Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

I've had three laparoscopies in the past year. I don't want to scare you or discourage you, but this is not necessarily a walk in the park. I also was given the impression that a lap would be no big deal -- well, it was! The reason why it's no big deal for so many people is that they don't have that much done. If you DO end up having any endo/adhesions removed, it's highly likely you'll be in pain.

I've had two laps for endo and one lap to take out my gallbladder. I had a lot of pain every time. The first three days are really the worst -- after that it's not quite as bad. But no way could I have been riding a bicycle within a week like Ulrika.

I just want to make sure that you're forewarned that you *could* have pain. You might be totally fine -- and I hope that you will be. But you also need to prepare yourself for possibly being out of commission for a week.

So here are my official laparoscopy tips:

- lay in a store of food (stuff you don't have to cook) -- I stick to light stuff like soup, crackers, dry cereal, at least for the first couple days.
- select a designated Comfy Recovery Area. I always take over the couch and add extra pillows and some cozy blankets. It will be tough to sit fully upright -- you'll want to keep yourself sort of half-propped for the first couple days. Keep a TV tray or something next to you to hold essential supplies such as a glass of water, your pills, Kleenex, and a bell for the maid to come running (okay, well, or maybe you'd better just be content with the Kleenex).
- Stock up on books, magazines, and DVDs for your recovery time. You won't feel like doing anything that requires more than sitting there listlessly. Before I have surgery I always make sure to go out and buy a few new books so I have something to look forward to.
- get together a week's wardrobe (because you might not feel up to doing laundry). Drag out your granny panties from the back of the drawer -- you'll have an incision at your belly button and at least one more somewhere below that (different surgeons prefer different places), so you're going to want to make sure your clothing makes peace with that. This is also definitely the time for loose sweatpants. You have a total medical necessity for looking like a slob so make the most of it.
- If they do end up doing any work, you'll have vaginal bleeding afterwards -- make sure you have sanitary pads (no tampons).
- For the first few days use an icepack for pain -- it'll help more than a heating pad. If you still have pain after that then you can switch to the heating pad, so have both available.
- Most surgeons will let you shower after 24 hours -- I think I've always ended up waiting more like 48 hours just because no way was I up to taking a shower so soon. Be careful when you shower and make sure you don't remove the steri-strips until they're basically falling off -- this usually takes several days. Overall, though, showering is not really a big deal although it always seems scary at first when you look at the stitches. If you have a lot of hair you might want to forego high hair standards and do a combo shampoo/conditioner for the first couple days to cut down time standing in the shower.
- Don't bend over!! You will regret it. Be very careful when you are getting up from the couch or chair. I always braced my abdomen with crossed hands before I got up -- it helps.
- The ride home from the hospital can be very uncomfortable -- try to get a ride from someone whose car has a smooth ride. Take a pillow and blanket with you in case you need a bit of bracing on the ride home.
- In addition to granny panties and sloppy sweats, wear no-tie shoes to the hospital if possible. You are not going to be able to tie shoelaces after surgery -- someone will probably be glad to help you do it, but I try to forego it if possible. (Since it's December that may not be possible.)
- Ask for anti-nausea drugs before surgery even if you don't have a history of nausea after anesthesia. Better safe than sorry.
- Ask for something to calm you down before you go to the OR. Even though they only give you it like ten minutes beforehand, it REALLY helps. It also has the added benefit of totally amusing the person you're with. (My husband still reminds me of how my incoherent speech about gumdrop factories.)
- If people generally have trouble getting a good vein to draw your blood or start an IV, make sure you tell the nurse. If you're thin try not to get the IV in your hand or on your wrist -- you'll have the IV in for several hours and this can get painful if you don't have much extra flesh.
- If you wake up in recovery and you're in a lot of pain, tell the nurse immediately. If you're still in a lot of pain and they won't give you any more pain meds, ask if they can give you something to help put you to sleep. (My last surgery I maxed out on pain meds and I was still whining so they ended up giving me a megadose of Benadryl to knock me out. It worked -- when I woke up in second-stage recovery I felt loads better.)
- Generally the big criteria for being discharged is if you can pee. So if you're in recovery and feeling like you want out of there, make sure to keep drinking water. They drain the bladder during the surgery so you're going to have to make sure to do a refill. They may offer to let you go even if you haven't urinated -- don't do it, because you'll just have to come back to the ER and get a catheter if you go home and still end up not being able to go. It's worth it to spend a little extra time in recovery not to have to deal with that.
- They'll give you crackers -- eat them. You'll need to have something in your stomach, especially for taking pain meds -- if you take pain meds on an empty stomach you'll probably get very nauseated.
- If possible, see if you can get your prescription for your pain meds filled before your surgery. Some doctors won't give you the script ahead of time. If not, ask the nurse if they can fill your script at the hospital pharmacy. Not all hospitals will do this. Otherwise, if you're close to a pharmacy, have your ride home go get it filled while you're still in recovery. You'll probably need your pain pills ASAP and if you don't live close to the hospital then you'll have to sit in the car for half an hour waiting for your drugs.
- Not sure if you're a D and or a C, but pain meds are constipating. If you're a C, take Colace or other stool softener (check with your doctor first but most actually recommend it). If you're a D, you probably won't have any problems and will actually wish you could take pain pills all the time. (With my first surgery I ate all kinds of forbidden food because the Percocet totally slowed down my digestion.) Try to keep your digestion normally because it's very painful to be either C or D when you've had work done internally. However, I would definitely have to say that being C while in surgical pain is way worse. (Normally I'd take C over D, but not in this case.)
- Shave your legs and armpits before the surgery -- they'll make you take everything off and give you a wafting hospital gown. Leave all your jewelry at home. I used to leave my wedding ring on because I didn't like to take it off, but they tape it on and this is highly uncomfortable. So now I have my husband stick the ring in his pocket. If you have long hair, braid it or otherwise tie it back. You'll have to stick it up in this icky cafeteria-lady hairnet before you go into the OR, so may as well make it as easy as possible to look revolting.
- The hospital will give you cozy slipper-socks. They throw them away after you leave, so take them with you. Some hospitals will also throw away other stuff, so if you're into that kind of thing ask the nurse what gets thrown away and what you can keep. I know that sounds weird, but for instance they throw away things like plastic drinking mugs (like nice larger travel ones with lids) and pillows. If you do have vaginal bleeding they'll usually give you these "mesh" "panties" with a mattress -- I mean sanitary pad -- inside them. Usually you just use the one and they throw the rest of the box away (and which accordingly gets lumped into that mysterious $410.55 "medical supplies" on your hospital bill).

Okay ... that's all I can think of for now. And again -- I'm not trying to scare you!! I totally think you need to have a laparoscopy if BC doesn't help your pain. I actually didn't even really think I had endo when I underwent my first laparoscopy, but I was so desperate to find answers that I knew it was something I had to do. It has totally changed my life and I'm so glad for every surgery I've had, no matter how rotten the immediate after-effects.

Good luck!! and if you have any specific questions feel free to ask. I think I've been through it all at this point.

Please post after the surgery and let us know how it went. I hope that you get some answers and don't have much pain.

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jen

"It's one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle -- to get one's head cut off." -- LC

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