What is an abnormal recovery after laparoscopy?

[vienna_h]

My life the past couple years has gone from perfectly healthy to a whole bunch of problems!

the first thing was that my periods had become so painful and heavy I went to the hospital in excruciating pain, and  I was finally told I had an ovarian cyst caused by endometriosis and needed laparoscopic surgey to have it removed. Scary stuff!

A month later, I was back at the hospital, this time with a rather severe viral gastritis. The problem is that it never fully went away. I continued to have nausea, vomitting, bloating and pain, even rashes, after eating. it made me more and more tired. I had several tests, the only thing found was mild chronic gastritis (by gastroscopy) and I was diagnosed with post-infectious IBS. Seven months later, before my surgery, I'm so tired I'm having dificulty getting through the work day and I have no energy left to do any other activities, the IBS symptoms are not going away. A blood test shows my ferretin levels are low but my iron is rocket high. I also find out I'm fructose intolerant.

I was expecting my recovery from the laparscopy to be simple. I expected two weeks at home, then I'd be back at work. It's now Week 7 and I am just as fatigued now as I was a few days post op!!!!

My surgeon insists "everyone heals differently" but can only give me 8 weeks medical leave. I have made no improvemnt and don't see myself going back to work full time in a week, its impossible!

Simple little things tire me out. If I do the groceries I spend the next three days unable to get out of bed!

A recent blood tests shows my ferretin is now lower and my iron is borderline low too (my doctor and nutritionist have no explaination why my iron levels changed so drastically). I started taking iron supplements and eating a fructose free diet, but its made no difference.

Can this really be "normal"? Is it a combination of surgery, IBS and iron deficiency? Or could there be something else going on?

I hate being unproductive, it feels like life is passing me by.

[Jbb2491]

Hi, this exact same thing happened to me, its week 7 and I still have gastritis after a routine laparoscopy - what happened in your case? My health hasn't been the same since that operation! Any answer appreciated! J

[achilles2]

You can contact the endo assoc and they can tell you about one:
http://www.endometriosisassn.org/

Also if you can get to NY there is a world renown one:
http://www.nezhat.com/farr_nezhat

I hope this helps,
achilles2

[VallyWillis]

Do you guys know of any good endo specialist in the Massachusetts area? I have been searching online but the only one I found in my area seems to only work with adolesents...
As for the fatigue, you could ask you PCP about chronic fatigue syndrome.

[achilles2]

I am glad to know that you have a good doctor. I have read so many stories on this forum from females who had just a general ob/gyn and got sub par care and it makes me angry that so many suffer needlessly because of a doctor that does not know enough about endo. That is why I posted what I did.
I hope that you feel better soon.
achilles2

[vienna_h]

Thanks, but he is a fertility doctor and one of the top specialists in the world, this is why I went to see him. He is very respected in his field and has several highly regarded publications. It doesn't mean anything about skill but if he's the world expert on removing endometriosis I trust him! He also readily gave me a copy of medical file yesterday. There were no complications. Like I said, my inductions healed nicely and I had little pain, it's the fatigue that won't go away! He doesn't believe the surgery is to blame and suggested I see my GP if I wasn't feeling better in a couple more weeks.

Maybe I'm just impatient...

[achilles2]

Was your surgeon a endo specialist? If not he might not have gotten all the endo-- especially on your bowel. Then also I know someone who thought she had a good surgeon (not a endo specialist) and "he was in over his head" with her surgery. In fact the cyst burst during surgery and he did not tell her. She only learned after getting all her records for the endo specialist she later found. She was furious. Here he told her that she should be feeling better and yet she felt worse. I recommend that if you can, to get your all medical records (for reason put continuance of care) and you don't have to ask him. Usually you can get the paperwork from the receptionist.

If he is not an endo surgeon I recommend that you contact the endo assoc to find one near you.
http://www.endometriosisassn.org/

I know of one in Oregon, 2 in Illinois, 2 in California, one in Pennsylvania, one in NY , and one in Georgia. If you are near there let me know and I can get you their info.

I hope this helps,
achilles2