A little help!? What to expect about recovery!?

[MissFR]

Hi there im a little new to all of this but I signed up for some moral support! I have my lap booked for the end of the month,( and very nervous!) however I am unaware of what to expect after the op? Will the pain go away? Will there be vaginal bleeding at all? I haven't been given much info about recovery or anything yet!? I'm young and completely clueless about all of this! Please help! Any info about your recovery experience ...

[JeanOsborne]

Hi there , you may get some bleeding afterwards and be uncomfortable for a while. The worst thing is the trapped wind from the gas they pump into you. Try peppermint tea which should help and try and keep moving as it will help to disperse the gas. With regards to the pain that will depend on what they do, whether it is just a diagnostic or whether they plan to remove endo at the same time. It may be worth getting some laxatives in as sometimes the op can play havoc with your bowels and bladder. Neither like being handled. I wish you good luck with your op and a speedy recovery.

[MissFR in reply to JeanOsborne]

Thank you very much, I'll have to get some more peppermint tea! Xx

[JeanOsborne in reply to MissFR]

Make sure you have plenty of paracetamol and ibrofen too. You can take two paracetamol then two ibrofen two hours later which will help keep any pain at bay.

[Angie205276]

Recovery depends on the severity of your endo and extent of the surgery.

For my first lap two years ago I had stage four endo which was extensive and included my bowel. I was in hospital for four nights and was off work for 8 weeks. I couldn't walk much for the first three weeks and needed a lot of help. As I had some of my bowel removed I ate only soft mushy foods for the first few weeks. I had to get my hubby to buy me some really thick pads as there was quite a lot of bleeding in the week after I got home from hospital. It took a long time to get my strength back. I couldn't walk for long without stopping for a break. This went on for about six weeks then I started to improve. Keep in mind that this was severe endo where everything was stuck together and I had some bowel removed (a small bit so not extensive). My insides were filled with stitches which took a long time to heal. After about nine months I felt like myself again and was pain free for around 18 months which was a great relief.

I had my second lap 2.5 weeks ago and this time they removed a giant cyst from between my bowel and uterus. This wasn't near as bad as my first surgery however I'm in the third week after the surgery and still off work. First two weeks were painful and exhausting but I'm finding this week I am able to get around a lot more and am getting my energy and stamina back. I will hopefully be back at work next week. Worst part of this surgery was the incision pain (they made 5 incisions in my stomach - one up under my rib cage which has been very painful) and definitely the pain from the gas as mentioned by Jean. The gas pain hung around for a day or two after the op and can be very painful. Make sure you take your painkillers which will take the edge off that pain. For this lap I had a little bit of bleeding during the first week but nothing significant. Again, have some pads handy (I had some thick and thin ones on hand).

Try to keep your diet light with fibre in the days after the op. This will be difficult as you probably have to do the bowel prep before the op which cleans you out completely for the surgery and you will probably be really hungry afterwards. I was so hungry after the surgery that I just wanted to eat and eat, mostly heavy foods like bread and pasta. This was a mistake as it took a week or so for my 'number 2s' to return....I didn't do myself any favours!

Depending on the extent of your surgery you may want to have a slim pillow, cushion or thick towel to hold close to your stomach for the car ride home. I found this to be critical for my first lap as it stopped the seatbelt from touching my incisions and I could hold my stomach tight going over bumps. I didn't need this for my second lap though.

I hope this helps - if you have any other questions let me know. It really depends on what they do during the op as to what happens after.

I wish you the best for a good outcome and for your recovery.

Take care x

[MissFR]

Thank you very much for your help, I wish you all the best! do you think that I will have to have the lap again? Will it grow back? I hope you are ok xx

[Angie205276 in reply to MissFR]

Hi I'm sorry I didn't know you had asked me a question. I had a Mirena inserted in my first operation (IUD) and after my second surgery (two years later) my surgeon confirmed that the endo had not returned.

My second was for a large cyst in my pouch of Douglas. Unfortunately the cyst was probably a result of the extensive scarring and the Mirena but it is encouraging to know that the endo has not returned. I am doing ok now but suffering from a lot of bowel related symptoms which I think are never going to subside.

I hope I don't need to have another op but that's what I thought two years ago and it wasn't the case sadly. I don't ever think I'll be free.

Hope you are doing well. Please know you are not alone. There are many of us endo warriors out there. x

[NuttyBiscuits]

Hi love, don't worry. I had my first lap last year to drain a cyst and diagnose endometriosis. I'm now in hospital recovering from my second lap which was much more complex, removing endo, cyst, and dense adhesions from my bowel and bladder.

As the others have said, be prepared for the gas pain both times this had been agonising for me. Under the tips and in the shoulder tips. I found a hot water bottle helped on my shoulder pain the first time, but this time I've had to stay in hospital so I couldn't do that. They gave me peppermint water, but really the best thing is to keep moving to dislodge the gas (and keep burping and farting it out!)

Ive had done bleeding, nothing major, no worse than a period.

Last time my recovery was good - first few days I was in a lot of pain, but then it settled. I was wiped out for the first 2 weeks, just spent most if it on the sofa with occasional pottering around the garden. Week 3 I went out for lunch with friends a lot! Week 4 I was back in work. This time around I expect it to take longer as I've had more done. I'm not in any rush.

Good luck, x