Preparing for surgery for a large ovarian mass and six weeks recovery

[Wowwee1234]

I will soon be having surgery for a large ovarian mass which will take me out of action for 6 weeks. Any gynae nurses or people here who have been through this and can tell me if there is anything I need to do before my operation that I won’t be able to do during my recovery period? .Any advise on the day? Do I need to shave downstairs beforehand? Any useful things to buy in such as extra pillows?

I have an autistic partner who can cook and drive but won't be on top of cleaning or non-routine shopping.

Thanks in advance.

Get non routine things in stock

Give the house a good deep clean

Have plenty of clean bedding, towels, Flannels etc

I had surgery on an ovarian mass whilst I was pregnant. I didn’t shave or do anything other than fast overnight before the op. I had bed rest for 4-5 days after and was back on my feet in about a week though I didn’t do anything really strenuous for a month or so. I didn’t do anything special around the house and just let my DH get on with any domestic stuff till I felt up to it.

Same as previous poster. I didn't do anything special. I def didn't deep clean. (Though I had a hysterectomy recovery length was similar)
I did buy peppermint capsules to help with digestion/bloating
i did buy bigger pants
i did buy an abdominal waist contraption with Velcro straps to help me feel supported but this was probably more psychological than medically necessary.
good luck with your op and recovery. I slept loads in the first few days and took it pretty easy until I was ready to go back to work.

Is your surgery laparoscopic or open? I assume open if you're thinking about shaving. I've recently had a hysterectomy and the type of surgery does affect recovery. Don't shave is the advice I was given.

I found that extra pillows were invaluable, particularly a v-shaped pillow. I couldn't lie on my side for the first 10 days. Meds for the bloating were imperative.

Main issue was fatigue and brain fog tbh. Write down any meds you've taken as I couldn't remember a thing. Likewise, I struggled to read novels. Shorter stories, magazines, TV and podcasts were much more accessible.

I recovered pretty quickly. Just rest and sleep as your body dictates. It's a huge shock to your system. Good luck to you and I wish you well.

Oh and stay hydrated and eat well! Constipation with a stomach incision is not a happy combination.

Thank you. Laproscopic planned but it is quite a big mass so I'm worried they will switch to open. They said they will make 4 incisions and access vaginally, hence the shaving question!

Trying not to overthink it but as hubby has autism I have to double-prep as he struggles to cope outside his routine.

My hysterectomy started laparoscopically but switched to open and I have a fetching hip to hip incision, as well as the lap incisions. DH works 12hr shifts so I worried a lot about how I'd manage but it was fine. It was psychologically and emotionally more challenging than I expected but physically, it got better very quickly indeed. The two most challenging things were lifting my legs up onto the bed and lifting my legs into the car. This was only the first couple of days though. My stomach muscles were just in complete shock I think.

My sister had a hysterectomy and we deep cleaned her house, got tonnes of shopping beforehand and stocked up on everything and did lots of batch cooking for the freezer too. Went thru the calendar and bought any cards/gifts that might be required but this was a good 8-9 years ago - we now live in a world where Deliveroo and uber eats can bring most things within half an hour!!!

She then also booked a cleaner weekly for 8 weeks via an agency for a couple of hours as she knew she’d struggle and this was money well spent too.

I hope it all goes ok for you.

Thanks all. Went well. I'm home recovering, no complications. Pillow for car and bed priving particulalry helpful.