Diagnostic laparoscopy - recovery time and where to go next

[glwatwcmw]

Hi,

I have 2 questions. Huge apologies for the mega post.

I had a diagnostic laparoscopy yesterday. No endo was found which I'm equally disheartened and elated by, so it was purely a diagnostic rummage (not sure how thorough, all they said was everything looks healthy and moving freely). The surgeon asked if I needed a sick note and how long I wanted before I went into theatre???? I asked for 2 weeks as I didn't know what was going to happen in surgery. Has anyone needed to weeks just for diagnostic? I'm so run down in general that I feel I might need it emotionally and for exhaustion more than physically but don't want to be cheeky with work? I know I can return earlier if I feel up to it, I just wondered about everyone else's experiences.

Next, I was immediately discharged from gynae (general) with no follow up to discuss other potential reasons for my pain??? I'm not really sure what to do or where to go next in just permanently exhausted and fed up of being in pain. I have a lot of pain all through my cycle including painful sex (deep on left hand side), general painful period pains, random stabbing pains around ovaries, some shooting pains through vagina/cervix, really really bad lower back ache which is there more often than not that also goes across the top of my bum and incidents of sciatica, sciatica type shooting pains from my abdomen. I feel worse around ovulation and can be in pain for days leading up to, in to, and out of ovulation. Amongst other niggles. This has all got much worse over the last year. Ultrasounds, bloods and colonoscopy all normal. I don't know if I'm convinced it's endo as I don't have heavy periods or long periods, and the gynae has now ruled it out. I just feel stuck and fed up at the thought of being in pain forever and not knowing why. I feel quite embarrassed and like fraud if that makes sense. I guess I just feel lost. Obviously I'm not wishing for endo as reading on here, what you ladies go through, it is clearly horrific. I guess I just want the pain validated.

Sob story over!!

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Gem x

[lizzyxx]

I felt fine a week after my diagnostic lap and was more or less back to normal x

[glwatwcmw in reply to lizzyxx]

Thanks Lizzy x

[Hidden]

Hi Gem,

I’m 5 weeks post op today and I’m still struggling with the fatigue.. I had 2 weeks off work and then they were good enough for me to phase myself back into it.. but I did struggle. I also had a diagnostic, they found 3 different issues but my consultant was adamant that none of them caused my unexplained pain. ( I’ve since researched and ALL of them cause severe pain!) I was also discharged on this basis with no follow up. Ridiculous. I have insisted to have a follow up to discuss now my next steps.. but that’s not until the end of this month.

I would ask for a follow up the same as me.. try and put a plan together going forward. Remember it’s your body and not theirs...you know in your own mind and being that there is something not right which is causing your pain.. and I hear ya girl! It’s so annoying.. and just absolutely energy sucking.

If you have any questions or want a chat, please do, Jo x

[glwatwcmw in reply to Hidden]

Hi Jo,

Thanks so much for your reply. Did they treat anything during your op or was it purely diagnostic? What issues did they find if you don't mind me asking? How can the consultant discharge you at all if issues have been found??? It's ludicrous!

It just makes you question your sanity when tests come back clear and I'm just at a loss of where to go from here. All it said was no endometriosis found - I don't know what, if anything else they looked at or for. I feel like I've found a nice GP who I'll be going back to see but it's just so frustrating.

Honestly, the fatigue is the absolute worst.

Gem x

[Nicolarose]

I was pretty much in the same boat! I had a diagnostic and he said I had the cleanest pelvis he’s ever seen haha. Pain for me was a daily thing, was agony to try go to the loo and I became scared of sex. Thinking about it now, I just started the pill and haven’t had AS much problems.

For next steps, you might benefit for asking to be referred for bowel specialist. If that’s all normal, the consultant I had for a follow up said sometimes endo can be so small you can’t see it but can cause a hell of a lot of pain. I hope it gets better though!

[glwatwcmw]

Thanks Nicola. It's just awful isn't it - where is the bloody pain coming from?? Did you have a follow up with gynae even though it was clear?? How long were you off work recovering from your lap?

I'm with you re sex - I'm scared to be intimate and feel so sad and guilty for my (very lovely and understanding!) husband.

I've already had a colonoscopy which came back clear - I had no follow up from them either! It's so frustrating x