I'm nervous...

[Audi]

Hi, I'm Audi and I'm 12. I'm about to have a resection done and I'm REALLY nervous. I don't know exactly what's going to happen, even though Ive asked a million of questions and I've googled everything I could think of. I know about the NG tube and that won't be a big deal. (I'm used to them) I just need to know how bad the pain is afterword. On a scale 1-15. Please be honest... I would rather be prepared for a lot of pain than to think it won't hurt, and then it ends up hurting really bad. Can someone tell me what type of resection they had done and what exactly happened? Has anyone had this done at my age and should I be worried? I have SO many questions. I've already asked my doctor at Children's, but he hasn't experienced it. ( like last time I asked him about humira, and he said it wouldn't hurt XD) Anyway, I just need some answers.

 

[akduck]

Hi Audi - sorry to hear you have to go through this. I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my late 50's! I had a bowel obstruction that perforated and I had to have a resection of the small bowel.
My doctor let me have a spinal for pain. I liked that because the pain medication was then localized to my my abdomen, and I could think clearly! And yes, it was still painful. The most important thing for the pain is to "stay ahead of it" - this means taking the next dose of pain medication before you start hurting bad - that way it will kick in before the previous dose stops working. You will be able to figure out when to take the next dose to stay ahead of the pain. It really helps to get up and walk as soon as they want you to! Just a little walking - slow and easy, should help. You will be moving pretty slow for a couple of weeks at least. My scar goes from just above my pubic bone to around and the top of my belly button.
One thing that I did, that my doctor's said was good - I brought some Ensure Clear protein drinks to the hospital with me, and I drank them after surgery! I poured them over ice. They have a berry flavored one that is good, and you can mix it with 7up if you want to try it. You really need the protein, and you might not have much of an appetite for a few days.
So, I am not going to lie to you - it hurts! If you have to cough or sneeze, it really helps to hold a pillow on your stomach and push in on it a bit when you cough or sneeze. Even thought it hurt, once I was healed up, I was very glad I had the surgery. My surgery was in July of 2012, and I have felt really good since then, so it was definitely worth the pain.
I hope this helps you. I will check back to see if you have any other questions.

 

[jlm]

I had my first resection when I was 9 and again when I was 13 and 23. It does hurt but they'll make sure you're comfortable with pain meds. Sneezing and coughing can be an adventure! I agree, just stay ahead of the pain and you'll do pretty great. The pain meds work pretty quick too so if you're in pain take on more and after a little bit you'll be feeling better

 

[akduck]

Audi - I just thought of something - you might be having laproscopic surgery! Do you know? If you are, then you will not have the long scar, you will have just a short one! Either way, there are creams that can help fade the scars very well. Not sure if that is an issue for you, but I thought you might like to know. My scar is barely seen now.

 

[Audi]

Thank you guys for being honest. My doctor hasn't told me which one I'm going to be doing yet. I just have one more question. Which surgery hurts the worst? The laproscopic or the other one? I'm still a little nervous, but you guys helped me out quite a bit! Thank you for that! I feel like I have more questions, but I can't think of them right now. I'll just ask my doctor when I get there. Again, Thank you guys SO MUCH!!!!

 

[Waverly]

Audi, it is normal to be nervous. It is good to ask questions, so you know what to expect. I had a bowel resection when I was 45 years old. Mine was the large incision, not laproscopic. It did hurt a lot at first, but the pain meds really helped a lot. It is important to let the doctors and nurses know if you are in a lot of pain because you don't want to let it get too far. It is easier to control if you get the meds before it gets really bad. I have also had laproscopic surgeries for gallbladder disease and to have a colostomy. They still hurt, but not as bad and the recovery time is quicker. It is really important to do what the doctors and nurses tell you to do. They are probably going to want you to get out of bed within a day or so. It will hurt, but each time you do it, it does get easier and it will help you recover sooner. Take it easy for a while when you get home. You might start to feel really good, but don't over do it. They probably won't want you to lift heavy things for a while. Get rest and eat healthy foods. They will help you heal quicker.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[valleysangel92]

Hello Audi!

I was quite a bit older than you are when I had my surgery, I was 20, but I was still pretty nervous at times, it's natural, everyone gets nervous sometimes. I'll be honest, the big open surgery will give you a bigger scar, and will hurt more because there's a bigger cut, and they take longer to heal. The smaller laperoscopic surgeries still hurt, there's a smaller cut and the scar is really small, and they heal quicker, but they still have to pull things about inside, which can leave you feeling bruised, and, with these operations, they have to fill you with gas, which lets them move things around safely, sometimes this can cause pain after the surgery. The good thing is, your young, so your body is strong, and you'll have lots of nurses taking good care of you, you'll have good painkillers and if you need help with any thing, no matter how small, you only have to ask. Its good to be prepared, but remember to stick to sites like this and dont look it up on google too much. Remember to be patient afterwards, you will be able to get out of bed maybe the day after surgery, but you wont be able to just get up, it will take time and its tiring at first, so make sure you ask for help.

Also, incase you haven't been warned, you will probably have a catheter after surgery, which is a tube that goes into your bladder, it collects your wee and transfers it into a bag or container, it wont hurt, and they put it in when your asleep, but it can feel a little weird when you move, especially if you weren't expecting to have one (which I wasn't) .

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask away, and if you would like a chat at all you can give me a message in the private messaging bit. Good luck sweetie!

 

[Audi]

Okay, I just hope I get the laparoscopic surgery first. And as long as I'm asleep while I get my catheter, I think I'll be fine. It shouldn't be as bad as an NG tube. Thank you guys for the advice and support!!!