Im almost 3 month post VAT surgery RLL. For the first month there's was a loth of burning , and sharp pain on my abdominal area and sides. It affected my breathing and activity. The surgeon prescribed Gabapentin but I did not use it . I used Motrin as scheduled and Tylenol as ordered post surgery. When that's doneI will only take oral pain medications when its really bad but rarely as well. For the most part I wore loose clothings , bought nipple pasties so I didn't have to wear a bra while incisions were healing, then I progressed to a sports bra that was a size bigger than my normal size. I also used heat and warm compress on affected areas. It helped a lot. Went for 30 to 1 hour walks outdoors 4 or more times a week. Now I'm almost pain free. However I have to remind myself our body needs more time to recover. So Im still cautions with lifting more than 20 lbs. I make sure I have equal weigh distributions when I carry things. I carry items close to the chest. Get someone to carry items more than 20 lbs. Be kind to our body . We are still healing if you have pain .