abdominal surgery, any tips? Trying to plan what we do

[happygilmore]

Posted in chat but didn't get any response, so hoping people may be able to help here :)

I'm due to have (keyhole) abdominal surgery soon. I've been told roughly 2 weeks before I'll probably be able to lift my DD (13 months) easily, so trying to plan for that, which is a little difficult as we have no family nearby. However, we're working on it.

If anyone can give any tips/advice it'd be gratefully received, I know noone can accurately predict how I'll respond after surgery, but I really have no idea at all what to expect.

Before I start my response Ill apologise for being very negative, im not in a good mood.

My advice for you would be not to listen to a word the docs say when they tell you how long youll be off work because youll get a different answer everytime you speak to a different person.

Before my laporotomy (c section type cut) to remove two large ovarian cysts, an ovary and a tube, i was told id be off work 4 weeks. Im a reception teacher and head of foundation unit so i planned everything and left everything in place to cover 5 weeks, i thought i was over preparing!

After the op the surgeon told me i need to be off 6 weeks and signed me off for 6 aghhh nightmare for the school but just about managed.

Week 6 gp tld me i need 1 week of half days and id be tired but fine.

At 7 weeks i went back for my post op check up and was told i shouldnt be back at work. I should have been signed off for 3 months! She said that that is why i am exhausted and sleeping 11 hours each night. Im coming home from school and going straight to bed, when ill get my reports written and parents evenings done in the next 3 weeks god only knows!

If the docs had told me 3 months i woud have been better prepared. I cant go back on total sick leave but i cant keep on working full time!

Right time for bed!

Sorry for ranting, this really hasnt helped you. Just prepare for a longer recovery and hope for a less. Good luck, i hope all goes well

No I appreciate your honesty, I'm at home with my daughter so don't have to get work cover, not sure if this makes it easier or not..she's such a handful and getting more and more active each day. I'm ill just now waiting for an op so hoping that improves but it's the surgery itself I have no idea about. The thing is you need to be prepared as it's not like I can just decide I'm not looking after her one day if I'm not up to it..

Your operation sounds like it was a really long recovery. Is that type of surgery worse than keyhole? I really don't know.

I really hope things go well for you and the op makes yo feel better. My op was more invasive than keyhole so longer recovery time. Im not sure but from everything I have read it goes from 2-4 weeks off work but some people have said they felt better much sooner. It all depends on how much they are doing while they are in there.

Do you now when your op will be?

Thanks.

Yes it's in a week (eek). Apparently it's about two hours long which is apparently a bit longer than some keyhole ops, so it can be a little longer recovery the surgeon reckons. Starting to sink in and get a bit scared now, although I am very happy I may be recovered fully soon.

I wish you loads of luck, my advice would be to take the painkillers for as long as you need them! Dont do too much but try to do something more each day. And the hardest thing Ive had to do is let other people help you and ask for help when you need it.

I had keyhole abdominal surgery recently - picking up things was tricky for a day or two - more of problem was reaching up for things in high cupboards or picking up stuff off the floor - unloading the dishwasher was impossible for me

I would advise bringing anything from a high cupboard/shelf lower down. DS2 was recently given a toy grabber - kids version of the one I've seen my Grandma used to have - it has been fabulous at picking stuff off the floor like this

Good luck- hope it goes well and you recover much quicker than you think