I am 22 years old and I have been suffering with severe symptoms of endo since October 2015, and on friday (16th Dec) I had my first ever anaesthetic/operation to diagnose and treat. Sometimes I almost feel a little guilty about this - as I know so many women go undiagnosed and un-listened to for years and years. But you will not believe the relief I have had when the doctor told me that I had endometriosis and they had successfully removed it all via diathermy.
After over a year of feeling like no-one believed me, or that I was making it up and that it was all in my head, I was told the op would be 15 minutes long and that they didn't really expect to find endo - if anything at all.
I was then wheeled down to the prep room, had an IV placed whilst holding an oxygen mask to my face.. and within seconds I felt everything go into a blur.
2 hours later I woke up in the recovery ward in the most horrendous pain, with an oxygen mask on and hooked up to ECG machines. A male recovery nurse stood by my side the whole time administering me fentanyl through my IV until I was more comfortable, and he re-assured me. I was then moved up to the ward 30 minutes after I had woken up where my worried mum and partner were waiting anxiously as I had been gone a lot longer than the estimated 15 minutes!
Upon recovery I felt so nauseous, I was given anti-sickness medication which I then still vomited not much later. A nurse rushed over and administered more anti-sickness through my IV which stung a lot and made me feel very dizzy, and also gave me codeine to take. I was on and off sleeping for the whole afternoon. As it was day surgery - I was told that I'd be allowed to go home 2 hours after waking up.... 6 hours later I was discharged.
I was only allowed home once I had urinated and eaten something. Unfortunatley my blood pressure was too low for them to even let me out of bed to urinate so I ate some toast and eventually had the strength to go to the bathroom - a tiny tiny tiny trickle of urine later I was on my way home!
The doctor came by and told me that they had found grade 1 endometriosis attached to my uterosacral ligament of my uterus, and also in the pouch of douglas located near the bowel - which explains the IBS symptoms. They said that my uterus, ovaries and cervix all look normal, which I am over the moon with as my biggest fear has been infertility.
Day 3 post op - I have managed to walk downstairs this morning - hooray!!
I have been prescribed co-codamol and ibuprofen which is helping a lot, I have vomited every day (apart from today fingers crossed) since the op. In my head I still dont feel 100% with it, but i guess that's all of the drugs and anaesthetic wear off? The wounds hurt - I am wearing my boyfriends pj bottoms so they are looser. My shoulders have been very stiff and sore from the gas, but this seems to be wearing off also.
I didn't bleed much the day of the op, or saturday. But yesterday and today it seems like a heavy period - not much clots through which is good i guess.
Just taking every day as it comes, I didn't realise how slowly the recovery would be, but I suppose I also didn't know what would happen during the op either.
I still feel slightly nauseous, and extremely tired. I am a vet nurse so i'm not going to rush back to work too quickly as it isn't a sit down job!
Thank you so much if you have stuck by and continued to read my lengthy rant! I just really felt the need to tell my story as I can't really believe that, hopefully, it is now all over!
Nat x