12 years ago i was severely hooked on pain pills for a few year period. all started with a small surgery. havent touched any since and never will. very traumatic time. if i ever get surgery in the future i want to have a plan. ideas for non-opioids?

Find a life coach that will teach you stress reduction/ relaxation techniques. Many find pre-planning with this type of training aids in the reduction in medication needed for pain control. There are also methods the docs can use for local pain control that help avoid supplemental meds.

Let your docs know if stronger pain meds are needed, usually a rotation of high dose acetaminophen 1000 mg and NSAIDS suffices for postsurgical pain, that usually fades away by itself in few days.