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Top 10 things I have learned from laproscopic cyst/ovary removal
It's been almost 2 weeks since my laproscopic surgery, I have learned alot both from experiencing it and talking to ya'll here on the forum. Time to share, because just maybe somebody is about to go through the same thing and has questions or needs help. It would be great if everyone added their two cents and we will have a nice "what to expect when your expecting laproscopic surgery" list...lol
1. Don't be fooled, this is major surgery. You could be having body parts removed. Don't plan on doing much for at LEAST a week or two. If you are lucky like some, you'll be up and at 'em. But if you're not, then you won't be disappointed and frustrated.
2. Make or buy muffins. Especially bran. You will need them. Don't ask me why. Ok...why? Because your meds will constipate you and make your stomach hurt. AND you will be too tired to make food. You can buy stool softeners too, but they don't make for a tasty breakfast...
3. If you can, shop for or prepare food and stick it in the freezer. And be REALLY REALLY nice to your friends and neighbors before your surgery. They may offer to bring you food. Don't be silly, say yes. You will be glad you did!
4. The CO2 gas may bloat you up. It might not happen for a day or two and you will laugh and say "I am SO lucky!!" and then "POP" You are the now the Pilsbury doughgirl. Only not as cute. But it hurts...not just the shoulder, could be all over. WALK, WALK, WALK.. around the house, it will go away. Could take a week or more, but the worst is the first few days. Try beano, mylanta, etc. too. BEST cure: Massage. Takes away all the toxins, pushes out some gas. Can't get one?... be REALLY REALLY nice to your spouse, significant other, children, whoever.... they may take pity on poor ol' bloated you and help you out.
5. Get one of those beanybag things that you put in the microwave. Put it on where it hurts. Warm feels nice and you can't get in the tub for two weeks. Your body might hurt all over. They say they don't drop you off the stretcher while you are unconscious, but I personally don't believe it...
6. Enjoy your downtime. Remember all those busy days you wished you could lie around, play on the computer, read books, organize your photos, google your old boyfriend, write that novel? Well, do it. Or sleep. Or both.
7. Sleep. Sleep some more.
8. Driving sucks. Try and avoid it until your incisions/stomach muscles don't hurt. (and you're not on happypills anymore...) It's illegal in most states to drive lying down, I believe...
9. Drink lots of water. Flushes out all the stuff they pumped into you during surgery. Fluffs out the sleep wrinkles in your face..
10. Get on this forum when you can. You will find wonderful women with supportive notes, messages, laughs, and you can read others stories to know whether you are "normal" or not (in terms of your surgery - if you want deeper analysis, try the psych forum...)
That's MY top ten, I hope you all can add a few of your own! Thanks everyone for ALL your help, info, and especially the friendship and laughter.
Have a great day!
Joelle
1. Don't be fooled, this is major surgery. You could be having body parts removed. Don't plan on doing much for at LEAST a week or two. If you are lucky like some, you'll be up and at 'em. But if you're not, then you won't be disappointed and frustrated.
2. Make or buy muffins. Especially bran. You will need them. Don't ask me why. Ok...why? Because your meds will constipate you and make your stomach hurt. AND you will be too tired to make food. You can buy stool softeners too, but they don't make for a tasty breakfast...
3. If you can, shop for or prepare food and stick it in the freezer. And be REALLY REALLY nice to your friends and neighbors before your surgery. They may offer to bring you food. Don't be silly, say yes. You will be glad you did!
4. The CO2 gas may bloat you up. It might not happen for a day or two and you will laugh and say "I am SO lucky!!" and then "POP" You are the now the Pilsbury doughgirl. Only not as cute. But it hurts...not just the shoulder, could be all over. WALK, WALK, WALK.. around the house, it will go away. Could take a week or more, but the worst is the first few days. Try beano, mylanta, etc. too. BEST cure: Massage. Takes away all the toxins, pushes out some gas. Can't get one?... be REALLY REALLY nice to your spouse, significant other, children, whoever.... they may take pity on poor ol' bloated you and help you out.
5. Get one of those beanybag things that you put in the microwave. Put it on where it hurts. Warm feels nice and you can't get in the tub for two weeks. Your body might hurt all over. They say they don't drop you off the stretcher while you are unconscious, but I personally don't believe it...
6. Enjoy your downtime. Remember all those busy days you wished you could lie around, play on the computer, read books, organize your photos, google your old boyfriend, write that novel? Well, do it. Or sleep. Or both.
7. Sleep. Sleep some more.
8. Driving sucks. Try and avoid it until your incisions/stomach muscles don't hurt. (and you're not on happypills anymore...) It's illegal in most states to drive lying down, I believe...
9. Drink lots of water. Flushes out all the stuff they pumped into you during surgery. Fluffs out the sleep wrinkles in your face..
10. Get on this forum when you can. You will find wonderful women with supportive notes, messages, laughs, and you can read others stories to know whether you are "normal" or not (in terms of your surgery - if you want deeper analysis, try the psych forum...)
That's MY top ten, I hope you all can add a few of your own! Thanks everyone for ALL your help, info, and especially the friendship and laughter.
Have a great day!
Joelle
I'm not sure how much my cyst weighed. I expected my stomach and abdomen to go back to normal soon after surgery but that didn't happen.
I no longer fluctuated 10kg (22lbs) of fluid overnight and my belly and abdomen size went down to some degree but little did I know at the time I had severe fluid retention from untreated hypothyroidism which really affected my abdomen and stomach plus I had quite a lot of abdomen and belly fat from insulin resistance.
I was in bed at the hospital for 3 days and in bed for another 7 at home. The only time I left my bed was to go to the bathroom and to get my painkillers from the fridge. I slept most of the time. The surgery really took it's toll but to add I had other medical conditions and deficiency states as well.
Take it easy. If you aren't sleeping for most of the time like I did, you'll have to find something to keep you occupied (movies, books etc). You'll be up and about before you know it. Good luck. :)
I no longer fluctuated 10kg (22lbs) of fluid overnight and my belly and abdomen size went down to some degree but little did I know at the time I had severe fluid retention from untreated hypothyroidism which really affected my abdomen and stomach plus I had quite a lot of abdomen and belly fat from insulin resistance.
I was in bed at the hospital for 3 days and in bed for another 7 at home. The only time I left my bed was to go to the bathroom and to get my painkillers from the fridge. I slept most of the time. The surgery really took it's toll but to add I had other medical conditions and deficiency states as well.
Take it easy. If you aren't sleeping for most of the time like I did, you'll have to find something to keep you occupied (movies, books etc). You'll be up and about before you know it. Good luck. :)
I am having a 25X20X9 cyst and ovary removed the first week in December. Looks like you had something similar.
What is your advice for recovery and not going insane during recovery? Also, do you know how much yours weighed? How much does your body change?
What is your advice for recovery and not going insane during recovery? Also, do you know how much yours weighed? How much does your body change?
Hi Lilyfranklin,
Good to know you are doing fine. What kind of surgery did the doctor do? Did the Doctor remove you Ovaries and tubes or was the cyst removed leaving your organs?
Thank you and take care of yourself.
Good to know you are doing fine. What kind of surgery did the doctor do? Did the Doctor remove you Ovaries and tubes or was the cyst removed leaving your organs?
Thank you and take care of yourself.
In Late September I finally convinced a doctor that something was wrong with me. I went through 3 obgyns until someone took me seriously. I was having very. Irregular periods that would be 35 days then 25 days. My gynecologist decided to do a sonogram and confirmed what I thought. I had a 6 cm cyst on my left ovary.
I took some time to think about it and finally decided to have it removed. The past month I was having pain in my left side. I couldn't wait to have it removed.
I finally had the surgery 11/21. When surgery was over, my doc told me that the cyst on left ovary ruptured prior. However, there was also a 4 cm cyst that was on my right ovary which safe removed.
After surgery I was so bloated. I wasn't feeling any pain other than gas pain. I finally moved my bowels today. I don't think I've ever been so happy to have a bowel movement in my life. I'm walking around trying to motivate the remaining gas to leave my body. I walk like a duck at the moment, but I can't wait until I'm back to my old self.
I took some time to think about it and finally decided to have it removed. The past month I was having pain in my left side. I couldn't wait to have it removed.
I finally had the surgery 11/21. When surgery was over, my doc told me that the cyst on left ovary ruptured prior. However, there was also a 4 cm cyst that was on my right ovary which safe removed.
After surgery I was so bloated. I wasn't feeling any pain other than gas pain. I finally moved my bowels today. I don't think I've ever been so happy to have a bowel movement in my life. I'm walking around trying to motivate the remaining gas to leave my body. I walk like a duck at the moment, but I can't wait until I'm back to my old self.
That is good to hear! Have read so many horror stories on other sites. My hope is that my recovery will be as easy as yours!
Hi Everyone!
Sorry I haven't been on here or posted much recently. I have been busy around here getting all the fall work -- raking, cleaning up the garden, planting bulbs and hardneck garlic, etc -- done before the flurries fly! Also been at the dr frequently for this and that, so not much time to get online.
To update:
--Had a sonoHSG to check on things in late Oct. No endometriosis, tubes are open, and everything looked great. I had no pain at all -- was talking to the nurse about what I do for work, and then realized the dr and ultrasound tech had things in and the saline going because I could feel the extra running down my bottom. All three said I did really well and had never seen anyone not have pain. Well, 3 Advils in the girl that never takes pills for a headache will make you fly high and painfree I guess. Anyway, the cysts were still large (R: 4.7cm, L: 2ish cm), and the right side had a developing something. Follicle? Cyst?
--Was supposed to check for ovulation later that week, but pee tests were always negative. finally went in the next week to find out that I had a rock bottom progesterone level. Not good.
--Had a external ultrasound earlier this week to see what the cysts are up to. In the last two months, no changes. Now are 4.8 and about 2.3 and have been diagnosed as "bilateral cystadenomas". The little 'follicle' from previous visit is now about 1 cm and dr thinks it is another cyst.
--Will be having laproscopic surgery in early January to remove both cysts. Depending on what the little new cyst looks like at the pre-op visit, may have that out too since they are in there to get the others. My only concern is that it is at the opposite end of the ovary from the other. If you can imagine, my ovary looks like a piece of candy corn, with the two ends as the cysts and the middle as the normal ovary. Dr. says she is confident I won't lose the ovary, so I hope she is right.
--Am going to be starting on Metformin at some point because she says I am slightly PCOS. I really don't understand how I am: sugar is middle of normal, cholesterol is in 180s, androgens are low end of normal, kidney function is better than normal, and no pcos-type cysts show up on my ultrasound. The only thing that would indicate it is that I am fat! (I weigh 210 and am 5'5"). When I asked if losing weight would help, she completely bipassed the topic and said that Metformin would help in getting me to ovulate. From what I have read, losing weight would help too. She would like to start me prior to the surgery so I can build up the level I am taking and will be ready to go on having a baby once I can post-op. Oh, and because I would be on the Metformin, I would have to take birth control pills before surgery, just so I don't get pregnant. Um... how about waiting on both then...
Anywho, now it is just getting through the holidays. We are traveling for 10 days and will be home 1 day before surgery, so hopefully I won't be too stressed at surgery time!
Sorry I haven't been on here or posted much recently. I have been busy around here getting all the fall work -- raking, cleaning up the garden, planting bulbs and hardneck garlic, etc -- done before the flurries fly! Also been at the dr frequently for this and that, so not much time to get online.
To update:
--Had a sonoHSG to check on things in late Oct. No endometriosis, tubes are open, and everything looked great. I had no pain at all -- was talking to the nurse about what I do for work, and then realized the dr and ultrasound tech had things in and the saline going because I could feel the extra running down my bottom. All three said I did really well and had never seen anyone not have pain. Well, 3 Advils in the girl that never takes pills for a headache will make you fly high and painfree I guess. Anyway, the cysts were still large (R: 4.7cm, L: 2ish cm), and the right side had a developing something. Follicle? Cyst?
--Was supposed to check for ovulation later that week, but pee tests were always negative. finally went in the next week to find out that I had a rock bottom progesterone level. Not good.
--Had a external ultrasound earlier this week to see what the cysts are up to. In the last two months, no changes. Now are 4.8 and about 2.3 and have been diagnosed as "bilateral cystadenomas". The little 'follicle' from previous visit is now about 1 cm and dr thinks it is another cyst.
--Will be having laproscopic surgery in early January to remove both cysts. Depending on what the little new cyst looks like at the pre-op visit, may have that out too since they are in there to get the others. My only concern is that it is at the opposite end of the ovary from the other. If you can imagine, my ovary looks like a piece of candy corn, with the two ends as the cysts and the middle as the normal ovary. Dr. says she is confident I won't lose the ovary, so I hope she is right.
--Am going to be starting on Metformin at some point because she says I am slightly PCOS. I really don't understand how I am: sugar is middle of normal, cholesterol is in 180s, androgens are low end of normal, kidney function is better than normal, and no pcos-type cysts show up on my ultrasound. The only thing that would indicate it is that I am fat! (I weigh 210 and am 5'5"). When I asked if losing weight would help, she completely bipassed the topic and said that Metformin would help in getting me to ovulate. From what I have read, losing weight would help too. She would like to start me prior to the surgery so I can build up the level I am taking and will be ready to go on having a baby once I can post-op. Oh, and because I would be on the Metformin, I would have to take birth control pills before surgery, just so I don't get pregnant. Um... how about waiting on both then...
Anywho, now it is just getting through the holidays. We are traveling for 10 days and will be home 1 day before surgery, so hopefully I won't be too stressed at surgery time!
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