If you spring back after 10 days then its only been a minor op.
Ideally they do find something causing your symptoms, and take the trouble to attack it if it is endo.
Do not expect to be springing anywhere for a few weeks, that's not to say you will be flat on your back, but you should be off work for a while and potter round the house hourly even if it's a sightseeing trip from the front door to the back door. Keeping circulation and bowels moving is essential even if it hurts. to get out of bed or chair. The more you get done inside the longer your recovery will be.
But while you will be restricted from activities like lifting kids in and out of the bath, there is still plenty can be done, or depending on their age plenty they can do for you for a change.
If they are 4 and up, there is no reason why they cannot look after the house for you, tidy up after themselves, sort laundry in to whites and colours, set the table, clear up afterwards, get a small step for the side of the bath if they want to climb in bt you usually lift them in. You can still do bedtime dressing and stories, get them to come to you with their jammies and a story book.
Its often a good time for kids to grow a little and learn to be a bit more responsible from toddlerhood upwards.
If you are in overnight pack dressing gown and slippers and colourful socks.
Clothes to wear on the way home are scruffy comfy stretchy waisted clothes. You will be swollen and tender in the tummy. Idea is probably maternity trousers or that sort of thing.
Before and during op and afterwards too you will be in hospital couture.
Gown, paper pants, surgical stockings up to the thigh. So the only way to express your individuality is brightly coloured socks.
Leave all valuables at home, include cell phones watch, jewels tiara etc.
Hubby can bring these in to you when he comes to visit, but they really won't be too safe while you are in surgery and afterwards when you are zonked out.
No make up to be worn, no coloured nail polish either as the aneasthetist will need to look at fingers and nail colour when checking your circulation, but clear polish is possible if you insist.
Long hair should be tied back in a band (no metal clips allowed)
Pack a toothbrush and paste, wetwipes to wipe of the disinfectant dye that is on your tummy and stains clothes, and for any other spillages and personal hygene.
Pack sanitary towels decent strength and suitable knickers for them.
You probably will have post op bleeding down below, and it can be heavy for a day or two whether you are on a period or not, you cannot use a tampon for a while after surgery so
towels it is.
I hadn't worn towels in years, and getting to grips with 'wings' was an interesting experience. Decided I didn't like 'wings'. Too too much effort to remove them when in pain on the loo.
Pant liners might not be enough in the fist few hours.
The hosp do return you to bed with a towel in your paper knickers, so it's for after that, that you might prefer your own, rather than keep asking for the standard hospital sort.
You should be on adequate pain relief while in hosp, but do have paracetamol and possibly stronger for when you are at home recovering. If you need stronger call your GP, you shouldn't need to visit, but they should arrange a prescription for hubby to collect for you.
Take somethings to read and quiz books, and a small amount of lose change, you might have a few hours to wait at hosp for your turn.
chewing gum can help too.
After op having some snack to hand can be very useful too. a tube of pringles, flapjack bars, chockies fruit and flavoured drink. But do not attempt to drink anything gassy or fizzy for at least a fortnight.
After the op, the most pain will come from the trapped gas they pump your tummy up with. it can really hurt and in the shoulder blades too. By whatever means necessary you must pass that gas. so get up and walk the ward or corridoors every hour or two
if you smoke popoutside for a fag, but you must fart and nelch that excess gas out as quickly as you can. You will feel so much better when your got rid of it all.
Avoid foods that give you wind too, beans, cabbage sprouts etc.
No shame in passing the gas, everyone on the ward that has had surgery is trying to do the exact same thing and the nursing staff know it. Now is not the time to hold it in or be shy or coy about having a fart. It is a medical necessity. LOL
As to how long to see results, you should know the real pain of the op after the gas is out, then how long that takes to heal and recover varies so much, some ladies take months, some a few weeks, but certainly more than 10 days. so no kids jumping on mummy's tummy for a while, gentle cuddles are fine.
Toiletting: if your bathroom loo is big enough place a chair next to the loo so you have something to lean on getting up and down from the loo, having a cushion or towel to squash in to your tummy when you are have a no.2 can help, remember that you will have been poked and prodded at teh very least and the pain meds can constipate you so loo trips can be a painful but necessary ordeal.You might need laxatives (pills or liquid or suppositories) to clear out any constipation, but deal with that if it happens. you don't need to plan in advance for it.
Stockpile books to read, DVDs to watch and that sort of thing in the room you will be spending most of your time, ie bedroom or by the sofa. Sort out some needle work or crafts to be doing while you are resting to keep from going stir crazy. Perhaps home made x-mas cards. There are a lot of rcovery hours to get through and you can't be doing lots of things, but there are still plenty of things you can be doing to be useful.
Carrying shopping bags and kids and laundry bags and so on are not recommended for a couple of weeks at least. Nor is bending down or reaching up.
So replan the kitchen so the essentials are at worksurface level. Plates and Mugs and Ketchup and Kettle and so on.
You might find it safer to put coffee tea or soup in a flask to carry it through to lounge or bedroom, rather than risking spilling hot drinks.
Pain twinges and pangs can catch you out when your walking and a flask can avoid nasty accidents and spills especially with kids around.
If you have pets that need walking, it might be a wise move to let them have a holiday with someone else for a few days till you know what you can manage to do.
Bending down to put food bowls on the floor is going to hurt.
So too will doing up shoes, so have slip ons.
I got arnica gel for post op bruising, (optional)
and also you will need a packet of plasters and dressing for the various holes. The hosp don't supply those.
Keeping wounds sterile and bug free is essential. have TCP or savlon to hand as an antiseptic and plenty of plasters or micropore tape to cover the cleaned up stab wounds.
They should be well on the way to healing in about 10 days, so having a bath by then will be fine.
Any sign of post op infecting, swelling wounds, red and tender, visit your GP asap, for anti-biotics. The longer you leave it the longer it will take to fight off.
I got one hole infected and it took 2more months before it healed up from my 1st lap op. Lesson learned the hard way !!
If your kids have grannies and grandads then let them take the strain too and have the kids for a sleep over or full days out so you can get proper rest.
Keep spare cash at home, so if you need to order a takeaway because every one is shattered and no one wants to cook a meal every night, you have the cash to hand to order food in.
You could be stuck at home for a few weeks, or certainly not up to trapsing round shops,
so pre-plan for anyone's birthdays, buy cards and gifts and stamps etc in advance.
You can supermarket shop from home in most places and get items delivered. Saves you and hubby doing any more work than you need to be doing.
Can't think of anything else off the top of my head right now.
Planning in advance will save you extra stress afterwards, so there is nothing wrong in being anxious and preparing properly. Get it doen while you can, then relax for a few days before the op as best as you can, and eat a balanced diet
The number 1 thing about post op recovery is keeping active and up and about pottering around as frequently as possible. You will recover much more quickly and it's very good for you even though it will hurt for a bit.
Thank you guys...especially you impatient for spending so much time and effort it was very helpful i am going to print it out now and work from it so kind of you....they did see a cyst result and my ovaries sticking in the TV scan....so lets hope they do find something ....he is going to use the exision method
What date is your op hun? I have finally got mine on 24th June after waiting for 7 months. I have to have a cyst removed too. Thanks for posting this question it has been really helpful for me too.
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My 1st laparoscapy...
