7 days post lap , how long off work ?

[emlouben]

I am 7 days on from my lap , I had ablation and exercision of a left uterosacral ligament nodule ( no idea what one of them is ) I have a week left of holiday till I return to work full time as a senior carer will this be ok ?

[endopains]

How manual is your job? If you have to lift people I wouldn't advise going back after 2 weeks. I do shop work and I found driving painful still after 2 weeks as well as general pain but workable - endo girls are used to pain but lifting is a big no. Even hoovering I can't do after a lap. Your doctor will advise you best. Any chance you can do paperwork when you get back?

[Impatient]

We all recover at our own pace, so don't go back to work till you are ready for that particular job, or stagger your return by taking reduced hours for a few days, or a shorter working week and see how you get on. If you need 4 weeks take 4 weeks, if you need 8 take 8. It's you that knows your own body best and what you are able to cope with. The only guideline is no gym work for 10 weeks after a surgery, so use that as a guideline for any heavy labouring job. If you are office based then you shouldbe able to return to work a lot sooner in most cases.

Safe and pain free driving is also factor if you commute by car to/from work. So if it still hurts to reach back for a seat belt or to turn your body to reverse park etc, then you should delay for a week more and see how you get on. If you over do things and end up sore as a consequence then you need to slow down and give yourself recovery time because of the setback. Recovery depends on your own body and how quickly it heals and the swelling reduces and remember if you had any laser or diathermy work done, (including ablation) these are burns and burns always take a very long time to heal, whether on the outside or inside of you.

If you have ever had severe sunburn it is much the same healing process. 1st swelling and blistering and tightness and then the dead cells start slewing away and you have the intense itching inside which you cannot sooth or scratch, and eventually the new tissue grows and this will take a couple of months or more. It doesn't necessarily mean you cannot work, but it does mean you should expect to have some rather strange sensations and possibly pain too from inside as it goes through the stages of healing. These are normal and can be irritating, annoying and at times uncomfy but they are normal sensations. Best of Luck, and be kind to your body. It has been through some pretty traumatic attacks and needs a rest and time to get better.

[Suzzee]

I've been told to do as little as possible for four weeks and wear those lovely stockings for four weeks, so you may need more time, but saying that we all heal differently. Can I ask what is an ablation is? I'm new to all this.

Hugs Suze xx

[Lilly83]

I went back after 3 days from my first lap, I'm on my feet all day, avoided heavy lifting though

[kitty270]

It really depends on how significant your op was. On my first laser lap I had widespread endo and was only expected to be in surgery for 1 hour. In turned out that I was down there for 3 hours as my surgeon underestimated my condition. I went back to work after 3 weeks however after two days I was sent home unwell due to my first period being horrendously painful, my blood pressure went through the roof and I was very ill. I had to take another 10 days to recover.

I am now in recovery of my second excision lap. Again my consultant underestimated my condition and I was in surgery for 4.5 hours this time. I'm still not sure exactly what was done as i have yet to see my consultant, but I was told by the recovery team that I had a lot of work done, some organs had to be separated and that I would be uncomfortable for a while. This however does not help when determining how much time I need off work. I have been off work now for 5 weeks and I am still not able to lie flat or get myself up from flat position, I cannot bend to pick things up, walking is painful but thankfully sitting is now tolerable. Suffice to say I need more time!

My advice is to take note of how feel, what your able to do and give yourself time to recover. As the days go by you will be able to do more each day but take it easy. Little and often is the best strategy. Don't forget although the pain from surgery will subside, your internal organs are still raw and therefore as you go through your cycle, ovulation and your period these will be more painful and difficult to cope with. Give yourself time and sufficient rest to deal with this.

I wish your well in your recovery. Take care.