Has Anyone Had Open Myomectomy For Multiple Fibroids?
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hello Ladies!
For those of you that didn't see my previous post, I'm having open myomectomy in a few weeks for multiple fibroids; one is fairly large (the size of a large grapefruit) and I'm really freaking out and so scared. I've had some lovely reassuring comments on here which have calmed my nerves a little. However I was wondering how many of you ladies have had open myomectomy surgery and how did it go? I worry about the silliest and craziest things thanks to reading things on the internet; like bleeding severely and uncontrollably during surgery and potentially ending up having the uterus removed altogether. Although I hear that this is highly unlikely but who knows with these things? I want to have children in a couple of years by the way.
For those of you who have had open myomectomy how did your surgery go from start to end, so from day of surgery to healing?? Did anyone loose a lot of blood during surgery, did you experience heavy bleeding after? Or did anyone have a really straightforward surgery for multiple fibroids and comfortable healing? Also has anyone been experiencing any pain (caused by adhesions) six months or so post open myomectomy?
I'm trying to find out as much as possible about other people's experience so that I can have an idea of what to expect. Although I appreciate that the outcome of surgery is different for everyone. Looking forward to your responses.......
1 like, 13 replies
queeni16 Kay_La-Funk
Posted
Hey Kay,
I was/ am in the same position as you. I'm 30, had multiple fibroids and haven't had kids, but plan to try in 2/3 years time. I sit here in bed typing to you being 3 weeks post op (open myomectomy). I had ultrasound scans done in 3 different hospitals and they've all recorded that I had 3 fibroids, largest being 6cm in diameter. But straight after the surgery the doctor told me they removed 6 and had they not done an open myomectomy and did a laporoscopic myomectomy instead, they would not have been able to remove them all successfully. So in my opinion if my own sister asked for advice on which procedure to go for if you have 2 or more fibroids I would tell her go for the open/abdominal, that way the surgeon has a better scope in what the situation is with your uterus and they can manipulate it better, I just imagine it would be more thorough . The recovery time is longer, but personally I think it's worth it. It's totally normal to feel anxious and frightened. I felt exactly the same way, my main fear was waking up and the doctor telling me they couldn't save my uterus. But please feel comfort in knowing that the myomectomy procedure is a very common surgical procedure done everyday all over the world- you will be in the best hands. One tip I would give you though is if you get to speak to your surgeon before your procedure ask him what he would do if he notices anything else on your uterus ie endometriosis/ ovarian cysts and what his plan of action would be? My thing is once they are in there they might as well clean up/ fix as much as they can.
On the day of the surgery I was nervous as hell, and I hated the waiting. Finally they called me in to get changed, and the anesthesiologist took me in and gave me a spinal injection (not an epidural) that would help with the pain once I woke up. It wasn't painful at all although the preparation scared me a lot. And thats all I remember. I woke up in recovery and felt very groggy and sleepy, but didn't feel any pain at this point. The surgeon came round and told me it went very well and that they removed 6 fibroids in the end. When I was a bit less sleepy they wheeled me to a ward. You'll have a catheter in by the way, it doesn't hurt while its and you don't have to worry about peeing when it's in. For the first day I didn't feel any pain which I thought was very strange (I realise now it was because of the spinal injection). But the next day it started to creep in. The nurses on the ward are supposed to give you regular pain meds but my advice to you, is to pack the following/ or have someone bring you the following as soon as they wheel you to the ward: peppermint tea, ibuprofen, paracetamol and codeine, big granny panties, sanitary pads, disinfectant toilet wipes for dirty toilet seats, laxative pills, cushion. Just have these on hand because if your nurse is negligent for whatever reason, you can look after yourself in terms of managing pain. I had a peak at the incision, I was very pleased. The surgeon told me he did internal suturing and sealed it with a glue. It looked very neat, at the moment it's healing very well, it does feel a bit tight when i get up but i guess thats part of healing, you can have a shower but just remember to pat it dry after. I did bleed vaginally for 2 weeks after surgery but I'm talking about filling up half a thin medium pad for the whole day, now I get a pink discharge everyday. I suppose this is the uterus healing after the trauma. As soon as you can , once they have removed your catheter at the ward, start walking. It will be painful the first time but it's important you do, to help with bowel movement, and gas and to start using your stomach muscles again. Even just siting up in a chair is good for you. Do a little each day, if you feel too much pain, rest. And start again later when your pain meds have kicked in. Passing gas is painful, having a bowel movement is painful, coughing, laughing too. Use a small cushion, support your stomach on it when you do these things. AND PLEASE HAVE IT FOR THE CAR RIDE HOME. Peppermint tea helps with gas and smooth digestion.
Home: I took regular pain meds, however codeine made me constipated and woozy so I slowly weaned myself off it. I slept on my back for the first 2 weeks, now I can sleep on my side. To your surprise you will feel better everyday. I made sure I walked a little inside my flat, then I practiced the stairs everyday, do a little every day. If you have difficulty getting up stairs for the first time, try walking up backwards, I heard it's easier. Drink lots of water, get the anaethesia out of your system. Eat protein rich food, good for repair. Clean your home well before you go for surgery.
Anyway in a nutshell, you will be fine, the terrifying bit is waiting for the surgery because your mind plays through all these nightmare scenarios, that's normal. But honestly you will be fine and will be so happy to hear that these fibroids have been removed, it's a joy in itself. And the next few weeks should just be all about you feeling comfortable and relaxing, catching up on Netflix etc. I wish you all the best hun, keep us updated, hope this helps xx
Queeni
Kay_La-Funk queeni16
Posted
Hello queeni16,
Hope you're well and having a lovely day. I would like to start off by saying thank you soooooo much for taking the time to write this wonderful, comprehensive, informative and supportive response. You have absolutely no idea how happy I was to read this and you write so well by the way!
You've answered so many questions that have been going round and round in my head, honestly! I certainly feel a lot more reassured now. Although there's still a bit of anxiety within me and this would probably be worse on the day of the surgery, however I'm currently not feeling any where near as anxious as I have been over the past couple of months.
I'm considering arranging an appointment with my surgeon before the surgery in order to clarify a few things and I will also ask some of the questions that you have suggested. I really want to know in advance if I'll be having a vertical or horizontal incision and how big it'll be. I'm hoping that it'll be a small horizontal one that I can hide easily. What incision did you have and how visible/ big is it now? I also want to know what would happen if I loose a lot of blood during the surgery. Also a few ladies have mentioned that their surgeon gave them medication to shrink their fibroids before surgery. I'm not sure why my surgeon never offered this to me did you get this option? Apparently my largest fibroid is blocking my left ovary (which concerned me a lot) so I would presume that it is pretty large and dense. I would have thought that it would make sense to shrink them in order to reduce bleeding.
By the way I'm expecting to suffer from serious constipation following the surgery as I already suffer from chronic constipation and I had it bad when I had laparoscopy and hysteroscopy investigation done a few months ago. Sorry if that's too much info
I'm curious to ask whether you have noticed if your stomach looks flatter since the surgery, or have you still got swelling in the tummy? Also what symptoms were you experiencing with your fibroids before surgery and what made you decide to go ahead with the surgery?
I'm not too sure what the spinal injection they gave you would have been. However had you not mentioned this to me, then I probably would refuse it on the day if it is offered to me as I wouldn't have been expecting it and I really don't like the idea of spinal injections. However knowing that it helped reduce the pain is reassuring. Did you experience any side effects from the injection? Also how long are you planning to take off work?.
Thank you again for your lovely response and I wish you continuos healing and a very speedy recovery. All the very best! xxx
I'll certainly post back on the forum in order to provide an update. However in the meanwhile I may post on here again prior to the surgery.
queeni16 Kay_La-Funk
Posted
Hey Kay
You're absolutly welcome, I'm glad I could have been of some help, and happy to hear that your feeling a little bit more reassured. No worries, I am an open book! I had a horizontal incision (around 10cm in length), I've noticed that as I am healing it's looking better. My mum had a hysterorectomy 5 years ago, she had a horizontal incision as well and I remember being amazed at how seamless it looked once properly healed, so this really reassured me. And if you think about it,
so many women will get this iincision at some point in their lives whether its due to fibroids, endometriosis or c section birth, so surgeons have really perfected the art of suturing the skin so that it looks almost invisible when healed. I remember one of the first things my surgeon said to me when i woke up, was that my incision looked 'fantastic ' and that i should not worry. At the time I thought it was strange he said this to me, because I didn't raise any concerns to him about this, I just wanted these bloody fibroids out. Then later I reasoned that he probably assumed that because I am a woman, this would be something I cared about/what most women are concerned about. I thanked him nevertheless.
Try not to worry too much about blood loss, I'm not in the medical profession but I am in science research, and I know from colleagues that they have a plan A-Z when it comes to prevention of bleeding out. As far as I know they have equipment that can cauterise small vessels if there's too much bleeding and they have materials they can put on the site of bleeding to stop it, modern medicine is amazing. All else fails they will give you a blood transfusion if they feel that you have lost too much.
Yes I was put on Zoladex 3 months prior to my surgery (after my Cuba trip). They put me on it primarily to stop me having anymore periods and becoming too anaemic and unfit for the surgery (it's also meant to shrink your fibroids) I didn't have a great time on it. I got the hot flushes and night sweats like crazy (worse than my own menopausal mother), I still got my periods, no sex drive and I ate everything in sight. Not a fun time but whatever.
Girl, yes get those laxative pills as a back up, there's no such thing as TMI with me!
Yeah so as I said before I am very happy with my incision but I was horrified by how puffy my lower stomach looked, oh my goodness! It's slowly gone down as the weeks have passed, but yes I have pooch which I did not have before. I can't wait till I'm well enough to be active again and do some exercise and toning because this has to go!
Initially I was avoiding surgery like the plague. I was initially diagnosed with fibroids in 2014. Then over the years I experienced heavier periods, with huge clots to the point where I thought I had miscarried without knowing I was pregnant. I would fill up a super plus tampon with 2 maxi pads overlapping in 30 mins. I would take days off work because of this. I was extremely anaemic, losing my hair, and my periods would last 2 weeks yet I still was content with just taking medication that would not help that much. The turning point for me was when I was on holiday in Cuba this year March, on the 3rd day of my period, I bled out like I had never bled out before. It was non stop just pouring out of me , clots and all. At one point I had to just sit on the toilet seat and stay there because I didn't know what to do, I was quickly running out of supplies. I remember sitting on the toilet feeling dizzy and seeing stars. Thank God my boyfriend took me to a hospital in Havana where I passed out twice. They ended up giving me a blood transfusion there so I could fly home. When I got home, I was admitted into hospital again because I was still too anaemic and I had another transfusion. That's when I knew, these things need to come out before they kill me. I've never felt so low and frightened in my life, these fibroids are literally ruining my life. I was afraid of having surgery because I thought that somehow it will ruin my chances of having kids (not the case at all). But then I made the decision that I need to look after myself first, this has gone too far.
No I didn't feel any side affects from the spinal injection, however the anaesthesia made me feel slightly nauseous but they can give you a pill for that. And the morphine made me itch which they can also give you a pill to alleviate this. I will be taking 6 weeks off, remember to get a doctors letter stating this to give to your employer.
Thanks a lot Kay, hope this helps, do not hesitate to ask me some more questions, keep us updated, I am sure it will all go very well.
Qxxx
Kay_La-Funk queeni16
Posted
Hello queeni16!
Lord it sounds like your ordeal with the fibroids was really bad....... poor you! It's crazy and unfair the things women have to go through sometimes
I took Esmya last year and I absolutely hated taking it. I presume it's similar to Zoladex. I was extremely bloated and constipated whilst I was taking it, also I had no sex drive; I just felt awful. When I first started to take it I experienced severe abdominal cramping for the first couple of weeks; my gynaecologist at the time said that this can happen when the fibroids begin to shrink. Following my three months course of treatment my fibroids gradually grew back and it seems that the biggest one grew back slightly bigger and I got a couple more fibroids.
I had a scan done last year and that's when I discovered that I had more and larger fibroids, also apparently I have a cyst on my left ovary. Although when I had the laparoscopic and hysteroscopic investigation done this year they couldn't see my left ovary due to the largest fibroid blocking it.
I'm currently experiencing some unpleasant symptoms but nothing drastic just annoying things; such as pelvic pain/ pressure, frequent urination and constant constipation. My periods are fine and are no longer heavy (this changed on its own). I worry a lot that my periods will become heavy following the surgery. To be honest I believe that I had begun to over think things and if I didn't get support and advice from women such as yourself who have been through the surgery, then I would probably have ended up deciding not to go ahead with it.
For some reason anxiety has now been replaced by fear and uncertainty. I keep counting the days till the surgery. All I really care about is surviving a major surgery and having my uterus still intact! I will deal with the pain! The thing that I used to worry about the most was something going wrong during the surgery and I end up loosing my uterus (as I previously mentioned), or I end up struggling to conceive later . I've also heard that the fibroids are likely to grow back a few years after surgery, which would probably require more surgery (however I suppose I'll have to cross that bridge when I get there).
I'm considering starting to try to get pregnant this time next year. So this was what convinced me to decide to go ahead with the surgery.
I really pray to God that all goes well. I know women go through these things everyday. However things are different when they're happening to you.
I'm going back to see my gynaecologist a few days before the surgery to ask questions. I kind of feel bad that I'm going back to ask him more questions because he is always so busy and he spent sufficient time with me at my previous appointment. However this would be additional reassurance for me. I'm planning to write my questions down so that I don't forget them.
I'm so happy for you to hear that you're doing really well and I hope that you continue to heal well. I was wondering how the pouch above your incision is looking? I also wondered if it's an obvious pouch or just a slight one?
Wishing you all the very best as always!! Stay blessed. xx
noir_Life Kay_La-Funk
Posted
Hope it all goes well...yes I had my surgery in Jan 2016 and like yourself had multiple fibroids in all 28 were taken out.
The pain and suffering I had previously to the operation was soo depressing and deliberating. Stright after the surgery however I suffered with the aftermath of air needing trapped inside the body .I was unaware of his and to be fair the most pain came from that. The scat is a bikini cut and did slightly keloid but nothing I was worried about.
My periods initially were quite light and easy no pain ..
I'd say now there slightly heavier but no pain and I can do what normal period women would do.
It's a new lease of like for me .
However I am trying to conceive and as yet it's not happend .the Dr did say I'd be fine I conceive and everything else is in working order .I'm 42 so I do hope it happens soon.. I hope this helps ask me anything if you like . And good luck it's was life changing for me and I hope for you too.🙂
Kay_La-Funk noir_Life
Posted
Hey noir Life!
Thank you for your helpful and supportive message. Wow!!! You had 28 fibroids removed?!! I'm surprised that you didn't suffer from severe pain following the surgery. I hope you're continuing to heal well! Did you experience any complications during surgery?
How's your scar now? Did you feel any pain from the incision at all and are you feeling any pain now since the surgery? Also I'm always curious to know why some women decide to go ahead with the myomectomy. Did you do yours mainly because you wanted to start conceiving or were your symptoms extremely bad? Also what symptoms were you experiencing?
Do you have any additional advice on what I should do to prep myself well for the surgery (physically and emotionally) and also after the surgery? I've received loads of wonderful advice already on here and everyone's advice has been so helpful.
I was also wondering if you suffered from constipation or urine retention following the surgery?. I had both of this very badly following my hysteroscopic and laparoscopic investigation a few months ago and I had to be admitted to hospital for a few days. Did you by any chance notice any changes to your menstral cycle e.g longer or shorter?
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you, I'm very sure you'll conceive when the time is right; everything happens at the right time! Wishing you all the best in your recovery and also for the future. xx
priscilla76960 Kay_La-Funk
Posted
Hi Kayla! I had an abdominal myomectomy 5 weeks ago! My first piece of advice I would give you is to not do research on the internet because everyone's experience is different! I remember how nervous I was and I started looking online and it only made me have anxiety! So I banned myself from webmd and decided to trust my doctor because after all he's the one who knows my story, my fibroids, & my actual physical condition!
My myomectomy 5 weeks ago was my first major surgery ever! 3 very large fibroids needed to be removed! My doctor told me there was a risk I could use my uterus in the process of the fibroids being removed but praise God he was able to save it! If I could show you just how big the fibroids were and the complexity of their locations on my uterus, it was truly a miracle! As much as I didn't want to hear of the risk, im glad my dr was honest with me & im glad he did all he could and saved my uterus!
I too was also concerned about loosing lots of blood during surgery! A week before surgery you typically go in for pre surgery prep where they do blood work. They take & test your blood type so they can make sure they have blood in stock ready for you in the event that you need it during surgery! So take comfort in that!
Everyones surgery experience is different! The best advice I can give you is if there's something you are nervous about, ask your doctor! I asked so many questions but I'm glad I did instead of trying to figure it out on my own on WebMd haha!
I personally was in the hospital Friday -Monday! Do everything the nurses tell you! while in the hospital! Especially walking!!! It's important to walk as soon as possible not just in the hospital but when you get home! Baby steps of course!!!
Something that I wished I did was take time to rest right after surgery! I remember having so many visitors and it just exhausted me! It's important to let that anesthesia wear off and resting the body is very important! Also I never take medicine that much so when I was given morphine it hit me pretty hard! Not to scare you cause everyone's experience is different but for me, the morphine affected me mentally, I mentioned my concerns to the dr the next day & they switched my medicine to Toradol and it didn't affect my mind as much as the morphine did. Again, everyone is differenct and responds differently so just just make sure to keep communication with the dr and nurses as you are recovering!
Bleeding & spotting after surgery is normal!! I remember when they took my cathader out and I was able to go pee in the bathroom being freaked out that I was loosing all my blood haha! But it's normal! The nurses do a pretty good job monitoring you to make sure everything is ok!
Also coughing up mucus with specs of blood is normal! The tube they put down your throat during surgery causes irritation (you wont feel anything cause they do it when you are passed out from the anesthesia) They will give you a spit cup/tray after surgery so it's important to spit out the mucus so it doesn't settle in your lungs! With that said, it's important you do it gently and have a pillow on your abdomen to help coughing be not so painful!!
Best advice is maybe ask someone in your family or your friends to spend the night with you at the hospital! I wish I did that the first night, but I did for the remainder of my hospital stay and also for the first week of me being home! It really brought great comfort!
Also give yourself grace during recovery!! Your body is getting a major surgery & it needs time to heal! Give yourself permission to rest! When I got home I wanted to "get back to normal" but I'm glad I just submitted to the healing process! You want to heal and and NOT injure yourself so just listen to everything your doctors tell you, listen to your body and call and ask as many questions as you need to!!
Another thing, when your incision starts healing its gonna feel hard underneath! That's scar tissue and will go away eventually Haha! It freaked me out!
Make sure you get liners at home bc lots of spotting happens! The underwear they give you at the hospital rules!! They are comfortable and are super high waist covering the entire incision! "Granny panties" I loved them cause I got staples on my incision and that underwear was perfect! I took a few pairs home with me!
I feel like I could go on an on with tips and advice! So I'll stop here! Even though I'm starting week 5 since surgery, my belly doesn't look like it used to, I don't have as much stamina like I did but all things take time!! I had my post opt drs apt yesterday and my uterus is back to its normal state!! I know in a few months time with hard work, rest & care everything else will go back to normal!
Dont be scared! You you are going to do great!! You've got this!!!! & don't do any more research online!! Haha! Just ask your doctor!!
I hope my story helps!
Kay_La-Funk priscilla76960
Posted
Hey Priscilla76960!
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with me and thank you for all your advice; I have taken them onboard. Your response has been so helpful. I hope you're continuing to heal well.
You're absolutely right with your advise about not researching online and to be honest I have stopped reading things on google etc as I was getting freaked out by some of the things that I was reading; hence why I post on here now.
I'm amazed that you had three very large fibroids removed!! What were your main symptoms and what types/ location were your fibroids? I've got submucosal, intramural and I believe that I also have subserosal. I'm so happy for you that your surgeon managed to keep your uterus intact; are you still hoping to have children by the way? This is my biggest priority, ensuring that no damage is caused to my uterus during surgery, as I plan to start trying to conceive within the next two years.
I've had my pre op-assessment done. However I may need to go back to hospital to repeat them as my surgery won't be for a couple of months now.
I'm naturally an active person, so I'm a little worried about lacking energy post surgery.
I had morphine following my laparoscopic and hysteroscopic investigation a few months ago and it just made me vomit several times. But I've been informed that I will be given self administering morphine post surgery in order to manage the pain and I'm sure it'll make me sick again.
My periods used to be heavy years ago, however this settled on its own a couple of years ago; so I'm really hoping that I won't suddenly start getting heavy periods once the fibroids have been removed.
How is your scar healing now and is it becoming less noticeable? Also would you say that your stomach looks flatter since having surgery?
You seem like a real fighter; that's inspirational! I wish you all the very best in your recovery journey. xx
priscilla76960 Kay_La-Funk
Posted
Kayla I forgot to mention that my myomectomy was vertical abdominal!
To be honest I didn't like that this was going to be the method because I wanted to be able to hide the scar but honestly I'm so glad I did vertical because that's what the dr said would be best! It gave him greater access to the fibroids!! Recovery time is longer but I'm glad I did it!!
I don't mind the scar now because it's a reminder of what I went through and how I overcame!!! It's like my battle wound! Haha!
Yas58673 Kay_La-Funk
Posted
Hi Kay,
I am 16 days post op, I had an open myomectomy to remove an 11cm fibroid. I was so anxious about the operation and the GA. I was heavily bleeding for months to the point where back in April my levels dropped to 5 and I had to be rushed to hospital to have two blood transfusions. Since April until my op 14th Aug I was worried about my blood levels and losing too much blood in the op. I can now say I really was worrying myself for no reason. The surgeons and anaesthetists are experts at what they do and explained everything. This is quite a common procedure for them and on the day of my op they had 4 ops before me that were all fibroid removals. Ask questions in your consultation and pre op as they will reassure you about anything you are worried about. The surgery went well, I didn't have to have any transfusions and didn't lose a lot of blood. I have a bikini line scar which feels really tight at first for a couple of weeks until they removed my stitches. The scar is so neat and healing well. It's a little uncomfortable to manoeuvre and to sleep but I found the V shape pillow has become my best bed buddy. After the op you will feel groggy but hang on in there and just rest it out. On the 2nd day I was told to get up and walk. The last thing I wanted to do but believe me when I say make sure you do it. Even if it's a few steps. You will get used to it. The pain was bearable, I thought it would be much worse than it was. I was attached to a PCA which delivered morphine at a push of a button and had a catheter in. Try not to rely on the morphine, get off it asap and manage your pain with other tablets instead. I found the morphine made me so drowsy and reluctant to get up and do anything. I was in hospital for 6 days. Don't rush to come out. Listen to their instructions and your after care as they know what they are doing, however you know you and your body best, so if you don't feel you can do it don't push yourself. Everyone is different. On my 3rd day I was up and about walking in the morning on my own. The nurses were talking about me being discharged that afternoon because I was doing so well. By the afternoon I took a nose dive and my blood levels dropped to 8. They monitored me for another two days and I was stable. They took the catheter out on the 4th day. I didn't have a bowel movement until two weeks after my op. Peppermint tea definitely helped with the gas pains. I am doing a lot of green smoothies as well to boost my iron levels and give me energy. Definitely have a pillow for the journey home and make sure you've taken adequate pain relief before the journey home. It does hurt to cough, sneeze, and move but you can support your stomach by holding it or placing a rolled towel/ pillow against your stomach. I also got given an abdominal support band which I use during the day. It just makes me feel much more supported and keeps my back straight so I'm not always hunched over.
I am feeling stronger everyday and although it's still tender and sore at times inside and out, I am not taking anymore of the strong pain killers for the last 2 days. I have also stopped bleeding two days ago (which is amazing considering I've bled non stop for months without any relief!) I sometimes have pink discharge on the tissue when I wipe myself, but the nurse has said this is normal and will take time to heal inside. I really wish you all the very best, I know it's daunting but you will be absolutely fine!
Sending lots of positive thoughts and healing energy your way.
Yas xxx
Kay_La-Funk Yas58673
Posted
Hello Yas58673!!
Thank you soooo much for sharing your experience with me. I hope that you are doing well. It sounds like your fibroid was rather big, did you only have the one? Did you suffer from any other symptoms apart from heavy bleeding? My main symptoms at the moment are pelvic pain, lower back pain, constipation and at times I get pains in my thighs. Also I feel so bloated all the time.
I have avoided the surgery for a very long time, however after being informed that the largest fibroid is blocking my left ovary, I just couldn't take it anymore. I honestly really don't want to have surgery, however it feels like the right thing to do now. I'm 34 and I want to start trying to conceive soon. What mainly made you decide to go ahead with the surgery?
How is your scar looking now? Also have you noticed any changes to the way that your stomach looks or any changes to your menstral cycle (hope you don't mind me asking)?. Do you still get occasionally pains from the scar/ wound & how are you feeling in general? I was also wondering how long you've taken off from work.
I'm worried about the pain and excessive bleeding, however I now feel reassured that everything will be ok. I'm not too sure if I'll get an abdominal support band (I doubt it) however I'll look into purchasing one before the surgery, so thank you for mentioning it.
Do you have any advice on questions to ask the surgeon and anaesthetist? I've been given some advice on questions to ask already, however the more the merrier. I'll be seeing my surgeon next month before the day of my surgery.
Also any tips on things to do before the surgery?
Thanks again for all your lovely words and positive thoughts!! Wishing you all the best also. xx
Yas58673 Kay_La-Funk
Posted
Hi Kay!
So sorry for the late reply!
The only symptoms I got was really heavy bleeding, feeling really tired due to all the blood loss and bloating. I looked pregnant and everyone constantly asked if I was!
It's been 4 weeks since my op and I feel so much better than what I did two weeks ago. I'm completely off the pain meds and am pretty much able to do most things expect lift anything heavy. I'd say I'm feeling 70% better. I'm not wearing the abdominal support band either which is good. My scar is healing well. Not healed completely yet, which is why I have to remember not to overdo it as it sets you back a few days healing, ( I tried to lift a speaker and it felt like my insides had ripped!) I'd forgotten that I shouldn't lift anything more than the weight of half a kettle full of water! My scar feels tight and I do get the odd pain now and then, I always try and alternate my position in bed so I get used to the scar stretching. I'll just take regular paracetamol if the pain does bother me. The main thing is to keep the wound clean and dry. My stomach has gone down so much since the op. I have a tiny pouch and it hangs over the scar. I don't look pregnant anymore! my stomach it still healing on the inside I know that it will go down more once everything is healed. I haven't had another menstral cycle yet, I bled for about two weeks straight after the op. i'm waiting and anxious about it, as I've read on several messages that it will be quite heavy.
In general I feel well. I know I'm not 100% better and it does get frustrating not being able to do the normal day to day things, however it is really important to let your body heal. I went to the Docs today and they've signed me off for another 4weeks. I wasn't wanting to take the full 8 weeks off but they have advised it. I'm not allowed to drive until the 8 weeks is up.
I asked the surgeon exactly how the procedure was going to go, how long I'll be under for and how long in total I would be in the operating room for. I Also asked about fertility and how long I would have to wait until I wanted to TTC. I asked them about what happens if I lose blood, and I asked the anaesthetist if I would wake up. She laughed and showed me how she will be monitoring me and making sure I'm pain free during the op. She said she would be right by my side the whole time. I told them under no circumstances were they to remove my uterus. They really reassured me that that was a very very rare procedure and only happened if it was life threatening to me. I also asked if they could make sure I had a medicine cup of water when I wake up in recovery as I knew my mouth would feel so dry and I would feel sick. (They did honour my request!) lol
The day before the surgery you will probably have to do a bowel prep. I'm not going to lie, it's not very pleasant at all. I suggest you eat lightly the night before your bowel prep as once you've taken the first and second sachet you won't be going anywhere but the toilet for the whole day! You won't be allowed to eat during the bowel prep either. Only allowed boiled sweets and clear dizzy drinks on top of the water. Buy lots of boiled sweets. Buy some sudo cream because you will feel so so sore below from going to the toilet to clear your bowels. Drink lots and lots of water to flush it out of your system throughout the day. Make sure you try and rest as much as possible that day as it does wipe you out going back and fourth from the toilet. Keep hydrated, that's really important.
In your pre op they will tell you everything you need to know. Also they will take your bloods 3 days before your op to ensure that your levels are safe to operate and to check your blood type in case you need a transfusion. I am so confident everything will be fine for you! I 100% know how anxious you must be feeling about pain, losing blood, and the procedure. Trust me when I say they are experts in what they do and you'll be in safe hands! I honestly thought it would be a lot worse than what it has been for me, and I'm sure you will too.
Once again I'm sending lots of positive energy and healing vibes your way.
All the best, if there's anything else you want to ask feel free to, I'll be happy to share any answers I have.
Yas
Xxx
Yas58673
Posted
Yes I only had the one large fibroid thank goodness!