Worried

Hello I am 29 years old and this will be my first surgery or even stitch in my life and I am freaking out (but super excited at the same time) about the pain! I am so afraid that the pain will be unbearable and I don't want to sound like a drug addict asking for pain medicine :( I had my child natural so I can take some pain but I am very nervous that this is going to be above my threshold and I don't want to sound like a baby or an addict. I know I am taken gas-x strips with me to help with that, is there anything else that I can do to prepare for this?

I suggest talking to  your surgeon in advance about your concerns.  Let him know your worried about pain and that you don't want to sound like a baby or an addict.  He can explain how he will manage your pain after your surgery.  Your doctor doesn't want you to be in unbearable pain.  He wants you to feel well enough to get up and walk and to eat and drink and all that stuff.  I imagine he also knows you aren't a drug addict or else you would not have passed the psych eval and been approved for WLS, right?

If you had your child naturally, this will be a breeze!  I haven't had RNY surgery yet, but I have had 4 laproscopic surgeries on my stomach and while there is discomfort it usually only lasts a few days if you keep ahead of the pain with the meds they give you.  Don't be a hero.  Take what is offered and you will be fine.  The gas x strips won't help with the gas from surgery.  The gas is external gas pumped into your abdominal cavity so your various parts are exposed for the surgeon to better navigate.  If you have the other kind of gas, that's a good thing because as I understand it, you have to pass gas to get released from the hospital.  The one thing I found very helpful was to have a pillow ready in the car when you leave the hospital. I like to hold it against my stomach to cushion any jiggling from the car.  It also came in very handy at home because on my first surgery one of my dogs jumped on me and caused one of my incisions to split.  (just a bit, but it made the scar wider than it would have been)  After that experience I carried a pillow with me everywhere to cushion my incisions.

You're going to be fine!

Congratulations on this exciting first step to a new healthier life!

Lisa O.

Yes, I actually had my psych eval yesterday and it went amazing! He was so impressed that I have changed so much pre-op to make things post-op so much easier and in that process I lost 30 pounds :) I am waiting for the surgeon's office to call with my date and I am sure I will have a pre-op appointment because I wasn't told what vitamins or anything to take I have been taken them as you posted ;) thanks! I will for sure be talking to my surgeon about this and I really don't like taking any medicines so I am far from an addict lol Thank you again because this has been lingering in my mind since I went to my consult and they showed us how they do the procedure with the dietitian. 

The amount of pain people experience after RNY really seems to vary.  I've only heard a few describe their pain as "unbearable."  If it is unbearable, it should not be unbearable  for very long at all, because you should let the nurse know and the nurse should contact your surgeon and get an order for some different type of pain med.  Some say they have almost no pain at all and stop taking pain meds before they even leave the hospital.

I would describe my pain more as "discomfort."  I was sore.  It didn't feel good.  I've had much worse pain in my life though, including a natural childbirth.  I took prescription pain meds for a few days after leaving the hospital, but probably could have lived without them.  I just wanted to stay as comfortable and rested as possible.  While in the hospital, I had a morphine pump and I was not in much pain.  It was tender when I moved and I had to move very slowly and carefully.

You probably remember from your natural childbirth (did you take Lamaze or Bradley classes?), that tensing up and worrying about pain actually makes it hurt worse.  Relaxing and breathing and not holding on to it makes it easier to cope with.  That applies to most types of pain, including any pain you'll have after surgery.

Thank you Poet_Kelly!! I remember well my child birth :) and yes I really used the breathing thing to keep my calm and it wasn't bad. I know there is so many people now days that are hooked on pills and I know that most Doctors tend to stay away from giving anything much anymore. I take tramadol now for my knee and back pain and that keeps it under control and I function very well but they have never been extremely painful though. I will for sure talk to my surgeon and take a pillow with me as well. This has helped me understand that they know I am not in it for the medicine and that I can talk to them and express my concerns thank you a bunch

I have had a total of 4 abdominal surgeries and I have my gastric bypass on Monday, 9/30/2013. I was very nervous for a few of them. I told the doctor before the procedure and they gave me some medicine in my IV to help calm my nerves. I told them for this surgery that I don't know what that stuff was but I want it again. it just relaxes you so you don't really care about the pain. after surgery you will be in some pain but it will go away. I am bringing a picture of my kids to the hospital so when I start to feel down or depressed I can look at them and remember why I am doing this. Hang in there!

Thank you for your encouraging words! Since the only family I have here is my hubby and daughter they will both stay with me at the hospital and I am sure my 11 year old will keep me from being depressed as she is a clown. I have got a robe to cover my backside while walking, my toiletries ready, and my slippers and now my pillow ;) I just have to keep telling myself that I got this it will not be bad. 

When is your surgery? I think we are going to be really close as far as surgery dates. mine is on Monday, 9/30/2013

They are trying to get me on the schedule for the last week in October :) I should know a set date by middle of next week