Over 10 weeks and still not recovered...

[hummingbirdmoth]

Hi all,
I am 33 and was in good condition before my laparoscopy. Diagnosed with an ovarian cyst I got a laparoscopy 15th of August (over 10 weeks ago). What my gynaecologist removed was a functional hemorragic (=bloodfilled) beneign cyst on r. ovary of almost 9cm, a smaller Mullerian cyst, also on the r. ovary, a smaller beneign cyst in the left tube, 2 small 'spots' of Mullerian tumor in the Douglas pouch and lots of adhesions on both sides of my abdominal walls, on the left side my bowles were stuck to the wall. - oof, that sounds like a lot now that I write it down!
(Excuse my spelling by the way, I'm not native-speaking English.)

I had a very skilled surgeant, very experienced in laparoscopy and specialized in ovarian tumors. My luck!

Now it's over 10 weeks. Yes, I am recovering, but I'm still stuck with substantial pain in my abdomins, I feel quite tired all the time and my bowles are still acting weird. Can't sit long, can't walk long, can't anything without laying down a few times a day. Pain in my belly goes better when I lay down a lot, but it's been so long already (especially since the doctor and all info on internet says laparoscopy is such a minor and quick-recovery thing). I this normal?

I also have the feeling that the streching of the muscles by the gass, and the cutting (even though I just have 3 small holes) through the muscles was quite more damaging than expected. As I said, I was in quite a good shape and I'm not a 'sissy' in general I might add. Anybody also feels like recovering slowly muscle-wise, like when you have a sports-injury and rip a muscle or 'spring' something; that also takes weeks to heal, right?

Please, anyone who is about my age and has had a laparoscopy including removal of several tumors/adhesions, let me know how long your recovery took. Or any 'expert' in general on this. I read almost all your stories and I feel very lucky that, as my doctor says, 'everything that shouldn't be there is removed and everything that should be there is still there and functioning', but I could use some knowledge about this slow slow recovering!

Thank you all! And good luck to you.

[TrudieC]

Any kind of internal surgery like that takes about 8 weeks or so to heal inside.  But with it being laporascopy you shouldn't be having the issues you are at this time.  Please get yourself checked at the doctor to ensure you don't have an infection or any other problems.  Good luck.

[fattouna82]

yes, you should check with ur dr. there might be an internal infection , u should do blood tests and ultra sound, this is not normal.

good luck, i hope u get well soon

[ireneo]

Your recovery does sound unusual. I'm much older than you (57) and I had a 10 cm cyst, my tube and ovary removed last year via laparascope. Not sure how they got all that out through the little holes but they did. Most of my discomfort was gone after the first week. I still had little twinges here and there for quite awhile. Other than that, I felt pretty good.

I agree with the others, you should probably go back in for a checkup.

[hummingbirdmoth]

Thanks for the comments.

Already got checked up good. No infections, overies fine, uterus fine, kidneys fine, etc. I don't feel very bad or ill, but just brused and tired still. Like it all is still trying to find it's proper place and function inside...

Hm, maybe it's taking longer because right after the surgery I have had new cysts growing back in both overies very rapidly, which we were able to stop growing with birthcontroll-pills plus extra natural progesterone. They disapeared and now I'm clear of any cysts, but maybe this growing new ones right after surgery caused my slow recovery.

Strange that this didn't cross my mind untill now...
It's because you all talking to/with me about it, thanks!
How does it sound for an explaination to you?

Thank you all for 'talking'. I can talk with my boyfriend and my girlfriends, mom, etc. but you all know what you're talking about. That makes a difference!

[TrudieC]

Another thing could be that you pushed yourself too much and never got the rest you needed.  When you do that it keeps putting you back.  Try taking it easier for a few days and see how you feel.  Or, you might have just not reacted well to the anaesthetic.