I've got my first laparascopy on Tuesday after months of going back and forth with doctors appointments and scans ... I'm a bit nervous, never had anything done like this before ... can anyone share their experience? What was the recovery like?
I think I'm more nervous about what they might say after in their findings. My husband and I have been trying for a baby for the last couple month's with no success.. how long after the operations can you start trying again?
I had my first lap on the 26th of Oct and I'm still recovering now. I'm hoping to be back at work a week tomorrow. I've found keeping on top of taking meds, a warm and half filled water bottle and loose comfy clothing to be the best things! Oh & big pants!
I was also more nervous about what they would or wouldn't find too, but either way you need to know what's going on. The staff were lovely and they found endo, lots of scar tissue and something was stuck somewhere it shouldn't have been.
Any questions, feel free to inbox me 
Hi Ashley-Jane!
I had my first laparoscopy back in February, so I can give you a quick run through if you'd like
Firstly they have your anaesthetist visit and say hi, they may ask you a few questions. You'll have a cannula put in your hand a couple of hours before your op (for me this was one of the most uncomfortable things, but I don't think mine was put in correctly - I had blot clots in my hand afterwards and this is very rare). Your doctor (or whoever is doing your surgery) will also come and visit and give you a low down on what will happen. You'll be made to take a couple of pregnancy tests as well, just to be sure, I believe they do this with everyone. Then they will make you put on a hospital gown, your stockings and these huge granny pants :') then you just chill out until it's time to go in.
When they're ready for you, you'll be taken to the theatre and push your anaesthetic through your IV (for me this was done in a small room outside of theatre), just try and relax, they should ask you lots of questions to keep you calm and will possibly ask you to count. At first you won't feel like anything is happening and suddenly you're asleep! Then they obviously wheel you in and do the op.
My op took 40min, and you'll wake up in recovery with absolutely no idea how much time has passed (tbh it feels like you're extremely drunk when you wake up - don't panic). When you're more awake they wheel you back in your bed again and then you're into recovery mode!
I needed oxygen nubs because my levels were low (I don't know why) and they will probably connect you to a monitor. During the op they put carbon dioxide into your stomach (the gas just extends the tummy so they can see better and it doesn't react badly with anything in your body) but just to warn you, this gas gets very uncomfortable, and will be for the next 4 or 5 days. Apparently if you put your legs up this helps, I don't know, I didn't try it, but I do suggest you have a quick google! Apart from that, there shouldn't be too much pain at all - you'll be stocked up on lots of pain meds before you leave as well. Depending on what time your op is, they may make you stay overnight to monitor you. I stayed overnight and made my mum stay with me. I'm glad I did as I found that sitting up and getting out of bed by myself was very tricky. I didn't manage to walk properly for about a week. When you go to the toilet though for a wee, they will probably make you wee in a bed pan to make sure things on the inside are working okay. They will measure how much you weed and do an ultrasound of your stomach. They will also probably give you an anal suppository and possibly will have put one in during the surgery - they should ask you whether you're happy for this to happen beforehand.
That's pretty much it tbh! You'll head home and keep your stockings on and curl up with a hot chocolate and lots of movies. The first couple of nights might be a bit sleepless, it can get quite painful and I found the meds didn't get rid of all of the pain. I ended up having to call my mum to get my meds off my bedside table in the middle of the night as I couldn't even twist to reach and get them - make sure they're reachable!! They ended up doing an awful lot of "shaving" in those 40min, and although the scars won't show it, you've probably had some major stomach surgery. Make sure you give yourself lots of time to relax. I tried to go back to school and do half days a week later - not a good idea. I ended up having a month off school in the end! Remember that you will be very tired and give yourself lots of down time.
Obviously I can only give you what I've experienced, but I hope this helps!
I'll be thinking of you on Tuesday.
Allie x
Thank you that's really insightful. Think it helps to just get a bit of explanation off someone that has been through it instead of very vague details from the doctor. I think I'm just nervous about that they will say after and I guess the recovery as not sure what to expect to feel after! xxx
I was also nervous, but try not to worry! The main thing to focus on is that the surgery goes well. The recovery isn't great but it depends how much they decide to do. If you're worried with regards to fertility, hopefully they will have done an internal ultrasound and will have seen nothing. If this is the case I think it's more likely that the endometriosis is situated somewhere else e.g. the bowel. They will do their absolute best not to remove anything they don't have to though, and remember, even if they do have to remove an ovary or Fallopian tube, it shouldn't affect fertility. If they have to remove both then they should freeze your eggs and make IVF an option (not the preferred option obviously, but it's something).
Much love and fingers crossed for tomorrow. Whatever happens, there will be a way to sort it!
Allie x
Thanks Alicia, I have mine a month today. Did you have excision treatment in yours or was it just looking and diagnosis? I have been told I will be back to work in a week and am worried that recovery is actually longer really.
I had a fair amount of excision in mine, a lot of it was on my bowel wall and as it was deeply infiltrating so they had to really dig it out. They gave me a doctors note so I could be off for two weeks, but I went back to my GP to get more time off. I think if it is only looking and diagnosing you'd probably be alright in 1-2 weeks as it's only recovery of the muscle and skin which needs to heal. Whereas excision, depending how much and where, I think can take significantly longer. I tried to do half days back at school in week 2, and saw my doctor who did the surgery on the Thursday of that week. After seeing the extent of work they did I realised that the pain and tiredness that I still had wasn't just me being "weak" - when I saw my GP to get another doctors note she told me not to underestimate recovery time - just because the scars are minimal doesn't mean you haven't had major stomach surgery. I think if they do end up doing excisions, let yourself have as much time as you need to be comfortable to go back. The doctors never tell you quite how painful it will be, for me, my 'after surgery pain' was the same or better than the period pain of been having beforehand so I managed to get through it alright, but I was pretty much immobile for a week and not being able to take yourself to the toilet can be a bit disheartening! Basically what I'm saying is give yourself at least two weeks to recover if excisions have been done.
Good luck and let me know how it's going!
Allie x
Thanks Alicia, very helpful and that makes sense of the variation in recovery people have told me. Til now they said it was deep/bowel and it would be diagnosis only but the MRI showed only ovary problems so now they say that may excise too, so it may go either way.
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