3 weeks post op. When does the pain end??

Steph85

Tapman63 said:

Hang In There

Everyone is different, but it does get better!  Today marks two weeks since my radical neph (left kidney).  I'm kind of in the middle, it was started lapro....then I started to bleed out and they had to come in and put a big incision under my ribs to fix the artery (and I recently found out that's the incision they pulled the kidney out of).  By far the first week was the worst for me.  After that,  I could start to feel things get better and easier every day.  Today, I'd say I'm at about 85%...main issue with any soreness being where the big incision is.  I'm also on my fourth day off of oxy.  I want to stay off, but the one negative thing since I've stopped is my sleeping at night, or lack of.  Not being able to roll over is starting to get to me and I'm just not sleeping much.  I'm going to start taking Tylenol before bed tonight and see if that helps....otherwise I'm considering taking one Oxy at bedtime just to be able to sleep.  The remainder of my staples come out tomorrow, so I'm hoping that will make a difference, too.

Anyway, good luck!  Things WILL get better...just stay the course!

Hi!

I would have had lap but my tumor was too close to a vein so they had to open me up. I'm now 6 weeks post op and finding my "new" normal. Yes, still having incisional pain, but I am always on the move with my 2 yr old and bending down so I guess its expected for a little while. My urologist said to take ibuprofen to help with my pain. Only for a few weeks since its still not a good idea to take it. I was still taking oxy with tylenol and not getting relief. Now I hardly ever have to take oxy. I still have pain while "trying" to sleep. I'm a side sleeper so sleeping on my left side (since my neph. Is on my right) and on my back I wake up in a lot of pain. I've been mostly sleeping on my recliner. It helps but I wake up with tension headaches. I can't win haha! I was rx muscle relaxers a while ago for my tension headaches so I take that at night and it helps me sleep. It will get better. Best of luck to you! 

 

**Stephanie

kiwi68

Keep on keeping on

Well I had a partial, laproscopiacally and my youngest is 15 - but i had 3 kids in 4 years and you are definately in a situation where 'getting off work' is pretty much impossible.   Just try to be deliberate with your movements, and slowly do some stretching and keep walking and moving.  It will get better, and you are most likely just plumb worn out from managing the last few months and the last few weeks.    If you are thinking you probably shoulnd't lift, move, drive somewhere, have people over, or do something then DON'T.   Unless one of the kids is in mortal danger.   You just want to let all the pain settle, all the organs unswell - they got moved around as well and keep working on better sleep and rest, which will come as the pain decreases.   Give yourself a good 6 months of just being kind to yourself.   Having read so many people's posts here the one regret people have so often is taking on too much too soon.   Whether it really impedes recovery or just makes you worry that you impeded recovery I don't know.  I do know that as a Mum to young children you might not feel like you have a choice or suffer mummy guilt, just try to put yourself and your recovery first.    

Good luck.