Pain

[yellowboy]

When you get out of the hospital after the surgery does your face hurt for a while or do they give you somthing for the pain? Also how long does it usually take to heal?

[Hypatia]

I just came across a personal narrative of someone's experience with Dr. O (and what sounds like a hospital from Hell)--

Friday and Saturday, I was on a morphine pump that, even if it never did deliver on promises to make up for any drug experience I had missed in the 60s, was occasionally effective on managing pain.  It provided a continuous but far too small amount as a drip but had a button I could press every 6 minutes for an extra burst whenever I needed, which was about every 5 minutes.  Unfortunately, the contacts where it plugged into the machine were apparently not very reliable and if it had been jostled (e.g., when I went to the bathroom) it would not work.  Calling for the nurse, I often got a pleasant but frustrating Chinese woman who thought I didn't understand that I had to wait 6 minutes.  I'd do my best to explain that I had definitely waited long enough but that the machine was simply not working.  She would cluck for a moment over the new information and then announce, "Well, we should do something about that." Then she would leave.  This happened so many times that after a while, I took to shortening the routine.  Whenever she came in, I would immediately thank her very much for her gracious help.  She would smile and assure me that of course that was what she was there for.  After she left, I'd get out of bed myself and play with the plug 'till it either began to work or I realized I would die right there on the spot if I stood up any longer.  I began to make secret bets with myself as to which was the more likely outcome.

[Keira]

I had my brow bossing shaved down and a rhino at the same time.
Lots and lots of swelling that lasted 10 days, but no pain at all.
The doctor gave me strong pain pills but I didn't need any at all.

[Buffy]

I had quite a lot of work done.

I had strong painkillers, but like Keira, didnt really need them.

The swelling, bruising looked bad, but was not really painful.

The worst part was having the staples taken out of my head.

Buffy

[Hypatia]

I liked the part in Nicole's story where on the plane going home she found a staple still in her scalp that had been overlooked. So she pulled it out right there on the plane, regardless of the horror the guy in the seat next to her may have felt. 

[melissa90299]

Nothing close to the pain of being called sir.

[Hypatia]

I would try to get away with the minimum amount of meds you can tolerate... you will recover faster.

How does that affect recovery time?

[melissa90299]

The worst thing for me was the bladder pain when I couldn't pee and couldn't get the nurse to come for what seemed like an eternity. The nursing care at CPMC-Davies is lacking as it is in the states in general. The thought of having being catheterized pre-op is kinda creepy, my vagina is catheterized right now and  don't mind it all. Overall, I would have to say my two FFS procedures were more uncomfortable than my GRS that I am having now in two steps. The hardest part of the current situation is boredom but I have internet access, (You need a laptop) and if  press the call button, a nurse, or two or three, show up in an instant.

[Wendy Kahr]

When you get out of the hospital after the surgery does your face hurt for a while or do they give you somthing for the pain? Also how long does it usually take to heal?

Sandy has an excellent description of her experience:
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,16902.0.html

[Butterfly]

I had what my surgeon calls "the works".  Almost 11 hours under the knife and it took me close to a year to recover completely.  The pain is just, excruciating.  I'd never felt so much physical pain until my FFS.

[Keira]

I've heard from plenty, and my own experience's also the same, that have no pain at all from FFS. You look like total crap, I mean horrible, for awhile though and that can be very hard on the morale and makes you depressed. Post ops depression after facial cosmetic surgery is very frequent until the results are in (and if things don't turn right, you can be in a very bad mental place). Getting FFS is not a trivial matter, but more from a psychological point of view than a physical pain point of view.

[Hypatia]

Can't wait till you upload your new pic, Gina!