Feeling bruised weeks after lap, is this ... - Endometriosis UK

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Feeling bruised weeks after lap, is this normal?

bonygirl1 profile image
4 Replies

Hi everyone, Just wanting to know if any of you fantastic ladies felt bruised and very sore 10 weeks after a lap? I am going back to see my consultant next week after moaning to my doctor who then contacted my consultant to arrange to see me.

I am so sore around my tummy where my ovaries are, it gets so sore I can't put my seat belt on unless I have some padding, I can't wear pants without an elasticated waist and get really uncomfortable sitting in the same position for too long! It also feels like it's very tight inside almost like someone is pulling me in and I get a burning feeling. My tummy is swollen (I've never had a big tummy until now!) and it gets bigger as the day goes on. I also find it difficult to walk as fast as I used to and get out of breath easily, I'm normally very fit and enjoy light exercise but I'm really struggling. On top of all this my back, hips knees and ankles ache constantly, I am being referred to a chronic pelvic pain specialist for this.

Just want to be able to say I have spoken to other ladies who are like this when I go to see my consultant, so he can't just fob me off with stronger pain killers. Hope you are all feeling well X.

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teacosey profile image
teacosey

Yes definitely.

Everything you are describing is uncannily similar, including the getting out-of-breath easy and the tummy that increasingly swells as the day goes on.

Timewise for me... I've had two surgeries. The first one was an ablation and I felt bruised and battered for about 7 months. My second surgery was radical excision, and it was 9 months ago. I am still struggling now, though things are improving.

What type of surgery did you have? Or what organs did it involve? The thing is with modern technology and these laparoscopies, is that we can be under the impression that "it is only key-hole surgery so the recovery will be short". But it can be extensive surgery involving lots of organs!!!

Be good to yourself. Can you take time off work? Maybe head to a spa?? Or lots of R+R at home at the very least???

Tea Cosey x

bonygirl1 profile image
bonygirl1 in reply to teacosey

Hi , Thank you so much for your reply, I'm glad I'm not alone, but sad you are still getting the pains 9 months after surgery. I was so hoping to be pain free for a while! I had significant pelvic endo removed, my ovaries were stuck to my womb, my bowel was stuck to my uterus, bladder was pushed up against some thing else, I can't remember now! I had a large cyst removed from my left ovary, excision of rectovaginal nodule.

I've just gone back to work on a phased return and I'm finding it really hard as it's a job where I'm out and about in the community. I do try and get lots of R+R at home but that depends if I'm home alone if not it's easier going to work! I'm actually going for a massage next week and back to see my hypnotist the week after.

Hope things get better for you soon. Take care X.

teacosey profile image
teacosey in reply to bonygirl1

I only joined this site a couple of days ago. But you are the second person who's posts sound like I could have written them myself! The op you had sounds almost exactly like mine.

So...do you mind me asking you something? Here goes....

Honestly, I find that after both surgeries I still have so much pain and trouble, that I don't know whether it's the Endo or the after-effects of the surgery itself. And, in weaker moments, I do find myself wondering if it was worth going under the scalpel at all. Is that just me???

BUT I know in my head that surgery is a good thing. It stops peritonitis for one thing. Some aspects of life slowly improving in many ways. It is just different. Like, before the surgeries, my biggest problem was bouts of incapacity where I could literally not walk for 4 or 5 days. Sometimes it was during my cycle, and sometimes it was completely random mid-month. That happens a lot less now--just one or two days during my cycle only.

But my "daily struggle to survive" is a lot harder, and I don't really know why! Everyday, my bladder hurts now. It rarely hurt pre-surgery. Now I have to push my pee out with my hand by pressing down on my tummy where the bladder is. It is excruciating almost every day. That is just one example, but there are lots of things that are actually worse since my ablation surgery.

Also, I had scans done six months after my second surgery and my LH cyst was back, and my RH bowel--ovary-uterus adhesions are back. After only SIX months?!?!

Am I the only one that is having these mixed feelings about surgery?? That in some ways it is worth it, and in some ways it is harder???

Perhaps I should make this the subject of a new post??? But I feel guilty just saying it, because it sounds terribly negative..... :(

Tea Cosey x

bonygirl1 profile image
bonygirl1 in reply to teacosey

I feel exactly the same way, in fact my daily saying has become, 'I wish I didn't have surgery, I had learned to live with the pain and discomfort or maybe come accustomed to the pain before, now it's a different pain that is getting me down'

Also the fact I can't do things like I used to and that my breathlessness becomes so strong I can't carry on walking and need to sit down, this in itself gets me down and frustrated.

My bladder is so annoying, I'm up at least 4 times through the night and every time I have a full bladder. It also hurts when I wee, before surgery I had lost the sensation of when I needed to wee now it's back with a vengeance!

I am struggling with my job now and I'm really worried I won't be able to continue to do it, I'm currently on a phased return to work but this ends in 2 weeks time then it's back to it, full time.

My general health and well being is at a lower point than it was before surgery and my thoughts on how I would be pain free for a while have been shattered. So negativity is definitely how I feel towards surgery at this present time.

I do hope we can look back at this post in time and not remember what pain we were moaning about!

Take care X

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