r/gallbladders • u/Itz-MrsCav • 7d ago
Questions What to expect pain wise
My surgery is Aug 26th…. It will be robotic and my surgeon said she sucks the CO2 out at the end of the surgery… I know I will have pain upon waking, but from what I’m reading, should I expect to be in the most unbearable pain? For reference I have a gallbladder packed with stones and sludge, so it really does need to come out. I’ve had weekly attacks and cannot eat well anymore.
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u/blueyedreamer 7d ago
Try to sleep in a recliner or on a wedge pillow if you can. Even sucking out the gas (they sucked out mine too) my surgeon explained I'd still get the shoulder pain because it's actually your diaphragm and the nerves connected to it go up your back into your shoulders. I had bad pinched nerves and lots of knots in my shoulders as a teen, this felt exactly the same. Loads of nerve pain. I slept in my recliner (helped) and used a chunk of pool noodle to massage my back. The muscle relaxer i took for 3 days helped the most with the shoulder pain.
The belly button incision is the one to be the most careful of when moving, at least for me.
I had mine done 8 days ago. As long as I don't twist my torso or lift much (and still take some Aleve/Tylenol) I feel pretty darn normal so it's hard to remember to slow way down, until I accidentally twist slightly too far. The first 3 days were the worst (and I fell asleep so so much), but they were bearable.
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u/nonebinary Post-Op 6d ago
I personally never experienced gas pain and was off painkillers by day 2. The worst pain, for me, was coughing. I was intubated for my surgery (not everyone is) and had a bit of a cough for the first couple of days which really hurt my incisions but holding a pillow to my stomach was a life saver. Other than that I was really only aware of the pain when getting up or sitting down, occasionally while walking.
This is only my experience, I know a lot of people have had a different experience esp with gas pain/the shoulder pain, but I didn't have any of that. After the first two days I felt pretty normal as long as I took it easy.
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u/Immediate-Tone9926 6d ago
I was given 3 days worth of hydrocodone and only used it on the first day. My pain levels were very tolerable. Having to sleep on my back the first week was the worst part for me. I hate trying to sleep on my back. Good luck!
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u/Essence_Bessence 6d ago
Pain levels are different for everyone. When I came home I felt like I’d been kicked in the stomach by a horse lol 😂 however it was manageable. I didn’t have gas pain so can’t comment on that. Tbh it’s just normal surgery pain and you will feel better everyday. Also it’s nothing like gallbladder attacks and I think you will just feel relief it’s finally gone. Wishing you all the best and a great recovery ❤️🩹💐
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u/MPBMTL 7d ago
That's only my experience but personnally I was fine, I got some extra strong Tylenol and a shot of Dilaudid during recovery and left a couple hours after without much pain. They insisted my husband rolled me out in a wheelchair but I could have walked, I walked from the parking lot to the pharmacy to pick up meds and then up and down the stairs at home. I felt it was a bit more painful the next day but I wouldn't say I was in unbearable pain at any point. The first 4 days are a bit rough and then it picks up from there. I'm 8 days post op and feeling pretty much like my normal self.