I am recovering at home after 18 days in hospital for what turned out to be a diffuse abdominal peritonitis. I required laparoscopic surgery to clean out the pus from all over my abdominal cavity, then spent two more weeks on IV antibiotics to treat a remaining abscess in the retroperitoneum. Fortunately, the best possible scenario obtained, in that the abscess cleared completely with antibiotics and I was able to go home.
I am now on two kinds of antibiotics plus an anticoagulant. Having been at home for five days, I find that the recovery is going so slowly, it almost feels like it’s standing still. My stomach is very sensitive, my mobility severely reduced by it, and most days even taking a shower feels like a huge undertaking. I am only in my late thirties, so feeling this unwell three weeks after surgery feels like really slow going (I have had major surgery before and bounced back much more quickly).
I realise how lucky I am and am not here to moan, but I am desperate to get my life back on track (for the sake of my young family) and my paid sick leave has a not-so-distant expiration date!
Has anyone been through peritonitis recovery and how did it go for you? Mine was really bad by the time I was operated on, so I guess my insides are taking a while to heal.
P.S. In case you are wondering about the cause, etc.: it had spread from one of my fallopian tubes (apparently, the infection that caused this was Chlamydia - which means I’d had it for over a decade without knowing). I’ve had both Fallopian tubes removed as they were unsalvageable, which is ok because I’m done having children.