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Post by erzulie on Aug 6, 2006 12:29:38 GMT -5
Ok, since we are getting a lot of new members, some of which haven't had their first surgery yet, I thought it might be helpful for us all to share our own personal laparoscopy experiences (those of us who have had one) so others can get an idea what to expect. Everyone's experience is different--some good and some bad--so I think everyone can learn from the stories others tell. To make things easier I would liek this thread to be for LAPAROSCOPIES only. If you have had a LAPAROTOMY don't post your story here, although I think it would be a great idea if those who have had laparotomies also made a thread to share stories so people can just click on the thread that deals with whatever type of surgery they are about to have.
I was going to post my story right away, but it's taking too long to type so I will add it later.
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Post by erzulie on Aug 6, 2006 14:24:56 GMT -5
Ok, here is my loooong story. I tried to put in every detail that I would have wanted to know ahead of time. Keep in mind this is just my experience! I hope some more people will post so we can get as many perspectives as possible.
I have had only one laparoscopy at this point. I know I'd had endometriosis for at least 9 years before the surgery, but it took until I was 24 to get a doctor to take my symptoms seriously. Finally I saw a gynecologist in December 2005 who decided to do a laproscopy to find out if i had endometriosis. The way it worked for me was that I saw a nurse practitioner in November who felt I should see a gynecologist to schedule the surgery, and it took a whole month for me to get in to the actual doctor, which was scary since my pain had become chronic but it did give me more time to prepare. When I saw the doctor I had a list in hand of questions about the procedure. She was very receptive to this and answered all my questions without flinching. One of the big things I wanted to be sure of was that she was going to get rid of the endometriosis if she found it, instead of just going in there to look around. She said she would get as much as she could using a combination of ablation (destroying the tissue with a laser) and cutting. We scheduled my surgery for two weeks later.
I was a little bit worried about whether my insurance would cover it. I live in the U.S. and my insurance is a cruddy HMO called Health Alliance. I looked in the manual and it said approval was required in advance for surgery, so I called the insurance but they said approval was not required for a laparoscopy. That was a relief. Two weeks before the surgery I had to stop taking all forms of aspirin (including ibuprofen and naproxen) as well as all herbal supplements because aspirin (and some herbs like Feverfew) thin your blood and will make you bleed more during surgery. One thing the doctor did not warn me of was that I would need to go to some pre-op appointments. I didn't know about that until one day when I got a call from a nurse informing me that my pre-op appointments had been scheduled for the next day (two days before the surgery). I had no control over what the times were. Fortunately I'm a substitute teacher and had not been scheduled for work that day, otherwise I would have had to cancel hastily! There were three pro-op appointments all in a row. The first was with a nurse who just asked me a bunch of questions about my medical history and stuff. Next I saw an anesthesiologist who wanted to know if I'd ever been under anesthesia before. I told him I had been under mild anesthesia twice before (for a cystoscopy when I was 9 and to have my wisdom teeth out when I was 18) and that both times I had thrown up afterwards. He told me that he would make sure I got anti-nausea medicine with my anesthesia this time. Then I saw a doctor for a brief physical. I also had to fill out a lot of paperwork, and they asked me if I wanted to do a living will. I said yes, because although I knew the risk was low with this surgery, there is always a risk, and I knew it would be on file from now on. I had to take that home because you have to have two witnesses sign it. I took it back in with me the day of my surgery. In my case the living will says that if I end up like Terri Shiavo and the only way to keep me "alive" is by keeping me hooked up to machines that I would like the machines to be disconnected so I can die. You can also make it say that you want to stay on the machines.
The night before my surgery I had to stop eating regular food and just eat Jell-O after dinner. I also had to do an enema at 10 pm and another one at 6 the next morning. I have to say the experience of getting up while it's still dark after getting very little sleep and doing an enema is every bit as unpleasant as it sounds. After I got up I couldn't eat anymore. I was allowed to drink water for a few hours and then I had to stop. My mom took me to the hospital at 10 am--two hours before the surgery was supposed to start. A nurse took me back to the pre-op room to prepare for the surgery. I was in a little space surrounded by curtains with a bed and a little TV. I had to change into a gown with nothing on underneath and put all my stuff into a bag. Then a nurse came in and put in the IV. At first all that was in there was saline. Then she shaved my belly and my "bikini line" so I would be ready for the incisions--very unpleasant!! Then she let my mom come back and talk to me for a while until they were ready to take me back for surgery. A little after twelve everything started happening very fast. The nurse came back and injected some drug into the IV. She didn't say what it was but it must have been intended to relax me because my thinking got really fuzzy as soon as she did that. Some other people showed up and they put the rails up on my bed and wheeled me off to the operating room. Some guy kept asking me questions like where I went to high school while they were wheeling me down the hall and I had a really hard time answering him because I couldn't think. I seriously think he was asking me that stuff just to see what effect the drug was having on me.
When I got to the operating room, they had me climb onto the table and then they put an oxygen mask on me and started the anesthesia. I was out pretty fast. When I woke up I guess I was in the first of two recovery rooms (they had told me there would be two). The first thing I noticed was excruciating pain in my abdomen. It was so much worse than I had imagined it would be that I was worried they’d had to do a full laparotomy. I started feeling my abdomen to make sure. I couldn’t tell anything, but somebody saw me doing that and explained that I had three one-inch incisions. There were the standard two—one in my belly button and one on the pubic line—as well as one off to the left side on my abdomen. I wanted to ask what the doctor had found, but I was in so much pain and I thought if they told me she hadn’t found anything right then it would be too devastating since it would mean I went through that for nothing. I just wanted to go back to sleep since I was so tired and I wanted to get away from the pain. They didn’t like that though, and they kept talking to me trying to get me to wake up. They told me it was 1:30, which means the surgery must have taken just over an hour.
At some point they moved me to the other recovery room, although I don’t remember it. This room was just like the room I was in before the operation. They brought my mom in and she told me the doctor had talked to her. She said the doctor told her she found endometriosis on the top and back of my uterus, on my fallopian tubes, and on my ovaries. The doctor said she had ablated all she could but that she couldn’t get it all and I would have to take some kind of medicine (although in the end I refused to do that). I ended up spending seven hours in the recovery room. I was the last person there! I stayed that long for three reasons: 1. It took a long time for me to need to use the bathroom, even though I was drinking a lot of water, and they couldn’t let me leave until I used the bathroom; 2. The anesthesia wasn’t wearing off very well and I felt too tired to move; and 3. I was in so much pain! The nurse kept giving me more pain medication but not only did my abdomen hurt a lot, but every time I moved even slightly I had incredible pain in my shoulder from the gas they inflate you with. When I finally did have to go to the bathroom, both my mom and the nurse had to help me walk there, and getting up made me nauseous so once I got there I threw up like crazy! The nurse gave me some anti-nausea medication in the IV and after a little bit I started feeling somewhat better. Finally I told the nurse I thought I was ready to go home, I didn’t really feel ready to go anywhere but I was so sick of being there! She took the IV out and then my mom drove me home. They gave me some discharge papers saying someone should be with me for the next 24 hours. There were also various other instructions.
At home I went straight to bed. I slept all night and half the next day, although I kept waking up to use the bathroom. I still couldn’t get to the bathroom by myself. I felt nauseous every time I stood up, and I couldn’t even get up by myself because of the pain in my abdomen. My mom had to pull me out of bed. The next afternoon when the anesthesia had worn off I stopped feeling so nauseous and I started walking around by myself. I still had a really hard time getting up though, and since I felt so groggy and everything I only got up when I had to. I spent the entire day either sleeping or staring at the ceiling. They sent home painkillers called Darvocet for me and I took the maximum amount all day, but it made me too sleepy to read or do anything. The next day I felt a bit better so I started taking less Darvocet and I was able to read a bit, although I found it difficult to focus on the words. I stayed on the couch all day. The next day I started moving around more, and bit by bit I got back to my normal activities. The surgery was on a Wednesday, and by Sunday I was totally off the painkillers. The last pain that remained was the incisions themselves. They hurt a lot, and even when I stopped taking the painkillers I still found it hard to get out of bed in the morning for a few days.
It took almost two weeks for me to feel fully recovered from the surgery. Even at that the incision in my belly button hurt whenever I stretched for about a month! It took ages for the incisions to totally heal, but now I hardly even have scars. If I look really hard I can just barely see the marks. I had my post-op appointment two weeks later, and it didn’t go so well. I didn’t bother making a list of things I wanted to ask the doctor that time, and I had to sit in the waiting room for over an hour (I think because she had to do a delivery) so by the time I saw her I couldn’t even think of what I wanted to ask. I should have made a list! She was supposed to show me pictures from the surgery but for some reason the pictures weren’t at the hospital that day, they were at another clinic so I never saw them. I did go back later to get my surgical report. It was hard figuring out how to do that. I called the hospital’s main phone number and asked how to get it. I don’t really understand the surgical report that well but it’s good to have, I now know all the places where the endometriosis was. After that I got two bills for the surgery. The way the hospital I went to does things, the bill is always divided between the hospital and the clinic. I owed over $500 to each! I was horrified, but my mother told me you can get help with hospital bills through the hospital’s charity program. I had to call and ask for an application for that program, and then I filled it in and sent it with copies of my most recent pay stubs so they could see what I make. I got a letter back saying I qualified for 100% assistance and that I owed nothing on my hospital bill! I was very excited about that! I still couldn’t pay the clinic bill though, so I called the billing department and asked if I could pay $50 per month. They said that was okay so that’s what I’ve been doing.
Here’s the bad news: I did not get any relief from endometriosis pain from the surgery. It was useful in terms of getting a diagnosis, but I was still in constant pain afterwards. The daily pain didn’t stop until I started taking the right combination of herbs.
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Post by Hillary on Aug 6, 2006 22:56:13 GMT -5
Erzulie Wow What a detailed story! I'm happy about this section cause i'm going in, in 3 months. I think that this is very important for everyone to post their experiences cause you are right everyones experience's are different. So when we go in we are not going in with the naked eye! I enjoyed reading your story, But I am sorry you had to go through that
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Post by ouchy on Aug 6, 2006 23:46:23 GMT -5
Okay. This is also going to be a loooong post, but I’ll try to keep it as concise as possible!
I have had 2 LAPAROSCOPIES with ablation (laser).
First Lap: December 2003
My diagnostic procedures prior to the lap were as follows: a cystoscopy (scope of my bladder), because my symptoms were similar to interstitial cystitis, transvaginal ultrasound to rule out uterine fibroids, and many a test for STD’s (even though I have still only been with one man, my husband). All of those diagnostic tests were negative, so my gynecologist decided that a lap was in order, and this appointment consisted of my pre-op where he told me what to expect before/during/after the surgery. Waited for approval from my HMO, which took 3 days to approve—very easy.
Day prior to surgery: Took a trip with my husband to see where I would have to go for the surgery so that we wouldn’t have to be searching at 4:30 the next morning.
Day of surgery:
Pre-surgery--Nothing to eat/drink since the night before. Arrived at the hospital about 2 hours prior to surgery. Signed paperwork. Changed into the booty-showing hospital gown. Enjoyed the Demerol shot. Wheeled on a gurney into the operating amphitheatre. Held gynecologist’s hand while general anesthesia was administered, joking and asking technical questions until I was out.
Post-surgery—Awoke on the gurney on the way to the recovery room, although I was too groggy to speak. Remember the gurney stopping at the door to the waiting room where my husband was. I now remember the doctor telling my husband about the endometriosis he found. Fell back asleep. Re-woke in the recovery room. Recognized doctor’s voice speaking on the phone (This also happened to me before when I had a different surgery!). Still couldn’t keep my eyes open to focus. Called the doctor’s name when I heard him get off of the phone. Doctor came over. (I couldn’t remember doctor telling my husband that he found endo!) Told doctor that I knew he found endo, because I felt sooooooooooooooo much better! Doctor asked me how I was already awake. Told me that he did find endo and locations he found it. Thanked doctor and asked for ice chips (My throat was sore from the intubation!).
At home—arrived home and felt soooooooo much better that I did several loads of laundry and even ironed the underwear! Did pilates DVD to try to help the CO2 diffuse (caused pain under my ribs). Didn’t take any of my Vicodin/(hydrocodone)—saved it for my migraines. Went to a formal Christmas party the next day. Drove ½ way across the country 5 days later.
CONCLUSION of 1st LAP: GREAT EXPERIENCE!!! First period was so gentle! I couldn’t believe it! I really noticed a difference! However, within the next 2 years, I was ready for another lap.
Second Lap: October 2005
Diagnostic procedures listed as follows: Ultrasound to rule out gallstones, HIDA scan with radioactive dye injection, and some other gall bladder test. Post-Lap sigmoidoscopy and stool labs scheduled, and consultation with second surgeon who was to remove my appendix at the same time as endometrial ablation.
Day of Surgery:
Pre-surgery—Nothing to eat/drink since night before. Arrived at the hospital IN-PATIENT entrance (since I had to stay overnight for observation for my appendectomy). Freaked out because neither of the doctors who were to perform my surgeries were present (both already performing other surgeries). Had nurse call the gynecologist so I could go over pain locations w/ him before the surgery. Changed into same type of booty gown. Asked questions over and over about what surgery I was having and what they were going to do during the surgery (to see if I really knew what was going on and I was the right person). Wheeled to operating amphitheatre where I was given Demerol (first surgeon still not present). Demerol somehow knocked me out before doctor arrived!!! I ALWAYS speak to the surgeons before having any type of surgery!
Post-surgery—Woke up in the recovery room wondering what the hell happened. I didn’t recognize a doctor’s voice or anything as I had in all my previous surgeries, including those not for endometriosis. Tried to tell nurses I was awake and wanted my husband. Was told I can’t be awake—B.S.!!! I was!
Taken to my hospital room where I couldn’t understand ANYTHING the nurse said. His accent was VERY, VERY bad, and I understand most any accent! He wanted me to breathe deeply into a spirometer so I wouldn’t get pneumonia, but I had to guess what to do, since I couldn’t understand him! Another nurse came to my room with forms for me to sign and needles. Wound up that some attending nurse during the surgery got cut with a clamp and I had to give a blood sample for an HIV test. I went ahead and signed, because I know if I were that nurse, I’d want to know, too! Waiting for the doctor to show up……still hadn’t seen a doctor since my pre-op. Getting pissed! Where are the stupid doctors!!! Nurse who couldn’t speak English went home. Got another nurse who told me I had to pee soon or they were going to catheterize me. Asked for a huge jug of water! Finally peed. Second nurse went home. Couldn’t sit up on my own or stand up on my own. Found out that first surgeon went just lateral to (to the side of) my belly button instead of through it, cutting through all of my muscle layers! Had to pull up on some chain to stand up. Got another nurse. The ONE THING I made a big deal of before my surgery was that I am allergic to onions and cigarette smoke—both cause migraines. So, wouldn’t you know it…I got a nurse who had just come back from her cigarette break and wreaked of cigarettes! Also smelled like she never washed her clothes. You know the smell that just hangs in the clothes. Instant migraine!!! Told her no offense, but she had just given me a migraine, and I need a non-smoking nurse. Got another nurse. Very nice lady. Took my birth control pill. Nurse freaked out on me. Told her that I’m not going to get pregnant just because she doesn’t want me to take one of my prescription medicines that I already disclosed on all of my forms.
Next morning—phone rings. Gynecologist. Told him I was surprised that I still hadn’t seen a doctor since the pre-op and was pretty disappointed. He told me that they wanted to let me rest. Wasn’t that way on previous lap!!! He also told me where the endo had been found and that I will have a scar from the first doctor who took my appendix out weird.
Two days post-op—notice that my bellybutton looks funky! Went to urgent care to find out why my belly button had been stitched together!!! Found out I’d have to see a plastic surgeon to fix my belly button, because the gynecologist didn’t know how to stitch up the first surgeon who took my appendix out’s incision!!! First surgeon had already left by the time gynecologist showed up to do the surgery! …Getting more pissed by the moment!!!
CONCLUSION of 2nd LAP: VERY disappointed in coordination between doctors and lack of bedside anything!!! Didn’t see a doctor from start-to finish! Disappointed that I have to have yet another surgery just to repair a shoddy stitching job! However, my pain has been helped a lot! I can’t complain there! My gynecologist doesn’t think I’ll have to have another lap.
So, there’s my abridged story! Sorry so long, but I hope it helps someone! 2 experiences. Both by the same gynecologist +1 other surgeon to remove appendix on second operation. 2 very different experiences.
ADVICE: Make sure your doctor isn’t running from one hospital to another to do all kinds of surgeries!!! If you have to have your appendix out or something, make sure the doctors have sat down with you at the SAME TIME to coordinate and each doctor knows how the other plans to perform the surgery—from the incision to the stitching!
Good luck, girls!!! J
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Post by mwilmot on Sept 11, 2006 19:01:45 GMT -5
Here is the detail of my two laps.
Lap 1 – June 28th – my gynecologist – local hospital – surgery to diagnose endo and laser.
I told my doctor I wanted a lap but was leaving for vacation for a week so he scheduled me for two days after I returned. I met with the doctor the day before for my pre-op. He said not to bother to go to the hospital that day for ‘pre-check in’ just go early the next day. I was suppose to have surgery at 1:30pm so he said to get there at 11:00am. I was not suppose to eat anything past 10pm the night before.
When I got to the hospital at 11:00am they were pissed because they said I should have come in the day before…I told them my doctor said I didn’t have to. At 11:45am they sent me up to my room and I had a very nice French nurse help me out. I had to put on the gown and slippers and lay in bed. The nurse started an IV, took my temp, blood pressure, etc… My husband left when I got to my room because we lived only 5 minutes from the hospital and they said they would call him when it was over. He ended up coming back after he was home for 10 minutes Anyway, I just sat in my room and watched TV with the French nurse until 2pm when they finally wheeled me away. They wheeled me outside of the surgical room where I met with the anesthesiologist who asked me my background with surgeries, etc… My doctor came over to say he was all set and they started an IV and I remember nothing after that.
I woke and was in excruciating pain and felt so nauseous. They gave me something for the nausea and I felt better. I remember my bladder hurting so bad. When I felt a little better they wheeled me to another room and it was 5pm at that point and I was the only one there with one nurse. Surgery was 2 ½ hours just like they said it would be. I asked where my husband was and told them to call him and I heard the phone ringing down the hall – he was on his way. She was very eager for me to pee so I could leave. My throat also hurt so bad I couldn’t talk and it hurt to breathe. I had her and my husband assist me to the bathroom and as soon as I peed she gave my clothes so I could leave. I felt very rushed. It took about 2 days before I was able to talk again because of the sore throat.
My doctor told me prior to surgery that he would be calling me the next morning since he knew I wouldn’t remember what he told me. I went home thinking everything was okay. I talked to him the next day to find out that he didn’t get rid of any endometriosis and was only able to separate my fallopian tubes from my uterus. He said that my organs were stuck together (bladder, fallopian tubes, and intestines) and that he was not an expert and could not do anything with that. I was upset because that meant I had to get another surgery but at least he didn’t do what he wasn’t comfortable with.
I had three incisions. 1 in my belly button, one ½ inch incision by my pubic bone (by the way, they shaved the pubic area when I was out for surgery) and one 1 inch incision on my left side.
I had the surgery on Tuesday and was working from home on the following Monday. I was given Tylenol with codeine but that did nothing for me. I felt excellent after 2 weeks. The pain was not too terrible. I had a hard time getting up and walking for about a week.
Lap 2 – August 18th – dr. specialized in endometriosis laps – Stanford Hospital – surgery to separate organs, excise endo, and open the fallopian tubes.
I had my pre-op appointment on Monday and the surgery was scheduled for Friday. On the pre-op they had me fill out a ton of paperwork and my doctor quizzed me to ensure I knew everything that they would be doing for the surgery. He has many assistants and I met with about 3 of them that day. They asked to be part of a pain study for surgeries that are done robotically. I said okay, what the hell. They also gave me my prescriptions so I could have them filled prior to the surgery so they would be at home for me when I was released. They then sent me to the Stanford clinic to get a urinalysis and blood work done.
The day before surgery I had to do a liquid diet and take two doses Phospho Soda. The first does made me sick and I threw up so I called the doctor and they said to dilute the next one with 7up and if that didn’t work I’d have to do an enema. I tried drinking the second one but threw up again and this time there was a ton of blood in the throw up. Then I had the runs so bad. When they stopped I had to go to the pharmacy to get an enema (my husband volunteered but I needed to leave the house).
We had to be at the hospital at 5:30am for a 7:30am surgery. I went to pre-registration and then had to wait about 10 minutes and then was called by a nurse. They ask you all sorts of questions, weigh you, take your temp, take your blood pressure, and take your history. She then had me change into the gown and slippers and they walked me to the ‘pre-op’ room where there were about a dozen people waiting for surgeries. The nurse came back with a blanket that was just warmed (I thought that touch was nice). Then the anesthesiologists (2 of them) came in and started an IV. I told them I got sick from the last surgery so they said they would give me something so I wouldn’t wake up nauseous. Three of my doctors assistants came in to make sure I was ready and prepared. They wheeled me away and I saw my doctor and they put a mask over my face and I was out immediately.
I woke up and my husband said I was being very funny and loopy but I don’t remember the trip from recovery to my room. When I got to the room I had a nurse bring me water and talk with my husband. She came back and gave me some morphine because I said I was in pain. My husband told me the surgery went well and that it lasted a little over 3 ½ hours (just what they told me it would). I kept falling asleep. I woke up a little while later with my doctors assistants in the room and they told me the surgery went well but that I would have to undergo one more because the endometriosis got into my bladder – they told my husband not to tell me because they knew I would be upset.
The pain was terrible and I had a girdle on to help keep everything ‘in place’. I got a shot of morphine every few hours. I could not get up to go to the bathroom without my husband and a nurse helping me. I ended up staying overnight so they could watch me and so my pain level would go down. Whenever I would get up to go to the bathroom they had me walk the hall as far as I could. As a side note, I brought my own maxi pads since I had a lot of bleeding after the first lap and the hospital pads are so thick and uncomfortable.
I went home at noon the next day. In the meantime I talked with my doctors assistants about 4 other times. I started morphine and vicodin during the night for the pain. When I got home I took maximum vicodin and prescription ibuprofen for pain. I was in a lot of pain for about 3 days and then it got better each day. I felt okay after a week and fine after 2 weeks. I am almost at the week 4 mark and I feel almost 100% and am going to go sailing this weekend. I pretty much did nothing but take pain pills and sleep for the first few days.
I had 5 incisions from this surgery, 1 in my belly button, one by my pubic bone, one on my right side, one on my lower left side, and one on my upper left side. The incisions are all ¼ inch to ½ inch. The surgery with robots has smaller incisions and less pain. My next one will also be done with robots.
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Post by erzulie on Sept 11, 2006 19:48:06 GMT -5
I'm a little confused about the robots. Can you explain that more?
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Post by wendyjt on Sept 11, 2006 21:49:02 GMT -5
My story will be shorter because I don't have time for such a great detailed story as those I've read. I have had one Lap in May of 2004. I had been in such incredible pain for about 5 months prior to surgery, that the first words out of my mouth in the recovery room were "Wow, I feel so much better!" Heard this several times, Straight from my nurse! Apparently, I had such extensive adhesions, especially on the ligaments in my right side, things were pretty ugly in there. (Still have my right ovary and tube adhered to my abdominal wall) The relief that I felt was instant, and the post-op pain did not come close to the pain that I had prior. I spent a few days in bed, Mostly because I have a husband and kids, and I never get to do that. Ssshhh.......... lol. Returned to work in 3 weeks, but could have done it in two. Doc wouldn't let me! It was really an ok experience for me. Hope my hysterectomy is as easy! (I know the reality of that though!) I'm sorry that some of you had such post-op pain. I guess I am either one of the lucky ones, or just didn't realize the amount of pain that I was walking around with every day.
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Post by mwilmot on Sept 12, 2006 10:30:44 GMT -5
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Post by ouchy on Sept 12, 2006 13:28:25 GMT -5
I couldn't get the link to work, even when I deleted the spaces in it. Thanks, though.
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Post by mwilmot on Sept 13, 2006 11:46:24 GMT -5
Sorry, if the link doesn't work you can try this. Go to www.nezhat.org - Click on News and Events - Click on Nezhat in the news - Click on the article dated February 2, 2005 . I hope you can get to it because it is very interesting.
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Post by ouchy on Oct 13, 2006 9:36:29 GMT -5
This was posted by a guest poster named "heather092800" in an unrelated thread on Aug 14, 2006, 3:16pm.
Here is heather's post.
"I just had lap this past week It was AWFUL. Probably the worst part was the pain in my shoulders and neck from the gas they pumped into me. That hurt worse than the incisions. My doc found endo covering alot of my organs, but says he got it all. I was pretty bruised up and bled for a few days after the surgery. This week is my first time of the month since the lap and it is horrible. Lots of pain, but they say it will get better. I hate it! "
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Post by cass on Oct 27, 2006 6:17:27 GMT -5
had my first lap about 4 weeks ago. was quite scared going into it awoke in alot of pain and was given morphiene. Pretty sore for about 4-5 days very tender at the incision sites. im a fitness freak and was having gym withdrawls and was back doing my normal workout in less than a week (which is a long time for me!) first period after my lap was very painful - nothing was removed during my lap as apparenly my doc said it was to big and extensive and in parts that required further surgery. scar has healed well though!
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Post by tarynnsmommy on Oct 30, 2006 15:29:22 GMT -5
I have had 5 laps so far with my 6th one on the way. I won't go into alot of detail, but I have always gotten alot of relief after having a lap. The worst part for me is the gas pain in my back in between my shoulder blades. I am usually up and around pretty good in the next day or so. I do walk hunched over for about 4 days but I have had really good experiences with all of my surgeries. I do tend to get nauseous, but they are always wonderful about giving something before and right after surgery.
Misti
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Post by cherry on Oct 30, 2006 15:38:11 GMT -5
Op done 10th feb 06 at Liverpool Women's Hospital UK by my consultant gynaecologist Mr N Aziz A pre op appointment 2 weeks before was done at a nurse led clinic, where my weight and height were recorded, background info was asked for such as illlnesses, medication, previous anaesthesia and allergies, and blood and urine samples were taken. I was instructed to be at the hospital by 8 am on the day, having stopped eating and drinking the night before and also to avoid my usual NSAIDs to avoid complications with bleeding. It was my first anaesthesia and hospital stay so just in case i took an overnight bag (with a will inside in case of the worst) I was asked to change into a gown straight after i got there, and was given some attractive tissue paper panties to feel better about my bare bum! I waited a few hours but this time passed quickly enough, and was then wheeled into a pre op area on a trolley. there a doctor quickly took more bloods as something had happened to my results from the pre op clinic (they were too long ago and had shown slight abnormalities) I was allowed to keep my socks on whilst i waited for my IV to be put in which was nice as i get cold toes! A short while after my consultant and a few other staff came to wheel me through, although i didn't recognise my consultant as it was our first meeting. as the IV was put in and 3 different injections given I was spoken to a lot and fussed over by the anaesthesiologist. The first feeling I had was tingling cheeks, then as the last injection was put in I felt a dull ache in my arm, the doctor asked how i was feeling and i started to say 'I don't really like that last one' but just mumbled something and heard a little checkle go around as I 'fell asleep' What woke me up seems to be this annoying itch aroung my nose and cheeks, and in trying to itch it i knocked my oxygen mask off which the nurse had to put back a few times before taking it off altogether. I drifted in and out of a sleep for a while and was very groggy, it was like a switch was being flipped whether I was asleep or awake! i had what I now know as a bad reaction to the anaesthetic, when i got back to the day ward 3 girls who had gone in after me had already gone home, and i wasn't able to stay awake for hours after. I went for my op around 10 but finally started feeling aware enough to check the clock around 5pm. Having drank water i was unable to keep it down but continued to be sick every time i moved despite an antisickness injection. I had to be put on a drip and wasn't allowed any tea or water for a while. I was kept in overnight because I was still feeling out of it and because i hadn't drank or been to the loo. during visiting hour on the overnight ward i fell asleep suddenly with a cup of water in my hand and spilled it on myself. Trying to get up to mop it up kicked off the vomiting again, which was awful because it was just bile type fluid and hurt my tummy terribly because I had been sick so much and the incisions were being irritated by the movement. This made me cry as i was embarrassed in front of the other ladies' visitors at falling asleep then vomiting uncontrollably. The nurses put me in my pyjamas and changed my bedding, and I sat with the curtain pulled for awhile as I just felt so ill and embarrassed at the whole incident. After that, my tummy was checked every hour for swelling and signs of infection around the incisions, but the nurses were mystified as to why i seemed to be reacting so badly. My vitals were checked every half hour for a while as my heart was racing, and although it wasn't allowed the nurses let me see my boyfriend when he could come after work. i was given a different anti sickness injection which seemed to work as the vomiting slowed down then stopped. I was allowed to try water again while the nurses watched, but still didn't manage to pee until the next morning despite the water and the drip. I slept that night but it was down to the anaesthetic as it was light and strange and i woke up a lot, besides the nurses checking my vitals every hour through the night. I wasn't offered breakfast the next morning but when the doctor did her rounds she allowed me to go home, only because I begged her to let me go. The nurses all commented on how much brighter I looked and helped me dress to go home, they really were very lovely through the whole thing. They did state at one point they had been worried about my reaction, so I think being that sick must be rare. They looked after me very well. If I have another op i will defo take all the things i'd need for a stay overnight, and something to entertain me beforehand. I will ask for a vid to be taken of the procedure and make sure to state my wishes what can definitely happen if they need to do something there and then. Also my doctor failed to inform me of what he had found, I didn't know the diagnosis until May, and wasn't given any details until I asked to see all the letters from my consultant to my GP. I healed relatively quickly afterwards, and was able to move about a lot more a week later, just took more time off work than i thought i would need because i was very tired and groggy still. The incision in my tummy button is not noticeable at all now, and the one further down where they put the gas in was a tiny hole that only hurt the first day. My insides felt very tender for about 3 days, aching especially around my womb but i was generally ok! x
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Post by akcheryl on Dec 4, 2006 16:38:41 GMT -5
I just wanted to give a quick update... I had a laparoscopy on December 1, and am still recovering. The surgery took over 3 hours, and I was diagnosed with Stage 4 endo. They removed my appendix, but didn't do a bowel resection (this time).
Here's a breakdown of what happened:
Thursday before the surgery, I had to start taking GoLytely at around 3 pm. The instructions say to drink the entire 1 gallon container in 2 hours, but I found that IMPOSSIBLE. I was WAY too full of liquid to do that, plus it tasted disgusting (I actually threw up a couple times). I didn't end up drinking the entire gallon, but I did finish most of it (which apparently was fine, because my stool was completely clear). I went to bed around midnight, but still felt a little bowel "discomfort."
When I got up at 4:30 am on Friday, I still had a little bit of the GoLytely to get out. Luckily, I was done with that by the time we left for the hospital at 5:30. I showered and put on the loosest clothes I could find (a t-shirt and some loose sweatpants). I also put my hair up into a ponytail using a hair band with no metal on it.
When I got to the hospital, they put an arm band on me. I made sure to take out my earrings and leave my rings and other jewelry at home. I also removed my contacts when I got to the hospital (I wanted to keep them in as long as possible because I hate wearing glasses, but I'm as blind as a bat without them).
After a few minutes, a nurse took me into pre-op. I had to remove all my clothes and put on one of those ugly gowns, some socks they provided, and a hair cap. I laid down on the hospital bed and after a few minutes a nurse went in to talk to me. She confirmed all my allergies, put on another arm band to remind the doctors of my allergies, placed leg pumps on both legs (to be attached to a machine to keep my legs moving so I didn't develop a clot), took my bloodpressure, listened to my lungs (because of my asthma), had me take my albuterol (she also said they'd probably give me a nebulizer treatment in the OR), and had me sign consent forms.
Then the nurse numbed the side of my wrist and placed the IV. She said that they would place another IV while I was under because I was so dehydrated.
After the IV was in they let my husband and my mom go see me. A few minutes after my family got there, another nurse hooked me up to an EKG (since I have some heart problems). I saw probably 7 different nurses, and each time one came in she took my temperature and my bloodpressure (they left the cuff on my right arm).
At about 7:00 an anesthesiologist came in and gave me a pepcid and some other anti-nausea meds, and she placed a little patch with anti-nausea meds behind my left ear. She also listened to my lungs and asked if I had any questions. I said no, so she injected some medication into my 1st IV that would help me relax.
A couple minutes later my main OBGYN surgeon came to speak to me, my husband, and my mother. She informed me that my CA-125 was 137, but that is often seen in women with endo.
The first nurse who had me sign the consent forms forgot to put an appendectomy on the form, and since I had already had some meds, my husband had to sign a consent form to have an appendectomy. Then I was given more medicine through my IV to relax.
About five minutes later I was wheeled out of pre-op and down a long hall into the OR. I remembed moving onto the operating table and having a mask put over my face. The anesthesiologist told me to take three deep breaths and that's the last thing I remember.
I faintly recall waking up in the first recovery room. I know I was in extreme pain, and I kind of remember yelling out in pain and crying. According to my family, I was in the first recovery room for a couple hours, and the surgery took over 3 hours.
The next thing I knew, I was in the second recovery room and my husband and mom were there. The nurses kept giving me pain medications through my IV, but my pain was still a 10 out of 10.
I had to pee very badly, so the nurses supported me as I tried to walk down the hall to the bathroom. It was very hard to sit and stand, so I had to have someone help me. When I was finally "in position" to go to the bathroom, I couldn't. It was very strange, I felt like I had to pee so bad that I was going to wet myself, but I just couldn't pee. Finally, after about 10 minutes of trying, I got a few drops out.
I was taked back to my recovery room in a wheelchair. The nurses had removed my hospital bed and put in a recliner. But as soon as I got back into my room, I had to pee again (this happened until probably yesterday - it has been very hard to pee, and no matter how much I got out, I'd have to pee again as soon as I got back to bed). I couldn't lift my legs at all, so my husband had to help me. I also felt like my legs were somewhat swollen.
I had my temperature taken probably a dozen more times (it was a couple degrees too high but nothing serious), and I also had my bloodpressure taken a bunch and my lungs listened to. The nurses had my husband feed me some crackers, and then they gave me a couple percocet.
My throat hurt a lot because of the intubation, but it wasn't as bad as I've had before.
I don't know how long I was in the second recovery room, but after a while I was put in a wheelchair to go home. Every little bump on the road caused excruciating pain.
As soon as we got home, my husband put me in bed. We used pillows to prop me up like a hospital bed, and put a pillow under my knees. I couldn't eat a whole lot, but I tried to get some cranberry juice and soup down. Luckily I didn't really get nauseous. My mom and my husband also helped me to go the bathroom. My husband also went out and bought me a nightgown since having the elastic waistband from my sweats touch my wounds hurt too much.
I noticed while I was still in the hospital that I was bleeding a little bit, like I was having my period. For the first two days (Friday and Saturday), the blood was light pink and there wasn't a lot of it. Then yesterday the bleeding got a lot heavier and it is bright red. I guess it's okay though - I was told it's only a problem if I start soaking a pad every hour. I don't know if it's my period though, since I wasn't supposed to start until next week.
I've been taking percocet every four hours. I've had to take 2 at a time. When I'm on the meds, I feel okay as long as I don't move at all, and as long as no one bumps the bed. But I can definitely tell when the meds start to wear off and I need to take more. It also hurts BAD to go to the bathroom (I've only gone pee so far, even thinking about a bowel movement scares me!).
I changed the bandages over my wounds yesterday and noticed that I have 5 incisions. Each one is about an inch and a half long (one is about 2 inches). I have one in my bellybutton (it goes from inside my bellybutton down toward my pelvis), one on my left side, one of my right, and two on my pelvis (about 1/2 an inch apart). They are closed with stitches on the inside and glue on the outside.
I have my post-op appointment on December 12. I don't know a whole lot at this point. All I know is that I had cysts all over my uterus, my cul-de-sac was destroyed, I had cysts on my diaphragm, both ovaries, etc. I guess I had endo all over. I was diagnosed with Stage 4 endo, and I also had my appendix taken out (I guess it was pretty much gone also). The surgeons were really happy with the outcome though.
The surgeon was able to save some tissue on both ovaries (!), but I don't know much. I'm guessing I may have 1/2 an ovary on both sides. Also, both my tubes are now open!
I'm really excited for my post-op appt., and I especially want to see the pictures. I'm being referred to a fertility clinic and will probably be put on ovary-stimulating drugs to get me to release more eggs. I'm very excited to go to the fertility clinic.
At this point, I'm a few days out of surgery and still in a lot of pain. I feel better since all the anesthesia has worn off, but it feels like I've been kicked in the stomach over and over again. I can't walk upright, and I feel dizzy whenever I have to get up to go to the bathroom. I can't use my stomach muscles, so my husband has to lift me out of bed. It hurts to take a deep breath, and I'm still getting VERY painful bubbles in my shoulders and under my ribs. My husband has been massaging my shoulders, which helps (ice packs are also helpful). I've also been icing my abdomen, which helps somewhat. My stomach is also really swollen.
Overall, I'm happy with the outcome so far. We're very hopeful that we will be able to get pregnant. At my post-op, we're going to arrange to have me checked for endo every so often.
I'm refusing to go on Lupron. Hopefully, I will get pregnant and that will help the endo to not grow back so aggressively. I know it isn't a cure, but my husband and I have decided that if I still have problems with endo pain and cysts coming back, I'll have a hysterectomy/oopherectomy after we are done having kids (we want two or three biological children plus two or three adoptive).
It's upsetting that I'm Stage 4, but I suppose I'd feel worse if they didn't find anything at all.
I'll do an update after my post-op to let you all know what the surgeons said.
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