I was induced at 42 weeks and not allowed home afterwards (it was evening). They said my husband would have to go home as probably nothing would happen til morning. I refused, as they had previously said for some women the induction takes effect v quickly, and also there was a leaflet somewhere saying that birth partners could stay. They found us a room but I would have sat in a waiting room with my husband rather than be left alone!
It did kick in quickly (it was the tampon thing) but I wasn't allowed any pain relief as I wasn't actually 'in labour'... I have since read that induction is often more painful than labour that begins naturally but was not armed with this info at the time!
Nobody checked on me at all except when my husband went and insisted. Eventually I was offered pethidine, and then advised it would not actually relieve pain but might take my mind off it! It did not relieve pain but in between pains I felt a marvellous level of just slightly high!
By the morning I was begging for an epidural as they were telling me I still wasn't in labour and I just thought, 'If it hurts this much and I'm not even in labour, I obviously have a low pain threshold, I'm one of those women who just can't do it without ALL THE DRUGS, that's ok, do what you need to do...' In hindsight if they had been up front about the level of pain I might experience I may well have managed it much better, but they told me it would be like period pain!! I remember shouting at my husband that if this was like period pain, how did women hold down jobs while on their period?!!
Anyway after an aggressive sweep that I did not consent to, they eventually said I could be moved to a labour room and they would let me have an epidural. When the anaesthetist came in I nearly kissed her.
From then on it went absolutely fine, midwives were lovely and I was not left alone at any point. I was hooked up to a drip due to the epidural and I wasn't allowed to eat anything but I didn't care, I merrily told the midwife I would drink Ribena and wait a week if necessary, as long as they kept the drugs coming! I had an epidural that you 'top up' yourself and hardly topped up at all so I still felt things and could move around (on the bed, I could not have walked) but I was no longer miserable and in pain.
I gave birth without further intervention about 12 hours later. I tore but it was fine. They were close to intervening and I was aware I had to push her out quickly if I wanted to avoid theatre, but the staff managed to make me aware of this without stressing me out.
In hindsight, the induction itself was fine and the birth was fine, but the lack of realistic info re what to expect was not fine. I honestly think that I would have been far better prepared mentally if they had been up front about the possibility/likelihood of high levels of pain. It sounds like your docs are being honest with you, which is great as if you really want to avoid an epidural you can prepare by considering alternatives and, if it is very painful, you will know that this is normal!
Best of luck, whatever happens you won't give a toss as long as you and baby are well afterwards.