Laparoscopy Recovery: 15 Must-Haves Items
Items to help you recover from your endometriosis excision surgery
Hello, friend! You’re probably here because either you or your loved one is thinking about having laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis. I hope my laparoscopy recovery experience will be helpful to you!
Here is my complete list of everything you will need to help you recover from your laparoscopy. Be sure to check out my other posts in My Endometriosis Journey, like how I finally got a diagnosis, my surgery experience, and what to expect from laparoscopy recovery.
This post is based on my surgery experience and research. I make no claims to be a doctor. Your recovery and the amount of pain you experience will vary depending on how invasive your surgery is.
For more of the nitty gritty information about laparoscopy, I suggest you start with the Endometriosis Surgery page from endometriosis.org.
*This page contains affiliate links to products I recommend. If you purchase something from this page, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
Comfort Items
Cozy Pajamas: You’re going to be down for the count for a few days, so invest in some ridiculously comfortable pajamas. These are perfect because the waist is adjustable and the top is loose. You don’t want anything tight around your incisions.
Slippers: You definitely need cute slippers to go with your pajamas! Get ones like these that have some grip to them. You’ll be unsteady for a while, so you’ll appreciate these to help you get around.
Fuzzy blanket: You’ll be stuck in bed for at least a few days, and you’re going to want all the soft things. Be sure you have something cozy like this to snuggle up with and keep you warm.
Backrest pillow: This one is so important! During your laparoscopy recovery, you’re going to have a hard time sitting up due to the incisions across your stomach.
You’ll be much more comfortable with a supportive backrest pillow like this. I tried using a few regular pillows at first, and it just didn’t cut it.
Sitting upright will also help with the gas pain you’ll feel after your excision.
Insulated water bottle: It is so important to stay hydrated during your laparoscopy recovery. Get yourself a cute insulated bottle like this one so your water stays cold.
Mug and Ginger tea: For many people, anesthesia can cause an upset stomach. Be prepared with some ginger tea.
This tea is yummy and will help soothe your stomach. Get yourself this mug, too. You deserve something to make you laugh while you recover!
Soup: You aren’t going to have much of an appetite right after your laparoscopy. Soup is a nice transition before you feel ready to start eating real food.
And there’s something about feeling crappy that just makes you really want soup.
Snacks: Get all the snacks! You just had surgery- treat yourself with your favorite foods.
My favorites are garlic bagel crisps, Goldfish (yes, I’m 8 years old), and this yummy trail mix.
If there are certain foods you avoided before surgery because it triggered your endo symptoms, now is not the time to re-introduce them.
Stick to snacks you know won’t cause inflammation and flare ups. Your body is working hard to recover.
Not So Fun Medical Stuff
Gas-X: During the procedure, the surgeons will fill your abdomen with gas. This allows them to clearly see all your lovely fibroids.
Post-surgery, this will be very uncomfortable for a day or two. For some people, this can last up to a week!
Be sure to have some Gas-X handy to give you some relief and try to sit upright as much as you can.
Stool softener: Fun, right? But you’re gonna need it. Anesthesia slows everything down, including your bowels.
All of the hardcore pain meds don’t help with constipation either.
Start taking a stool softener right away to prevent any problems, especially if you have bowel endometriosis.
Don’t be like me and end up in the emergency room a week after surgery with an impacted bowel.
Pain medication: You’ll probably be prescribed some heavy duty prescription pain medication for your laparoscopy recovery.
But, after a few days you’ll hopefully be ready to transition to over the counter medication.
By day 4, I stopped the prescription meds and alternated between Tylenol and Ibruprofen.
Heating pad: Remember all that gas they pumped into your abdomen? Pretty soon, it’ll start traveling up and get stuck in your shoulders, causing some serious discomfort.
Weird, right? Grab a big heating pad like this one to get some relief.
Things to Pass the Time
Adult Coloring Book: Between the anesthesia and the pain medication, you might not be able to concentrate enough to be able to read a book (boo!).
These beautiful adult coloring books are a fun way to pass the time. Don’t forget to get this awesome set of 50 colored pencils!
Amazon Prime or Netflix: You’ll have a lot of time to kill while stuck in bed. Enjoy it and find a fun new show to binge! Use this link to get a FREE 30-day trail of Amazon Prime!
I recommend Good Omens on Amazon Prime and The Crown on Netflix. Both are totally binge-able!
Extra long phone cord: Make your life easier, and get an extra long cord for your phone. You won’t be able to do a whole lot of twisting and turning at first, so an extra long charger will be nice to have.
This is especially useful if you have to stay overnight in the hospital. Those outlets are never in convenient places!
I hope this list helps you feel more prepared for your laparoscopy for endometriosis. I wish you luck and healing on your journey. You’ve got this!
Related articles:
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Laparoscopic Surgery for Endometriosis: What to Expect
How My Endometriosis Improved During a Global Pandemic
15 Must-Haves for Your Laparoscopy Recovery
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