Excision Surgery

[Dixie22]

Hello ladies,

Hope you're all doing well. I was diagnosed with endo a couple of years ago after diagnostic lap (took around 2weeks to recover from the procedure). I am now booked into have excision surgery to remove the endo in October and was just wondering about recovery times and how painful it will be afterwards? How long does it generally take to recover from excision surgery & what is the pain like after? Last time they didn't really do anything apart from diagnose... just beginning to get anxious about recovery time/pain. I'm planning to take 3weeks off work initially. Will this be long enough?

Greatly appreciate any responses. Thanks x

[ShortStuff88]

Hey Dixie,

I had a 2nd lap last october to remove endo from left ovary, both tubes, unstick my bowel and left tube from my pelvic wall and unstick my right tube from bladder. I had 4 weeks and this was long enough for the getting into doing housey kinda things but not for going back to work full time - however after the first two weeks i was itching to go back to work. I looked 6 months pregnant for a good 3 weeks and still had difficulty doing my work trousers up for 3months due to the swelling and pain the trousers caused when done up. My parents took me on a day trip to the Black Country Museum after 2 and a half weeks, i managed 20mins walking and spent the rest of the time in a wheel chair.

I think it depends though on your type of work, travel to and from work, weekly hours as to when to go back. I drive a 40mile round trip for work but i am in HR so its mostly sat down for 37.5 hours. I do wish i had gone back on less hours and increased week by week but due to financial reasons i came back feet first. I made sure i had boxes under my desk to put my legs up as i found sitting in 90degree angles too painful and someone was always on hand to make drinks and get my lunch from the fridge If you have to drive i'd advise getting someone else to take you as i felt everything tugging and pulling whenever i broke or did clutch changes. I was 22 at my 1st lap and was back in work after 6 days, i was 23 at my 2nd lap and thought im young and tough so i can handle it when really it was a bad move.

My advise would be to take your time, assess your entire situation, if you dont have to be back then dont, change your travel arrangements so you are not putting pressure on your tum, change your hours to suit and give in when your body says its had enough. I hope this helps xx

[ShortStuff88 in reply to ShortStuff88]

as for pain they gave me diclofenac but it bunged me up and threw me off food completely, they offered me morphine but as i live on my own i refused and tried all sorts of concoctions. Codeine helped me but it made me quite light headed so i stuck to ibuprofen and paracetomol, iy merely took the edge off.

My cyclic pain has been reduced i'd say by 40%, i dont pass out and i dont have the shooting pain which was caused by my pouch of douglas having endo. I am now having a daily dull ache, and a few other issues as a result of endo returning and adhesions. the joys of being female!

I hope all goes well and you get yourself sorted soon xx

[Dixie22 in reply to ShortStuff88]

Thanks Digger - really helpful! I'm not sure the extent of work they will have to do at surgery. Last time I was told that the endo was mainly on the uterosacral ligaments.

Sounds like full recovery could take a while so will definitely have to play it by ear and not rush back into things! I am also office based and sat down at a desk for most of the day so will have to remember to get some boxes in for my legs before I go off for my lap!!

Thanks again & take care xx