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Post by mommybell on Jan 28, 2012 10:13:52 GMT -5
I didn't get any instructions at the hospital and I'm finally feeling well enough to get off the couch. My surgery was on Thurs (Jan 26). Can I take off the bandages and have a shower?? Thanks in advance!
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Post by Karen on Jan 28, 2012 10:46:23 GMT -5
Hey, hope your lap went well!! When you feel up to it, let us know what they found/did.
As far as bathing and bandages, I think we've all received different info. Honestly, it's been so long for me (3 years) since my lap that I don't remember! I'd suggest calling in to your doctor's office or a nurse line to ask and double check. I'm sure some of the other ladies will chime in with their instructions.
I could have sworn we had a thread about this but I can't find it.
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Post by hibiscus on Jan 28, 2012 14:43:11 GMT -5
Absolutely fine if you just had a laparoscopy or laparotomy. Don't use chemicals in the bath or shower, like gels and smellies.
simple soap and water to remove the iodine stains. Pat dry gently with towel, or let the wound(s) air dry.
If you are glued then you can either apply new dressings or not. Up to you. If stitched, I would recommend a dressing just so you don't catch the stitches and wince.
Stitches which are not disolveable, come out about 5 days after the op. Disolveable stitches just stay there till they disappear. Glue you can leave alone, unless a glue plug pops out, which can happen and then you need to apply a dressing immediately and see a nurse to have it stitched. To avoid infections getting in.
If one of your holes is on the waistline or knickerline, you might want to add a puffy dressing to keep clothes from putting too much pressure on the hole.
That would be my advice.
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Post by mommybell on Jan 28, 2012 16:19:01 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice ladies! As for the results of my lap, there was no visible endo but my doctor did find vericose veins in my uterus which I understand is referred to as "Pelvic Congestion Syndrome" and can cause pelvic pain. So I guess that this is the answer to the pain that I've been experiencing since the birth of my youngest son. Apparently the veins are usually caused by multiple pregnancies so it makes sense. My doc still believes that I could have adenomyosis but of course the only way to really know for sure is after a hysterectomy. I see the doc in 5 weeks for a post op appointment so I'll have more to report then. I'm glad to have an answer but very shocked that she didn't see any endo!
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Post by JC on Jan 29, 2012 13:51:27 GMT -5
There are a couple of women on here who also have pelvic congestion syndrome. They all say how incredibly painful it is! I'd be interested to see what your doctor offers you for treatment!
As far as the bandages, do you have those sticky band aids on your wounds called steri-strips? If you do then technically you're supposed to wait until those fall off on their own. I had steri-strips and those things NEVER fell off and after about a week I pulled them off myself and it was completely fine. Regular dressings should be changed daily and like "hibiscus" said, use mild soap and nothing with dyes or perfumes in it. My doctor told me not to let water hit directly on my wounds for about a week and just to let the water roll over the wounds instead.
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Post by Karen on Jan 29, 2012 17:17:43 GMT -5
Well, I hope you get some more info at your follow-up! Wishing you a speedy recovery.
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jtean
Full Member
Posts: 119
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Post by jtean on Jan 30, 2012 4:30:18 GMT -5
I can't even get my stupid gauze to come off of my belly button. It was all scabbed over by the time i got home from the hospital, and WILL NOT come off. The nurse at my doctor's office said that it was fine to leave it on, but it's still so gross and itchy :/
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Post by semicolon on Jan 30, 2012 20:44:58 GMT -5
Everything comes off in time, just don't pick at it! I had the hardest time with my glue, I just wanted to peel them off!
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Post by claireboe on Feb 7, 2012 1:38:03 GMT -5
When my daughter had her lap 2-1/2 years ago, we were handed pictures taken of her insides and the doctor said she had pelvic congestion syndrome as well as endo. Since her lap didn't help her pain, at all, we went back to the doctor and asked if the PCS could be causing the pain. His response was "Well, I'm not sure that's what she has." ? The doctor is an idiot, and I still haven't found one that is an endo expert. ANYWAY, I am starting to think that the PCS causes the majority of my daughter's pain. From my research, if you have constant pain for more than six months, they point to PCS. It takes some nifty testing to diagnose it (you can't be lying down for the MRI or ultrasound because the veins flatten out and don't show the PCS). The "medical" treatment is a procedure performed by an interventional radiologist, very similar to a treatment for varicose veins in the legs. I have recently found that an herb called horse chestnut is used for the treatment of varicose veins in the legs, and has a very good success rate. Stomach upset is the most common side effect of taking horse chestnut. The recommended dose is 300 mg twice day between meals. The supplement should contain 50 mg of aescin. Because we are currently going to an acupuncturist who is administering an herbal remedy to my daughter rather than acupuncture for the time being, we will not be starting the horse chestnut without consulting her. Nothing has yet helped my daughter's pain, and 2-1/2 years of taking pain killers almost daily is wearing on us both. We have to take one treatment at a time until something works. We have a little complication in her diagnosis, since she is only 17 and has never been pregnant, so we're not sure how she could have gotten PCS. It is possible, but not common. Her ped says that since she is almost 18 (and therefore an "adult"), we might be able to get better help for her. Let's hope and pray...
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