Hi All,
I have FINALLY been given a date for laparoscopy - 7th April! But now I'm suddenly freaking out that it's 3 weeks away and I'm not sure what I need to expect or take with me!
Any checklist essentials or general advice for 1st time lap would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance x
Hi honeyhills
This is amazing news!! Thanks for sharing. It can feel both exciting and daunting when you finally receive your surgery date. Thankfully, Endometriosis UK has a really useful webpage with information on preparing for your laparoscopy. You can read it here: endometriosis-uk.org/your-l... Hope you find it helpful.
And, my top tips for you are:
Take a pillow to put over your abdomen for the journey home.
Drink peppermint tea for the shoulder pain you get from the gases used to inflate your abdomen during surgery. This tea helps so much!
Follow the instructions given by your medical team in terms of what meds to take when and how often, and when you can first shower, drive etc.
Be kind to yourself, prepare meals in advance for the first week and make sure you have things to grab that are in reach of your bed. Use pillows to prop yourself up as it'll be painful to sleep lying down at first.
Take it easy, and don't rush into anything physical too soon! Find things you enjoy to entertain yourself whilst you recover.
Ask for help if you need it 
Hope it goes really well, the community is here for you 💛
Best wishes,
Claudia
Thank you so much that’s all super helpful! I’ll be sure to check out the endometriosis uk information too! X
The biggest thing to remember that I'd recommend is a pillow for the car ride home. I had to sit in the car for 2 hours after mine and I wouldn't have managed without a pillow.
Other things I'd recommend are:
Loose clothes/pants.
Easy slip on shoes.
A dressing gown/slip on shoes/Crocs etc for walking down to surgery.
Phone/charger - I took stuff just incase I spent a night there.
Something for your lips - mine were dry.
Lastly, I had an emergency sick bucket in the car lined with bags and some tissues/wipes handy incase I was sick, luckily I had antisickness medication when they were waking me up.
I didn't really need anything else. I read a book before I went down but I couldn't completly concentrate on it.
Thank you for the advice! Sick bucket is a great idea, I suffer with nausea badly as it is x
Hi! Can I ask how long you’ve been waiting?
I was first referred last March! I have a consultation appointment in July but got a phone call last night as I’d asked to be put on the cancellation waitlist! If you can get in touch with your consultants secretary, definitely ask to be on the cancellation schedule x
Hi!
I'd recommend a hot water bottle on hand at home for definite. It really helped me. In terms of preparation wash your hair on the day of and get your house cleaned, fresh bed changed beforehand as well. It'll be a little while before you want to do any of those things after you come home.
I'd generally say as well just be patient with yourself and your recovery. Don't push yourself to feel ok before you are ready for it.
As one of the other lovely ladies have recommended, loose pants are needed. I found seamless loose waisted trousers were the only thing I felt comfortable in and some underwear that sits in between your pubic line and belly button are the best ones to wear.
You'll be absolutely fine, don't freak out Hun and all the best for it
Reach out if you need someone to talk to
Xxxx
Thank you so much! I would have thought super over sized knickers that come above your belly button would’ve been comfier so that’s really good to know! Can I ask if you had support post laparoscopy? Because it’s so last minute for me it’s looking like I might have to do recovery alone at home and wondering how possible that is ! X
Yeh you probably will be ok with those as long as they are loose. I found the ones that sat in between comfy because they weren't pressing on anything.
Do you mean from the medical teams or at home (i.e partner etc)?
Oh sorry ignore me. Yes I did have support as live with my partner so he was on hand to help. It would definitely be good to have someone there for the first couple of days at least. Is this a struggle for you?
This 100%! had mine Monday and it felt so much better coming home knowing the house and bedding were all clean.
Back pain has been a massive problem, potentially due to the gas and maybe not standing fully upright - a hot water bottle has helped enormously. Definitely avoid any fizzy drinks after surgery and I’d recommend a giant pack of chewing gum. I found this helped move some of the gas and got things going.
You may not feel like eating much for the first few days. Have lots of things in that you can snack on if needs be bad soup is also really good.
Best of luck to you, I wish you all the best.
Make a stack of veg soups with bone broth ( beef or chicken stock ) and put into freezer to just get out a bit at a time. Jelly ( lime and lemon 🍋 to help with the nausea) . Drink plenty of water 💦, ginger tea …
The only thing I would add to the above amazing list of things to prepare for, is if you tend to need laxatives at times then you’ll probably need them afterwards too. All the sedatives / codeine (if taken) can cause constipation. And if any foods cause you to bloat, try to avoid those too just after your op.
I also had my op in Feb with short notice - only 4 days! I had to stay in overnight and managed to get away with flip flops (easy slip on is definitely helpful). I also took a one-size fits all spa type large cotton dressing gown, rather than a thick fluffy one and found it was just the thickness, fitting over the hospital gown, as hospitals tend to be warm.
Good luck!
So mine is on the 24 March (gone private), thank you for posting this I have jumped on and been reading the answers which I have been really helpful! So far in my post lap toolkit I have:
Rennie (the one for wind and bloating)
Laxative
Paracetamol and Ibuprofen
New pj' s (Tesco have some smart night shirts, that weren't too expensive)
Hot water bottle
Heated patches
Thick period pads
Also bought some of those hot and cold packs from amazon - so i can have them frozen or heated.
I've bought some puzzle books and coloring books as well
My husband has created a little "den" in our spare room for me so i have the TV, fire stick and everything to hand, also so he can have the bed to himself
🙄
Hi this is great news!!!!!!
I had my laparoscopy 6 weeks ago now.
1st HOT WATER BOTTLE it saved my life as you might find you have pain in your diaphragm from the gas and also just a sore tummy so moving the hot water bottle around me helped a bunch.
2 -peppermint tea it really helps with the gas pains and bloating.
Bring a dressing gown and slippers/sliders to the hospital with you (I had to change into them when I put the gown and stockings on.
I got in high fibre foods as I was given codine for pain relief and it causes bad constipation so good fibre foods helped.
Just rest up lots when you're out and don't over exert yourself, if you feel like you need to lie down or have a kip even though you've only walked a couple of steps then do it.
Listen to your body as everyone is different!!!!
Good luck xxx
Wow - thank you all so much! The support of this page never ceases to amaze me! I’ve taken all of this on board and feel so much calmer and more prepared! X
1st laparoscopy - what to expect?
Tips for laparoscopy
Agony 1st AF post laparoscopy 😢
