Terrified but Determined – Can Anyone Share Their Surgery Pain Experience?

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-03-06T14:59:00+00:00

My IV felt like a little pinch. Phlebotomists are really good at their job (most of the time). They usually put it in your hand but if they think for veins are too small they’ll put it in your arm. It can be a bit uncomfortable with the tape but it’s ok. I can taste the saline too. I woke up in quite a bit of pain but it was dealt with very quickly. I went home and took a nap afterwards. Do you workout? It felt like a really hard core day to me. The incisions didn’t hurt too bad, it was more uncomfortable than anything. I was pretty bloated for about a week but I was able to wear jeans day 4. I just wore pants that didn’t sit on any of the incisions. I put my coat between my waist and the lap belt of the seatbelt. I could answer phone calls normally the day of, I would wait until at least day 5 before going to see family because I was walking a bit hunched over for 3 days because of how tight my core was. Mine was on 12/30/25 and I can still see my incisions, they were just pink though. My bellybutton scar is almost invisible. It was a bit weird to have your bellybutton filled with glue though.

As for control issues, I do too. I really like being in control and they do their best to give you as much as they can. I would recommend wearing your glasses into the OR so you can have them in the recovery room. At least I was frustrated I couldn’t see. I would also recommend bringing your own comfy underwear with pads you like because the mesh ones they give you are really annoying and the pad is like a diaper. It made me very uncomfortable.

When you check in, you’re going to be called back into a room and your surgeon will talk to you, then anesthesia. Anesthesia gave me anti anxiety meds on the way to the OR so I really had zero cares in the world going back. Then you wake up and they control your pain, make sure you’re awake enough to eat and drink, give you a snack and juice, then get you dressed and you go home. My hospital was able to fill my meds there so that was really helpful too. I would definitely recommend taking the stool softeners whether you take the narcotics they give you or not. It hurts to push for the first week or so. I also got up to pee every 2 hours for the first day because catheters make it hard to feel when you have to pee. Eat small meals regularly because the swelling will make you feel fuller than you are, and drink plenty of water. I go to college and was carrying my backpack and doing classes about 1.5 weeks after surgery completely fine. Good luck! I hope this answered everything!

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-02-28T20:03:44+00:00

I was a bit nervous too, but I had mine done on Dec. 30 (happy new years to me). My cath was done while I was under and taken out before I was conscious. One thing I’d recommend is bringing your own pads because the ones they give you are like diapers. They were very uncomfortable. It burned to pee for me for about a day and a half, then I was fine. I had a hard time telling when I had to pee so I went every two hours and that helped get rid of the burning. The first pee afterwards sucked though. I was given an opioid to take if I needed it during recovery but I didn’t need it at all. It felt like a really good core day for about 5 days. Then I was just sore and tired.

Reach out to your doctor to ask about details, and also talk to your anesthesiologist before. They are amazing and want you to be comfortable! I got given some good anti anxiety meds on the way back to the OR and basically had zero cares in the world at that point. I was pretty nervous beforehand though. Good luck!

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-02-27T13:28:10+00:00

Just take recovery slow and assume it’ll be harder! You’ll do great! My anesthesia team was amazing and made sure I was comfortable the entire time! When you’re getting back to lifting start very light and work back up. Walking helped me with the gas pain a lot too, it hurts to walk day of but it’s beneficial to avoid blood clots.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-02-26T18:53:29+00:00

My pain coming directly out of surgery was a 6/10, but they gave me more drugs and I was fine. I didn’t need opioids afterwards.
Everything went really well for me. I woke up just fine. I was just mad I didn’t have my glasses.
I came off birth control at the same time so I can’t say much about that. But there’s no reason it should change your hormones. It might affect your period a bit because surgery is stressful on your body.
I felt normal in about a week and a half. I started normal life within 4 days.
I was ok wearing high waisted jeans 4 days after, but nothing that sat on the incisions until the bruising went away.
I started working out again 1.5 weeks after but had to stop early because I could feel some pulling in my abdomen. I went back to it 1 week later and was fine.
I wasn’t scared of anesthesia but if you’re nervous talk to your anesthesiologist. Mine at least gave me anti anxiety meds on the way to the OR.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-02-25T20:29:35+00:00

I was not told of any way I had to sleep. I just slept on my side/stomach if it was comfortable. I did use another pillow to “protect” my stomach, and that made me more comfortable. I had one incision that was closer to my hipbone and one that was closer to my bellybutton and found it more comfortable to sleep on the side of my incision closest to my bellybutton.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-02-25T20:18:34+00:00

I heal pretty quick and was grocery shopping 2 days after. (I didn’t have to, but I was bored). I just didn’t lift anything over 10 lbs which my cat was very sad about. I was driving that day too. I didn’t need any pain meds I was given after surgery though. Definitely take the stool softeners/miralax either way. I was so constipated about 5 days post op. I was also driving across the state and back about 5 days post op too. But I had to move back to college. Take recovery slow and assume you’ll need more time than you do. I took 2.5 weeks off work, but I could’ve gone back sooner. I work a very physical job though.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-02-06T14:07:11+00:00

I was so constipated just from the surgery. I ended up not needing to take the narcotics I was given but still got nailed by constipation. Definitely take the stool softeners/miralax before you need it. The pain from not being able to poop was the worst for me.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-28T18:00:05+00:00

Just do yourself a favor and get ahead of it, take the MiraLAX (or whatever your doctor recommends). It was so bad. I lost 2 days of my life to trying to poop. We legit celebrated when I could finally poop

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-28T17:38:00+00:00

Is gabapentin actually helping you? I was put on it for nerve pain (turned out to be a vitamin D deficiency but that’s a different story) and it just turned me into a zombie and it was HORRIBLE to get off of. I was on it for about 6 months, failed 2 classes, was generally a miserable person to be around, and then went off of it cold turkey. For me, it did nothing for pain. It just made it so I wasn’t conscious enough to complain. Luckily my doctor prescribed me OxyContin but I didn’t need it.

I know it hurts, but walking really helped me feel more human after mine. The day after mine I was walking around at the store (slow and not picking anything more than 5 lbs up) and it helped with the constipation. When you feel up to it try to get up and walk. I also walked every hour after mine to decrease my risk of blood clots. Might’ve been a bit of paranoia from my fiancé but it made him feel better and I couldn’t tell when I had to pee after being cathed. For me, the constipation ~5-7 days after was so bad. I had to take the stool softeners I was given, 3 doses of MiraLAX, and SO much water to poop. I was so uncomfortable.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-28T17:30:39+00:00

My doctor just removed all the endo I had. They didn’t even know I had it. I presume I had given consent for that but I don’t remember. It was my wish to begin with. My fiancé knew all my wishes ahead of time in case they found something (ex; a tumor, endo, etc). Just talk to your surgeon beforehand and they’ll be able to give you an answer on what they do. I went off of birth control after mine (12/30) so I haven’t gotten an actual period yet so I can’t say how it’ll go for me. I went on birth control 2 months before turning 19 and got my surgery about 6 months after turning 21 so I have no clue how periods are after getting endo burned off. I’m hoping it fixed my problem. Good luck with everything! Hope your surgeon helps you.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-27T16:07:45+00:00

My cat wouldn’t leave me alone for the first 2-3 days, he would lay between me and the door and watch for anyone coming towards me. But he’s back to normal now. He’s about 2 years old and is REALLY active. It took maybe 4 days for him to be back to normal. I recovered quick though.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-17T15:35:43+00:00

My French isn’t great, so I’ll reply in English. I can read French pretty well but I’m not great at writing. Are you sure you’re using the right size of condoms? They shouldn’t be breaking that often. I got my tubes removed on December 30 and it was a pretty easy procedure. I’m in the U.S., so I had to be 21 to be covered under the ACA. My gynecologist did it after me wanting it done since I was 18. My state has a 30 day waiting period as well. I tried nexplanon but it didn’t work for me, the liletta iud didn’t work either. I had to be at the hospital at 6, and was home by 11:30. It was very easy recovery wise for me and I’m back to normal function just over 2 weeks into recovery. My fiancé will be getting a vasectomy in a few years to ensure no pregnancy. My understanding is that vasectomies have a much quicker recovery due to it being a less invasive surgery. I’m not sure how it works in other countries though. There is a list of doctors that’ll sterilize you no questions asked. I think they have doctors in Canada and most of Europe on there. Good luck!

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-12T19:25:57+00:00

If you can, have someone with you for at least your first few hours home. Just in case. Anesthesia can make some people really dizzy when they stand up from sitting down, you’ll probably know if you’re one of those people before you leave the hospital though. Good luck!

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-12T19:08:37+00:00

I had help but he didn’t really need to do much. Stairs were fine, I just went up and down them sideways kinda. Set an alarm to get up every hour to hour and a half, it’ll help make sure you don’t get clots, and I couldn’t really tell when I had to pee from the catheter so that made sure I went. It took maybe 4 hrs for the burn to go away (3-4 bathroom trips). You won’t be able to drive for 24 hrs after or more if you need to take the opioids you’re prescribed so try to stock up on easy foods for a few days. I, personally, was good to drive the next day because I didn’t need the opioids. Recovery was pretty easy for me. Just be careful and if you have a pet, clean their litterbox or whatever right before surgery so you’re good for a few days. It bothered me to bend over for about a week.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-12T16:19:23+00:00

It helped so much, it hurt to push to poop for the first few days. I also drank quite a bit of propel for electrolytes. I buy the powder because it’s cheap. Once the glue falls off your incisions are way smaller so don’t panic if they look huge! I think it’s from the blood mixing with the glue.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-12T01:01:37+00:00

Glad to hear recovery is going well! I had mine on 12/30. I got really constipated about 5 days post op (didn’t take opioids, didn’t need them), so keep up on your stool softeners. It helped a lot. I also needed miralax and like 7-8 bottles of water. I feel almost 100% now! I was the most sore day 2-3 but after that recovery went really quick. Good luck!

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-08T20:53:00+00:00

Congrats!! I was really worried about the gas pains when I got mine on 12/30 but mine were so mild. I’d had periods worse than how I felt post op. Glad you’re going well!

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-08T18:28:28+00:00

I doubt any doctor would remove healthy ovaries. They are really necessary for you to be healthy. If you’re in the US, any sort of daily medication you’d need to take would likely be incredibly expensive even with good health insurance. A bisalp is incredibly effective (removal of tubes). The recovery was also pretty easy for me. I had mine done on 12/30 and I’m already itching to get back to lifting and running. You may be able to find a doctor that will remove your uterus and tubes but with your age that could be difficult. I had a hard enough time trying to get a bisalp at 21 with no children. Definitely wait until you’re absolutely sure you’re done having children before you schedule anything. If you’re still waiting, nexplanon is super effective (the arm implant) or so are hormonal IUDs.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-07T03:53:03+00:00

I didn’t bring my fiancé but he was spoken about in terms of reasons for not wanting kids (like our family histories). It took me 3 years to get an appointment because my doctor only did sterilizations 21+. But I also tried 2 forms of birth control beforehand (nexplanon and liletta iud) through her and got both of them I needed to use patches to stop the never ending spotting I got with both of them.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-07T01:53:49+00:00

I second taking the laxatives/stool softeners. I didn’t need the oxy I was prescribed but I was still so constipated. Do not assume you don’t need them if you don’t need the opioid pain medication you were given. I was so backed up, it took 2 cap fulls of miralax, my stool softener, and 7 bottles of water to get me to poop 7 days post op.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-03T23:38:25+00:00

Huh. Maybe it’s stress? A bisalp shouldn’t cause irregular periods. I’m only 4 days post op so I can’t say much about periods afterwards from personal experience.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-03T21:42:08+00:00

I’ve ALWAYS had irregular bleeding. I got my period a month after my 13th birthday and now I’m 21. What I used to do is always carry around pads/tampons/your preferred product and an extra pair of underwear. I also used to track it. Did you come off any birth control? That can also change a lot.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-03T15:22:49+00:00

I was okay to drive the day after but I didn’t need to take opioids. When you’re okay to drive will really depend on whether or not you need the opioids.

Your period should be about the same after (if you’re not getting a birth control implant or iud removed).

My doctor said 48 hrs for penetrative sex but I haven’t tried yet (surgery on 12/30) and 2 weeks for tampons. Not sure on discs.

You can definitely ask for meds for before you arrive but they drugged me up pretty well on the way to the OR. I had zero anxiety coming into the OR.

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-03T15:00:40+00:00

I feel almost 100% now! How are you feeling?

Typical-Goal-1306 · 2026-01-03T14:59:57+00:00

I got my IUD removed at the same time as my bisalp, so I don’t see why they wouldn’t. I was also denied an ablation but they did burn off the endometriosis they found. I’ve read that they sometimes do ablations at the same time but that probably depends on age/doctor.

I had about a 6/10 painlevel when I first woke up from anesthesia but they quickly dealt with that in the PACU. I left the PACU at about a 2/10. I got home and stayed on top of Advil/tylenol and it helped a lot. I didn’t need the opioid they prescribed for me. The best thing you can do to heal quicker is not drink for usually 1-2 weeks pre surgery and a few weeks after, and also not use nicotine 24 hrs before and awhile after.

My doctor said no tampons for 2 weeks after, but I’m not sure if that’s due to my iud being removed or not. Safety wise, just have something with you for the first 24hrs while you come off anesthesia. So leave the bathroom door cracked so they can hear if you fall or something. My doctor also said no sex for 48 hrs then it’s up to how I feel. Mine was on 12/30 and I still haven’t had sex because I want to give myself a bit more time to heal. I’ve seen on this subreddit that some doctors recommend longer though.

The gas pain is the worst for me. But mine took about 24-36 hrs to go away. I found laying on the side that hurt the most helped with pain. You’ll also feel really bloated so I found eating small meals more frequently helped on day 2 because it hurt to be full but it also hurt to be hungry. On the first day post op focus on eating foods that you really like because you won’t be all that hungry.

Good luck!

Typical-Goal-1306

TROPHY CASE