Laproscopy questions

[Lse88]

Hey,

My doctor has decided to give me a diagnostic laparoscopy. I'm currently feeling really nervous with a million questions and was hoping for some help:

How long did you wait from pre op to appointment?

I have a over hang on my tummy from losing a lot of weight. Will this impact my surgery?

I'm an exercise class instructor, how long before i can exercise again?

My day job is office based. How long did you take off work?

Lastly, I'm now worried that they will find nothing and I'm overreacting. Did anyone else feel like this?

Thanks

[Cardiff_shell]

Hey,

I had a lap on July 27th so can answer some of your questions.

Pre-op to appointment I can't answer as I was treated privately and pre-op was done on the day. I get the impression it's a few weeks between usually though.

I have overhang - it was never mentioned and seemed to make no difference. I assume during surgery they would have had to work around it as I had one cut under there (the smallest).

Returning to exercise and office based work is dependent on what you have treated. I also work in an office and currently have had 4 weeks off - I did have quite a bit of treatment though and developed an infection in week 3. From what I've read 2-4 weeks seems to be average. With exercise think you'll need to listen to your body and maybe seek medical guidance, probably at least 2 weeks though?

I had exact same fear. Either way though you'll get answers xx

[Starry]

Hey. I can only answer the last two questions I'm afraid X

I have an office job albeit a stressfulI intense one. It took me 5 weeks to go back after my diagnostic. That's longer than usual (I think most people manage 2 or 3 weeks ) as I developed post operative chronic fatigue. I was kept in overnight with bladder and pain and breathing issues though so had minor complications (a tad too much morphine or analgesia methinks) .

Yes, pretty much everyone here feels like that, especially the fear that nothing is found or feeling like your making a deal when your symptoms aren't so bad... I think it's because most of us spent so many years being fobbed off and told it's in our heads that we start to minimise it all just to cope , when really we know our bodies and know it's a real problems that needs a diagnosis.

Ironically I had had a recto vaginal lump already found by my GP's internal exam so my personal fears were more about what it actually was than was anything there.

With sport my treatment op guide says six to eight weeks and then only gentle activity. I would check after the op with your surgeon or nurse. Sometimes if only mild superficial Endo is found they can treat at the same time.

[Judan]

I had a diagnostic laparoscopy. I waited about 4 weeks from ore op to op.

I also have a bit of of overhang, doesn't matter to surgery, they just do the cuts where they need to, for me it was in belly button and one on bikini line.

Can't help re exercise as I was in too much pain to move.

I was off for two weeks then went back to work, office based but with a fair amount of travel.

It's natural to be nervous and think there's nothing to be found, we have been fobbed off so many times.

Good luck xx

[Fabbird]

Hi, my first lap was simply diagnostic. I had a week off work and was fine to go back. However I didn't exercise or a few weeks.

I've usually had the pre-op 2 or 3 weeks before, but I think they are valid for longer. It will depend on how your hospital run things. The two processes are done by different teams of staff so they are not necessarily always spaced out the same. Hope that makes sense.

[Lse88]

Thanks everyone.

I think I'm just really nervous about it all.

[Zoehman82]

I had a diagnostic lap 9 days ago.

Honestly I was surprised how sore I felt afterwards.

At day 9 I am still very tender all over my tummy, more so in certain places. I had endo ablated from my right ovary. But also had a umbilical hernia stitched at the same time.

I am hoping to go to the gym in another week, but I will start with swimming only. See how I feel.

The last week has been up and Down, I actually went away camping 4 days post op. In all honesty it was too much too soon. (We have a caravan so it made it more comfortable) but I couldn't really do much. Going for small walks made my back ache so much.

Listen to your body. I still have time off work as I work in a preschool school, we do a lot of heavy lifting as we are a pack away setting in a village hall. I will not be lifting anything for six weeks but this is as much to do with the hernia repair.

I did worry that nothing would be found, I felt like I was wasting everyone's time. But I have suffered for about twenty years.

Although the endo found was superficial I also have adenomyosis. So I am not mad after all.

Good luck xx

[Lse88]

Quick update as I had preop today.

I got my appointment there and then... 3 weeks time eek!

I've been told 3/4 weeks before exercise and 1 week off work.

Thanks again everyone!