Lap

[angiebabes88]

After waiting from July 2015 for a date for my lap I finally got the letter yesterday, so relieved to finally have the date. Can anyone advise of things I should have in the house for when I get home to assist with my recovery? Thanks...

[JeanOsborne]

Try and cook some meals that you can freeze and then reheat for when you need them. Also things like soup as you may not have much of an appetite straight away but need to keep your strength up . Make sure you have paracetamol and ibrofen to help with any pain. Also get some peppermint tea as this will help with gas pains. Good luck and wishing you a speedy recovery.

[AMJ270985]

Try to keep everything you need or want around waist height, your not aloud to bend or stretch when you first have the surgery.

I also had a jug with milk in the fridge as you should avoid lifting anything too heavy.

I would also suggest you get some full briefs that cut above your belly button that way you don't have a seem rubbing at your stitches. I also had a pair of jogger bottoms to wear out as they were more comfortable than jeans. When I was at home I was wearing night shirts.

I would put a cushion or pillow in the car to hold over your stomach on the drive home from the hospital. I did this as the hospital was down country lanes and the roads where pretty bumpy and this was a little bit of extra support.

I hope all goes well and wish you the best with your surgery. Try not to rush your recovery, it takes time.

[applebird]

Have the house clean, tidy and a few meals in the freezer as you won't feel like doing much for a week or two at least, particularly the first week. Lots of comfortable clothes, DVDs or Netflix, forget about reading you'll fall asleep with the pain meds anyway. Avoid hot water bottles as you risk burning yourself with higher meds than normal. Lots of fruit and veg/peppermint tea to get your stomach/bowel back to normal.

endo-resolved.com/laparosco...

Take your recovery slowly, after 2 wks you might be up to part time work or going out for the afternoon but you'll still need plenty of rest - this is key to a good recovery. That's based on my experience of severe Endo - always told 4-6wks recovery. With milder disease you should bounce back more quickly. Remember to ask your consultant what stage/severity was found and where. Keep a note of anything he/she tells you (text the info to a friend so you don't lose it), you'll be given a letter to give to your gp at discharge, make a copy of this too - then you know exactly where you stand.

Lots of luck with the op, it is easier than you think, the nurses will be really supportive esp the first few days if you're kept in. After about the first 2-5 days any pain you have is no worse than Endo pain really as long as you keep on top of your meds you should be fine even from the start. It's more fatigue and discomfort for most of recovery so don't worry. Xx

[Monikka29]

I agree with what the girls above commented - I got sent home with painkillers (dihydrocodeine being one of them), codeine makes you constipated so make sure you have Laxido or something similar. Peppermint tea was great for bloating. Lots of cushions - I couldn't lie flat as I couldnt get up then, I had to be elevated a little bit. I'm still recovering, had my lap last wed, stage 2, I'm up and walking a bit (not too much, I can't bend or lift heavy things). Make sure you take your pain relief on time, it does get better.

[CP17]

I had a friend stay with me for 2 days after my lap, and found that very helpful both emotionally and with practical tasks. I was somewhat out of it from the pain medication when released from the hospital, and was grateful that she could call and pay for the taxi, etc. But mostly it was just nice to have someone there.

I agree with what others have said that it's good to have food on hand ahead of time. You may not be feeling up to going out to the store for a few days.

I have stage IV endo and I personally experienced more pain than fatigue after the surgery. I felt back to my usual energy level by a week after the surgery and was able to go for long walks at that point (and felt like it!). However, I got my period a few days after the surgery and the pain was worse than my usual endo pain, and once I ran out of opiates it was pretty unpleasant. All in all, though, considering that I'd had surgery on my abdomen, I felt like the recovery was pretty easy.

Good luck