Ovarian Cyst Surgery; Laparotomy: Part II

After a cut and open abdominal surgery for removing a cyst or tumour on your ovary, you will be kept in the hospital for 6-8 days. This post is about the period after that and till the eighth week post op. For the period of the first week post-op, please refer my previous post, OvarianCyst Surgery; Laparotomy: Part I.

 

On my discharge from the hospital on the eighth day after surgery, I was given some instructions:

1. Eat normal, regular food.
2. Wear the abdominal belt for three months. Loosen it, if required, while eating.
3. Do not sit on the floor.
4. Do not sit/ sleep on furniture below a height of 13-14 inches.
5. Keep the sutures dry. If sweat accumulates, pat-dry it.
6. Walk. Do not lie on bed all the time.
7. No bending forward for three months.
8. No lifting heavy weights for three months.
9. No climbing stairs for three months. Climbing 6-7 stairs was ok.
10. Do not do any activity that may strain the abdominal muscles.

 

On discharge from the hospital, I was asked to come back for dressing change after 5 days.

 

At home, I took rest most of the time. But I walked whenever I could. Walking is the best exercise you can give your body at this time. It also aids in your healing. I would walk around our building in the morning and at night after dinner. During the day I would walk in the house whenever I felt like it and for the time that I was comfortable with.

 

I continued to take sponge baths.

 

Laughter is best medicine but laughing hurt a lot at this time! If at all you laugh, snugly put your arm around the abdominal belt to further support your tummy. I did this but the insides still hurt.

 

On the fifth day after coming home ie. thirteenth day post-op, I went to the hospital for the scheduled dressing change. After checking me the doctor said that I did not need dressing now. I could also take shower without any plastic tapes on the sutures but then I was to pat-dry the sutures and continue to keep them dry during the day. I was told to apply Neosporin or Betadine powder on the sutures. And to keep wearing the abdominal belt.

 

I took my first proper shower the next day and it was such a feeling of luxury! It felt good and fresh. When I took bath from a bucket, I sat on a chair in the bathroom. Within the next few days, the sutures started to dry up and their bits and pieces started falling off. Around the end of sixth week, all the sutures had dissolved/ dried and fallen.

 

Sitting and standing for long durations were difficult for me. My abdomen would swell if I did. My back would hurt. The abdominal swelling would then reduce gradually after lying down. Also, the sutures felt sore most of the time and more so after prolonged sitting or standing. Even if my clothes brushed against the sutures, they would feel bruised. This got better after the sixth week.

 

My abdomen looked completely out of shape after surgery. The cyst was on the right ovary and was big; 11cm X 9.5cm. The right side of the lower abdomen, just to the side of the incision, looked like a pouch bulging down. I had spoken to my doctor about it on the day of last dressing check and was told that the shape would come back with time once the muscles were exercised fully. Today I am eight weeks post-op and so far the bulge is the same.

 

I must mention something important here. I felt very weak in this period. I would be out of breath and exhausted with something as small as talking. I spoke to my General Physician about it and he said that I had just had a major surgery. Weakness was understandable and it would go with time. Today after two months post-op, I still feel breathless and weak most of the time.

 

I ate my normal food in this period but focussed on getting protein and iron. I also ensured to drink lot of water and juices to avoid getting constipated.

 

My first period also came during this period. It lasted for fifteen days! And I am still spotting. After the surgery, my surgeon had advised me to see a gynaecologist for taking treatment for Endometriosis as my tumour had turned out to be an endometriotic cyst. I was advised the hormonal injection Depo-Provera by the gynaecologist. The surgeon and the gynaecologist had both told me that my first few periods may be unpredictable. So I am waiting for things to settle down in this reference.

 

From my experience I would say that you will need assistance for the following once you are at home. So please make arrangements accordingly:

 

1. Washing your hair for the first three weeks post-surgery. This is because you cannot bend forward and bending your neck backwards and washing your hair yourself is a strain on the abdomen.
2. Cutting your toe nails.
3. Getting up from the bed. Getting up from the chairs should be no problem.
4. Pushing heavy doors.
5. Shopping. I avoided going to the market completely for the first six weeks as it is a risk to go in the crowd and also because it causes exertion.
6. Lifting anything heavy. For the first three weeks, even a water bottle was ‘heavy’ for me so I used to lift it with both hands to avoid too much pull on the abdomen. With time, you should be able to lift a few things at a time but listen to your body; it will tell you when something is too heavy.
7. Picking up something that has fallen on the floor. I learnt to use my toes for this! But then bottles and pillows are too big for your tiny toes to catch hold of, so ask for help.

 

I wish speedy recovery to everyone who has undergone any surgery. The first few weeks will be tough but keep your spirits up. Decide that you want to live. Decide that you want to get well fast. And you will!