Monday, December 10, 2012

My myomectoy experience: Healing at Home


If you or someone you know is thinking about having a myomectomy to get rid of fibroid tumors, this will help to prepare you for some of the things that you might experience while recuperating at home. Everyone's experience is not going to be the same. I am NOT a doctor. I am only sharing my experience.


Day 1: Coming out of the hospital I felt very sore. I would suggest having someone bring a pillow to put in front of your tummy to protect it from the seat belt. My stomach was bloated like I've never seen before. I still had a lot of drugs in my system so, once we got home, I went straight to sleep. My husband picked up my meds from the pharmacy. Doing anything that involved my lower abdominal muscles was painful. I couldn't even speak loudly. I had to use a whistle in order to call my husband. There was no way I was going to be able to tolerate his tossing at night, so he slept on an air mattress next to our bed.

Friends & family were calling to make sure I was okay but my head was too foggy to carry a conversation. The best thing your loved ones can do for you is to drop food off and go away. Clean your house as much as possible before the surgery, because you can forget about doing any chores while you are on the mend. Accept the fact that no one is going to be able to clean it to your standards.

Day 2 - 14: My stomach remained bloated for the first two weeks but that was the least of my issues. My Dr. prescribed Percocet & Motrin, which I took in order for the pain to subside enough for me to sleep. The pain didn't go away fully, but the drugs made it comfortable enough for me to function.

I was still bleeding & leaking fluid during this time. I picked up the largest feminine pads that Walgreens sells in order to feel secure enough not to ruin my clothes. Any pressure on my lower ab was uncomfortable therefore, I was always fussing with the elastic on my panties.

I had virtually no strength to hold my urine. As soon as I felt the sensation to go, I'd wobble my way to the bathroom as fast as I could. Unfortunately, I fell down the stairs and it was pretty bad, as in... there was blood! I'll spare you the details. If you can, sleep close to a bathroom. (I asked hubby to proofread and he added this amend) Which is what my husband told me to do but being a stubborn wench, I did not listen to him. I will know better next time. Thank God for my man!


I slept on my side with a pillow supporting my tummy. I was terrified of sneezing and coughing because it hurt so bad. Use a pillow or your hand to hold your stomach muscles from flexing. It's still going to hurt but it helps. I only wore dresses that were loose at the waist or large jogging pants that I could fit above my incision. No matter how bad I felt, I made sure that I got up and walked. I was hunched over and extremely slow, but I did it.

Coming out of surgery, my back ached like it was nobody's business. I had a difficult time leaning over to wash my face and brush my teeth. Luckily, I owned a step ladder that I often use for photography.

I purchased this ladder years ago from Staples. It's by Rubbermaid and it's made completely out of plastic. I put a towel on the top step and place it in the bathtub. It allowed me to sit and take a shower independently.

It took 1 week before I had a bowel movement and it was nothing short of an exorcism. That's all I'll say about that. NOT FUN! Eat lots of whole grains, vegetables, walnuts and drink plenty water.

Week 3 - 4: The swelling in my stomach started to subside. By the end of week 4, my stomach looked flatter than it had been in years. I was living with fibroids so long, I just got used to my puffy tummy. Walking became easier although I still was slow and felt a weird stretching feeling in my ab whenever I tried to walk upright.

During the 4-week follow up with my doctor, I asked him about everything I was experiencing. Write all of your questions on a pad leading up to your follow up visit this way you won't forget anything. Remember my catheter story? Turns out I got a UTI. He also suggested that I start yoga to increase my energy.

Week 5: I started to feel like myself but my energy just wasn't there. My period came during week 5 so I didn't start yoga that week. The throbbing in my abdomen held me up in bed for a few days. Once it went away, I felt a lot better... not normal, but better.

Week 6: Back to work. My first day back was a Thursday. I was exhausted and I had a headache but I made it through. The 2nd day at work left me with a sore tummy. I took a shower and went straight to sleep when I got home. I felt better in the morning.

It's the early half of week 7 and I'm still feeling soreness at the end of the day. The doctor instructed me to drink plenty water and not to over do it because even though my incision has healed on the outside, it's going to be months before everything is completely healed on the inside.

Take care of yourself!

23 comments :

  1. I am so thankful to you for posting your experience. I am scheduled to have my abdominal myomectomy on December 17, 2012. I am nervous about it and I couldn't really find too many people on the internet or youtube actually talking about it. It's like people are afraid to go into detail about the actual surgery and recovery. I'm 37 and I have only one child who will soon be 15. I have three fibroids with the largest being 8-9cm the other two are between 3-4cm. I will be having my surgery done by a reproductive endocrinologist/ob/gyn after many vists to doctors. I am severely anemic and will need to be infused this week before the surgery. I have already had a blood transfusion Feb 2012 and really did not want another one. One of the things that I have really disliked about this whole situation is the recommendation of some people to just have a hysterectomy and call it a day. A lot of people say to me "you're 37 and you already have a child" it makes me feel really alone because I should be able to decide for myself whether or not I would like to keep my organs & body parts or if I want to have another child. People say cruel things as if they know how my child was conceived or they know my story. I like to say, I don't know what God has in his plan for me; I don't know the future. I am glad you have help, I have a husband but he is not supportive and so my father will be traveling here on the weekend to be with me during the surgery & for two weeks so I will have his support. I thank God I still have one parent left. I will do a video blog about my experience on Youtube after everything is done so I can help someone else like me looking for answers. I have faith in God I will be healed and leave the operating room with my womb & my life. I truly appreciate finding your blog/channel thank you so much Ann. Melinda

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Melinda, Thank you so much for sharing your comment with me. I had so many questions about the surgery, I would stay up really late at night searching for personal accounts from normal people, not affiliated with the medical profession. Have you heard of HysterSisters? You can anonymously search there site for all types of questions surrounding these issues. I am so happy that this post was able to help you. I totally know what you mean about Dr.s being so casual regarding getting rid of your organs. I think I made the right decision for my, and I'm hoping they never come back. Best of luck to your on your surgery. Get plenty rest and take care of yourself.

      Delete
  2. @CandidAnn this is such a thoughtful post. And I’m so glad that you were able to help Melinda. I too battle fibroids as do many of the women I know. For years it was a big secret. I’ve had several surgeries over the years as I was trying to get pregnant—after many years of trying not to instead of listening to my husband and doing it when we first got married. After the first surgery the fear went away. Thank God for anesthesia. As for keeping your body parts, I keep remembering the doctors putting me back together after the twins arrived a few months ago, mentioning a fibroid and now I’m getting the feeling that they are going to recommend removing them again or taking it all out this time. “After all, you’ve got your girl and boy now,” I’m sure they’ll say. I agree with you however that I prefer to keep my body parts and leave my options open. I can feel them growing, and I can see my stomach growing, so I know what’s coming. I need to go for that long overdue OBGYN visit. Thanks for the reminder.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for reading the post Julianna. I can understand why many women do not want to speak openly about these things. I was once told that no one was going to want to marry me when someone found out that I had ruptured cysts. People can be cruel and very foolish with their choice of words. I know you have quite a story to tell regarding your pregnancy. You never gave up and I'm looking forward to sharing your story with other women that would benefit from hearing your story.

      Delete
  3. HELLO ANN:

    I PRAY ALL IS WELL.....I HAVE TO HAVE THIS PROCEDURE DONE, I FOUND YOU ON YOUTUBE TODAY!!! I LOVE WHO YOU Are...WHEN I SAW YOU IT'S LIKE LOOKING INTO A MIRROR! YOU HAVE HELPED ME TO UNDERSTAND MY HAIR, MYSELF, AND ALL!! THE DOCTORS ONLY TELL YOU WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO BELIEVE...I ASK MY DOCTOR IF SHE HAS HAD THE PROCEDURE DONE AND SHE REPLIED NO!! WITH THAT BEING SAID I DIDNT TO MUCH UNDERSTAND HER TELLING ME ABOUT THE MINIMAL PAIN!!! I FOUND THIS TO BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL...I PRAY YOUR 2013 IS FILLED WITH AND ABUNDANCE OF HEALTH, WEALTH, LIFE, BLESSINGS AND MORE!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks you so much for such a beautiful comment. I hope that you are able to make the right decision for yourself and come out on the other end stronger than ever!

      Delete
  4. it is so much easier to decide to make this operation. i was very worried about recovering...so u made my day . thank u ever so much for this post. the day after tomorrow i am going to see my doctor and book a operation date definitely .much love

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so happy you found the information useful. Best of luck to you.

      Delete
  5. hi @candidann your post is very insightful. I am 23 years old never had any children and was just recently diagnosed with having a very large fibroid. I recently had an appointment with my obgyn and she said my fibroid was about the size of a 7 month fetus. I am terrified of having major surgery i've been crying all week, and i couldn't find many testimonials from other women online. However your experience keeps me hopeful that things will go well. Hope your feeling much better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm really glad you found the post helpful. I can relate to being terrified of having surgery as this was my first (and hopefully last) major surgery. All the best to you.

      Delete
  6. Hello. I have read every one of your posts regarding this subject and watch your videos. I am schedule to have my surgery on 19 June. After speaking with my doctor today, she stated that the size and the amount of fibroids that I have are impressive and she has never seen anything like this before. I am 35 with no children, no husband. I still hold on to hope that one day those things will come to me, husband before child. With my fibroids being so numerous, I am wondering if my uterus will even be able to carry a child with out causing harm. I will have plenty questions to ask my doctor during my pre-op appointment. I am being selfish in a way because my 2 sisters have children and I am the oldest and I have none. I want to have that but not at the expense of my health and the health of my child. I will take it one day at a time. Thank you for such informative posts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Shallonda. I pray that you will have a successful surgery because your health is the most important factor in this decision. As for being 35, no husband, no child... Try not to compare your life to your sisters. You are uniquely made. If having children is cruicial to your happiness, there are lots of other options. Don't be afraid to explore them. Above all, take care of yourself.

      Delete
  7. Hi Ann,
    I just came across your blog posts and video about your myomectomy, thank you for being so informative about your experience. May I ask what type of fibroids you had (submucosal, intermural, subserosal)? How has your quality of life improved now that it's been several months since you're surgery?

    I am having an abdominal myomectomy this Friday, but I will be going in on Thursday morning to be prepped I guess. Tomorrow I'm ordered be on a strict diet (no caffeine, alcohol, raw foods, dairy etc) until my surgery. I'm 29 and have a mass of multiple subserosal fibroids on the back of my uterus which are not causing any heavy bleeding or anemia but instead a lot of back/leg pain, bladder and bowel pressure. The fibroids are on the right side of my uterus and I basically have a permanent soreness on my whole right side like sciatica. I've had several exams over the years to rule out other causes of the pain but they've found nothing so I'm left to believe these demons are pressing on a nerve. Hopefully I at least won't need a transfusion then as they didn't tell me to donate my own blood to myself. I've had two previous uterine embolization surgeries here (only local anesthesia) in the last 3 years but both eventually failed and the fibroids have grown back and are up to almost 8cm now. I'm American but I live in Europe and have been waiting to get this surgery through the public health care system so I don't have to pay anything, as I've spent thousands of euros on the last two failed surgeries and countless exams with a private hospital here (I have no private insurance). I've heard the public system here is very good but I'm still nervous as I won't even know who my surgeon is until I get to the hospital.

    I really hope this will be my last surgery for at least awhile, they've already told me I might need another one in 5 years as multiple fibroids tend to grow back, so I'll have to decide about children soon after. I think if I have to get that surgery then and I've already had children then I may get my uterus removed, I value my quality of life more than having a uterus I think. Though over the years so many doctors have told me it's not the fibroids causing my symptoms because they're too small or treatment isn't necessary because I don't have heavy bleeding and it has been extremely frustrating. No one has found anything else wrong with me. Yet my belly has kept expanding and bloating more, despite eating healthy and going to the gym and I've had pelvic pain off and on right in the spot where the fibroids are located. I can't fit into a lot of my clothes and I look like I'm 4 months pregnant most of the time, very upsetting. I want everyone to know to never give up, you experience what's going on or changing in your body day after day , follow your instincts when something is not right. Always get a second or third opinion and make sure you take care of yourself, your quality of life is most important so don't put it off.

    Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers this 4th of July weekend and I hope everything goes well, third time's a charm hopefully!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My fibroids were subserosal and pedunculated. As for quality of life, imagine feeling normal again. I didn't realize how many things I was doing just to compensate for the various pains I was experiencing do to the fibroids. I'll write a follow up post detailing it all but just remember, it's going to take some time. Walk as much as you can as soon as possible, even if it just around your house. Don't overexert yourself. Take your time. I will definitely say a prayer for you. Thank you so much for sharing your story so that other women can benefit from it. Nuff Nuff Love Sis!

      Delete
    2. Thanks for your kind words Ann! It's been a little over a week now and I'm doing great. They took out 3 fibroids, one-5cm and two - 1cm each and didn't have to cut into my uterine wall. I was up early the next morning after the surgery hobbling around holding both my catheter bag and pushing my IV line along, no dizziness or anything! My intestines started working again almost immediately and so far haven't had any problems going to the bathroom, been drinking plenty of water, green tea, eating lots of fruit and fiber :) I've lost almost 6lbs so far and my belly is already looking flatter despite the swelling and the contact dermatitis rash I got from an allergic reaction to the adhesive bandages (itches like crazy but I'll live). I stayed in my apt the first couple of days I got home due to the intense hot weather we were having and the 2 flights of stairs I have to my apt but I walked around a lot inside. Since then been going down once a day to walk and got a bit light-headed at first but doing well now. Also was able to stop taking the meds about a week after the surgery and the soreness has been tolerable. Going to get my staples out today and hopefully that won't be too painful! Will continue to walk and eat healthy and stay positive, hope everything just keeps getting better :) Much love xoxo

      Delete
    3. Very informative. Im day 6 post myomectomy .2019 i have been looking for this info .

      Delete
  8. Thank you very much, Ann! My pre-op appointment occurs this morning while my open abdominal myomectomy will take place on Wednesday, July 24. I am very concerned yet moving to a place of acceptance. I also feel very educated on fibroids and surgical options. I believe this is the correct option for me. I am very concerned about the swollen abdomen as I am a recovering obese woman who currently maintains a healthy weight. I hope I can handle that aspect, emotionally. Your post provided some encouragement that the bloating/swelling is not long-term and manageable. Good luck and God Bless. May we never see or feel fibroids again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank so much for leaving such a open-heart & honest resonse. The swelling will be for a short time AND I lost about 10 lbs after I was well enough to stand on a scale. Of course everyone is different and I hope that above all, you come out of surgery healty and well. (((Hugs)))

      Delete
  9. Thank you for sharing your story. I just had a myomectomy about 2 1/2 weeks ago. I'm grateful that I had morphine. I can't imagine not having that.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have 6 fibroids. The largest one is 6 cm. I want to have a myomectomy but I'm scared. What made you decide to choose the surgery instead of the embolization?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After my consultation with a Dr that does uterine embolizations, he told me it's considered "successful" if after 1-year, 30% of the cases are show no additional growth or a reduction (don't quote me on that exact number) but I remember it was a really low percentage. Also, I learned that it reduces my options for pregnancy.

      Delete
    2. Thanks CandidAnn! I believe your 2 year myomectomy anniversary is coming up. I know you look and sound great on YT but can you give us an update on how your feeling; and any regrets or advice for those who will have the surgery.

      Delete

Printfriendly

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...