Scale of 1 to 10

Ok ladies, on a scale of 1 to 10...1 being no pain and 10 being on your death bed..What was your pain like after your surgery?

Regular post-surgical pain: I'd say 3-4 tops. Very manageable.
Gas pains: 7-8. Once rid of the gas pains, things were better.
And as I say, I'm no strong Brunhilde type but pretty open about pain. It was less than I expected--the gas pains definitely topped everything else. Once that problem resolved itself, I felt much better.

Here's a link to a pain scale that truly quantitates pain for you:

Pain Scale . I keep meaning to write this one up as a pull-down...



Audrey

I agree with Margaret, the post op pain for me never got over 4 or 5 , it was the gas pain that was worse. The first day or so at home, until that subsided was the worst part of the pain.

You'll get through this, there are very good pain meds out there, just don't be afraid to ask for them.

When I woke up in recovery room, it was 4-5 for about 5 minutes - but these were not sharp pains at all. It was more like the worst menstrual cramps ever. After that it hovered 2-3 whenever I did something - like roll over in bed or get up. That lasted until the end of week 1, but there were many, many times during that week that it didn't hurt at all.

The gas pains are the worst - but if you actually remember that they ARE gas pains and not your insides falling out, it helps reduce the pain. Some of the pain is the pure terror that you'll come unraveled. LOL The best part about the gas pain is that walking helps, so does rolling from one side to the other, especially if you start on your right side and roll to your left. This was the best use of my tummy pillow - support for lying briefly on my side...

Lets see. after surgery they give you such good drugs you don't care until they try to get you out of bed the first time and for me the scale was 110 then I said get me back in bed. they did and I waited for the meds to kick and I got out of bed on the other side by myself and was about a 5. Now a week later. I have a nice twinge from time to time depends on if I am doing something at the wrong position. but mostly achy about a 3 to 5.

bearable

Huge Betsy

Her post made me chuckle. When the made me get out of the bed and walk the 5 feet to the recliner I thought I would die. I decided right then and there to become a vegetable...put the catheter back in and leave me alone. However, I think I did not have enough pain meds in my system at that point. They had disconnected me from the morphine pump and I had not started on my new favorite drug...Vicodin Extra Strength yet.

After that first time, it was bearable, and this coming from quite the baby!!! You can do this! The waiting and fear is absolutely worse!!!

Thanks for the great chuckles Betsy & Bea! I'll know now to be prepared on Wednesday when they try to get me out of bed for the first time.

you are cracking me up today. I needed it. By the way, DON'T SNEEZE!!! I did last night and went through the roof. I thought coughing and laughing was bad. Dang I thought I would die. Thank goodness it didn't last very long.

Then of course the hormones took over and I had a crying fit that lasted an hour. Time for a talk with Mr. Doctor and see what we can do about this!! Just got to love being a woman sometime...... NOT!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck ladies. I am with you. Oh the nicer you are to the nurses the more they will do anything for you. hehehehehe.

later Betsy

:dragon:lady

Well I wasn't going to post, cause I didn't want to scare anyone....but.....maybe some will think it's weird IF they do have pain when they wake up, since lots are not. Upon awaking I would say I was a 12!.....After the morphine drip got started,,,,then a 10, then after adding torodol, a 2 . I didn't have that much pain upon walking...just dizzy. I came home on vicodin and say my pain is staying at about a 4. Good Luck! Work the pain meds and nurses and docs....you will come up with a good combination for you.

Debbie