Booked my lap today - experiences?

[JLeigh29]

Yep, focus on all those others who ended up utd after a lap! That could be you too!

[Amy_jellybean]

Hi girls,

Wondering if you can help me? I had m lap done a week ago today and for a few days my tummy has been hurting. I have a hard lump underneath where the incision in my belly button is and the area is a little bit red. If it was really red and pussy (sorry if TMI) then I would think it was an infection but its not bright red. If really like when you have sunburn and someone slaps it....but all the time.

I went to the Chemist this morning to get some betadine to see if that helps and the pharmacist said dont put betadine on it use this and gave me some first aid cream
I dont think it needs cream I think it needs to be dried out and my mum said the same thing. I have been using the cream all day and it has given me no relief.

Has anyone else had an experience like this? I go to Malaysia for work on Saturday for a week and I cant get to see my specialist before then. The last thing I want is this getting worse while I am in a strange country.

Thanks is advance for you help

[Jacks Mummy]

Hi girls,

Wondering if you can help me? I had m lap done a week ago today and for a few days my tummy has been hurting. I have a hard lump underneath where the incision in my belly button is and the area is a little bit red. If it was really red and pussy (sorry if TMI) then I would think it was an infection but its not bright red. If really like when you have sunburn and someone slaps it....but all the time.

I went to the Chemist this morning to get some betadine to see if that helps and the pharmacist said dont put betadine on it use this and gave me some first aid cream
I dont think it needs cream I think it needs to be dried out and my mum said the same thing. I have been using the cream all day and it has given me no relief.

Has anyone else had an experience like this? I go to Malaysia for work on Saturday for a week and I cant get to see my specialist before then. The last thing I want is this getting worse while I am in a strange country.

Thanks is advance for you help

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Hi Amy-Jellybean

I had my lap over a year ago and no I didnt experience the symptoms you have mentioned. The area was a little tender but i dont remember their being any pus ect. My advice would be to go to your local GP and see if they will give you some antibiotics and that way you will be covered when you go to Malaysia.

My symptons I had from my lap/hysteroscopy

1) Tenderness in the belly button area but only when standing and sitting ect - lasted only a couple of days.
2) The shoulder tip pain was the most intense on the pain.. DH had to constantly massage my shoulder pain which is caused by left over gas used to inflate your tummy during the procedure.

Other than those things, I recovered well and was back at work (office job) within two days. I know its not the same for all people and you will find people with varying experiences.

One more bit fo great news - I got a BFP (after 2.5 years of trying) on month 2 after my lap ( we only did the deed once during the cruicial time bc I had just given up hope).


Lots of baby dust to you all and heres hoping for many BFP's..

[Winston]

I thought I'd pop my experiences with my Lap in here- I'll say as some others have that this is only my experience but some things that I wish people had told me-

I was 19 when I finally had my lap, diagnostic and removal of any endo. I had a fantastic gyno I went to at 16 thinking I just couldn't keep going on in the amount of pain I was in constantly. She did such a good job. I don't want to repeat what has already been said butI also had to have the horrible bowel prep and I was kept in over night on fairly strong pain killers. I had some trouble with the nurses and was later told that I was in the renal ward, not the ward I should have been on. I don't know what affect that had, I was in a private hospital, but I would generally recommend enquiring about this only because I did feel that they lacked some understanding about my particular issues. May not have made a difference though, could have just been a busy night!

The shoulder pain was very surprising, as was the nausea. Although I was starving from fasting and forced my mother to buy me schnitzel. Ahh morphine, all the fun you can have. I too bled, but I had what they termed "moderate to extreme" endo through my entire pelvis, vagina, near my bowels (never quite got how close I ignored it) and on my bladder as well as a tube flush mostly because they were in there. I have 4 scars, but very small, although I did feel like they took a while to heal. They form a diamond- belly button, pubic bone and either side.

I guess the only thing I'd like to add is that I had quite a rough recovery- my experience only and most people don't so I have no intention of people thinking that they will. My body just seemed to heal very slowly and I was on pain killers for 6 months. I bled for 6 weeks after surgery and at time thought I may be losing my mind and maybe I was making the pain up. I really had to let my body recover from extensive removal in its own time and not rush it in any way. Luckily I was living with my father at the time and fully supported. however, I was pain free for two years and only recently the pain has been increasing again. I think its growing back, but I think my lap is one of the most worthwhile thing I've done to improve my health and happiness.

sorry if this is a long ramble, good luck with your surgery!

[Amy_jellybean]

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Hi Amy-Jellybean

I had my lap over a year ago and no I didnt experience the symptoms you have mentioned. The area was a little tender but i dont remember their being any pus ect. My advice would be to go to your local GP and see if they will give you some antibiotics and that way you will be covered when you go to Malaysia.

My symptons I had from my lap/hysteroscopy

1) Tenderness in the belly button area but only when standing and sitting ect - lasted only a couple of days.
2) The shoulder tip pain was the most intense on the pain.. DH had to constantly massage my shoulder pain which is caused by left over gas used to inflate your tummy during the procedure.

Other than those things, I recovered well and was back at work (office job) within two days. I know its not the same for all people and you will find people with varying experiences.

One more bit fo great news - I got a BFP (after 2.5 years of trying) on month 2 after my lap ( we only did the deed once during the cruicial time bc I had just given up hope).


Lots of baby dust to you all and heres hoping for many BFP's..

HI Jacks Mummy,

Thanks so muhc for your reply. Congratulations on your BFP thats wonderful news

I booked an appointment this morning at a GP"s office but could only get in on Friday. I went back to the chemist this arvo and got some betadine and thought I would give it a go, it didnt help but it wasnt getting any better either.

When I got home from work I hopped in the shower and felt the scar on my pelvic bone (not the sore one) and realised there was a lump under in, I pushed on it slightly and and puss about the sizer of a 5 cents piece came out (sorry if TMI ) the pain in my belly button was getting worse and the lump under it had gotten bigger. I went to the hospital and managed to get into the after hours GP clinic.

The doctor I saw was lovely. She has given me antibiotics and said that if it isnt any better by friday then I need to go to emergency at the hospital that I had it done at. Fingers crossed it gets better because I fly out overseas on Saturday!

[JLeigh29]

Amy - I had the lump and redness you describe too. But I was also already on antibiotics from an infection I picked up in the hospital - don't know where the infection was lol. Glad you got into see someone before you fly out. You wouldn't have wanted to deal with that while o/s.

[incomplete]

I had my first laparoscopy and hysteroscopy on Monday. This was my first time having surgery (I don't count the IVF egg collection as surgery). So I was quite anxious. I think the anaesthetist could see this as he asked if I wanted something first to take the edge off before going down to theatre. So I did that and had a lie down and some tubes in my nose to give me some oxygen. Glad I did because I have only a vague recollection of being wheeled into theatre, the anaesthetis telling me he was putting the needle in and that was it.

I knew about the shoulder pain but I didn't expect it to be as painful as it was. I'm sure everyone has a different pain threshold, but I found the shoulder pain excruciating, in both shoulders. I had an afternoon surgery and was hoping to go home but I was in too much pain to. I needed the nurse to help me get up and go to the loo the first three times. It was only when I stood up did I realise just how much pain I had in my upper body. I ate something that night, but I didn?t sleep very well. They suggested lying as flat as possible to help ease the pain. I took painkillers but I don?t feel they did much for my shoulder pain. I think the shoulder pain distracted me from any pain I might have had at my incision sites. I ended up getting some heat packs for my shoulders and my rib cage area.

In the morning I felt better, was able to withstand the pain enough to get dressed and freshen myself up. I ended up having a voltaren suppository, which is apparently a slow release painkiller. So I spent yesterday in bed when I got home. I felt fine when I got up this morning, made brekkie, was sitting up, decided to have a shower. Was up for about 20 or 30 mins feeling fine. Then in the shower I got shoulder tip pain again. Throughout the day my stomach has been feeling quite uncomfortable. It feels very tight and bloated. I know you?re supposed to drink a lot of water to help with constipation, but it seems every time I eat or drink, my stomach feels more uncomfortable. I guess that?s normal? Still getting a bit of shoulder tip pain here and there, but now I?m finding the bloating the most uncomfortable. And my husband made me laugh today and gee that hurt ? in my stomach and right under the ribs. Still finding it a bit hard to breathe deeply too. I?m staring a new temp assignment next Tuesday so I?m hoping I?ll feel better by then. Stitches out next Monday. Oh I?m also feeling a bit itchy around the cuts now.
The positive is I only had a couple of very small patches that they removed from my right ovary, I was pretty much okay. He?s going to do some tests now through my next menstrual cycle, he now thinks my symptoms (mid cycle bleeding and cramping) are hormonal.

[calin]

I had a lap and dye and D&C as a public patient a few months ago, my first-ever surgery so I was a bit freaked out, but it was really fine. It was to look for a possible cause for primary infertility. I had to fast but no bowel prep. When I checked in I had to put on one of those adorable, massive gowns and disposable undies, provide a urine sample to test for pregnancy (ha, I wish!), and I think fill out a form or two. Waited around for a bit, then was wheeled in my bed to a room just outside the theatre. I had to wait there for at least half an hour, I think, which was a bit nerve-wracking. Nearly had a cry then! A cute doctor put a drip in the back of my hand - I think that was supposed to relax me but I didn't feel anything. I was wheeled in and heart monitors put on my chest and side (I was kind of surprised at the number of people there - surgeon, nurse, registrars, aneasthetist, med students, I should have charged admission!) I was given an oxygen mask, then the anaesthetist upped my drip (feels cold in the back of your hand) and asked if I felt anything. I said "no", he said "how about now", I said "no", he said "how about now", and I said ... "oooh, now I feel someth ..." Next thing I knew, I was waking up in the recovery room!! I had a little bit of shoulder pain and cramps like period pain (fairly mild, by my standards, anyway), and when I said that, they upped my drip and I felt great! I also woke up freezing, shivering my a*** off, so they put a little heater at my feet and gave me more blankets. Apparently this is common after a general. Someone told me how the surgery went, but I was too out of it to really understand. I slept on and off for the next few hours, during which I was taken back to the day surgery unit. I was there for only a few hours before I went home (you'll need someone to come get you). I did have a bit of trouble connecting my brain to my legs though! I felt dopey for the rest of the night but didn't really have any pain to speak of. This could be because I only had a few patches of endo and they were lasered off, not cut out. I also kept up all the meds they gave me. I probably could have gone to work the next day (I work nights in a sedentary job), but I had that day and I think the next day off, just not feeling mentally sharp enough. I was bloated for at least a week and felt a pulling feeling where I had my incisions (belly button, on pubic line and right side of lower tummy). I had steri strips instead of stitches, and they came off by themselves after a couple of weeks. I was constipated for a couple of days and had some watery bleeding for about a week.
If I could do it again, I would ask to be told about the surgery after I was well awake (I almost think they did it on purpose while I was incoherent so I couldn't ask any time-consuming questions!). I would make sure to have some pads on hand (sent DH for some and he came back with incontinence pads, LMAO) and something for constipation - and drink it as soon as I got home! Really, the worst thing was having to wait 4 weeks before my next obgyn appointment to talk about the findings, and just the thought of people poking around down there while I was unconscious.
All in all, for someone who's pretty scared of the health system in general, really not bad! HTH.