I went from surgery to ICU and onto a ward within 36 hours, then 12 hours later back to ICU.

I suffered a respiratory arrest, followed by a coronary arrest. The former took me back to ICU, the latter kept me there an additional 6 days. I was asleep (chemically induced) for much of that time, so by the time I was finally "awake" the pain levels were very managable. I had the tied down hands as well; apparently I was awake enough at the onset of the respiratory problems to strike several nurses before I got the message across that I was having trouble breathing ;^)

It's a scary place, but as someone else said, it is the only place to get the high lavel care you need after surgery like this. I was really taken aback by how much the standard of care changed going to a ward from ICU...night and day.
Wayne