email me if you have any questions.
— Lisa W.
November 28, 2002
Hi! I was LAP RNY so my answer may not apply, but I had hardly any pain at
all. I had no morphine pump (I can't do Morphine) I took a couple Lortabs
(I believe it was) in the hospital, but nothing after I got home! No Big
deal!! You'll do great! And just like when you have a Baby, you'll soon
forget the discomforts! GOOD LUCK!!!
— Tambi B.
November 28, 2002
O.K., I will throw my 2 cents in on this because before my surgery it was
my biggest concern. When I woke up from my open RNY 2 weeks ago my pain
level was a about an 8. The pain was not really a pain, but more like a
soreness. Like I had done a million situps. They hooked up the morphine
pump and gave me my "magic button" and slowly but surely I was
able to wake up the next morning relatively pain free. Then the pump got
stuck and I didn't realize it until my pain was back to 4-5. and stayed
there. The good news is it isn't as bad as you are afraid it will be, and
you will really be surprised at how easily you can cope. The more you walk
and move around the better it gets. Also, remember you are in a hospital
and if you are in pain let them know they will fix you up. You can do
it!!!! I'm 2 weeks post op and down 40pds. Good Luck!!!
— dkinson
November 28, 2002
As a previous poster has said, everyone is different. I had no pain that
was related to the Lap RNY that I had on 9/3/02. You can't compare the pain
one person has over another...The type and intensity of the pain may be
different. Also, it depends on just how much a person can tolerate.
— yourdivaness
November 29, 2002
I was lap rny, but I'll throw in a few pennies here...because the surgeries
are the same inside, just different incisions...when I first woke up I
asked for a hot blanket to be placed on my belly and it was wonderful...the
heat seemed to soothe my belly...the morphine pump was placed in my hand
and I didn't care about the pain after that LOL it was only really bad
when I first woke up from surgery...once I got to my room and got up
walking, it was really more sore than *pain*, like I'd done too many sit
ups (when did that ever happen??)...anyway, my favorite post op saying now
to pre ops when they ask about pain: THE PAIN FROM SURGERY IS
TEMPORARY...THE PAIN FROM OBESITY LASTS FOREVER!!!!!
Have a Sparkling Day!! ~CAE~
— Mustang
December 1, 2002
I had open RNY on 10/11/02 and the pain was a 10! I am a baby and have no
pain tolerance. Thank God for the morphine drip, but if you fall asleep
then you can't push it every 10 or 15 minutes, so it's nice to have someone
there to push it for you. Had vicadin at home and used 2 bottles of it! I
hate pain. I wanted to die the first week. But the memory is fading(it's
like the pain of childbirth). Good luck. Candy
— Candy G.
Click Here to Return