How bad is the pain?

[telynn]

Hello, I am having my surgery on Tuesday. I am a little  scared due to my hashitoxicosis, right now i am hypo thyroid my tsh is 67.50 and i am in alot of pain already so should it just not matter to add more pain to my body they will just give more or stronger pain meds or should I be worried I will not recover well. also my lower back is really bad so will laying on my back so long cause it to go out all the way. to much to worry about i guess I just need to stop worrying so much.
I need to focus on getting things in order around my home, make sure my kids knows whats up with my moms care and bills and things like that not sure how long i will be in hospital and when I come out what I will be able to do??

anyhow thanks for your support and having a place to vent to!!!

Terri

[whiteviolet]

PS:  For me, the pain after surgery was much better than the pain before surgery and continues to get better each day (today is Day 4 after surgery).

[whiteviolet]

My surgery was this past Tuesday.  It was open abdominal surgery.  I woke up after surgery with back pain, due to the position I had to be in for the surgery.  When I told them, they immediately gave me more pain medication to help.  I continued to have back pain through the first night and second day, but was able to control it with pain medication.  My suggestion is to use the pain button and take the IV pain medication as it's prescribed to stay on top of the pain. It's important to ask for it, when you need it.  It's also important to let the nurses and your doctor know if the pain medication isn't making you comfortable, as it can be changed or increased. I also slept on my back with my knees up and/or pillows under my knees, and that helped my back.  I tried turning on my sides the first night and second day, but that wasn't too comfortable for me.  When I did turn to my sides, they put a pillow between my legs and a pillow behind my back to support me.  The positional back pain pretty much subsided by the end of the second day.  Be careful not to bend, lift, reach, or squat down to pick things up.

[telynn]

Hi, Thank You I will read your story. Ok I will be fine, Thanks for the info.

Terri

[MarieMichele]

Are you having open surgery?  You can read my surgery story and that will fairly well describe what to expect.  They provide narcotic pain killers for the first week or two, assuming you do not have any issues tolerating those medicines.  If you stay on schedule with the pain killers, it is mostly tolerable. It mostly hurts when you move from a lying position to a sitting position and other position changes. If you have pets, you don't want them jumping on you (keep pillows over the surgery area).  You will not be able to do much of anything (or have the energy for it) for a couple of weeks, and then it gradually improves, but still most have to stay home 6 weeks.  You need a friend or family member helping you until you get your strength back.