I know that in a couple of posts I mentioned I'd try to give an update on my lap. I found one of the posts but not the other, so I'll just post this here.
Warning - I give a short story and a long (LONG!) story. I totally don't expect everyone to want to read all of this....just figured it might be helpful for someone who is planning on having a lap and is a bit nervous
Without further ado -
I had my lap & dye yesterday at 12:30pm (so right now I'm 18 hours post op). The short story - I was quite scared, cried some as the time got closer, am doing really well (at least based on how I expected to feel), and am now free of quite a bit of endo I had basically NO idea I had!
The long story (and it is long!) - arrived 2 hours early and after some prep - blood draw, urine specimen, lovely gown, lots of questions, etc. - I waited for about 45 minutes, in a nice bed, before they took us (my husband got to come) to pre-op. While there, I talked to the anesthesiologist, nurse, my doctor, and a resident. I was given my IV then, started on fluids, and after 15-20 minutes there, was given some "happy meds." I suppose they took the edge off, but I didn't notice a big difference. They then wheeled me to the operating room, had me moved to the "table," then gave me more happy meds. Shortly after that, I was out.
The first time I remember waking up was around 2:20, and I think my surgery ended around 1 (quicker than I expected). Of course I was groggy The mask (oxygen?) was taken off, and the nurse eventually asked me how, on a scale of 1-10, I felt. I was crampy and had a little pain in my chest due to the gas they put in, and said I was a 4-5, I think. She gave me morphine, which I didn't feel helped, and later (not much later, but I don't know if I fell back asleep) the pain had gone up a little, like maybe to a 6. She gave me more morphine, I think....or maybe just another med I remember her saying they'd ordered. Not too much longer, they wheeled me back to my "room."
I feel by this point I was quite coherent. We stopped to pick up my husband from the waiting room, and on my way to my room, I asked him how it went....and I remember just about every word he said! It went well....endo...on a scale of 4, mine was a 3 (shocking!). Chance of pregnancy with that was 5% and now I should be "normal," whatever that is! Tubes clear.
Back in my room, I was groggy but don't think I ever fell asleep. Pain was around a 3 but within 1-2 hours, it was a 1. I drank a lot...and my throat hurt...and I ate a bit of a muffin. I'd close my eyes to rest...still felt groggy....but probably by around 4:30 I was pretty alert, didn't feel so sleepy. I felt really great! They wanted me to use the bathroom before I left, so I think around 5:30, with my husband and nurse hovering close as I walked to the bathroom, I tried (despite the fluids and water, I didn't feel the need to go) and could barely go (sorry if TMI!). So, the nurse started me on another bag of fluids and gave me another glass of water, and said she'd check on me in 30 minutes. About an hour later, she was back and although I still didn't feel the need to "go," I tried and went enough that she was content. I headed home around 7, which is later than we'd expected, but it was mostly my choice...and the fact that I couldn't "go." Throughout this time, I could occasionally feel some of my incisions (3 of them), but it was nothing bad.
Once home, I ate a little (sweet potato and jello) and took Vicodin and Motrin. My shoulder and throat hurt...sharp pains in my right shoulder, but nothing intolerable. I went to bed just before 9:30, propped up on pillows, and unfortunately didn't sleep until around 12 or 12:30. I'd get comfy and then have to go to the bathroom - that happened over and over again. Once asleep, I slept 'til 6...and here I am! I'm sitting on the couch, munching on grapes, with a rice heating thing on my shoulder. It's kind of uncomfortable to walk, but not bad at all...my throat feels better than last night....I've felt minor cramps and pretty much only feel the incisions when I walk or move my torso. I wish I could sleep more, and I probably will later, but I'm a side sleeper and sleeping on my back tends to work best when I'm wiped out. Sleeping on one side hurts my shoulder, and I'm afraid to sleep on the other side b/c I have an incision there (BTW, the incisions look harmless and are super small - one in the lower part of my belly button, one on my far right, and one 2-3 (??) inches below my belly button (quite low).
Whew, this is long! You can tell I don't have much else to do Anyway, this long version is meant for those of you who have yet to have a lap. I know I appreciated hearing how other peoples' procedures, so I want to help if I can. Of course, each body is different and what we have done during our laps may be different...but this has been my experience thus far.
Best wishes to those of you who are having yours in the future!!
Warning - I give a short story and a long (LONG!) story. I totally don't expect everyone to want to read all of this....just figured it might be helpful for someone who is planning on having a lap and is a bit nervous
Without further ado -
I had my lap & dye yesterday at 12:30pm (so right now I'm 18 hours post op). The short story - I was quite scared, cried some as the time got closer, am doing really well (at least based on how I expected to feel), and am now free of quite a bit of endo I had basically NO idea I had!
The long story (and it is long!) - arrived 2 hours early and after some prep - blood draw, urine specimen, lovely gown, lots of questions, etc. - I waited for about 45 minutes, in a nice bed, before they took us (my husband got to come) to pre-op. While there, I talked to the anesthesiologist, nurse, my doctor, and a resident. I was given my IV then, started on fluids, and after 15-20 minutes there, was given some "happy meds." I suppose they took the edge off, but I didn't notice a big difference. They then wheeled me to the operating room, had me moved to the "table," then gave me more happy meds. Shortly after that, I was out.
The first time I remember waking up was around 2:20, and I think my surgery ended around 1 (quicker than I expected). Of course I was groggy The mask (oxygen?) was taken off, and the nurse eventually asked me how, on a scale of 1-10, I felt. I was crampy and had a little pain in my chest due to the gas they put in, and said I was a 4-5, I think. She gave me morphine, which I didn't feel helped, and later (not much later, but I don't know if I fell back asleep) the pain had gone up a little, like maybe to a 6. She gave me more morphine, I think....or maybe just another med I remember her saying they'd ordered. Not too much longer, they wheeled me back to my "room."
I feel by this point I was quite coherent. We stopped to pick up my husband from the waiting room, and on my way to my room, I asked him how it went....and I remember just about every word he said! It went well....endo...on a scale of 4, mine was a 3 (shocking!). Chance of pregnancy with that was 5% and now I should be "normal," whatever that is! Tubes clear.
Back in my room, I was groggy but don't think I ever fell asleep. Pain was around a 3 but within 1-2 hours, it was a 1. I drank a lot...and my throat hurt...and I ate a bit of a muffin. I'd close my eyes to rest...still felt groggy....but probably by around 4:30 I was pretty alert, didn't feel so sleepy. I felt really great! They wanted me to use the bathroom before I left, so I think around 5:30, with my husband and nurse hovering close as I walked to the bathroom, I tried (despite the fluids and water, I didn't feel the need to go) and could barely go (sorry if TMI!). So, the nurse started me on another bag of fluids and gave me another glass of water, and said she'd check on me in 30 minutes. About an hour later, she was back and although I still didn't feel the need to "go," I tried and went enough that she was content. I headed home around 7, which is later than we'd expected, but it was mostly my choice...and the fact that I couldn't "go." Throughout this time, I could occasionally feel some of my incisions (3 of them), but it was nothing bad.
Once home, I ate a little (sweet potato and jello) and took Vicodin and Motrin. My shoulder and throat hurt...sharp pains in my right shoulder, but nothing intolerable. I went to bed just before 9:30, propped up on pillows, and unfortunately didn't sleep until around 12 or 12:30. I'd get comfy and then have to go to the bathroom - that happened over and over again. Once asleep, I slept 'til 6...and here I am! I'm sitting on the couch, munching on grapes, with a rice heating thing on my shoulder. It's kind of uncomfortable to walk, but not bad at all...my throat feels better than last night....I've felt minor cramps and pretty much only feel the incisions when I walk or move my torso. I wish I could sleep more, and I probably will later, but I'm a side sleeper and sleeping on my back tends to work best when I'm wiped out. Sleeping on one side hurts my shoulder, and I'm afraid to sleep on the other side b/c I have an incision there (BTW, the incisions look harmless and are super small - one in the lower part of my belly button, one on my far right, and one 2-3 (??) inches below my belly button (quite low).
Whew, this is long! You can tell I don't have much else to do Anyway, this long version is meant for those of you who have yet to have a lap. I know I appreciated hearing how other peoples' procedures, so I want to help if I can. Of course, each body is different and what we have done during our laps may be different...but this has been my experience thus far.
Best wishes to those of you who are having yours in the future!!
I am so scared as I am one big baby!
Are your incisions hurting? Do you have dissolvable stitches or ones that will need to be taken out?
