Recovery from laparoscopy and return to dancing

[Viv]

Hi all, been a while since I last popped in but I need to lean on your expert guidance again.

 

I am an adult dancer (30+) currently studying RAD Advanced 2. After struggling for 16 years with horrendous pain and simply being told that "some women just have bad periods, here have a heat pack" (and unfortunately me taking that at face value and not advocating for myself), fertility issues have finally led to a likely diagnosis of endometriosis. Scans have shown that both of my ovaries are "tethered" (or stuck to my uterus or abdominal wall). After a while on the waiting list, I have just been informed that surgery is booked for the end of October, to have everything looked at and any adhesions sliced out. Of course, it seems they won't know how extensive this will be until they're in there.

 

The way this relates to ballet is this. My dance studio has its end of year concert the second week in December, almost exactly 6 weeks after the procedure. I am meant to be performing in this show, including en pointe. I am really uncertain as to whether there is any chance that I will be able to perform in December. Of course, there's not just the performance, but all of the rehearsals between now and the show that need to be factored in.

 

I have read some general advice on line which seems to show recovery back to daily activity can be anywhere between 3 days to 3 weeks. A lot seems to indicate that strenuous exercise (which would presumably include advanced level pointe) should be avoid for 6 weeks. If it's an impossible task, I'd prefer to speak to my teachers now to give them as much time as possible to rework things, but I don't want to pull out now and then find out actually I feel fine afterwards...

 

If anyone here has any advice or experience of return to ballet after laparoscopic surgery and excision of endometrial tissue and adhesions, please help! I am finding the amount of conflicting information (where there is any information at all) even more stressful than the prospect of someone slicing me open and fiddling with my insides. I've never had surgery before and the uncertainty of it all is weighing on me. 

[Sophoife]

As someone who has both undergone similar laparoscopic gynaecological surgery myself and spent 20 years working for a gynaecologist (seeing many, many patients go through this process), my comments would be:

• everyone heals and recovers differently, some quicker than others
• having the dance background may well enable a speedier recovery than "the average" due to internal muscle strength - I was back in class four days a week after three weeks, I saw others resume normal (sedentary) life after a day or so, and yet others take a week or so to feel comfortable resuming normal daily activity
• recovery time will very much depend on what happens once they're in there: if major excision of adhesions is required the recovery time will be longer
• post-op pain levels range from "oh a twinge" to "why the hell did I have the laparoscopy anyway?!", but of course after sixteen years you know your pain thresholds better than anyone else
• dancing on stage after six weeks might well be possible, however you would be wise not to rehearse fully for at least two, possibly more, weeks post-surgery (depending on your speed of recovery).

 

Sorry I can't be more definite, but that wouldn't be "best practice" and IANAD so am not offering medical advice 😉

 

Good luck!!

Edited October 12, 2024 by Sophoife

[LinMM]

A friend of mine who suffered from severe endometriosis for years …..it’s not always taken seriously by doctors….was not fully active again for six weeks ( but she’s not into ballet more running and Pilates and yoga) But has never looked back since 🙂

Good luck with the op. Give yourself time to heal well. 

[Emeralds]

Hello @Viv, my sympathies for the terrible symptoms you have endured, and it is good to hear that you have finally received a diagnosis that explains the reason why you have suffered these symptoms and the prospect of these symptoms being resolved by surgery.

 

The best person/people to give you the correct answers about how much the treatment will affect your rehearsals and performance if at all, willl be your gynaecologist performing the operation and who has seen the scans. On one hand if the amount of excision required is not extensive to warrant a long period of recovery, your return to dancing could be quick, while on the other hand if they are extensive it will take a longer period to heal which means missing out on rehearsals and performing. 

 

I suspect the answer may already be quite clear to you as you read this. As you have suffered from the symptoms for so long, and not doing a full job of dealing with the endometriosis lesions would mean prolonging your pain and other symptoms, plus the (small but real) risk that not dealing with them all can cause complications for your health in future, it makes sense to "go for it" and have your gynaecologist deal with all the lesions that require operating on, and to take time to heal. 

 

You are still young and from your description, fit enough to have more performances in your future, but the surgery now is the priority, to resolve your symptoms and start feeling better, so I would prepare to be off for those months that rehearsals are happening which may mean skipping the performance too.

 

Unfortunately with these things nobody has a crystal ball to tell you whether you will fall into the category of "I feel completely fine, I have been cleared to dance full out next week" or "I had so such extensive surgery that I will be off for weeks and I'm taking a long time to recover"- I expect if it had been very certain, your gynaecologist will have informed you which category you are in. It's of course better to be prepared and equipped to be taking a long time to recover and then making a much quicker recovery than expected than the disappointment of the other way round. 

 

Perhaps it's best to speak to your teacher to say you and your doctor don't know how long you will be off till after you have had your laparoscopy, but there is a possibility it could be a longer period. Your teacher may be able to modify your role- perhaps give you a smaller part that doesn't require as much rehearsing or can be flexible enough to be changed if you recover  quickly enough to return much earlier. I think once you have discussed things with your teachers it helps that they know, so it feels like less of a heavy burden on you. The other important thing is not to be in a huge rush to get back to dancing more quickly than you should medically - you don't want to swop endometriosis symptoms for a wound infection or muscle tear as a result of excessive eagerness to go back to dancing full out. Go back only when your doctor says you are safe to resume dancing and strenuous exercise.

 

It may help to focus on the fact that a) you have the prospect of resolving these painful and unpleasant endometriosis symptoms at last, b) there will be many more dance performances in your future once you have healed fully; hence, skipping the December performance, if you have to, will not be detrimental and may actually help your dancing in the long term. 

Edited October 12, 2024 by Emeralds

[Colman]

I’m going to guess you know the answer already and you’re afraid you’ll be letting people down if you don’t perform. 
 

I’m obviously not going to comment on the gynaecological stuff - except to exclaim “Oh FFS!” at the continuing dismissal of women’s concerns, which I’ve been hearing about for more than 20 years - but I think it’s probably best to give yourself lots of time to recover and rebuild in. 
 

You’re going to lose strength over the initial recovery process and I’d wonder if you’re going to have rebuilt enough to dance at a high level in even the best possible case. Take your time and do your physio and Pilates.
 

I’d advise accepting that you won’t be able to do it safely or well, that’s it’s outside your control, abandon any feelings of guilt and talk to your teachers and plan to help out in whatever other ways you can.
 

What I’d actually do might not be the same, of course. 🙂 On the other hand, as I get older I’m coming to the view that pushing one’s luck on this sort of thing just leads to further injuries and bad habits, so I might just listen to myself.

[alison]

Excuse me while I fume at YET ANOTHER woman being gaslit (gaslighted?) on the subject of endo.  I don't really have anything else to add, apart from asking whether it would be possible to have a cover for your part, but I just wanted to say I'm so very sorry about what you've had to suffer, Viv.

[glowlight]

I'm wishing you a speedy recovery @Viv. I have no experience of what you are going through, so feel free to ignore this suggestion...but once you have the advice from your gynaecologist...maybe consider what advice you would give to a beloved friend who was in your situation. 

 

The most important thing now is your healing and recovery. If you can't do this show, there will be others.