THINGS TO HAVE ON HAND FOR ENDO SURGERY
I’m about 5 weeks post op from my laparoscopic endometriosis excision surgery. Before I went into surgery I researched posts from others with tips on what to bring so I wanted to give my thoughts for others to reference as well.
Some of this is specific to endo surgery but a lot of it can be applicable for any type of surgery in general.
IMMEDIATELY POST OP
Food
Amy’s soups. Check ingredients because some still aren’t 100% clean but they have some better options. This is great for the first night home when you might not be ready for solid food but still need to eat. I had a few of these on hand. I found them at HEB but you can look online here to see what they offer & where you can find them local to you.
Saltines. I ate these right when I got out of surgery and the next day to help with nausea. Conventional saltines are filled with junk— I like these Suzie’s ones— made without folic acid and with organic ingredients & no seed oils.
Electrolytes: I brought my Just Ingredients travel packs with me. (Code Bayley gives a discount.)
Nettle Tea: I have a subscription to Traditional Medicinals. I drink this regularly & it’s a good mineral supportive tea option.
Eggs: I still wasn’t super hungry the morning after surgery but my mother-in-law made me scrambled eggs so I wanted to throw that in here as well. High protein/nutrient dense foods that are easy to eat are good to have on hand.
Supplements/Medicines
Some of these items can be found on Fullscript. This is an online supplement store where you can buy quality supplements (not Amazon!) & get a discount. I have made an “Endo Surgery Protocol” with items linked here. You do not have to be a client to order through my link, anyone can order. I do have to give the disclaimer to always work with your medical provider before taking any supplements.
If not on Fullscript, you can find at your local stores.
Arnica 200c - This is great for trauma to the body because surgery is a type of trauma.
Painkillers- Your surgeon will likely prescribe prescription painkillers. I did take those at first but then had a very negative reaction so I switched to Tylenol/Advil. It’s okay to take some pain meds after surgery even if it’s not the crunchy way. :) You can add some NAC to help boost glutathione production.
Wonderbelly: The gas pains post op were insane. I have never experienced anything like it. It was so bizarre. Getting up and moving was the best way to combat this but I did also have Wonderbelly. This is a cleaner version of gas-x.
Nux Vom or Nausea Calm: I didn’t expect to react so poorly to the anesthesia but the nausea was very intense so I used both of these in the first 24 hours.
Magnesium Citrate and Psyllium Husk : Post surgery constipation is common. I personally have never taken any type of laxative and I didn’t want to so I used these two as an alternative to get things going post-op.
Propolis Throat Spray: I brought this with me for a sore throat post surgery due to being put under with a tube there. I used it a few times but I didn’t really have post op throat pain.
Mints: Nothing fancy- some good old fashioned life savers helped with nausea as well.
Misc. Items
Loose Clothes: I wore a flowy dress home from the hospital but once I got home and for the first week or so I only wanted to wear loose/low rise pj shorts and pants. I didn’t want anything on top of the scars. Plan to bring a few different options so you can decide what feels comfortable.
Pillow for car ride home: Bring a small pillow or rolled up towel to put over the seatbelt strap so it doesn’t hit your stomach directly.
Heating Pad: I used this on my shoulder (the gas pain can radiate up there) and it felt nice- I wouldn’t say this is super high priority though if you don’t already have one.
Red Light Box: I got clearance to use my Lumebox right after surgery so I’ve used it consistently to hep with pain and wound healing.
Walking: This is not an item but my # 1 recommendation is to get up and walk regularly starting the day after surgery! It helps so much. The second evening post-surgery I stood outside and just walked very slowly for about 45 minutes in my in-laws’ backyard while my MIL watered her plants and it made me feel so much better. Rest is important of course and you don’t want to overdue it but light walking was huge for me.
Stool for Bed: Use a small step stool to get in and out of bed for a while if you have a taller bed.
Pads/liners: I had light bleeding so I only used a pad for a little bit and then a liner was fine. Some use diapers but I didn’t find that necessary & I also wanted to wear my own underwear beneath the incisions.
Emu oil: I started scar massage about 2 weeks out— not on the actual incisions as there are still stitches, but around the area. I got some pure emu oil for this. Once the stitches are healed I will use this on top of the actual incision site as well.
Before Surgery
Wash you hair the night before. Showering/lifting your arms will be hit or miss so start with fresh hair.
Prep food or at least pre-cook meat. We were on vacation the week before surgery so I didn’t do any prep and I wish I had. Thankfully we had my MIL the first two nights and when we got home my parents helped a lot but it would have been nice to have been more prepared so you’re not trying to lift heavy pans/IP/CrockPot or worry about defrosting meat while trying to recover once you’re on your own again.
Schedule your first pelvic floor pt appointment. Mine was 2 weeks post-op but check with your surgeon about when you should start. This is a non-negotiable!
Long Term Healing
I am going to do a whole post on long-term healing & how to support your body but in the short term focus on hydration, mineral support, liver support to detox from post-op meds as well as gut support to recover from antibiotics during surgery.
I hope this post was helpful for those of you who you facing this surgery. If I can help if any way or answer any questions please let me know!
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9/30/2026