My surgery was January 17, 2014. The only pain I had was in the ICU the first time they got me up to walk. I hadn’t been given a percoset and it hit me all of a sudden. Removing the tubes was done at halftime during a football game. When they got them out, I said, “I just gave birth to an octopus.” even though it was only 4 tubes. They gave us these heart huggers - a contraption of straps that you wore like a vest. It had a handle on each side and you squeezed the handles together when you had to cough or get in and out of bed or chairs. I still have mine. I did’t need/use much pain medication. In fact I turned in 2/3 of a bottle of the percoset to the police prescription drop off.
My heart hugger was a pillow shaped like a heart. It worked fine. My aunt gave me a teddy bear for the same purpose. I still have both...in a closet somewhere. :-)
I don’t remember taking any pain meds. Doesn’t mean I wasn’t given any, I just don’t remember taking any. The nurse would come in and ask my pain level, 1 to 10, I would say 1 or 2 and she would walk out. It was such a non event, pain-wise, I recommend it to everybody.
If you need it, get it, because the alternative is much worse.