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So I am 2 weeks post surgery. I would say I am probably average in regards to recovery. Have not used big gun pain meds and have saved them in case. But I still have some pain but manageable. The shaft is very sore and I get a sunburn feel many times as well. So activation is tomorrow and I am concerned about my ability to manage the pain as I have some now. I do not want to delay as it could cause size reduction. Any advice on managing the pain for activation tomorrow and the first few days of cycling ? I am driving so all I can take before the appointment is Advil and Tylenol. Thanks. Btw. This site has been invaluable in helping me decide to do this and in managing the process. Thank you !!!!

Cut

cutcliffe wrote:So I am 2 weeks post surgery. I would say I am probably average in regards to recovery. Have not used big gun pain meds and have saved them in case. But I still have some pain but manageable. The shaft is very sore and I get a sunburn feel many times as well. So activation is tomorrow and I am concerned about my ability to manage the pain as I have some now. I do not want to delay as it could cause size reduction. Any advice on managing the pain for activation tomorrow and the first few days of cycling ? I am driving so all I can take before the appointment is Advil and Tylenol. Thanks. Btw. This site has been invaluable in helping me decide to do this and in managing the process. Thank you !!!!

Cut

My surgical pain was trivial. Almost nothing. So that was weird and surprising but certainly appreciated.

I couldn't really cycle consistently until the 3-4 week mark due to some significant edema in my sac, but when I did cycle the feeling for me was like a pretty significant and seriously uncomfortable stretch, almost like when you strain/sprain a muscle. The intensity of that feeling just below and through my glans was quite intense at times.

I could only pump fully up for 10 minutes at the beginning. My first week was a bunch of 10-15 minute inflations. It took me a couple weeks of pushing it and sort of desperately trying to withstand the discomfort for longer and longer cycling sessions. 30 minutes was a major victory. Then a week later 45 minutes was a bigger victory. This is only my experience but even when I got to a full hour inflated, which is what my surgeon was pushing me toward, it took me several week of just repeating that daily or 2x daily to push through that discomfort, it just seemed like there was no shortcut. It was for me basically like I wanted so intensely to hit the deflate button at times it drove me crazy. But then the accomplishment of pushing myself to stay inflated longer, the rewards were there within a few weeks. It pretty soon became interesting and pleasurable to be fully inflated and the pain after deflation which had lingered for an hour or two lessened in intensity and duration. Soon even that was gone entirely.

Just my experience but you asked about pain management specifically - I have a pretty high pain threshold, we're all different obviously. I don't like to take the stuff they sent me home with (hydrocodone/APAP opioids). I got through by alternating naproxen and ibuprofen. It did fine. Only really took that stuff consistently for the first week post-op and then sporadically as I worked through the cycling protocol. I did keep a gel cool/ice pack handy and I used that thing here and there when the cycling pain was particularly intense. I found it really helped me.

Good luck...exciting times ahead for you!

My surgery was a January 2020. No pain no pain meds needed period. Took Tylenol for just in case pain but never experienced any at all. Great outcome.

Good feedback. I appreciate the time you took to reply. Funny I dread this part more than the surgery because I am still very sore in the shaft. Sac is fine. The stretch is going go be a huge challenge. I may buy a bullet to bite Cut

cutcliffe wrote:Good feedback. I appreciate the time you took to reply. Funny I dread this part more than the surgery because I am still very sore in the shaft. Sac is fine. The stretch is going go be a huge challenge. I may buy a bullet to bite Cut

Yea I remember painful time, ugh. Doc left me inflated maybe 60% until week 5 because I couldn't tolerate the pain to deflate at week 2. At that point doc allowed me hot baths, so that's where I started cycling. I had that sunburn feeling for months which kept me from doing much inflating like I should have. Once it settled down and I'd inflate the sunburn feeling would come back, that went on for 5 months with me. Fortunately it got less and less. I used Aspercream on my shaft to feel better. If you stitches are fully healed using some of that may help reduce some soreness.

I would'nt worry too much about cycling this early in the game. You are very early in recovery may be still too swollen and inflamed.

I was one of the lucky ones. Never had much pain and never filled prescription for pain pills. If you are concerned for activation you can take a pain pill or at least tylenol going to the doctor’s office as he/she may pump it kind of hard. Once your cycling at home you can gauge yourself and also get in warm bath which also helps.
Bandit