As some of you might know, I had emergency gallbladder surgery last week, just 10 weeks after my excision surgery for endometriosis. This makes 5 surgeries in just over 2 years, which feels like...a lot. As you might imagine, my husband and I have sort of created a bit of a routine for making recovery as smooth as possible. Here are our tips:

1. Be prepared!
Of course, there's no real way to prepare for a last minute surgery, but the more prepared you can be, the easier your recovery will be. Whether you are having local or out-of-state care, there are a few things you can stock up on beforehand so that you will have everything you need at your fingertips after surgery. Reducing trips to the drugs store is definitely one way to keep your recovery period as stress free as possible! Check out our blog and video of what to pack to be prepared. 

2. Schedule to have help during the first week
The most important thing to have during your recovery is someone to help you through the first week. This might be a spouse, friend, family member, or even a home health aide. Whether you have a simple diagnostic surgery or a complex case that involves organ removal, you're going to need help getting home, moving around, cooking, cleaning, and monitoring for complications. A caregiver can help keep track of your medications, make sure you get an appropriate amount of exercise and rest,  and stock your fridge with healthy meals that can easily be microwaved. If your caregiver is able to work from home, this is a great option so that they do not need to take sick time or family leave. 

3. Keep moving...a little at a time!
Although it may sound counterintuitive, getting up and moving every two hours promotes healing and helps eliminate gas pain (gas which your surgeon uses to inflate your belly during surgery may remain and cause pain). Start slow, and make small goals, like walking on your own to the bathroom, then the hall, then the nurses' station. While you're in the hospital, nursing staff will help you with this part, but you should keep it up even after you are discharged. I find it refreshing to go for a daily evening walk, say around the block, once I feel up to it. It really helps to get out of the house, even if it is only for 10 minutes. 

4. Be flexible
You may have had some idea of what your recovery might be like when you scheduled your surgery. I can tell you that it can be upsetting to wake up and find out you have several days in the hospital you hadn't planned for, or complications happened and you'll need to wear a drain tube for a couple days. Surgery is unpredictable, even with the most skilled hands, so expecting your recovery to be picture perfect is setting yourself up for disappointment and frustration. Your doctor may have told you that you could return to normal activities after a certain number of days. Don't hold yourself to these expectations. Each surgery is different and each recovery is different (trust me...none of my recoveries have felt the same!). I typically try to plan to be at home for 2 weeks after surgery. Even if you feel better, remember that fatigue is common after surgery. Just like the previous tip, take things one day at a time and make small goals for yourself. If you have a more extensive surgery, you may even want to schedule 4-6 weeks at home after surgery, and may want to return to work part time at first. 

5. Have some savings to cover any loss of income
If you are self-employed or do not have paid sick leave, you'll want to make sure you have a financial airbag in place. You don't want to rush yourself back to work before you are completely healed, and having some savings to fall back on will ease this burden. 

6. Splint Your Belly
No one told me about this tip the first time I had surgery, and I couldn't understand why I was in increasing amounts of pain. Your abdominal muscles need to heal before they can comfortably support the pressure of holding you upright. Hugging a pillow to your belly or wearing an abdominal binder when sitting up and walking around makes a big difference! Also, you may think that returning to a desk job will be easier than a job where you will on your feet. Not necessarily. Sitting upright puts a lot of pressure on your abdominal muscles, which have been cut during your surgery. Putting too much pressure on your belly before you're healed can become very painful. Like everything, take things slow!

7. Avoid clothes that put pressure on your belly
Long, flowing dresses, leggings and tunics, or drawstring/elastic waist shorts/pants are the most comfortable. I find these to be essential during recovery. I also avoid bras with underwire for a little while. Whatever you wear, just make sure it is comfortable!

8. Pamper yourself when you can
If you know you're having surgery, maybe you get a nice haircut beforehand. Maybe you have a friend come over and give you a mani/pedi while you're resting at home, or check out a new book and some movies from your local library. Be kind to yourself, and do something special that will makes you feel good!

9. Make a little "nest" where you'll be resting
Ok, this sounds silly...but hear me out! After you've had pelvic or abdominal surgery, it can really hurt to roll or be jostled in bed. I make myself a little nest of pillows and bed bumpers so that I am not involuntarily tensing my muscles. I also have some comfort items nearby (Ruby, of course, and my 1 liter double walled mug they gave me at the hospital!  I don't know why it comforts me, but it does). Make this space your oasis, full of things that make you feel calm and happy. You might even use some aromatherapy to keep your mood lifted. 

10. Don't be afraid to call your doctor
After my first surgery, I called my surgeon's office almost daily. Was it normal to have so much pain? Is this drainage healthy or sign of infection? When do I remove the steristrips? What's that little string in my incision? Obviously, if you have a lot of questions, you should schedule an appointment to speak in person, but the office can answer any quick inquiries pretty easily. While your first instinct might be to ask in an online support group, your health care is ultimately a matter to discuss with your physician. Surgeons typically have an on-call doctor after hours that patients can call with questions. However, if you have a doctor who is not helping you post-operatively, it might be time to find someone who will. 

11. Trust yourself!
You know your body best. If things don't feel right, follow your instincts. Listen to your body when it tells you it needs to sleep all afternoon, or you're worried something might be wrong. Keep the lines of communication open with your surgeon, and trust your gut! ;)

I hope these tips help you as you heal! Good luck with your recovery, and please share any tips that have helped you after surgery for endometrisois!

10 weeks ago, I had my second out-of-state excision surgery for Endometriosis. Surgery itself can bring on a little anxiety of the unknown (What will the hospital be like? Will they find endometriosis? How will I feel afterward? Will I have to have a catheter? Am I making the right decision?). The last thing a patient needs to worry about is whether or not they have packed everything they need. This video and blog post will help you as you prepare for your surgery, and includes a list of things that helped me before, during, and after my surgery. Also, check out our 11 Tips for Laparoscopic Surgery Recovery!

Your surgeon may require you to complete a bowel prep , which may reduce the risk of infection if there is an injury to the bowels. You will also need to bring some first aid items that will help during your recovery period. To survive your bowel prep and post-op, you will need:

OTC Pain meds - Tylenol, Tylenol PM (no NSAIDS before surgery!)
Allergy Meds - Benedryl, Clariton, inhalers (be aware of different climates and pollen levels!)
Tummy meds (for prep, and post-op nausea) - Antacids, gas relief, anti-nausea, fiber, peppermint tea
Vitamins and herbal supplements
Narcotic pain meds - I got mine from my PCP before I left, just to be sure I would have them
Sore throat relief (breathing tube irritation) - cough drops, chloraseptic spray, tea with honey
Tushy care (for your bowel prep) - Desitin, moist wipes
Pill cutter - sometimes you don't need a whole pain pill :)
Thermometer - to monitor for post-op fevers, or if you're trying to conceive, like me, and are still charting your basal body temperature
Heating pad - the Endo Patient's best friend! I use it on my neck to help me relax and fall asleep naturally. You'll want to avoid using this during your first few days of recovery, however, so that you do not damage the delicate tissue during recovery. You can purchase one of our natural heating pads, for which $1 of each is donated to excision surgery fundraisers, from our Etsy Shop!
Miracle Balls - recommended by my physical therapist, these work like acupressure to release tense muscles

Of course, after surgery you will need to be prepared to care for your incisions and any vaginal bleeding. You may have a hysteroscopy to check for uterine fibroids or polyps. Some people have asked about bleeding during a lap...this is totally ok! If you are on your period, it will be easier for the surgeon to see your endo, since it will be responding to your body's hormones. You may also have bleeding anyway. The surgeons deal with this all the time, so don't worry or feel embarrassed! I prepared with:

Hospital pads (for heavy bleeding, I had these left over from my cyst rupture)
Overnight pads
Gauze pads for cleaning your incisions, and to absorb any drainage (I had a lot from my belly button). You may also want someone to help you the first time you change the dressing...I nearly fainted!
Breathable adhesive gauze pads, which I found to be the best for covering my incisions! The larger size is best for the belly button incision. Your incisions need to be covered to be kept clean and prevent infection, but they also need to have air to dry out. The adhesive gauze pads, with an extra gauze pad underneath, work very well. 
Smaller sized adhesive breathable gauze pads - for smaller incisions
First aid kit

Even though you'll be resting and recovering for a while, you'll still want to feel your best! You might want to bring:

Face wash, moisturizers
Make-up and remover
Body wash
Shampoo/conditioner
Eye drops
Nasal Saline
Shaving cream and razors
Bikini trimmer (to make post-op bleeding a little easier, a trim goes a long way)
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Brush and comb
Deodorant, body spray 

Here are some other items to pack and tips that may make your trip even easier:

• You will also want to pack long, flowy dresses, which are the most comfortable when your belly is bloated and tender. 
• Entertainment: don't forget to pack/load your tablet or laptop with a great playlist of relaxing music (I use my meditating music on Spotify), and some digital copies of your favorite movies!
• Reading materials! I brought my iPad with my Kindle app, along with books a friend let me borrow. 
• Medical records pertaining to pelvic pain, including any imaging. Mine actually filled an entire binder! You will also want to have any color photos of previous laparoscopic surgeries, which will help your surgeon, in conjunction with your medical records, lab-work, and exam. I highly suggest that you order your FULL medical records and read through them thoroughly! You should be an expert on the subject of your body! I was shocked by some of the things I learned. I had no idea that my first documented ovarian cyst was complex, which could have been an endometrioma (it just so happened that my 7cm endometrioma and my most recent complex cyst were on my left ovary). I think it is invaluable to also know what your doctors are putting in your permanent files. I learned that a psychiatrist I saw at a pain management clinic before my diagnosis wrote that my pain was likely psychosomatic (or "in my head"), and that I should be reevaluated before given prescription pain medication (a very common and disrespectful dismissal of endometriosis patients complaints of chronic pain). Knowing all about your medical history and having it in writing will help you to advocate for proper, respectful treatment of your disease. 
• One great thing we encountered upon our arrival at our hotel was that when we mentioned that I am having abdominal surgery, and staying for a week recovering, our hotel offered the use of a mini-fridge and a wheelchair for free! 
• Another great tip is if you qualify as an elite member, either through personal or business travel, some hotels offer an executive lounge where you can find complimentary coffee, tea, cookies, toast, jams, honey, sodas, and other treats. You might also consider getting a room in a hotel that offers a complimentary breakfast. You may be staying a while, and any way to eat for cheap, or better yet, FREE, will help defray the cost of traveling for great surgical care. 
• I am on an anti-inflammatory diet (no gluten, soy, dairy), but I hold off during my prep. As I learned during my bowel prep for my colonoscopy (which went very smoothly), eating low fiber foods and mostly liquids will help make the bowel prep much easier. I prepared last time by only eating applesauce, yogurt, cheese, eggs, white bread, butter, and honey about 4 days before my prep. 2 days before my prep, I ate only clear liquids, such as broth, jello, popsicles, and juice (especially Gatorade). Please consult with your physician about what they recommend to make your prep go smoothly, and also check with your physician before making any dietary changes. 
• Finally, we brought a memory foam mattress topper, since hotel beds tend to be stiff, and for me, uncomfortable. We bought a cheap body pillow and asked for extra hotel pillows to put on either side of me during recovery. I found that propping my body on both sides kept me from tensing my sore abdominal muscles, which caused more pain. Your recovery period will go quicker (and thus, traveling home will be easier!) if you get up every 2 hours and move around a little bit. This can also help with the gas pains, caused by the gas they use to inflate your belly. 
  
• Here are some items that fellow endo patients have found useful during while preparing for their surgeries:
  pillows, small blankets
  ice pack and cooler (if traveling by car)
  books/laptop/activities such as Sudoku or journal
  Gas-X and stool softener
  Throat lozenges, cepacol, products containing benzocaine
  Ginger and peppermint tea for gas pain
  Bible, faith, trust, and prayer
  Thermos of organic tea and raw honey
  Organic biscuits, green powder for nutrients, nutrition supplements
  Aromatherapy, music, compression socks
  Phone charger

I hope these tips will help you prepare for your surgery, and help relieve some of the stress of packing. If you have tips to share, post them in the comments!