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!