Welcome, Gwen. Recovery time varies wildly, according to each individual's ability to recover from trauma. Most members here who've had a lap procedure complain about gas, which seeps out through muscle and skin. It can roll around in your torso for a day or two. With an open procedure there's a different level of discomfort and pain, since it's major surgery.
I had a large incision to deal with, so I had trouble rolling out of bed to the bathroom or kitchen. Once I had to phone my roommate from bed to have him help me! The hospital support group was useless. It comprised a few post-ops, but more pre-ops who just stared at us like we were zoo animals.
I wish I had found this group back then. The people who have passed through here have been amazing, some really great, some not-so. But each person taught us something, and in this rarefied world we share, the sky's the limit where knowledge is shared.
You can search through a dozen years of intimate, informative stories and get a really good ideas that will help you on your JOURNEY.
The most important thing to remember is that your recovery really will be unique to your body. The time it takes can be a time of self-care you deserve. Stay peaceful and visualize your new life. Make SURE you get an abdominal binder. It helps in so many ways. I remember, I had to keep cutting it down so I could cinch it tight. That was AWESOME. It helps promote healing and protects incisions. And make sure you hug a pillow all the time so you can breathe, sneeze cough and laugh without pain. And as it gets smaller, it affirms your weight loss.
