At this time yesterday I was getting ready for my operation

I was worried because approximately 9 years ago when I had the same sort of laparoscopy. I was in a lot of pain for a good week and half. I think the differing environmental factors are whats making it easier this time. The pain in my shoulders from the gas they put in you is not too bad when you can keep them heated and still and with panadol and neuophen on hand. I alternate the pain killers every 2 hours.
I have also been taking my own concoction of manuka honey (heals and helps with the tickle you get from that tube being down your throat) and lemon (vitamin c), a "be regular" tea bag (because they say that constipation can be a problem), and cinnamon (dad sent me an email on how good honey and cinnamon is (although there is no evidence of the "study" http://painhealthnews.com/archives/152 I was able to find good links on why honey is good http://bio.waikato.ac.nz/pdfs/honeyresearch/bioactives.pdf and why cinnamon is good http://www.zhion.com/herb/Cinnamon.html
(p.s. this drink tastes way better if filter the cinnamon some way.)
This time round I was able to advise the nurses etc that morphine makes me physically ill and I was better on tramadol. Trying to race to the toilet to throw up non existent food after an operation can't be helpful.
9 years ago I was in a coldish water bed. I had no idea how to get rid of the pain in my shoulders and my boyfriends daughter kept jumping on the bed wanting hugs.
Hubby although no nightingale has been helpful. Also 9 years ago my ovarian tube had twisted over causing no oxygen to my ovary, and they had to separate it from the cyst that had caused it. This time it was to make sure everything was working so we can have children and although the surgeon saw cysts, they was not large and she was not concerned about them.