I'm going to answer you honestly, based on my experience of 6 abdominal/pelvic surgeries: the pain will vary a lot from one patient to the next and one surgery to the next, even among those having resection surgery as opposed to other kinds.
Waking up is usually not the worst part. You're heavily drugged at that point. It is more likely your pain will increase a couple of days after surgery as the anaesthesia wears off.
A lot of people will tell you you will manage it with pain relief. I'm not sure whether my experience goes against the norm, but I've often been greatly restricted regarding painkillers I'm allowed, as opiates slow the bowel - something my doctors didn't want happening after my surgeries - so I couldn't have any good painkillers. They give me things like paracetamol, but that hardly counts as a painkiller in my book.
That said, I got through some major operations despite not much in the way of pain relief.
When you're in severe pain you just take it moment by moment. Moving is often more painful than staying still, and I found having the moral support of a nurse or family member there when I had to do something like walk to the bathroom helped me enormously. Even if you're capable of walking on your own (which you should be), having someone to hold you hand when it hurts really helps!
Avoid any bending or lifting after surgery for several weeks as this will help to speed up your healing.
I hope all has gone well!
