Help needed please 😊

[Twinklybelle]

Hi everyone, I'm going to be having a laparoscopy to remove my stage 4 endo soon, can anyone recommend things i need for the hospital or tips for recovery once i come home? Thanks 😊 xx

[Monty13]

Hiya,good luck for your procedure! I had the same op also for stage 4 endo. Your not in hospital long,I was first in at 830am and on way home by 130pm. I took slippers and light dressing gown,you really only need it to walk from one room to theatre. Wear comfy clothes,as you'll be bloated and have a few stitches around belly button area so no waistbands that'll touch that. Lots of peppermint tea afterwards( keyhole surgery can trap gas around chest and shoulder) definitely helps move any trapped air and ease bloating,paracetamol and lots of rest!!

I had my op as I couldn't conceive,8 months later was pregnant and now nursing a very healthy 4 month old!! Hope all goes well,and a speedy recovery to you x

[Twinklybelle in reply to Monty13]

Hello hun, thanks for your reply and ask your tips 😊 congratulations on getting pregnant, that's fantastic news! Did you fall pregnant naturally after having endo removed? I had a lap to diagnose and was told i have stage 4. Been on the pill for 6 months as had a big holiday booked so wanted to wait until after it for further surgery. It's helped a bit but i just want the op to take it all away now. We can't afford ivf at the minute so we were hoping to try naturally after my op for a little while. Unfortunately i have a low egg reserve too which doesn't help.

Im 34, how old are you hun? Xx

[Monty13 in reply to Twinklybelle]

Hiya,I also have a low egg reserve,was told to either get prostap injections for a year then go straight for ivf afterwards,as I would never conceive naturally. I opted out of prostap and tried naturally antway as I'm now 37. Please don't be disheartened by age or eggs!!

Few friends got pregnant after lap and it makes a difference if they clear the pouch of Douglas apparently! Google it so u know what to ask for!! Sounds ridiculous I know,but if it helps!!xx

[Twinklybelle in reply to Monty13]

Ahh really? What was your amh if you dont mind me asking? Mine was 13.11 6 years ago. Ive been for another blood test this morning to test it again, i know it won't get sny better but just hope it's no worse. 😕

What are the prostrap injections?

I have endo on the pouch of douglas, still laugh at the name now 😂 so that helps does it? Xxx

[Monty13 in reply to Twinklybelle]

Apparently it makes a difference,they removed mine from pouch without asking,but a friend had 2 laproscopys with no luck,3 failed ivf, and finally got pregnant with 3rd laproscopy when she requested the pouch o Douglas be done as it wasn't previously!she swears by it doing the trick!!

I haven't had my bloods done in 3 years and it was 8.1

prostap was a hormone injection to put body into an artificial HRT, with view to supress oestrogen levels and not "feed" the endometriosis that was left over from op.

I didn't want to risk it as,being older I didn't want to take chance my hormone levels would never come back up again! Id had a nhs funded course ivf 5 months before my laproscopy and the hormones made me depressed and really drained me emotionally,even more so as ivf then failed!X

[Twinklybelle in reply to Monty13]

Ill have to make sure i mention that to my doctor then, thanks for the tip!

I have no idea what my results will be, my partner also had his sperm test done yesterday to do see where we stand with those results ready for trying naturally.

Im sorry you had a failed ivf too 😕 it sucks doesn't it. Do you also only get 1 nhs go?

Did you do anything in particular after your op when trying naturally? We are talking pregnacare conception tablets. Xxx

[Monty13 in reply to Twinklybelle]

Yea I live in northern Ireland and only get 1 nhs funded cycle.The ivf failing nearly broke me emotionally,but I focused on trying naturally and got my laproscopy then unfortunately my partner of almost 10 years (who was perfectly fertile)left not long after. I had completely given up on a family,with my age,lower egg reserve and being abandoned! I done everything right with the ivf cycle,went for weekly acupuncture,took zita West vitamins,stopped smoking and drinking and it still failed.

8 months later,I started a relationship with a school friend from 20 years ago and got pregnant straight away! So please no matter how hard it seems,don't give up! Your wee baby will come,just a matter of when not if!! Xx

[CJessicaD]

I’m 6 days post op and the other ladies on here saved me with their advice!

Things I took with me:

-New pyjamas to feel cosy, but in a size bigger than normal!

-Light dressing gown

-New slippers!

-Multi pack of knickers that I wasn’t bothered about throwing away (I bled more than I expected after surgery)

-Sanitary towels

-Toothpaste/toothbrush/soap/etc - (in case I had to stay over night)

-A pillow for the car!!! - This saved my life on the way home, even though my mum still managed to drive over every single bloody pot hole 😂

-Lip balm - my lips were soooo dry when I woke up. I also applied lip balm all day whilst I waited for surgery because the consultant said I might have a few cuts on my lips from them drying and then the tube being put in. So I moisturised the hell out of my lips beforehand!

-peppermint capsules AND peppermint tea - my stomach pain was as expected but the only thing I struggled with was the gas pain 😩. It was the worst part of the surgery for me. I fainted from the pain of it on the first day! I hated the capsules and the tea but god I couldn’t get enough of it once I realised how much it helped for the gas pain. Keep moving also! It really really helps. It only lasted 24-48 hours. It just completely took me by surprise!

-a little bit of cash

I think this is all I took last week. Hope it goes well and you recover fast 💖💖💖

[Twinklybelle in reply to CJessicaD]

Thanks for all your advice hun, that's really helpful, especially about the gas pain, i suffered badly with that and not being able to go to the toilet for about 5 days. The pain was horrendous!

Wishing you a speedy recovery lovely xxx

[Cmmo519]

Going in for my op I took

- a cheap night dress (I didn’t end up using it but kept it with me)

- cosy socks for after the op - I’m glad I brought them because I was freezing!

- shoes that slid on so I didn’t need to lean over after the op

- high waisted cheap pants which I brought a few pairs of

- thick maxi pads, my hospital gave me a couple any way but I had to change before it made it out the ward so maybe bring some incase!

- something loose to come home in, I wore a maxi dress going in and just wore it home too and it was the most comfortable thing ever

- dressing gown

- my phone and headphones, I didn’t use them but if your ward is noisy and you’re waiting a while it might be good to have

I had an ‘emergency bag’ in my boyfriend’s car that if I was staying in he would have dropped off which just had basically the same plus toothbrush, toothpaste etc. My best advice is to have a pillow for the car and a blanket - the cushion totally softened any speed bumps or rough roads although I could definitely still feel them. The cushion stayed glued to me for days any time I sneezed or anything and it was a life saver. I also took a few activated charcoal tablets on the days after my surgery and they were great for the gas pain. I hope your surgery goes well, good luck! xx

[Twinklybelle in reply to Cmmo519]

Thank you hunni, all these tips are great! Good thinking about a maxi dress, that would be really comfy! I wore leggings last time but they hurt my tummy. Xxx

[Cmmo519 in reply to Twinklybelle]

The maxi dress was what I lived in for the first few days post-op! So comfy xx

[Twinklybelle in reply to Cmmo519]

Good tip!! Thanks 😁 xxx

[hltz]

One thing I wish I was told was to eat very little after your op. The following evening after being sick from the anaesthetic I was starving so had a bowl of pasta. Because of my empty stomach and the gas I had the most extreme stomach pain and ended up in A&E! Small meals for the few days following your op that are easy to digest!

[Twinklybelle in reply to hltz]

Thanks lovely, that doesn't sound good bless you! Hope you are recovering well xxx

[ElaineKC]

Make sure you have anti nausea pills. I had Gas x pills, activated charcoal, stool softener and hard candies as well. My husband gave me an insulated coffee cup filled with ice water that was easy to drink from laying down.

You need to move around even when you feel like crap. To get the trapped gas out. Just a few steps to the bathroom and around your bedroom will help.

Make sure you get a good pain pill prescription. Even 9 days post lap I still need 1/2 a Percocet about every 8 hours.

Best of luck

[Twinklybelle in reply to ElaineKC]

How long were you off work for? Xx

[ElaineKC in reply to Twinklybelle]

I am 9 days post op........I don't work full time (well my three kids are full time) but I am not up to full speed. I would say you need at least a full 2 weeks off....maybe longer if you have a very physical job. I find if I try to do too much I go backwards in the healing. Need more pain meds and get tired very easily.

[Twinklybelle in reply to ElaineKC]

Make sure you rest up lovely, hope you stay too feel better soon xxx

[SimplyDeeDee]

Lots of useful tips above but thought I’d add mint sweets; tictacs where the first thing I reached for followed by an extra strength strepsil. Your throat will be sore afterwards and you find yourself swallowing a lot, this will last a few days. Sanitary towels because the ones they give you are like nappies.

All the clothing and sundries have been mentioned so won’t do that again. Don’t forget a hairband though if you need one that is.

At home- I purchased antiseptic spray, hibiscrub and the wound dressing so I could keep it clean until the stitches came out. Optional but it was my choice. I also washed with hibiscrub to make sure my body was germ free.

V pillow is a life saver! I sleep on my front usually but that was definitely not going to happen. It supports you on both sides of your back and is so easy to fall asleep on.

Sliders with grip will be the easiest shoe to wear and prevents you from bending down.

All the best with your op and let us know how you feel a few days later, we’re all here for support.

[Twinklybelle in reply to SimplyDeeDee]

Thankyou for the great tips hunni, everyone has been really helpful 😊 feel like I'm going in more prepared this time! Xx

[Hormone-hell]

Hi Twinklybelle,

Good luck for your op!

I reccomend baggy clothes/slippers/dressing gown, carrot juice and herbal tea is meant to be good for any excess gas/shoulder pain : ) also reccomend eating some good soups to eat as It can make going to the bathroom after easier.

Xx

[Twinklybelle in reply to Hormone-hell]

Thank you hun, yes had real trouble with going to the bathroom last time and the gas pain, it was agony! Thanks for your tips xx