Hi I had key hole surgery yesterday to drain my endometriosis cyst I'm only 22 and have woken today in so much pain on all of my wombs

[ntrex1991]

Is this normal? I'm a smoker to if that is maker things worse and ideas to help control the pain I'm currently taking cocodamol 500 g but still in pain I carnt hardly walk

[Impatient]

Being a smoker is not an issue at all in terms of surgery pain.

it actually helps to be a smoker in terms of recovery because you are more likely to get up and about to go for a cigarette and keep active which lowers the risk of DVT.

it's so soon after surgery of course it will be painful. recovery can take several weeks not hours.

stay on top of the pain killers don't let them run out of steam before topping up the next dose for a few days.

Also take laxatives like lactulose to stop getting constipated from the pain killers.

The pains wll move up to your shoulders because a lot of the pain is trapped gas which they pump in to you to blow up the tummy so they can see what they are doing inside.

It will disperse over the comng days so fart and burp it out at every opportunity. It's the only way to get rid and after that you are left with the surgical pain itself which is a lot easier to cope with.

Peppermint drinks are supposed to help with shiftng gas.

The pain from the trapped gas is always the worst aspect of recovery from these ops in the early days.

Plenty of Rest and drink water and eat healthy but small portions (becuase you are not as active as usual) and most important keep gently exercising every hour you are awake, take a short trip from one end of the ward to the other, or f you ar at home, back door to front door.

Stairs are much harder at 1st, but buld up gradually what you include in your pottering about the house exercise regime. Don't even attempt to lift anything or pull on the muscles till your stab wounds are well and truly healed. Simply walking is the best thing to keep your bowels and circulating active.

If n a few days you develop any fever etc then it may indicate an infection in which case contact the hosp right away, and keep your wounds disinfected and dressed for a few days too. if they get sore red and weepy - again signs they may be infected so see the Doc.

other than that you just have to take care of yourself and not over do things. give yorself plenty of time to heal.

[ntrex1991 in reply to Impatient]

Hi Thank you for you help impatient I wonder if u could help with another question. The hospital told me to take my dressing of my wombs today and not replace them should I not put more dressings on it as my op was only yesterday. Thanks again

[Impatient in reply to ntrex1991]

fresh air is the best for wounds if they have scabbed over but there is always a worry of opening up and letting in infections - so if you are going to wear clothes that cub or might catch on the sticth, then stick some micropore tape over the top easy to remove and change and cheap at chips compared to plasters. give them a daily or twice daily wipe over with disinfectant or antiseptic cream, just to zap the are of any wandering bugs.

[Brownlow]

Hi ntrex1991,

You poor thing. I hope you feel better soon. As Impatient says, it does take time.

I think that post surgery pain relief is often not taken as seriously as it should. It's distressing enough without pain. Pain can be very depressing at a time when you need to be positive and be nice to yourself. I'm not a huge fan of painkillers generally but post op is a different matter. That's just my opinion. You mentioned that you are on Cocodamol which is a combination of paracetamol and codeine. I was given this after my operations but I was also given Diclofenac which is anti-inflammatory and operates in a different manner to paracetamol or codeine. In my view anti-inflammatories are more effective in this situation but everybody reacts differently and not everyone can take them.

I suggest you contact the hospital, your specialist or your GP again and explain that you are having real difficulty with pain. I would imagine that the pain is preventing you from moving around so it's very important that you tell them this. After operations we have to do little walks to help our circulation get back to normal. Ask them if it's ok to take ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory like nurofen) in the meantime if you have to wait to get a prescription. There might be another medical reason why they didn't prescribe anti-inflammatories so do ask first.

Impatient mentioned mint tea for shoulder pain. If you still have shoulder pain or gurgling bowels, mint tea works a treat.

If you ever have to have an operation again, and I truly hope you don't, ask what sort of pain management they will have in place immediately post op and for when you go home.

Take care, keep warm and get well soon. x

[ntrex1991 in reply to Brownlow]

Hi brownlow thanks for your help it seems to be easing thought the day I just feel quite stiff now. The hospital said to remove my dressing on wombs today should I replace the dressings? Thanks for your help x

[Chrissie66]

I think the problem is that people expect to wake up from their surgery completely cured of everything....these people have just had surgery, just because laparoscopy is supposed to be less invasive doesn't make it painless!

You had an operation YESTERDAY. It will take at least 6 weeks to feel fully recovered. As Impatient said, keep an eye out for any signs of infection, but otherwise what you are feeling now is probably completely normal. Be nice to yourself, take it easy, and above all remember you're not Wonder Woman

Hope you feel better soon

C x

[ntrex1991 in reply to Chrissie66]

Hi chrissie66 thanks for ur help it's just not like me to being relaxing I find it boring lol. Should I replace my dressing today they told me to take them off x

[Chrissie66 in reply to ntrex1991]

I know it sounds weird when you're in pain, but make the most of it; you've got the perfect excuse to just relax and take it easy. And seriously, if you try to rush your recovery you could actually put yourself back.

As the other ladies have said, the most important thing is to keep your wound clean and dry. If you're wearing pyjamas and you won't be causing a problem with public decency let your tummy get some air to it

Take care. And no rushing about!!

C xxx

[missemmabenson]

I was also advised to remove after 24 hours and keep hygiene good. I think I waited 48 hours before taking a shower.

It is fine to take them off just be very careful with clothing rubbing against the wounds.

I am now two weeks on and my dissolvable stitches came out this morning and my wounds are healing nicely. The one on my bikini line does seem to be taking a little longer but I think thats because my clothes may have been irritating it. My belly button one is looking great now! Just keep an eye out for any sign of infection.

Keep on top of your painkillers and take it easy, don't rush your recovery! If you're still in a lot of pain and the painkillers you have aren't cutting it, don't be afraid to go back and ask for something else. I promise you the pain will get better after a few days. Try not to over do it it terms of walking and trips out. Get someone to help you for your first shower and trip out just in case you feel faint.

I agree with the anti-inflammatory such as diclofenic, although you don't always feel the effects they are good for your healing inside.

Hope you're feeling better soon xx

[Brownlow]

If they said to remove the dressing it's probably to prevent infection and get a bit of air to it. If the wound or stitches catch on your clothing just get someone to go to a chemist to explain and ask for a suitable dressing but do change each day until it's ok. If the wound is looking swollen, inflamed or leaking or if you feel a fever, call the hospital or doctor again and they'll probably give you antibiotics. This is very unlikely though so try not to worry.

Your tummy probably looks yuck but believe me, it's amazing how quickly it all heals.

Get some dvd box sets if you're bored. You might not be into winter sports but the winter olympics has just started on bbc 2 so you could follow that. Britain has a team.

Glad to hear you're improving. Take it slowly!

[Lilly83]

I was in so much pain after my second lap, the first night I couldn't believe I was in hospital in that much pain, I was groaning and rocking backwards and forwards, nothing helped, I have had stage 4 for years so im not soft when it comes to pain, I realised it was just the gas though, my first lap was only an hour and I had no gas pain, think as the second one was 6 hours it was loads worse, had to stay in 3 days but was pretty much pain free after 5. Good luck! X

[Hidden]

Yes it if perfectly normal, the gas they use to pump your stomach to see clearly is the worst once you awaken. Don't smoke for 49 hours if you can handle it, it slows down the healing process xx

[vkjames04]

Hi ntrex1991, sorry to hear you are in so much pain. I had my first ever lap surgery in October and I found recovery very difficult. The nurses all told me I would be fully recovered within 2-3 days and so I was fully expecting to be back in work on the Monday following my op on the Thursday. I was in for a massive shock when I realised I was just far too sore to move for at least 5 days after my op and it wasn't until the Wednesday after my op that I was ready to even venture out the house. I only managed 30 minutes in the car and I was ready to go back home again. Please don't worry too much or try to push yourself to be fit and well again too fast. Everyone recovers at their own pace and you seriously need to just relax and rest up as much as possible. Maybe try to make a trip to the Drs to ask for stronger pain killers if you feel up to it, though I imagine your cocodamol will start to work a bit better once your wounds start to heal a bit. I sobbed like a baby the first day I took my dressings off because I was so scared of knocking them, but my Mum bought me some cotton handkerchiefs and they were perfect to loosely cover over the wounds so that my clothes didn't stick to the cuts once the dressings are removed.

Take things at your own pace, and don't make the mistake that I did thinking "she recovered so much faster than me why am I still struggling" because we all recover in our own time.

Good luck, and enjoy as much rest as possible- lots of love and get well wishes xxx

[ntrex1991]

Thank you everyone with all the help. im on the mend I hope I've called 111 today and visited out of hours Dr's but the only problem I seem to be having now is trying to go for a number 2? I feel really embarrassed talking about it but has anyone else had same problem if so any tips I don't want to take laxatives. I don't feel like I need to go but Dr's think I do as last one was day before my op and they think that might be contributing to my pain. And once again to all ladies on here thanks for your help and time xx

[Impatient]

Poo is always a problem- because pain killers bung you up with constipation. It's still rather soon after the op and it's quite common to wait several days beforemother nature steps in and movs things along . As i suggsted before - having lactulose liquid to sip with meals helps top end, but you may prefer a suppository shoved up the other end to shift things if you have been waiting too long and its getting really uncomfy.

We all get this from the pain killers used i the hosp and afterwards. Drink plenty, and keep active pottering about throughout the day to keep the circulation and your bowels able to operate more normally. It's all to easy to hav sedentary time and the pain killers and then get stuck not able to go.

Also the pain will psychologically make you more likely to hold back than push out what needs to come out. Give yourself a few more days using regular oral laxatives before trying the anal ones. Both are easily purchased at the chemists or large supermarkets with a pharmacy section.

Rest assured it is normal for this to happen.