To ask you when you started to feel more normal after surgery?

[StillChangingForTheBetter]

Hi all,
I had a laparoscopy for suspected endometriosis on Friday, so just a couple of days ago now. It was a day case and the hospital were great, but I’m just wondering… when did you start to feel more normal afterwards?
At the moment, I’m still feeling quite sore, especially around my belly button and lower stomach, and the shoulder tip pain from the gas is surprisingly horrible. I’m moving around a bit but still spending a lot of time resting. I'm managing with painkillers but definitely not back to myself yet.
If you’ve had a lap for endo, how long did it take before:

• You felt more human?
• The bloating and shoulder pain eased off?
• You could get back to work / childcare / driving etc.?

Also, did anyone feel quite emotional afterwards? I think the anaesthetic plus the whole experience has knocked me a bit more than I expected. Would love to hear your experiences—thank you ❤️

The shoulder pain from trapped wind is horrendous, it was the same after a c section and worse the day after/second day rather than the day of. You need peppermint oil for that and drink peppermint tea. I don’t have experience of your condition but am sure once the gas has gone you’ll feel a lot better

I’ve has full abdominal surgery 3 times and started to feel normal at the 2 week mark, and just improved day by day after that. Back at work after 4 week mark. And yes I did feel really emotional after general too!
My best tips are move more than you think you are capable of, but gently. It will help the trapped gas and healing. And yes peppermint capsules for the gas too. I always thought staying still would be best but it isn’t. Look after yourself and take it a day at a time!

Same procedure (several times) - 1.5 weeks to resume normal activities (driving, cleaning, walking) and 2-3 weeks until I feel 100% myself.

The shoulder pain & bloating will diminish quickly, it's horrible but doesn't last too long - moving around gently will help dissipate the gas.

Eat healthy good stuff & lots of water 🙂

With my first lap it took around 4/5 days for the gas pain to disperse and almost a week for the bloating to go and for me to be able to back at work.

When I had a lap hysterectomy I had a fantastic female gynaecologist who obviously got as much gas out as possible because it was only painful for a couple of nights, bloating for only a week and could have been back at work in 3 weeks.

As pp say, it’s important to move. Being still and doing nothing is the absolute worst thing for recovery. Go out side and have a 5 min gentle walk every day at least. It will help your muscles, with blood flow, recovery, prevents constipation etc etc

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

I'm trying to get some movement in, I've not felt brave enough to get outside yet! I'm drinking as much as possible, but I feel really dehydrated still

My DD had this procedure on Wednesday. She felt so much better yesterday. She's hardly taking painkillers -maybe 3 times during the day with last ones just before bed

Apparently mint tea helps with the shoulder pain

She has 3 incision point as they found a large cyst but no Endo. She's showering so feels more normal.

Had a poo yesterday (TMI) and was dreading it in case it hurt but she said it was fine and has been again today

Did they find Endo? Take painkillers. She's using a microwave teddy for heat that helps too

I wouldn't push yourself to be outside yet - just getting up and walking around the room, pottering back and forth to the loo, that's plenty for the first few days.

You'll feel so much better in a couple of days.

No, no endo. So it feels like it was a waste of time!

Just to say - did your daughter have a specialist in endometriosis?

My first lap, they failed to find any endo. But I didn't know they weren't actually a specialist just a gynecologist.

Once I found a specialist, they found it.

Don't stop fighting for a diagnosis if you feel she is suffering.

Again - general gynecologist or specialist?

Just a gynaecologist, I may keep pushing!

I think she was a specialist. How do you actually know as they all do so much?

Dr Gail Busby. She has a You Tube channel and mostly works with adolescents and talks about how endo appears different in young women and is often missed

We'd been recommended her and have had all the gastro procedures previously. She did find a large cyst and said it will have caused the pain. It was all twisted in with other things. DD does also have ovarian cysts which she's in the Pill for. These appear to have stopped since starting the Pill in October.

Shoulder pain has always gone after a day for me. Otherwise takes about 7 days to feel a bit less delicate around the midriff - and about three days to feel like the anaesthetic after effects have really disappeared. Last time I think I was working from home so probably didn't attempt to drive for a couple of weeks

I had a laparoscopic salpingectomy (removal of fallopian tubes), they really had to blow my stomach up with air to get to all my gubbins - I had sooo much trapped air that travelled into my thorax. It was very painful and took 3-4 days to go. I was surprised how much it hurt, it was agony just turning over in bed - and I've had 3 natural births with no pain relief, so I know what painful is. It was so bad I passed out a couple of times, the doctor told me this happens when the trapped air travels along the vagus nerve pathway and irritates the nerve.

Unfortunately, I'm also really bad with anaesthetics, they give me really low blood pressure, so I feel awful for a couple of days with that, too.

Some people just react more than others, it's not you being pathetic, but it is very annoying.