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Post by kristyn on Nov 14, 2012 21:54:33 GMT -5
Hi. I am having a lap. In December for probable endo. I am an elementary teacher and will be off Friday and Monday. I have had this done in the past for infertility, a miscarriage, etc and don't think I felt all that great a few days later. Do you think this is enough time off or should I take more? I am praying the doctor can confirm endo as I have suffered for years with infertility, painful sex, horrible ovulation pain, bowel troubles, etc. I do have adhesions but the dr wasn't sure if they are endo or from a possible ectopic pregnancy and I am feeling worse as time goes on. I really want an answer so I can decide what to do. Thanks for any replies
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Post by Karen on Nov 14, 2012 22:12:15 GMT -5
I'd recommend taking some more time off. If your doc is just going to open you up, confirm what's going on, and close you back up (which we always hope they don't do!), then you *might* be ok with a Friday/Monday, but if he's going to do any sort of work inside there, there's a good chance you'll be groggy, out of it, in pain, and wiped out after the shortest of activities.
Better to plan for more time off now, and if for some reason you don't need it all, go back in early. The amount of time we all needed off varies widely, but generally falls within the 1-2 week time frame for your basic lap, though more time is needed to recover fully once you're back at work. If you're a teacher and are on your feet and in every different direction every day, you'll be happy you gave yourself time to recover! I know it's a pain to be away from the classroom (former teacher here) but you deserve the time to have a good recovery.
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Post by semicolon on Nov 14, 2012 22:31:14 GMT -5
I'm the same with Karen, good advice. For me, I had 2 weeks off after each lap, and I will say I recover very well and am a crazy overdoer (ran up a mountain a couple weeks after a bowel obstruction, whoops!). It all depends on how much they do in there. As one of my co-workers had said when I was stressing about being out for a month after my colon surgery, if you look back a year from now taking an extra week off really won't matter in the long run. I'm an OT and my hub is a teacher, we have a heck of a lot of guilt when taking time off!!
You mentioned having laps in the past, did they ever look for endo before? Is this surgery with the same doc or a different doc? I hope the plan is the remove the endo, unless they are not skilled enough to do so. I'm sorry you are feeling worse, and I hope surgery can finally give you some answers.
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Post by kristyn on Nov 15, 2012 17:34:25 GMT -5
I have only been at this job 3 years so I don't have a lot of sick time. I asked for the following Tuesday off as well which will be 5 days including the weekend before I go back. I am using one sick day, one comp. day and one personal day.
The past laps I had I went back after a few days but I was also younger then! When I had a miscarriage, the doctor said that I either had endo (which I long suspected) or it had been an eptopic pregnant (sp?) because I had adhesions, my left ovary and tube were fused to my uterus. That is the side I have awful pain with after/during sex.
I appreciate your replies!
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Post by willow82 on Nov 15, 2012 18:29:44 GMT -5
Recovery from laproscopy depends on the amount of work done. Minimal to no endo removed my doctor told me I would need a week or less. Mild endo he told me a week to two weeks. Moderate endo he suggested 2 weeks, and severe 2-3 weeks potentially more.
The reason for the increase in recovery time dependent on what they do during surgery is removal of endometriosis is essentially skinning the outside of your organs. The more endometriosis removed, the more raw your insides are.
What does your doctor think?
My doctor was able to accurately guess stage 2 or 3 endometriosis based on my physical exam and my symptoms so I was able to plan the time off well ahead of the surgery date.
I ended up with moderate endo (10cm surface area), and really needed the two weeks I took. I was off pain medication after one week, but I slept a good part of the second week, and would wear out completely after a few hours of light activity.
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Post by kristyn on Nov 15, 2012 19:26:07 GMT -5
Oh I was tired all right and should never have gone back as fast as i did. Surgery is surgery, anesthetic is hard on a person too. I was kind of naive and because it was 'outpatient' I just thought it meant I should be back at work. WRONG I was! My doctor thinks that I have every symptom of endo-years of infertility, bad periods, horrible ovulation pain, painful sex and for a day or 2 afterward, etc. He said that based on symptoms alone and the fact that the last dr saw adhesions, he feels I DO have it. If not visible to the eye, then possibly adenomyosis (sp?). All I know is this awful constipation I have lately, along with the sex pain, is getting very old!
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Post by kristyn on Dec 10, 2012 13:34:46 GMT -5
My doctor just called to see how I am, he called Saturday morning too. He asked me a bunch of questions, then he said, so I didn't catch you at work huh? I am seriously hoping he was kidding. I got no sleep last night, ultram doesn't work for me. I am planning to take Wed. Off also, now he has me doubting myself!
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Post by omaklackey on Dec 10, 2012 16:22:09 GMT -5
Don't doubt yourself! Surgey is hard, and take as much time as you need to rest! Remember the mantra: "you only get one chance to do this right!"
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Post by willow82 on Dec 10, 2012 19:34:06 GMT -5
Depending on the amount of endo will depend on the amount of time off, as well as your swelling and pain. Ultram honestly seems a little lightweight for post op, I was on Percocet for the first few days and then switched to lortab it took about a week for me to be off continuous pain meds, and I needed them occasionally for the next few weeks. I was off work for two weeks, if I just had a desk job I might have been able to be back at work the second week, but I'm on my feet and/or driving most of the day. My doctor told me 2 weeks is about an average amount of time to take off for Endo surgery.
Though since Endo affected tissue is removed there is some recovery from that, how much tissue was removed is a pretty good baseline.
Also your first period post lap is likely to be EXTREMELY painful. I could feel everything my surgeon did to me during my first post lap period. My job new to expect it and I was off another day and a half for that.
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Post by semicolon on Dec 10, 2012 21:46:14 GMT -5
My surgeon pretty much won't let you back before two weeks after any lap, so I'm hoping your doc was kidding! As a coworker told me, a year from now when you look back it won't matter if you took an extra week off (this was when I was stressing about being out after my colon resection, one month but could have been more).
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Post by kristyn on Dec 10, 2012 22:49:53 GMT -5
I tend to doubt myself to begin with. My sister is a nurse, she thinks I should have taken this whole week off. I am somewhat less sore tonight but we will see if I sleep, I couldn't last night. I remember feeling like this with previous laps, that I should be back at work sooner. This was the most involved Lap I have had as far as cutting, etc. thank you all for Your replies!
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