aww im so sorry your going through this. i had a lap last year and you arrive 2 hours before to get prepped, the actual surgery takes between 30-45 minutes, it also varies on what they find and how much scar tissue you have. after surgery i was in aot of pain but after i got home i didnt need any painkillers at all, i was also back on my feet in 3 days. my period came the very next day and was horrible, i got a little bit of relief but nothing major. its an outpatient surgery so you go home the same day recovery time varies some are sooner than others.

your not alone. hang in there. keep me posted on your surgery

sabrina

Hi hun, I will send through an email with loads of help for the lap!! (bit too long to write here!) For a lot of women, the first few cycles are quite painful, but after two or three if there is improvement you should see it then. A lucky few feel better instantly!! It all really depends on what is found, where and how extensive...
It is usually day surgery here, but you will need to eat/drink and pee before they let you go home. You will need to be picked up, as there is no way you will be able to drive. Have a read of the message I have sent through to you, all the tips I have learnt over the years for dealing with laps is in it!! :) Best of luck xx

Hey sweetie,

I was given surgery after a year of waiting to be seen and suffering. I am glad you are being seen! Sounds horrific what you are going through *hugs*.

I got to the hospital about 2 hours before the procedure. I had to fill out some forms, hop into a gown, get an IV port in, blood pressure, past medical history and meet the surgeons and anesthesiologist (good looking!). Getting put under wasn't too bad (my gyn surgeon held my hand). When I woke up I was given about 3 hours to 'wake' up and leave the hospital (Welcome to Canada! *mutter*). I was given morphine for the pain and sent home with a Px. for Tylenol three and stool softer pills. The pain you'll notice in your 'wake up' period in the hospital will be the uncomfortable feeling from them using the gas to bloat your abdomen. It's not a sharp pain but a huge dull uncomfortable feeling. When I got home I immediately went to bed and needed help for 3 days afterward for getting up and out of bed. I could not use my abdomen muscles to lift myself up. I learned how to slide out of bed *lol* I was given a horrible post-op talk from the nurses so I had no idea I was suppose to be in recovery for at LEAST 3-6 weeks (no gym or running). I am not a 'pain killer' type person but I was taking 2-3 pills/day. It took me about two weeks to actually be able to lift myself out of bed. Getting up and down was hard for me. So don't be discouraged if you are set back with the little things.

I was ironically having my period during the surgery. After the surgery my periods were normal for 3 - 4mths but then slowly started becoming 'bad' and irregular again. It got REALLY bad 6 mths afterward so I have called my surgeon again to reassest the situation and either give me some advice or another surgery.

My surgery left me with three incision marks (belly button and L/R hipbone areas). They have slowly become unnoticeable which I am extremely happy about!

I hope this helps! You'll do great. I am sure you will receive some pain relief.

Hi there,

I'm so sorry for the pain and heavy bleeding you're experiencing, I was in the same "place" for several months before I had surgery in July and it's a nightmare.

Unfortunately I don't think there's one definitive answer regarding the pain and recovery, it seems to vary case by case. Both depend on how extensive your endo is, i.e. what the doctor finds once he/she is able to have a good look around.

My surgery was 3 1/2-4 hours due to how extensive the endo was as well as the fact that I had to have an ovary removed. From what I was told, I came to relatively quickly afterwards...I was given more medication for the pain and a pill to help with feeling so nauseous. Within a few hours and--as Ruth said--going to the bathroom, I was allowed to go home.

Getting in and out of bed proved to be most challenging activity once I got home but having a gazillion pillows around for support was really helpful. I kept a small table within arm's reach with the necessities--phone, pain meds, a beverage, and lollipops because they cheered me up and helped with the sore throat :). I only had 5 small incisions but the pain was intense due to all the work they did inside...so I took percocet for about a week. Thereafter it was manageable with Aleve. I took three weeks off of work due to the nature of my job but if I was at a desk, probably could've returned within 2 weeks.

I don't know that you'll feel instant relief, it may take a few weeks of healing but I can tell you this much, 5-6 weeks after my surgery, I felt better physically (and mentally, let's be honest) than I had in many months. I hope you experience the same! If you have any questions or would like to talk, please message me and I'll be glad to help (or just "listen").

Take care,
Nic

Hi Mary,
I am at home at the moment recovering from my third laparoscopy.
You get told beforehand when to stop eating and drinking and when to turn up at the hospital. My advice would be to make sure you eat and drink really well right up to the deadline! Otherwise you might be sitting there the next day really really thirsty and hungry!
On the day of the op you will get a chance to speak to your surgeon and anaesthetist and remind them of your most pressing problems. Another piece of advice: ask to have anti-sickness medicine if you can! I did and it really seems to make a difference. Many people suffer a lot of nausea after all the drugs.
If you're in any pain after the op, let the nurses know and they'll quite happily drug you up which will make you feel much better and help you sleep off the anaesthesia.
You'll probably have some pain at the incision sites and wherever inside they did some work. The biggest pain I've had is from the gas. It usually hurts under the ribcage and on top of the shoulders but I've had varying degrees of pain after my three ops from hardly anything to pacing up and down the room. Apparently, peppermint helps the body absorb the gas faster so I usually buy a load of peppermint tea and even take it to the hospital with me.
You'll be let out of the hospital once you've eaten, drunk and been able to pee. The latter is usually my biggest problem as I have a tendancy to go into urine retention after anaesthesia. It usually takes me a couple of days to get a proper stream going... (sorry, tmi) So another thing to do is take an overnight bag with you even if you're only supposed to be a day case.
You will need to have someone drive you home from hospital and you should prepare a pillow for the way home. Get all your pain killers right away and get info about showering and wound care.
It is best to walk around every few hours from the day of the op even if you don't feel like it.
Have ready meals/frozen food prepared at home.
Prepare a bunch of dvds as you'll probably feel like spending a few days on the sofa.
Apart from that, take it easy!
Ok, here the safety check:
Things to watch out for after the op is for signs of wound infection (I have that right now), which is not uncommon and is usually resolved with antibiotics. If your leg swells up or goes red or becomes very painful, or if you have trouble breathing seek medical help immediately.
Ok, that was probably way too much information!
Wishing you all the best. It will all be over before you know it :-D

thank you so much to all of you for all the great information. There is a very good chance I will lose both of my ovaries because of the endomitriomas that have taken over. I have 4, and they will all be removed along with whatever adhesions they can get to. My doctor does feel I am a stage 4 but cant confirm of course until surgery. Having Lupus and MS is just complicating everything. The doctor is still keeping me on the monthly shot of lupron so i go into menopause, and if that does not work by January, I will have a total hysterectomy. Thank god I am done having my children. Thank you again for responding, its so good to have this place for support when you feel so alone. Big Hugs to all of you! Mary

Usually you don't stay overnight unless something didn't go as planned. You usually get there 1.5-2 hours before the surgery. The surgery itself can take from 1-4 hours depending on the severity. My first lap took about a week to recover from because so much was zapped and repaired, my second about 2 or 3 days and my third was around that much. Make sure you take care of everything before you go into surgery, the laundry, the cleaning, get some magazines and your bed set up so you can just relax and recover. Good luck!