What to Expect After Laparoscopy

My pain levels had decreased a week after laparoscopy, but later returned.

The long-term solution for endometriosis was Visanne. The doctor put me back on Visanne after my laparoscopy. I would need to discontinue this treatment once I decide to fall pregnant, which was not an option in this economy. So, I continued with the Visanne and with that I used pain killers every day for about a month.

The pain was not as severe as before the laparoscopy, but it was still not your usual period cramps. They occurred every day and just worsened with my period. The pain was still exhausting and still affected my daily activities. Instead of working out I would lie down to relieve the back pain. The pain seemed worse at the end of the day after a full day's work on my feet. Weekends at home did not cause that much pain.

When I approached my doctor, he suspected that I could possibly have adenomyosis, which is a form of endometriosis, but in the uterus wall. He suggested that I wait it out and see if things worsen to return to him for another examination. I decided that I would not live the rest of my life on pain killers every day so I took matters into my own hands.

Whenever I felt significant pain, instead of reaching for painkillers I instead tried breathing techniques to breathe through the pain. If it got too severe, I would lie down if I was not at work. After two weeks, I felt like I could cope without pain killers every day. Some days are worse than others and if I had to work, I would take one pain killer to get through the day so that my work would not be affected.

Try this breathing technique to assist you with pain management:

1. Relax your body, close your eyes and take a deep breath in to fill your lungs.

2. Hold it in for 4 seconds and keep smiling as you hold for 4.

3. Then release your breath for 8 seconds expelling your breath.

You can do this anywhere you find yourself. Find a corner alone at work to do this when needed. You can do this as many times as needed. To turn this into a relax meditation you can play peaceful music in the background and maybe burn your favorite scented candles.

It can be hard to accept that endometriosis is part of your life and we have no control over that, but you can control your reactions to things. We have to find ways to cope with the symptoms of endo and I think sharing these coping techniques will help more than one individual suffering with endo pain. Please share your coping techniques. We would love to hear from you.

Have a flare free day!