Managing pain

Can anyone tell me about their back pain after surgery?  I have pain on the right side flank and back, but also quite a bit on the left side.  I spoke with the doctor this morning and he said everything is on track and normal right now, however, I have quite a bit of pain in the back on the left side which they say is because of positioning during surgery.  I am able to take walks but need the help of a walker right now.

 

Thanks everyone.

Debbie 

Comments

  • Jojo61
    Jojo61 Member Posts: 1,309 Member
    Hi Debbie,
    I don't remember

    Hi Debbie,

    I don't remember having back pain as you described, however my surgery wasn't over 7 hours long! I can see that it is because of the positioning during surgery - that is a long time for your body to be positioned in only one position. Plus they did a lot of stuff inside. I would worry more if it doesn't subside a little in a day or two.

    Jan suggested using dry ice - even ice might help!

    Take care of yourself. Wishing you speedy healing!

    Hugs

    Jojo

  • vccortes713
    vccortes713 Member Posts: 51
    Jojo61 said:

    Hi Debbie,
    I don't remember

    Hi Debbie,

    I don't remember having back pain as you described, however my surgery wasn't over 7 hours long! I can see that it is because of the positioning during surgery - that is a long time for your body to be positioned in only one position. Plus they did a lot of stuff inside. I would worry more if it doesn't subside a little in a day or two.

    Jan suggested using dry ice - even ice might help!

    Take care of yourself. Wishing you speedy healing!

    Hugs

    Jojo

    Hi....I had constant pain on

    Hi....I had constant pain on the side where they took my kidney (flank and back-right side) for two and half months after surgery(tremendous pain specially the 1st two weeks that I almost couldn't get out of bed) but after that the pain goes away slowly....I've been told that its because of the trauma to the internal organs suffered during the surgery....I'm still having pain on those areas up to now on occassions but not as intense as before...hope that helps....take care...

  • APny
    APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member

    Hi....I had constant pain on

    Hi....I had constant pain on the side where they took my kidney (flank and back-right side) for two and half months after surgery(tremendous pain specially the 1st two weeks that I almost couldn't get out of bed) but after that the pain goes away slowly....I've been told that its because of the trauma to the internal organs suffered during the surgery....I'm still having pain on those areas up to now on occassions but not as intense as before...hope that helps....take care...

    Betwen the gas they blow you

    Betwen the gas they blow you up with, the 7 + hours lying in one position, and them mucking around in your insides, Im not surprised you're in pain. I'm sure it will lessen with time; hang in there. And don't be afraid to use pain meds.

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    APny said:

    Betwen the gas they blow you

    Betwen the gas they blow you up with, the 7 + hours lying in one position, and them mucking around in your insides, Im not surprised you're in pain. I'm sure it will lessen with time; hang in there. And don't be afraid to use pain meds.

    You can be sure

    you weren't positioned for your comfort. If you saw everything they did to you, you would have them arrested for assault.

  • jason.2835
    jason.2835 Member Posts: 337 Member
    Agree with Fox

    What Fox said... Imagine you are lying in the worst possible position for hours and hours.... That's what you look like, depending on which way they are going in. And it's not like you can flip over for comfort like in bed. You're stuck that way.

    Strange thing is that I got this weird back pain a few weeks later when I tried to take a trip to Valley Forge park... After like 20 minutes of walking I got this stabbing pain in my upper and middle back. This was all muscle fatigue, of course, as I hadn't really done anything strenuous before that trip. But it was bad. I got the feeling it was there all the time, but because I hadn't really pushed myself before that I never felt it. 

  • foroughsh
    foroughsh Member Posts: 779 Member
    I had back pain for more than two months

    Hi Debbie

    I had terrible back pain right after the surgery, it was worse than the pain I felt around the removed kidney. I checked with my surgeon and he said everything was OK and I needed to take a rest and gain strength. I had back pain for the first few days, after that just in my upper back and within a week or two I had pain in upper back on the side where they took my kidney. It became worse when I sat for long, so I preferred walking, lying down or standing up. I had that pain almost two months after surgery, but not constantly and finally it went away. Take care

  • nsb748
    nsb748 Member Posts: 89
    foroughsh said:

    I had back pain for more than two months

    Hi Debbie

    I had terrible back pain right after the surgery, it was worse than the pain I felt around the removed kidney. I checked with my surgeon and he said everything was OK and I needed to take a rest and gain strength. I had back pain for the first few days, after that just in my upper back and within a week or two I had pain in upper back on the side where they took my kidney. It became worse when I sat for long, so I preferred walking, lying down or standing up. I had that pain almost two months after surgery, but not constantly and finally it went away. Take care

    To add on to what everyone

    To add on to what everyone else is saying...

     

    Small pains from the actual surgery can become back pains, and other muscle pains due to you now favoring one side over the other.  my best advice is to stay active, and think about your movements.  Try to make them as natural as possible.   Similar to how people with sore ankles and legs can give themselves back problems.  Once you get back some flexibility you will start to feel better. 

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    nsb748 said:

    To add on to what everyone

    To add on to what everyone else is saying...

     

    Small pains from the actual surgery can become back pains, and other muscle pains due to you now favoring one side over the other.  my best advice is to stay active, and think about your movements.  Try to make them as natural as possible.   Similar to how people with sore ankles and legs can give themselves back problems.  Once you get back some flexibility you will start to feel better. 

    This is not

    an easy surgery. We take alot of abuse. That's why I always recommend being patient during recovery. On the other hand there are those like diabetics who may need to exercise harder sooner. And those who develope tightness and restrictions from adhesions. They need to be more aggressive. We always have people here with histories of difficulty returning to normal. In most cases it just takes more time. So here we are back to being patient again.

  • BellaBinksMom
    BellaBinksMom Member Posts: 78
    Thanks for the advice

    I have been up and taking 15-20 minutes walks 3 or 4 times per day.  I have done laundry, cooked dinner, etc. to keep myself moving.  I use a heating pad on my back during the evening as it feels like a herniated disk in there.  I know I have bruises from the top of my head to my legs and can only imagine the positioning and abuse to my body while I was on the operating table.  I do have to use a walker on my walks due to the back pain.  Hoping to get past that problem soon as the right side where the kidney was removed has pain starting in now.  Will likely need more pain medication in order to keep myself moving through the pain.  I keep telling myself I am only a week out of surgery so pain is to be expected. 

    Thanks for all of your advice!