I had open surgery to my right lung to remove a large tumor in January 2015 and a VATS lobectomy in May 2015 on my left side.
After the open procedure, I was in a lot of pain and it took a long time for the majority of the pain to go away. I don´t do well with opiods, so I was in considerable pain the first 1,5 day after my surgery until I had the medication in my epidural switched. We tried different pain medication combinations but I was nauseated quite a lot, so after 5 weeks I started to taper myself off from the strong pain medication. As I recall it I needed milder painkillers such as paracetamol for some time after that and I think I stopped my pain medication all together somewhere like 3 months after surgery.
My lobectomy was a much better experience as they were able to do a VATS surgery and I coped with mild painkillers after that one.
On the bad days I would recommend taking paracetamol or whatever mild pain killer you are used to. It is really important that you don´t experience pain to such a degree where you try to avoid coughing or sneezing. It is important that you are able to do this so you don´t end up getting a lung infection.
Here a year after surgery, I still experience pain in my scars, my ribs are sore and the muscles between my ribs are tender to the touch but I cope without pain killers.
Talk to your GP or someone else and have them revise your pain medication schedule to make sure you are covered in the best possible way.
I'm on strong pain killers, co codimol and ibuprofen which have helped. I went back to work this week but found it to physical and painful so I'm off work again hopefully only for another week on my return to work iv been told il be on light duties looking forward to trying to get back to normal
