Laparoscopy Puns

When I was 16, I passed out while working at Starbucks from blinding abdominal pain. The doctors gave me an ultrasound, and sent me home with naproxen because I didn’t have enough ovarian cysts to justify a PCOS diagnosis. Rinse and repeat roughly the same story for over a decade. I’ve been on so many pills, patches and shots over the years and all have caused my symptoms to worsen or had horrific side effects (migraines, vomiting, depression… you name it).

When I was 21, a doctor recommended an IUD (Mirena) because she thought it would help with pain management and give me a more regular cycle. The insertion was horrific and the six months following were the worst six months of my life. I would go back to the doctor regularly to tell her I was bleeding constantly and the pain was so much worse. She kept telling me to give it more time. I ended up in the emergency room after passing out again (this time in the shower). The ER doctor was appalled at my story but ultimately couldn’t do anything beyond removing the IUD. Obviously I never went back to the gynaecologist that gave me the IUD and spent a long time recovering. I ended up dropping out of university largely in part due to the pain and stress it caused.

In the summer of 2020, I had a phone appointment with a new gynaecologist. When I told her my story, she scoffed and told me my story sounded unbelievable and essentially called me a liar. She told me the last ultrasound that I had seemed relatively normal (which I already knew) and that I should try another birth control pill. I hung up and just cried for hours.

I went to a new gynaecologist about six months ago and for the first time, it seemed like someone finally listened to me. She said she was comfortable diagnosing me with endometriosis based on my symptoms and I cried, again, but this time it was because somebody finally took me seriously. However, she offered only hormonal treatment options. She also told me she wouldn’t do a laparoscopy as it is invasive and she would only do it if I decided to have children and was having trouble conceiving. For the record, I don’t, and will never, want children, and I’m definitely old enough to make that decision. I tried two of the treatment options she suggested (both with similar results as the other treatments I have tried, shocker) and at this point I am practically begging her for a laparoscopy. She said she would rather try a different IUD, Kyleena, first. I’m honestly devastated as I will not

Hello! I had my laparoscopy last Monday, 9 days ago now, and I’m having a much harder time this go around than I did the last time I had this procedure. Things started out great, I could move around mostly on my own, wasn’t in horrific amounts of pain (it still hurt obviously but was very manageable), and was healing really well. I had stayed at my dads house for 3 days post-op but then had to go back home to my own apartment for a number of reasons and that’s when recovery really started going downhill.

I knew right off the bat I was doing far too much and had gone home to take care of myself too soon but I didn’t really have many options. I was doing my best to rest and take it easy but I also had homework assignments to catch up on (apparently having surgery isn’t a good enough reason for an extension according to several of my professors), pets to take care of, and still had to feed myself and clean up after myself to an extent. Obviously larger jobs were put off, but I also couldn’t just sit by and live in filth.

By Friday, 2 days after going back home, my incisions started getting really irritated and were getting more red and swollen instead of less so I knew something was wrong. My incisions continued to look worse over the weekend but weren’t infected so I kept trying to take care of them and hoped they would improve on their own. Sunday morning I woke up with a strange rash developing around my incisions, at first just very small bumps (I almost thought they were bug bites) and then over the course of 24 hours developed into full blown hives. By Monday morning my incisions were the worst they’d ever looked, puss was leaking out of them, my entire torso was covered in hives, and I felt absolutely horrible.

I got into the doctor Tuesday morning where I was given antibiotics for the infection and some steroid and antihistamine creams for the allergic reaction I was having (doctor still has no idea what caused the allergic reaction). Now it’s Wednesday night, and while the hives and general inflammation has gone down I feel worse than ever. I have raging fevers, I’ve been unable to sleep most nights due to the pain, I’m just miserable. And I’m back to school and work full time this week, which definitely isn’t helping.

I guess I’m just frustrated and wanted to vent, every day I can feel that I’m doing too much and that my body is hurting and telling me to slow down and now I have an infection on top of everything (I’m immunocompromised too bt

Throughout the years I have struggled with symptoms of endometriosis, with the newest addition being pain with intercourse in April of 2021. My regular gynecologist referred me to a pelvic floor therapist who I worked with for 4 months, and I have felt no relief. I’m convinced I may have endometriosis (my mother has it, and I have other symptoms) and after my last gynecologist appointment in December 2021, my doctor referred me to a pelvic pain/endometriosis specialist. I was curious what folks’ journey was from their first appointment to laparoscopy, and if I should look more into the procedure and bring it up at my appointment with the specialist or if I’m jumping the gun.

Hey warriors! Is anyone else a big fitness person and would have any guidance for me? I work out every day, strength and cardio as well as yoga/meditation (these things greatly reduce my inflammation throughout the month). I have my first lap coming up in 2.5 weeks and I'm wondering how long realistically I won't be able to exercise. Did anyone experience their doctor giving them a time frame? Doctor Google seems to be all over the place. Did anyone begin too early and set themselves back? I'd love your stories or guidance on the topic, please!

💗🙏 Xo

I know that's a bold statement and, of course, there are individuals with very valid emotional/mental/physical/financial barriers that make the decision for you sometimes. But I'm talking more towards my fellow anxiety riddled, self-doubting, fence sitters. I want you to know you are 10000% not alone in the anxiety you might be facing right now. I guess the only real reason to write this is the hope that sharing a little of the mental struggle I was facing beforehand might help at least one person feel a little less "crazy". Paying it forward for the borrowed courage I've found from some of the amazing people who have shared their stories.

Like most of the people on here, I've been dealing with chronic pelvic pain for too many years. I finally have a doctor that cares more about finding the cause and less about doing the easier choice of just "managing the symptoms". I am 1 week post-op from my diagnostic laparoscopy to see if I even had Endometriosis

The kicker is, as soon as the damn thing got scheduled (and if I'm being honest, as soon as I got my great doc who, just by listening to me and being proactive, greatly improved that aspect of my mental health),I magically didn't feel as bad! My last couple of periods were the easiest ones I've had in years. To the point where I was definitely having second thoughts about having endo. It didn't help that when I consulted Dr. Google, I couldn't seem to neatly check off all the little (often conflicting) symptom boxes.

To name a few of my innumerable intrusive doubts:

• My periods, although hellacious most of the time, we're pretty damn consistent and "regular" as far as the calendar was concerned.
• I got on here and would get hung up on how much more some women were suffering. It was (and is still) so hard not measure my pain against theirs and feel like a whiny baby in comparison.
• This past year was the first time EVER that my period got to the point where I had a couple of days of missed work. I'm 34. Shouldn't that have been an issue much sooner?
• A lot of my pain and flair-ups happened more around ovulation rather than my periods.

But the biggest issue I was battling, the one that easily that outweighed all the rest combined, was that surgery seemed like it was drastic step with literally zero guarantee they would find anything. I honestly didn't have any fear of the surgery itself. But the anxiety that if they looked inside and found nothing physically wrong with me truly almost broke me. To

Hello Everyone, I recently underwent a laparoscopic procedure in early December after 2 yrs of tests to determine why I wasn’t getting pregnant. During the procedure the doctor removed 7 polyps. She said she didn’t see anything else. On our follow up she said that she didn’t see tissue of endo but is nearly positive (over 95%) that I have it. We are going to peruse IVF but I was wondering if there are any additional steps I should take from here to understand what stage I am at or if there is a higher possibility to conceive on my own after this procedure. Any information helps.

I’m kind of freaking out a bit. I don’t know what to expect, they aren’t giving me a time for the procedure until tomorrow but the procedure will be this Friday. They haven’t said anything about a pre-op, nothing about if a bowel prep will be needed, nothing about not taking certain medications. I mean, what am I going into?? Is this just a simple, wham bam thank you ma’am procedure that doesn’t require anesthesia? I thought it did require it. Idk any advice would really be great because the nurses at the office are not very friendly or helpful.

EDIT: thank you to everyone that commented and provided me information. I really appreciate all your help and advice. I have decided to wait until after the holidays to get the procedure done. I just have too many concerns and not enough information from my doctor at this time. Thanks again and happy holidays to you all!

I'm getting my first laparoscopy procedure done next week and despite me telling my partner that it's not a big deal and that I'll be fine, I'm nervous. Does anyone have any tips or anything for recovery, or just how to settle nerves?

Edit: also, if it is relevant to anything, as part of my treatment plan with my OBGYN, while I'm under anesthesia for the surgery, they're going to insert an IUD. I don't know if this will effect recovery or anything but I thought it best to mention it just in case.

Let say I will force myself to walk around the plane every one hour in order to prevent the risk of blood clot. Anything else that could go wrong if I take a long flight ?

As the title says I'm slightly confused and not sure what to think so I hope this will make sense, please bear with me :)

So last earlier this week I had a phonecall with my gynaecologist about scheduling an MRI. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary during the ultrasound he did almost a year ago, so that's why he's ordering for an MRI now. I'm kind of excited about that because it means they take my story seriously, or at least seriously enough to do more tests. But during the phonecall he already told me: "IF we see endometriosis on the MRI, we won't do surgery, and there's not really anything we can do other than birthcontrol." He also told me that if I wanted to have kids and I do have endometriosis, it's best to get pregnant because pregnancy is also good for endometriosis. I know that's bullshit but I didn't wanna argue with him in that moment. (That's also why I didn't ask why they wouldn't do surgery. I am still working on advocating for myself, it's just so hard to stand up for myself...) I mean, yes, you don't menstruate during pregnancy but it doesn't cure endometriosis. But then I listened to a podcast about endometriosis where they said laparoscopy/surgery isn't the gold standard anymore nowadays. So is there anyone who knows more about this? I mean, right now there is no other method to diagnose endometriosis right? But why wouldn't they do surgery?

By the way, I am already thinking about maybe changing doctors after the MRI (which is in two months). As I'm typing and as I'm thinking more about it, it doesn't feel quite right with my current gynaecologist, even though he's apparently specialized in endometriosis. I am lucky though to have a specialized center for endometriosis in my city which has really good reviews so I'm thinking about going there.

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to share the story of my first laparoscopy today. I'm so glad I did it!

I have had bad luck with doctors before, either them not believing that I have endo or not providing enough of treatment options or support. Before this, I didn't even know that there was a clinic that performs gynecological laparoscopies where I live, so I feel extra lucky to have found one.

This morning I was also thinking back on how the last two menstruations I had had been relatively light — so I worried what if the symptoms were all in my head, what if they don't find anything during the laparoscopy and it's just me misremembering my experiences. I knew rationally that it wasn't the case, but the what-ifs were driving me crazy. It's also an expensive procedure to do and I'm not sure my insurance would cover any of it.

I met my surgeon for the first time this morning (another doctor from the same clinic had referred me to have the surgery with him). We chatted and he did one last ultrasound. Having looked at it, the surgeon said that he isn't really seeing any endo, so I should prepare myself for a chance that they won't find anything. However, oftentimes endo can be hiding in places you cannot see via an ultrasound, so he still recommended going through with the procedure. I also had to have a polyp removed from my uterus at the same time, so I hoped that even if they don't find endo, I wouldn't have done the surgery in vain, and at least then I would know.

But guess what, they did find endometriosis after all! And though I know I should not feel happy about having it, I still feel super glad that now I know. And hopefully they were successful at removing it too.

I will talk with the doctor properly tomorrow and learn what exactly did they find and were able to get out. But I feel relieved and validated in terms of my experience for the first time in a very long time.

I hope this experience can encourage more people to seek out treatment and keep going on the journey of finding a good specialist that understands the pain and difficulty of having endo symptoms. And even if it turned out not to be endo, it's helpful to know that, too.

Anyway, I thought I'd just share.

Anybody has any tips for making the recovery easier? 🙂 I'm getting out of the clinic tomorrow and will for sure get recommendations from the doctor, too.

P.S. Unfortunately the clinic did not provide me with a lunch or a dinner after the surgery as I thought, because I marked t

I recently spoke to a new doctor after getting a mirena put in about getting a laparoscopy to get diagnosed with endo, but he was saying that if I have the mirena and it’s going well, there’s not really any point to getting the laparoscopy done because, and I quote, “all you’ll get is an answer”. So I guess my question is do you think it’s worth getting the laparoscopy done anyway?

I’ve got serious serious body dysmorphic disorder and if I have another flaw, I’m going to lose it. I’ve worked for 10 years now to finally have my stomach presentable. I’ve always wanted to get my bellybutton pierced. I can’t show my stomach if I have a scar, and I scar very very badly (I know this from past surgeries) Obviously if it’s life or death I’ll get the cysts removed, but it will completely crush me.

And I’m sorry to say this, but please refrain from commenting “it’ll be ok” or “you don’t have a choice” or “get help for your bdd” (which I am getting help) I just want to know if they can cut somewhere else? Like what if there’s a person who for whatever reason medically can’t have their stomach cut, what would the doctor do then?

edit: Thank you all for the responses! Sorry my original post was a little defensive, I’ve come to expect the worst on the internet, but every response has been so wholesome and helpful. I put it in one of the comments below, but for convenience: I haven’t had endo diagnosed (as I haven’t had the surgery to confirm) but I have all the symptoms, and three cysts that were found with ultrasound. I’ve just started birth control (I wasn’t on it before because I’m not sexually active, and last time it made me gain weight lol) and I’m having my cysts monitored every couple of months to make sure they don’t increase in size.

edit2: I’m feeling so much better about this, thank you everyone! Sounds like I have quite a few options for scarring in visible areas, if that’s even where they’ll need to make the incision. Again thanks so much everyone, for your kindness and advice ♡

I just feel like I am at my limit. I am lucky to work from home so I can sit with a heating pad on all day, but I just feel so defeated. I am only 22, how am I supposed to deal with this the rest of my life? I had two laparoscopies this summer- first one being diagnostic which landed me a stage three endo diagnosis with the endo being in over 80% of my pelvic region. The second surgery was successful at removing all the deeper spots and ablation of the more shallow spots. I am sick of this.

Hi all, I’m having my diagnostic laparoscopy on Jan 5 and I’m worried I didn’t do enough research prior to seeing a specialist/being booked in for surgery. I can’t remember if the doctor who’s performing the surgery said if they’d be excising or ablating the endo (my mum who came to the appointment with me thinks it was ablation). I recently did more research into it all and have read that’s not a great option.

Am I overreacting for a diagnostic lap? Do you normally just get the diagnosis and go from there re: excision specialist?

Is 6 weeks a long wait for diagnostic laparoscopy? I got my surgery date (February 28th) today and thought it would be sooner. If my doctor finds endometriosis, she said she will mainly use ablation to remove it (only uses excision in bladder/bowel cases). There is an excision specialist near me with about the same wait time but he is out of network with my insurance so i will have to pay for part of it out of pocket. who should i go with?

I had a laparoscopic excision of endometriosis at the end of October. My doctor warned me that the first couple of periods would be rough after the procedure, and he was right. I'm now on my third post-op period, and it's just as heavy and painful as the first one. It seems like it's going to take a long time for my periods to settle down. I'm feeling discouraged; I haven't bled through my clothes, on the bed sheets, in the car, etc. since I was a teenager, and now it's happened multiple times in the last months.

How long did it take you to get back to normal periods post-lap?

Hi beautiful people. I have my first laparoscopy coming up in a couple weeks because my gyno suspects major endometriosis due to years and years of horrible debilitating pain, Endo belly, awful irregular periods, and two miscarriages with no successful pregnancies (I'm very sorry if this is triggering to anyone). It is an exploratory lap to examine everything and make sure structurally I am okay as well as removing all suspected endometriosis.

I have never had a surgery where they actually cut through your abdomen (even with small incisions) and I'm very nervous. They told me my recovery time should be about 3 hours and I get to go home same day unless there are any complications.

I have been doing lots of workouts, lots of Tai Chi, Qigong and meditation to try to strengthen my energy and body in that section before surgery.

Does anyone have any tips for me on how to prepare for the surgery, or strange things you wouldn't think of to help yourself with recovery?! Any guidance would be great. And you can be honest about the painful or difficult parts - I want to be prepared for it all!!!

Thank you all so much. 🙏💗

Hi, please stay with me, it’s a little complicated! So I’m a 21yo woman who’s been struggling with progressively bad issues with my cycle for the last 9 months or so (chronic pelvic pain, digestive issues as of recent). I also had some period pain issues as a teenager, but this calmed down and now my periods themselves are pretty ok pain-wise, but outside of my period I’m in near-constant pain. After a long battle with my GPs and suspected endo I was referred to the specialist (I’m from the UK). Had my appointment today and my specialist was wonderful. She suggested I go on contraception to attempt to manage my symptoms and hence improve my QOL. She also thought laparoscopy would be a good choice for me, as the impacts of not knowing what’s going on have been bothering me for whatever feels like forever. I’m now on the waiting list for the procedure. You’re probably thinking okay, great! Go for the surgery. Here’s my dilemma:

She mentioned something today alluding to ablation being the method I would undergo. Now, I know a bit about the pros and cons of ablation (vs excision), issues of recurrence etc and I’m worried it won’t completely deal with the adhesions (if any are found). However, the way that the UK system works, we don’t get to choose our doctors and so I sort of get what I get, unless I go private (which I can’t afford) or attempt to be transferred elsewhere (causing a huge delay in treatment).

Let’s say I can in fact be offered excision surgery instead, I know it is more effective statistically in the long run, but is also invasive and I can’t seem to find out any info about people like me doing it who are not trying for kids yet (ie I hear it being used for people to provide a window for TTC and lots of people experiencing infertility seem to get pregnant after successful excision). My concern is that it’ll clear things up for a few years, but I could be back in future if there’s recurrence, and that in itself isn’t ideal (scarrring etc). Yet, in the same breath I know that not treating it now could lead it to progression over time and screw me in future.

However, the thought of not knowing whether or not I have it is going to bug me to no end and mentally has already been really difficult (the not knowing and gaslighting from medical professionals). My main goals are to improve my QOL (be pain free / reduced) and to preserve my fertility. What do you think is best? I’d love to hear all experiences with both types of lap. N.B I know that i

I'm 16 and my gyno wants to do a laparoscopy. I'm not diagnosed with endo but I'm in these groups because I relate alot with the symptoms. To those of you who have had this surgery, can you comment your experience and let me know if it's worth it.

Hi all! I was hoping to get some opinions from you ladies regarding my next steps after laparoscopy. My husband and I have been TTC for 6 years now. I went to my first clinic after a year of TTC. At the first place we tried timed intercourse, 1 round of IUI, and IVF with a fresh embryo and IVF with a frozen embryo. I then moved to another clinic where we went straight to IVF but never made it to a transfer because no embryos survived. Now I’m at a 3rd clinic and this was the first time endometriosis was mentioned to me so I just did a laparoscopy 2 weeks ago. It wasn’t painful I’ve recovered pretty quickly but now I have to decide if I should try a round of IUI or go straight to IVF. Does anyone think IUI would be a waste of time or has anyone had success with IUI after a lap? My doctor said I was at stage 1 possibly 2 for endometriosis and while my husband has low morphology his sperm count is really high that they said the low morphology is basically canceled out. Thank you all for your wisdom and experience it really means a lot!

i’m so fucking sad and disappointed. i feel like a fucking idiot. i feel like it was all in my head this whole time. i had one of the best surgeons in philly. she showed me pictures and said i have a perfectly normal and healthy utterus. there weren’t even organs cemented together or anything pressing on something. i asked her if i should get a second opinion and she said even if they look at the pics, they won’t see anything. they sent out a biopsy to see if i have micro endo but that’s so rare. i want to die knowing i’m going into the next year still suffering. i feel like a failure. ive been trying to get this surgery planned since last year. i really thought this was gonna be the answer. ive been convinced for the last year that i have endo. i can’t stop crying and feel like i’ve got this surgery for nothing just like all the other tests i’ve suffered through this year.

Hello endo subreddit! Just a little background on my situation: I've been having worsening period cramps across the span of the past 3 years. It started from stabbing sensations, to now feeling as though someone is skinning me from the inside. The pain has also spread to my lower back and is also increasing with pain, where even a 120mg dose of Arcoxia only takes the pain down from a 9 to 7.

I just did an belly ultrasound and anus ultrasound, and the sonographer was very sweet and detailed with the probe. She said from initial scans there seems to be no issues with both my back and uterus. Even before the results were out, I was keen on getting a laparoscopy to check for endometrium growths. But now I am wondering if I am thinking too much, and if I should still go ahead with my original decision.

I wanted to ask if there are any endo-diagnosed redditors here who had an all-clear ultrasound scan, but turned up with endo during a laparoscopic exploratory surgery?

Hey guys! Just as title states around how much is a laparoscopy surgery & if possible can you also comment which country you got it done & if you were insured? Thank you!

I've struggled with chronic bladder issues for the past 14 years and it's been such a long and lonely journey.

I've been to the GP, A&E and drop ins countless times over the past 14 years and not one Doctor suggested that it could be endometriosis.

3 months ago something inside me shifted and I have been stuck inside with very limited mobility and in daily pain. All of my urine samples would come back negative for infection. I did research and asked to be referred for Endometriosis.

My surgeon was outstanding and actually listened to me. He found endometriosis behind my womb and on my bladder, which has now been removed. I couldn't stop smiling when he told me.

I know it might not be the end of my Endometriosis journey, but this is the first positive thing that has happened in the 14 year long battle and I'm very happy.

Ooooh I’m nervous! Tomorrow I’m going in for my first laparoscopy in the UK under NHS. I had an ultrasound in September which showed 2 endometriomas in my right ovary.

I think I’m prepared. I have a list of questions ready. I don’t have high hopes for my surgeon. He isn’t a specialist but I hope she proves me wrong! I am super nervous of general anaesthesia and the tube that goes down your throat and post op infections or complications.

So I deal with stress with humour! So tell me something funny, anything! I don’t care how lame the joke is, how dark (but funny) a story is but something that will make me laugh and keep my mind busy! 💗

Also thank you to you all for the support!

I had my first laparoscopy when I was quite young and first started showing symptoms. They found mild endo, but I don’t remember much more detail than that, just that they put me on birth control and I felt a helluva lot better.

Over 10 years later, I developed blood clots and had to be taken off hormonal BC, and in the two years since then I’ve just gotten sicker and sicker. I feel terrible, all the time, and my other illnesses have flared up too. The time right before my period is debilitating. I finally made the decision to pursue another laparoscopy, but unfortunately the doctor who knows my history changed practices and no longer operates, so I had to be referred out.

The first doctor I saw tried to put me on birth control again, and I left in tears because she made me so angry. The second one was a winner, he was wonderful, and I’m having surgery in a few weeks.

I’m getting really, really nervous. Part of it being that it’ll be my first procedure since being put on bloodthinners, and I’ve got to switch to injections a few days prior to surgery. I heal a lot slower in general since I’ve been on them, and I’m starting a new (remote) job this week. I’m worried that my recovery will be longer/more intense than when I was a kid, and I’ll end up making a bad impression if I have to take time away.

A bigger part of it is…I’m terrified that they won’t find anything, or that it’ll be so minor that I won’t get much relief from the procedure. I have major anxiety in medical situations that stems from being constantly invalidated and not taken seriously for years. I’m so grateful I was finally able to schedule surgery, but I don’t want to be excited or get my hopes up, because I’ll be absolutely crushed if I come out of it and they say everything is normal. I’m afraid of wasting my time, the doctor’s time, money, and resources for no benefit.

And then I’ve got some fear peppered in about potential complications from the blood thinners, as well as having to have a medical procedure performed during COVID. My family has suffered loss after loss over the past two years, and the idea of me putting myself in a situation where something bad could happen to me feels selfish and stupid given everything we’ve been through.

I’m just putting my thoughts into the void to keep them from playing in my head on repeat. Vent over.

Hi! 24 NB (they/them) here, i just wanted a place to talk about my experience where people would understand what i was talking about haha!

Ive been having painful periods for as long as i can remember but it started getting unbearable about 3-4 years ago. In the past year its escalated to where i have cramps and strange stabbing pains daily, not even specifically on my periods any more. Ive had ultrasounds and mri’s that found weird masses (that magically disappeared on their own) and ovarian cysts. I tried birth control multiple times but it actually caused the pain to increase and made me pass massive clots when i had a period. NSAIDS barely touch the pain any more and its so bad that i cant stand for long enough to do things like washing dishes or folding laundry without it feeling like theres a cheese grater in my back. I was at my wits end because the tests never showed a definitive cause for all of my pain and i was really starting to think i was insane and i was just imagining everything/not pushing myself hard enough.

I started working with an amazing gynecologist who finally suggested a laparoscopy+hysteroscopy to take a closer look at things since everything else we had done had been a flop. Surgery was today and it went incredibly well. I’m in a ton of pain (and the weirdest discomfort from the CO2 in my abdomen lol!) but ive never felt more relieved. The doctor told me that i have extensive endometriosis all throughout my abdomen. There was enough scarring near my bellybutton that they had a difficult time actually getting into my abdomen so they had to create a larger incision on my side. The problem is that (from what she said) its like a powdering of scar tissue over all of my organs so they couldnt actually burn any of it out. She did say that theres a new medication that she wants me to try since birth control didnt work for me, so im very optimistic about that!

Im just so happy and relieved to know that im NOT weak and crazy. I was never exaggerating or making a big deal out of nothing like i feared i was doing! I started uncontrollably crying when the doctor told me everything, and i just kept thanking her over and over. Shes the first doctor who believed how much pain i was in and wanted to find a cause rather than just suggesting ibuprofen and sending me on my way.

I guess i just want to say that if you have pain and a gut feeling that it isnt normal- keep pushing for someone to take you seriously, and try your best to advocate

Hi, I had my first lap yesterday morning (in the UK under the NHS) . The anaesthetist prescribed some medications (including pain relief) before I went into surgery but I wasn't given any of them, and I wasn't offered any sort of pain relief after I came out of surgery (not even paracetamol/ibuprofen) ... Is this normal? Also a completely different surgeon ended up doing the surgery than who I had been told.

I'm still recovering from reconstructive surgery on my knee a couple of weeks ago, and was expecting the lap to be easier to cope with but I'm really struggling currently and no painkillers seem to even touch it.

Not to mention the fact that they haven't found anything (which was unexpected as I was pretty much a textbook case of endometriosis) so I am back to having ten years of awful pain with no explanation. I don't even have any sort of follow up or further help. I thought I was finally going to get answers but I am feeling so hopeless.

I’m currently away interstate with my in-laws and have had period pain incrementally getting worse over the last 4 days. Have been woken up this morning by intense cramping and lower back pain very similar to the pain I was experiencing before I had excision surgery.

I had mirena placed at the same time as the surgery and all the cramps from that has now eased. Was I just in a bit a dreamland thinking I was fixed? My surgeon claimed I was now cured and would have no more pain but this feels worse that how I was pre surgery.

From your experience if you can comment, did you experience bad periods post surgery and did they get better?

I’m hoping this is an adjustment phase..my usual dosage of pain killers doesn’t seem to be helping with the pain today and I’m feeling hopeless.

I had a laparoscopy 4 months ago. My stomach is still very tender and feeling bruised in the area the endo was removed. Just curious to see if anyone else has experienced this and roughly how long for?

Hi I am a 29 years old male with a hiatal hernia of > 5 cm found this summer during an endoscopy. The dr told me that if i don’t get better within 2/3 months taking PPI it is advisable to do surgery. Well the 3 months are up now and I have to say the PPI to some extend does the job and i have less pain and almost no reflux anymore. However, considering the long term taking PPI every morning is also bad and the b12 deficiencies. Since i got bad symptoms I quit eating meat which also contains b12. I decided to go for surgery and its in two days! Im really really nervous as its my first every operation. Tell me about your experiences! :) Advices for pre or post operation are also welcome! I am also worried about the recovery phase

Hi loves,

I made a post here last week regarding the lap I had scheduled for yesterday, and let me tell you, I could not be more disappointed.

(small rant) They wouldn't actually let my mum come in with me at all, not to my room pre-op or post-op, so I was already in a state of panic - I have quite bad anxiety that's triggered greatly by hospitals, and this specific hospital is more than aware of that, though even with me mid panic attack, and my mum having her PCR covid test come back negative and being doubled vaxxed, they would not let her come up and be with me. Anyway.

Before my operation, the surgeon came in and spoke to me. First of all, he couldn't remember why I was having the surgery, even though the other appointments I've had with him, he has been very good and helpful. Then he said he would only be looking for a cause of my pain, not for the constant, heavy bleeding I have every day. He also said that he would not be going inside my uterus or cervix, because of my age (19), but gave no other explanation, said he wasn't sure what time he will be doing my surgery, and then left. Awesome.

Had my surgery, was apparently tachycardic when I came out of surgery so I woke up with an oxygen mask on, which was also pretty scary for someone who gets very anxious in hospitals. I also had to ask for pain meds whilst in the recovery room because the pain was already unbearable. So they gave me a small amount of morphine, then took me back up to my room after about 20 mins. About 30ish mins after that, the surgeon came up and spoke to me. I was still pretty out of it from the anaesthetic and the strong pain meds that they gave me, and I had nobody with me to fully understand what he was saying to me. He told me that he could not find any endometriosis. I was "clean", apart from my PCOS, and a few adhesions. He did not say at all what could have caused the adhesions. He was in my room for less than 5 mins, before saying that he would see me in 2 months for a follow-up. The nurse came back 3 hours later with my discharge papers and a copy of the pictures that were taken during the lap.

Today, now that I'm feeling more awake and aware of my surroundings, I have had another look at the images that I was given. Listen, I'm not a medical professional at all and especially not a specialist gynaecologist. But I'm looking at some of these pictures, and cross-referencing them with some pictures of endo that I have seen online, and some of these pictures look like

I am scheduled to have a laparoscopy (as well as a surgical IUD removal because I am oh so lucky) in January. I forgot to even ask how long I’ll need to book off from work. I will certainly ask them ASAP, but I’m curious about how recovery went for any of you? How much time did you need to take off from your jobs (or from school, or do you think you would have needed to take off if you weren’t working)?

UPDATE: Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences. Healing is unique for everyone, I can really see that. I am appreciative of the responses I have gotten ❤️

I am having a laparoscopy to check for endo (and remove it if found) in less than a month now. I've requested two weeks off of work as my doctor told me that was the standard recovery time before returning to work. However, I'm worried that two weeks may not be enough. I work in a bakery kitchen where I have to lift and carry heavy pans and bags, stay on my feet all day (constantly running back and forth between stations) bend down to shelves only 6 inches off the floor, and reach up to shelves well above my head. I'm also completely alone in the building for the first 2-3 hours of each day, so if something were to happen there would be no one around to help.

Does anyone else work in a kitchen or similar physical job? What was experience returning to work after your lap? I've never had any surgery before so I'm really not sure how bad the recovery will be. I do know that I often have trouble getting through work shifts just because of my regular pelvic pain and cramps.

And how should I ask my doctor to give me a note for more than two weeks off if I feel I need it? I don't want to come across like I'm just trying to get out of going back to work.

When should a laparoscopy be considered for endo, if at all?

I’m 19 and have had debilitating pain with my periods for as long as I can remember. I also experience a whole list of other symptoms indicative of endo as well. I have seen a regular obgyn and nurse practitioner who both said I more than likely have endo, but a definitive diagnosis would require surgery and they didn’t see a need for that yet, as I am young and able to manage my symptoms through birth control and pain meds. My ultrasound came back clear, but I know that doesn’t mean that I can’t have endometriosis.

I know that a laparoscopy is my best option for diagnosis and treatment, but don’t know if a specialist would be willing to help me if I’m able to manage my symptoms pretty well through birth control and medication.

I just want an official diagnosis to be able to avoid any future complications and seek treatment that would be most helpful to me. It rubs me the wrong way how doctors view birth control as a quick fix for endo, when it can cause more serious problems down the road. I just don’t feel comfortable with throwing hormones at an unknown problem without actually knowing what’s going on.

So the past week I’ve been battling my post lap wound infection & yesterday it opened up & got very oozy! Went to A&E & the DR gave me some more antibiotics but on the bright side she said because it was so busy she said I don’t need to pay for this extra packet!! Lol great Christmas prezzie!

She put a dressing on but now I woke up it’s super itchy and sore!!

All I want for Christmas is a healthy incision :(

What do you want from Santa?!

Today I had a diagnostic laparoscopy. When I had recovered enough to see my husband, he told me my doctor had said she's found and treated some visible endometriosis. He said she told him to tell me my pain is not in my imagination. I immediately burst into tears and just cried and cried. I have a follow up appointment with her soon to discuss everything they found from the surgery, as it looks like I may have fibroids, and we are waiting on biopsy results as well.

It was a long road to get to this point, and full of dismissive and crappy medical care. I was terrified they would find nothing and my crusade to get help would lead me to no answers. Even going into today's surgery my parents said it might be a waste of time. I've suffered with painful periods and issues for years. It wasn't until this January when I began to have pain with sex and heavier bleeding that I started to wonder if I had endometriosis.

After an episode of debilitating dysmenorrhea landed me in the ER this summer, thinking I had a ruptured cyst (I honestly thought I was going to die, it was the worst pain and bleeding I've ever been through), I realized I had to take action. But the care I received at the ER was dismissive, unempathetic, and useless. They sent me home with a pamphlet advising me to get pregnant...not a possibility for us right now. They said that severe pain and periods "just happen sometimes". I was outraged. It took me a couple doctors and a lot of unhelpful birth control to finally find an OBGYN with a specialty in endo who decided to push for a laparoscopy.

I am so relieved to be able to pursue treatment and finally have the diagnosis - the answer of why my pain exists - after so many years of feeling ignored and invalidated by medical professionals. My doctor is interested to potentially pursue an endometrial ablation next, as my husband and I aren't terribly interested in having biological kids (our plan has always been to adopt) and I desperately want relief. Who knows if I would even be fertile anyway if we tried?

I'd love to hear others' experiences and maybe some advice - what do you wish you'd known right after you got your diagnosis? What next steps did you regret taking/not taking? I am feeling very lost and alone in this and I'd love to connect with other folks in my shoes.

hi friends! i have a laparoscopy scheduled wednesday morning. i had a glass of wine and vaped a bit after dinner tonight and forgot they said none of that for 48 hours before surgery. i’m trying not to panic, i’m sure i’ll be fine, but i’m really scared it’s going to mess something up with the surgery that i’m already anxious about. does anyone have experience doing this, or do you think it’ll be a big deal?

If you have been in a similar situation, what were your next steps? Surgery again? Fertility specialist?

It’s been a year since I’ve had my laparoscopy. I thought I’d be pregnant by now. Just like many of you, I so desperately want to be a momma.

I ovulate regularly and just ovulated so hopefully this will work. If not, I have a doctors appointment in January with my OBGYN to go over next steps.

I am by no means asking for medical advice. I just want to know what others have experienced to mentally prepare for whatever my doctor might suggest.

I don’t drink, I cut back on caffeine, I exercise regularly, and I usually have well-balanced meals.

I had my 2nd laparoscopy just over 4 weeks ago, where active endo was removed from my bowels, bladder, and underneath my ovaries. I also had the Mirena IUD placed at the same time, it's the first time I've had any kind of IUD. So it's been over 4 weeks and I've never stopped bleeding (vaginally). Sometimes it slows down for about 12 hours and I think it's going to stop, then it starts back up again. I'm also getting this pain that is a mix of hot, sharp, and achy. The pain is mostly where my uterus is but it does sometimes travel to my lower left side. Is this normal for the Mirena? Do I just need to wait it out or do I need to get some medical attention? I asked about it when I went to my GP to get my stitches removed but she didn't seem that bothered (she just gave me a prescription for Naproxen, even though I didn't ask for pain relief). I'm not due to see my consultant/surgeon for another 2 months.

Hey all you warriors! I finally had my lap & to my utter surprise, no endo. Top surgeon so I trust this result. He found a 3cm fibroid which had twisted around twice & is probably the reason behind all my endo like symptoms. I just wondered if anyone had any idea how long my recovery will be seeing as this removal must be less invasive than with endo. Really hoping to be able to walk around in a week 🤞🏻

I’m constantly googling “what does endometriosis pain feel like?” because I still doubt myself every month, regardless of how many people have told me that my level of period pain is not normal, and that cramps shouldn’t make you nearly pass out or unable to breathe until they pass. Whenever it comes up, I say, “I’m pretty sure I have endometriosis” because although the condition objectively fits my symptoms, I haven’t had a surgery to check because I’m not ready. I feel like if it’s not become “unmanageable” yet (aka probably liver damage amounts of Tylenol), it’s not real and it’s not as valid as other people who have had prescription meds for years and surgery to reduce symptoms. My partner has suggested that I get an official diagnosis, but I’m just not ready to do a surgery, and I’m afraid of coming across as just wanting to complain if I don’t want to do anything about it yet - which sounds ridiculous but that’s where my head goes, like I need to either do something or shut up about it.

Hello! I am a 19F who is going to get my first lap in late December while I’m home for college break. I smoke recreationally with friends maybe 2/3 times a month. My parents know and are okay with it and the state I live in and go to college in both have legal recreational cannabis for 21+. I am scared that because I am under the legal age they will do a drug test and deny me my lap. Is this a valid concern or am I just being anxious and paranoid?

Today I finally got the news, I am waiting for the next two weeks for a call to schedule my surgery!

I am nervous, but relieved to finally get the surgery in hopes that my pain will become valid, and hoping for a proper diagnosis and recovery from the pain that I feel every single day.

Any and every advice is deeply welcomed please!!!!😭😭😭 I’m so nervous!!