1 Year After Myomectomy Surgery

It's been over a year since I've had my myomectomy surgery. Many of you have reached out to me, shared your personal stories with me, and have been curious about the long-term recovery process. Once again, what I share on this blog is my experience. I am not a physician. Your experience could be totally different that what I'm about to describe. That being said, here's the deal...

Recovery
My Surgery took place October 12. I was home for 7 weeks and I went back to work on December 3.

Energy and Exercising
It took a few months for my energy level to return to pre-surgery levels. There were times I felt okay to take on a task but quickly realize that my energy was spent. I didn't force myself. I listened to my body and took it easy on myself. By the time Spring arrived, I was in the gym lifting weights and exercising with no problem. With a surgery like this, you abs are going to be weakened. I started off with light yoga and progressed to more intense ab work, which included squats and dead lifts.

These were taken July 2013, 9 months after surgery

The Scar
My surgeon did an amazing job with my incision. If the scar wasn't so low, I'd post a picture of it. The incisions measures 3 inches, the line is very thin and curves with the natural folds of my body. I could wear a skimpy bikini and you would never notice. My tummy has not been this flat in years. I had no idea fibroids were taking up so much real estate in my body.

Extra Curricular Activities
I followed my doctors instructions. Nothing inside the vajayjay for 6 - 8 weeks. We waited the full 8 weeks and some extra days. If you are married or have a significant other, please remember, you can enjoy each other without penetration. Get creative but more importantly, be patient and be careful. And in case you're wondering, I was able to reach the land of "O" with no pain or problems ;-)

Conceiving Babies
If you've experienced a miscarriage because of complications from fibroids, this is your window of opportunity to attempt pregnancy again. I didn't have my surgery in order to have a baby so I don't have much to share in that regard. Please discuss options with your surgeon and your OB/GYN.

What kind of Fibriods did you have?
My fibroids were pedunculated on the outside of my uterus. Here a picture of my fibroids. The one in the middle was so large, they cut it into multiple pieces to get it out. The ruler on the side is 6 inches long.

Choosing The Right Doctor
I can't emphasis this enough. You HAVE TO be comfortable with your surgeon. I saw 4 different surgeons before choosing. I ask a heap of questions. Educated yourself as much as possible before meeting the Doctor. Sometimes I would ask questions I knew the answer to, just to see what answer they would give me. The way I see it, it's just another day in the OR for them, for me... it's my life!

I thank each of you that have shared your personal stories with me. Sometimes, it's not easy to discuss things that are so personal but I hope that by me sharing my experience, I've helped to ease a bit of the nervousness and anxiety that comes with making such a scary decision.