Posted , 3 users are following.
They found a day before Thanksgiving & it's been an emotional rollercoaster for me. What should I expect? Recovery time and tips? I'm 31 years old and this is my first surgery.
0 likes, 8 replies
We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.
kate45182 julie05280
Posted
Hi Julie,
I'm also 31 and had an 8cm cyst (dermoid) - my surgery was early last month. Just know that surgery itself is nothing to be afraid of. It's very routine and you'll be very well taken care of. It's basically like taking a nap and having a bunch of really smart people do all the hard work!
I haven't had the smoothest recovery, but just know that it's pretty rare to have complications. My bellybutton incision became infected which is very frustrating as it's been one month since surgery and I'm still not 100% as I expected to be.
Things that were tough: Gas pain (normally people feel this in their shoulders. Mine was in my chest and abdomen! Many times I thought I was having a heart attack but trust me, it is normal and it does go away eventually. Mine stuck around into the second week and then one morning I woke up and it was gone.) This isn't that common but for me, major digestive issues. I was the most constipated I've ever been in my life, and I had alot of various tummy pains for the first two weeks. Honestly the toughest thing for me was staying mentally strong. It's a boring recovery because you won't be moving around alot so just stock up on lots of books and movies and games to distract from the some of the post-surgery emotions.
Things that helped me: Sleeping on the couch (made it easy to lay on back), having my boyfriend with me the first 72 hours (helped to have him pick me up off couch), sipping bone broth, toast, taking slow walks around the neighborhood every day, keeping up on my meds religiously, drinking loads of water, ginger tea, ginger candies, laxatives (!!!), electric heating pad, Dramamine (I live in the UK and had to have my mother ship me this from the States. Basically, ask your doctor for some kind of anti-nausea meds if you are sensitive like me) and the big one: Peppermint Tea! This stuff is gold for gas pain!
Stay strong. It's such a weird thing to experience in life but trust me, you'll get through to the other side! Give yourself permission to take this slow and you'll be fine.
Lots of good vibes!
-Kate xx
julie05280 kate45182
Posted
Thank you so much for all the help full tips and feedback. It makes going through this a little easier. I just had my surgery a day and a half ago and I am in severe pain. It also led me to start what looks like my period? But I'm not sure if this procedure just sped my period time or should I be worried something is bleeding out. I messaged out to my doctor's already and haven't heard back. The gas pains are terrible and I'm going to assume that's what's making me feel like I can't fully breathe. I will have my brother bring some peppermint tea! I also have about a month off work so I hope I can recover within that time frame. I feel so weak and am in so much pain, walking on day 1 was torturous.
julie05280
Posted
Oops, I mean "helpful" not help full lol ... And I am so glad I found this forum.
kate45182 julie05280
Posted
Hey Julie,
I totally understand. Trust me it will get better faster than you know! The first few days are so tough. And YES to the feeling like you can't breathe! It hurts to breathe in fully and it feels soooo wrong - but trust me it will sort itself out very soon. Using a heating pad on the gas will really help along with the tea. You will be weak for awhile but don't push it, your body will come back when it's ready. I had bleeding on day 2 until now, over a month later. The blood should look like old blood - if it's fresh blood make sure you check with your doctor to see if that's okay and just your period or old blood. And don't worry about the testing for cancer thing, they do that as a precaution to nearly all procedures (including my own.) They just want to double check right away just in case.
Take care of yourself - lots of water and nutritious foods (and probiotics!) for your tummy and rest. You'll be well soon! xx
julie05280 kate45182
Posted
How was all the CO2 gas resolved? I'm so clueless. Do we just fart it out? Lol sounds silly saying it but I haven't had a bowel movement for 2 days, going on day 3.
kate45182 julie05280
Posted
So the gas is actually absorbed back into your body. It isn't the same as farting it out, however, you may fart alot due to surgeons messing about inside your belly and also constipation. I didn't have a bowel movement until day 4 and I won't lie, it was not a great moment for me. Drink as much water as you can manage, keep up on your laxatives, and if possible, do some gentle movements that can stimulate your bowels (I did some SUPER gentle cat/cow poses and some extremely gentle side twists to try and wake my gut back up and that's how I got my first BM.)
The surgery gas will eventually reabsorbed. Movement and heat will really aid in it leaving faster. The stronger you get, the more you can move. x
sam13693 julie05280
Posted
Have you had your surgery yet?
I had an emergency surgery for a ruptured 10x8 cm cyst just this past tuesday.
If you have any specific questions feel free to ask
Hope you are doing well!
julie05280 sam13693
Posted
Hi Sam!
I just had my surgery and a day and a half ago. This all took me by surprise and it was scarier when the surgeon said they are going to test for cancer while I'm unconscious so I think it was the anticipation and the unknown of what this mass actually was. I'm in a lot of pain and I'm so thankful my family has been helping me around the house. I have sharp pains through my cheat, legs sometimes, and stomach pains for sure. I am out of work for about a month and I hope that time would suffice for recovery time. I foolishly thought I can bounce back within 2 weeks and here I am, can't even walk on my own. This has been so unexpected and I'm very thankful for your response.