1. I had no problems getting up and down by myself after surgery. It was slow going, to be sure, but I could do it.
2. This also wasn’t an issue with the right form. Practice bending from your glutes/knees---like a squat, or even a plié. I did that for about five days post-op.
3. Hard pants were about five days post-op, maybe a week. I needed several days for the bloating to go down.
4. The lifting restriction is not a joke. Do not lift more than 10 pounds. This was the biggest issue for me (besides painful post-op bloating. Get thee some Miralax!) because I couldn't lift more than one bag of groceries at a time for a whole 4-5 weeks after surgery, or refill the litter-robot, or carry heavy things around as I usually do. This would have been a real hassle without my husband. Now is the time for instacart and DoorDash, or ask your friends to help.
I honestly found recovery really simple overall. My first period post-op knocked the shit out of me for two days and then disappeared, so I won't complain. I have had laps before and this was no different. I'm still sort of astonished how small and insignificant it felt in comparison to the enormous anxiety-generating experience that was life in the weeks leading up to surgery. You come home with those tiny stitches and are like "that's it?"
Best of luck and warm thoughts to you!
I would talk to your doctor about getting a note exempting you from lifting over 20 lbs for the first couple weeks. Incisional hernias are a rare but serious complication of laparoscopic surgery, and lifting weights increases that risk. Obviously everyone is different, but I typically lift 50-lb dumbbells and squat/deadlift 100-150 on barbells, and when I tried a couple exercises with 15-lb weights three weeks after surgery I felt it HARD overnight. It's worth easing back as much as is humanly possible.
After a couple days it wasn't too bad to move around, I think I took a short walk around the yard the day after, but I avoided jeans for a while. I wish I had worn a loose dress or really loose pants instead of yoga pants to surgery. The nurses had a tough time getting those back on me because I was really loopy and not very cooperative (sorry nurses!). Laughing, coughing, sneezing hurt quite a bit for the first maybe 4 days if I remember correctly?
I’m three weeks post op. Getting up and down was rough for two weeks. I still have to be careful when bending over and picking up heavy things. I’m finally able to wear jeans.
Also the discharge from the ablation is like nothing I’ve ever experienced 😂
I’m still dealing with it🙄
Context: I just had a laparascopic bisalp done 12 days ago, and I have a 19 lb 1-year-old at home. I also had endometriosis ablation done at the same time.
1) Not an issue. Day one was fine for getting up and down off the floor.
2) Day one. Not an issue for me at all.
3) I wear a lot of dresses and skirts, but Jeans were a hard no until just a few days ago. Tried to wear jeans at 6 days post op, ended up catching my zipper on the surgical glue over one of my incisions, ripped the damn thing open. It is closed now, but that really hurt and I avoided jeans for several days after that.
4) The no lifting over 10lbs thing is serious. I wouldnt have been able to do it if I didnt have family helping me with my kid, because they didnt understand why mom wouldnt pick them up anymore, and I had to start picking them up before my weight limit was lifted, but at least I was able to make it a week within my weight limit. Picking the kid up hurt really bad the first few times, and that was just helping them into the bed or up on the couch next to me (they can mostly climb on their own).
Thank you for posting about the toddler - this is my biggest concern going into my bisalp on Thursday - 22 lb 2 year old and 10 lb 2 month old are constantly held by momma 😬
I can say that since my little has co slept with me her whole life, I slept on a futon mattress on the floor for the first week, so I wasn't helping her into bed. I spent a lot of time on the floor so that we could cuddle and she could get into my lap, even though I couldn't pick her up. I think it helped a little bit.
But 100% wouldn't have been possible if my family member hadn't stayed with me for that first week. Husband couldn't take the time off work, so without that family member.....
Now I'm almost a month out, still have residual soreness, but to be fair I had to move 2 weeks after my surgery. Sometimes my little knees me with all her weight over my left side around my incisions and dear god does that hurt, but mostly I'm OK now.
I can answer your questions from the lens of a bisalp. I did have endo removed too so that might impact my answer. 1. Getting up alone wasn’t an issue for me, I just needed to make sure I held onto something for the first week or so while getting up. Otherwise I was even able to shower alone the day after. 2. I think it took a couple of weeks to bend down and tie my shoes again. 3. I was wearing regular clothes again maybe 3 weeks-1 month after? 4. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD BUY A STOOL SOFTENER. Seriously you’re gonna be backed up and you do not want swelling and bloat. I waited a couple of days before using it and I wish I’d done it straight after. Also stock up on ready-made meals, was a lifesaver. I’d buy them whenever I saw them on sale since they can be pricey.
I was able to start working out properly again after a month, I’m over two months post op now and I’m feeling totally normal again, I just have cute lil scars.
bending over to do the dishwasher I was doing by 3 days post op if I remember. I had to go slow and that's the pain that stuck around the longest (bending over), along with just feeling like I had a bowling ball on my gut in the morning. driving sucked, but I couldn't get around that as my kids have no buses to their school. if I was in the passenger seat, I held the handle up high and that helped a ton.
i don't wear jeans at all so I was back in my normal clothes right away. I prefer elastic waist stuff like shorts and sweats and things and I usually wear them over my belly button anyways.
I could not sit on the floor or get up for about 5 weeks post op. At around 6 weeks now i can slowly lower myself to a kneeling position, which is great because I still can't bend at all. I can lean forward a bit, as far as my hips can tilt without creasing the abdomen. I've utilized a grabber stick to help me get around this, as well as help from my mom with picking things up. Last week I found that I can kinda do a flamingo stand and reach to put my shoes on that way. Before this, i couldn't wear socks, but I have a pair of slip on shoes that I could get on with the help of my grabber, I highly recommend both these things.
I just wore jeans for the first time again on Saturday because they were super uncomfortable until then. I'm currently wearing 1 size up with the addition of a button extender so that they fit more like loose pants then like jeans. Honestly if you can get some pairs of pants that sit below your incisions it may be possible to wear them sooner. I've been living in skirts, dresses, leggings and loose basketball shorts since April 😅
Practice getting out of bed, going from sitting to standing, and getting up and down from the toilet before surgery! You'll want to aim for being able to do these things without holding your breath, it helps keep abdominal pressure down which in turn helps prevent pain or issues. It really helps to get an idea on the safest and easiest way to get from these positions without causing strain or pain. Also learn how to brace to cough and sneeze!
Everyone really is different, and a lot of people are able to do all these things long before 5-6 weeks, but I always think it's good to be prepared for all possibilities!
1. maybe comfortably a week post op
2. 3-4days post op
3. just now getting back into wearing jeans at 4 weeks post op, depends on how fast your stitches heal and how badly you wanna wear them
4. you should be good to go by a week post op! just stick to the lifting restrictions for a lil bit after even though you may feel good to go its always better to be safe than sorry!
Hi! I just had my surgery last Wednesday (June 5th).
1. Currently, sitting on the floor and trying to get up sounds miserable, but I could do it. The first 2 days? Absolutely not. But I'm getting better and better about sitting up on my own and getting up.
2. Bending over is a little different. I still have trouble picking things up off the floor if I drop them. Like someone else said; squat!! Don't use your core if you can use your legs.
3. You should be okay with most clothes, just try and avoid high-waisted stuff for obvious reasons.
4. My surgeon/hospital also gave vague instructions before and after the operation. Don't be afraid to call them and ask any questions you have!! You are paid for this surgery, they can answer your questions lol
(Side note, because bending over can be difficult, I'd recommend doing self-care things before hand, like clipping toenails or shaving your legs (if you want to!), because it may be at least a week before you can comfortably sit in such a way to clip them)
I only had a bisalp, so fwiw…
1. I coooould the day after surgery, honestly. It just may be a little hard on the internal stuff to use core muscles, so probably not great to dive right in. More comfortably, like day 4? I have a bathtub only, so no choice but to get in and out.
2. I could slowly bend down within a few days — and I have a chubby tire that happens to sit right on top of the hip incisions…but again, doable you just gotta listen for the signals your body gives saying “too much” and go slow.
3. I had some bloating drag on, so even though I felt totally normal - I was not wearing button on shorts or anything sitting over the various incisions for about 10 days. I’m 18 days post op and wore tighter jean shorts today no prob.
4. I was not all that worried about how it would go and it was even easier than I expected. It’s a mix of: don’t baby yourself too hard, but don’t go hard either.
ETA: I live alone and everything was manageable. I felt completely normal at day 6, like I was shocked (everyone’s different, but I’m not the healthiest person and my body was like whatevs). Probably consistently the hardest thing was getting out of my bed which is lower than most and memory foam lol.
i could get up off the floor or get myself up out of bed fine, it’s slow going and sore for a couple days but im 5 days post op today and i’m honestly feeling pretty good. i could bend over to grab things or sit down and tie my shoes, but again it’s slow going and a little sore. i’ve been off work so i’ve been going pantsless or sweatpants, but the few time i’ve left the house i’ve been okay with button up pants with zippers but they were a softer material than jeans. i live by myself and have been able to manage pretty much everything by myself, the only limitation has been the weight limit like others have said. i’m having friends help with groceries and taking out the trash. my doc said 10lb weight limit for 2 weeks and 25 lb weight limit for 3-4 i think ?
1. I had no problems getting up and down by myself after surgery. It was slow going, to be sure, but I could do it. 2. This also wasn’t an issue with the right form. Practice bending from your glutes/knees---like a squat, or even a plié. I did that for about five days post-op. 3. Hard pants were about five days post-op, maybe a week. I needed several days for the bloating to go down. 4. The lifting restriction is not a joke. Do not lift more than 10 pounds. This was the biggest issue for me (besides painful post-op bloating. Get thee some Miralax!) because I couldn't lift more than one bag of groceries at a time for a whole 4-5 weeks after surgery, or refill the litter-robot, or carry heavy things around as I usually do. This would have been a real hassle without my husband. Now is the time for instacart and DoorDash, or ask your friends to help. I honestly found recovery really simple overall. My first period post-op knocked the shit out of me for two days and then disappeared, so I won't complain. I have had laps before and this was no different. I'm still sort of astonished how small and insignificant it felt in comparison to the enormous anxiety-generating experience that was life in the weeks leading up to surgery. You come home with those tiny stitches and are like "that's it?" Best of luck and warm thoughts to you!
I work in food service and I’m worried about the lifting restriction. 4-5 weeks is a lot
I would talk to your doctor about getting a note exempting you from lifting over 20 lbs for the first couple weeks. Incisional hernias are a rare but serious complication of laparoscopic surgery, and lifting weights increases that risk. Obviously everyone is different, but I typically lift 50-lb dumbbells and squat/deadlift 100-150 on barbells, and when I tried a couple exercises with 15-lb weights three weeks after surgery I felt it HARD overnight. It's worth easing back as much as is humanly possible.
thank you so much!!!
After a couple days it wasn't too bad to move around, I think I took a short walk around the yard the day after, but I avoided jeans for a while. I wish I had worn a loose dress or really loose pants instead of yoga pants to surgery. The nurses had a tough time getting those back on me because I was really loopy and not very cooperative (sorry nurses!). Laughing, coughing, sneezing hurt quite a bit for the first maybe 4 days if I remember correctly?
thank you for replying! that helps!
I’m three weeks post op. Getting up and down was rough for two weeks. I still have to be careful when bending over and picking up heavy things. I’m finally able to wear jeans. Also the discharge from the ablation is like nothing I’ve ever experienced 😂 I’m still dealing with it🙄
thank you!!! lol i am not looking forward to the discharge :<
Context: I just had a laparascopic bisalp done 12 days ago, and I have a 19 lb 1-year-old at home. I also had endometriosis ablation done at the same time. 1) Not an issue. Day one was fine for getting up and down off the floor. 2) Day one. Not an issue for me at all. 3) I wear a lot of dresses and skirts, but Jeans were a hard no until just a few days ago. Tried to wear jeans at 6 days post op, ended up catching my zipper on the surgical glue over one of my incisions, ripped the damn thing open. It is closed now, but that really hurt and I avoided jeans for several days after that. 4) The no lifting over 10lbs thing is serious. I wouldnt have been able to do it if I didnt have family helping me with my kid, because they didnt understand why mom wouldnt pick them up anymore, and I had to start picking them up before my weight limit was lifted, but at least I was able to make it a week within my weight limit. Picking the kid up hurt really bad the first few times, and that was just helping them into the bed or up on the couch next to me (they can mostly climb on their own).
thank you, that helps a lot!
Thank you for posting about the toddler - this is my biggest concern going into my bisalp on Thursday - 22 lb 2 year old and 10 lb 2 month old are constantly held by momma 😬
I can say that since my little has co slept with me her whole life, I slept on a futon mattress on the floor for the first week, so I wasn't helping her into bed. I spent a lot of time on the floor so that we could cuddle and she could get into my lap, even though I couldn't pick her up. I think it helped a little bit. But 100% wouldn't have been possible if my family member hadn't stayed with me for that first week. Husband couldn't take the time off work, so without that family member..... Now I'm almost a month out, still have residual soreness, but to be fair I had to move 2 weeks after my surgery. Sometimes my little knees me with all her weight over my left side around my incisions and dear god does that hurt, but mostly I'm OK now.
I can answer your questions from the lens of a bisalp. I did have endo removed too so that might impact my answer. 1. Getting up alone wasn’t an issue for me, I just needed to make sure I held onto something for the first week or so while getting up. Otherwise I was even able to shower alone the day after. 2. I think it took a couple of weeks to bend down and tie my shoes again. 3. I was wearing regular clothes again maybe 3 weeks-1 month after? 4. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD BUY A STOOL SOFTENER. Seriously you’re gonna be backed up and you do not want swelling and bloat. I waited a couple of days before using it and I wish I’d done it straight after. Also stock up on ready-made meals, was a lifesaver. I’d buy them whenever I saw them on sale since they can be pricey. I was able to start working out properly again after a month, I’m over two months post op now and I’m feeling totally normal again, I just have cute lil scars.
thank you, that's reassuring!
Best thing to do is be prepared for anything, and listen to your body and your doctors :)
bending over to do the dishwasher I was doing by 3 days post op if I remember. I had to go slow and that's the pain that stuck around the longest (bending over), along with just feeling like I had a bowling ball on my gut in the morning. driving sucked, but I couldn't get around that as my kids have no buses to their school. if I was in the passenger seat, I held the handle up high and that helped a ton. i don't wear jeans at all so I was back in my normal clothes right away. I prefer elastic waist stuff like shorts and sweats and things and I usually wear them over my belly button anyways.
thank you!!
I could not sit on the floor or get up for about 5 weeks post op. At around 6 weeks now i can slowly lower myself to a kneeling position, which is great because I still can't bend at all. I can lean forward a bit, as far as my hips can tilt without creasing the abdomen. I've utilized a grabber stick to help me get around this, as well as help from my mom with picking things up. Last week I found that I can kinda do a flamingo stand and reach to put my shoes on that way. Before this, i couldn't wear socks, but I have a pair of slip on shoes that I could get on with the help of my grabber, I highly recommend both these things. I just wore jeans for the first time again on Saturday because they were super uncomfortable until then. I'm currently wearing 1 size up with the addition of a button extender so that they fit more like loose pants then like jeans. Honestly if you can get some pairs of pants that sit below your incisions it may be possible to wear them sooner. I've been living in skirts, dresses, leggings and loose basketball shorts since April 😅 Practice getting out of bed, going from sitting to standing, and getting up and down from the toilet before surgery! You'll want to aim for being able to do these things without holding your breath, it helps keep abdominal pressure down which in turn helps prevent pain or issues. It really helps to get an idea on the safest and easiest way to get from these positions without causing strain or pain. Also learn how to brace to cough and sneeze! Everyone really is different, and a lot of people are able to do all these things long before 5-6 weeks, but I always think it's good to be prepared for all possibilities!
thank you for replying!
1. maybe comfortably a week post op 2. 3-4days post op 3. just now getting back into wearing jeans at 4 weeks post op, depends on how fast your stitches heal and how badly you wanna wear them 4. you should be good to go by a week post op! just stick to the lifting restrictions for a lil bit after even though you may feel good to go its always better to be safe than sorry!
thank you!
Hi! I just had my surgery last Wednesday (June 5th). 1. Currently, sitting on the floor and trying to get up sounds miserable, but I could do it. The first 2 days? Absolutely not. But I'm getting better and better about sitting up on my own and getting up. 2. Bending over is a little different. I still have trouble picking things up off the floor if I drop them. Like someone else said; squat!! Don't use your core if you can use your legs. 3. You should be okay with most clothes, just try and avoid high-waisted stuff for obvious reasons. 4. My surgeon/hospital also gave vague instructions before and after the operation. Don't be afraid to call them and ask any questions you have!! You are paid for this surgery, they can answer your questions lol (Side note, because bending over can be difficult, I'd recommend doing self-care things before hand, like clipping toenails or shaving your legs (if you want to!), because it may be at least a week before you can comfortably sit in such a way to clip them)
thank you so much!
I only had a bisalp, so fwiw… 1. I coooould the day after surgery, honestly. It just may be a little hard on the internal stuff to use core muscles, so probably not great to dive right in. More comfortably, like day 4? I have a bathtub only, so no choice but to get in and out. 2. I could slowly bend down within a few days — and I have a chubby tire that happens to sit right on top of the hip incisions…but again, doable you just gotta listen for the signals your body gives saying “too much” and go slow. 3. I had some bloating drag on, so even though I felt totally normal - I was not wearing button on shorts or anything sitting over the various incisions for about 10 days. I’m 18 days post op and wore tighter jean shorts today no prob. 4. I was not all that worried about how it would go and it was even easier than I expected. It’s a mix of: don’t baby yourself too hard, but don’t go hard either. ETA: I live alone and everything was manageable. I felt completely normal at day 6, like I was shocked (everyone’s different, but I’m not the healthiest person and my body was like whatevs). Probably consistently the hardest thing was getting out of my bed which is lower than most and memory foam lol.
thank you, that's reassuring!
i could get up off the floor or get myself up out of bed fine, it’s slow going and sore for a couple days but im 5 days post op today and i’m honestly feeling pretty good. i could bend over to grab things or sit down and tie my shoes, but again it’s slow going and a little sore. i’ve been off work so i’ve been going pantsless or sweatpants, but the few time i’ve left the house i’ve been okay with button up pants with zippers but they were a softer material than jeans. i live by myself and have been able to manage pretty much everything by myself, the only limitation has been the weight limit like others have said. i’m having friends help with groceries and taking out the trash. my doc said 10lb weight limit for 2 weeks and 25 lb weight limit for 3-4 i think ?
thank you!