recovery time from Lap

[AlexR]

I had my lap done on the 1st July and had alot of endo removed during it. It was my first op and dont know how long to expect to recover. I asked my doctor and all she says is everyone is different it just takes time. Now i am still very sore, taking pain killers and having to lay down on my bed most the time as i am sore and exhausted. I was sick other day and the wounds have felt sorer since and even bled a wee bit but not much and doctor said it would have just been the pressure from being sick that caused it. I just wanted to know how long its taken everyone else til they can move about comfortable and get back to doing things? x

[CiaraK]

Hi there,

I had my first lap on the 17th june and am still off work. Like you it was a pretty full on op removing a large cyst and trying to assess the extent of damage (it's stage 4 and effecting my bowel as well as uterus and ovaries) the doctor gave me a 4 week line which is due to finish on Tuesday, but unfortunately I'm still in pain. It took me about 2 weeks to get moving about a little better but then one of the wounds got infected so I started getting really sore again. I also had to stop driving for nearly 3 weeks. I hate being off work, and wish I could go back, but one thing I know is that I can't rush myself. I suffer a lot with fatigue so I just wouldn't be able to cope with a full days work even if I wasn't in pain! I'm still taking painkillers throughout the day.

Take your time, listen to your body and make sure you put yourself first....I still have to take a nap in the afternoons normally! I found taking little walks helped once I got more movement back. There's no way to tell how long it's going to take unfortunately

Take care and I hope you're feeling better soon

C x x x

[AlexR in reply to CiaraK]

Hey thanks for letting me know how youre getting on, i get very achy just walking to the kitchen its no great distance either. Last day or two havent been to bad but today i have been very sore even lying down isnt helping me and ive taken my painkillers just hoping the pain today eases off even a wee bit by tonight otherwise i doubt ill get any sleep at all with it. My doctor has signed me off til 22nd but said she thinks she will have to extend that a lot longer going by how sore i am. My wounds dont look any different either, i wouldve thought by now that they wouldve looked a bit more healed but they dont.

Im not going to push myself at all and if im sore im going and resting if im not resting already. My days seem to be lying down, watching telly with my dog the i go up to say hi to my horse once a day as shes a stress head.

I was always tired during the day before my op and would doze off if i sat comfortable for too long. I was at the doctor the other day in concern with my temp as it fires up then goes back to normal but she said i was borderline for my temp and just to keep and eye on it make sure it didnt get any higher.

Hope you feel better soon as well and thanks again for your info

xx

[YellowTulip]

Hi again AlexR

When I had my lap I was told I would probably be off for a week. Despite the surgery being relatively straightforward (ie no cysts) it knocked me sideways. I was off for 3 weeks and then went back part time for 2-3 weeks after that.

CiaraK is absolutely right - it's a case of listening to your body and working out when it's ready. I found that going for a short walk every day - even when exhausted - helped me to build back up and gave me a break from back-to-back daytime TV! x

[AlexR in reply to YellowTulip]

I was told i could be a week to 2 weeks but they didnt know i had endo then. It was an investigation lap op i was in for but when they got in their they found alot of endo so when i came round he did tell me i would be longer to recover as i would be a bit raw inside and when i went to the doctor on monday she said would prob be another few weeks still but cant put a time on it as everyone is different. As you both say and i agree fully listening to my body will be the only way. Its all hills where i live and i cant manage that at all. I get really exhausted walking up to the back of the garden and back down. I have been going to my horse this week just checking her etc not doing anything hard going/my normal and when i get back in im really sore and tired and thats a 2mins in a car journey (my dad drives me) so im not even having to walk to her. Day time TV is torture! Glad schools are off as they stick on films lol xx

[worth71]

Hi - I had my lap in march, I also had endometrial ablation and was sterilised, they diagnosed stage four endo, ovaries stuck to each other and to bowel, bowel stuck to womb etc etc, said too much to remove at lap so they removed none and put me on waiting list for hysterectomy.

I was told one to two weeks recovery for the lap, so by the time almost a week after I was pushing myself to do normal things, but in reality it was more like 5-6 wks before I felt anywhere near normal physically, and i had no endo removed so it must be worse if its been removed, and emotionally took longer, which I think was just trying to get my head round it all.

So don't rush your recovery, don't be made to feel bad when people can tell you that they know somebody who had a lap done and was back to work the day after.....so what! Good for them, just listen to your body, it will tell you when you've overdone it, take all the time you need xx

[AlexR in reply to worth71]

Hi,

Thanks, ive been feeling like an emotional wreck since it and trying to get my head round it is driving me crazy if im honest.

Ive had some folk say "oh i was up after a week after a lap" but they werent in for endo or have anything like that removed as well. Im in alot of pain and have decided theirs nothing i can do so just rest and hopefully ill recover soon enough.

xxx

[bonygirl1]

Hi

This is my second lap, first one purely to see what was going on and I was off for 2 weeks. I had my lap on the 14th June (stage 4, affecting my bowel, bladder, uterus, womb and had a cyst removed from my left ovary), I'm still off and my sick note runs out on the 27th July. I thought I would have been virtually back to normal but I'm still a long way from it, I'm struggling to walk any where near my normal pace, get out of breath easily, still get pains, twinges and have a feeling on my left side that I am being pulled from the inside. I was given antibiotics last week as I had an infection in my belly button. Also had really bad constipation which I have had medication for, still not back to how I used to be but the bowel surgeon did tell me I could have IBS symptoms as my bowel had been pushed back on itself for years.

I want and need to be fully fit before I go back to work as I'm constantly on the go. Hope you are feeling better, relax and enjoy the warm weather X

[AlexR in reply to bonygirl1]

I go back to my doctor tomorrow due to my meds i have not helping with my pains and my temp keeps firing up i have to lye with a fan on full facing me just to help a wee bit. Im normally active with my horse and dogs, so agree fully surgery and animals do not mix well at all. Longest ive managed to stay up out of bed so far is just over an hour then i started to get really sore. Ive been getting alot of twinges on my left side and my belly button and lower wound bled a bit the other day from me being sick and since then both have been very sore and look angry. Ive had bad constipation as well had to get meds for that, will see what doc has to say tomorrow. Trying to relax as much as poss, hopefully ill be able to stand up properly and stay up a bit longer soon. Hope youre ok xx