I cross-posted in womens, but this board gets more action (<–insert your own joke here).
For those who have had procedures done laparoscopically, what was your recovery like? When could you return to running/riding/etc.? I’ve heard everything from “Three days later I was out for my normal run” to “HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, MY STOMACH REACHES MY KNEES AND I COULD NEVER EAT RIGHT AGAIN.”
To give you the background: I’ve had “issues” forever…said issues have gotten worse lately. Although never had heavy periods/cramping as is typical of endometriosis. Cysts my whole life, pain with sex & inserting tampons (sorry dudes), bloating, fullness, blah blah blah…but never heavy periods or cramping. Hell, most of the time, I’ve not had periods at all. Since switching to an IUD (went off teh pill b/c of aural migraine history), the “cysty” feelings have gotten worse, and include stomach upset, pain on the bike, lower back pain, etc. Last few months there have been several times where i thought I’d barf b/c of left side pain. THOUGHT it was diverticulosis, as that is rampant in my family.
Went in to the gyn, who during the exam felt “a mass”… she set up an ultrasound and follow up. Finally got ultrasound results back (it was a long week :D)… basically dr says, chocolate cyst (endometrial ovarian cyst) of 6x7x4 cm. May be (likely is) more endo elsewhere. She recommends laproscopy. She said she’d try and just take the cyst and any other endo she sees, but to be aware it may involve taking the whole ovary.
Alternately, she said I could just deal with it instead, but at that size, the risk of complications (like torsion, etc) are much higher. She also said it was likely that things would continue to get worse, as opposed to better…but that wasn’t a guarantee. (I do have a family history of it)
Everyone I know, including my mom–who had an double oopherectomy about 15 years ago–was like “DOOOOOO IT!”… but I am a bit unsure. I’d hate to go through it and be like…this just made shit worse. I mean, I don’t spend every day in agony. I’d say yes, I have discomfort, and probably things probably have not been “normal” for my entire life…but is that enough to warrant it the risk?
(Of course, the argument here would be I knew I had had pain my entire life in my leg b/c of my OA–but until I had my osteotomy, I didn’t realize how MUCH it had bugged me. Who knows, it could be that what I call annoyance and discomfort is what others call really fucking painful?)
So…more or less, the procedure would be removal of a large cyst, and possible oopherectomy, and then taking out anything else they find. She said it would probably be belly button and two side ports.
Any input from folk who’ve had it done? Holden Cain, are you out there?Any input from anyone who’s had laparascopy (gall bladder, appendix, etc.). What was teh return to training like? If I do it, I’d want to do it soon, so I can maybe salvage this season (my goal was to have ONE year w/out a surgery, but… :p).
