If you follow my blog and social pages you know that I had an open myomectomy in Mach of last year. I feel like I was super open with what I was going through due to my uterine fibroids as I was dealing with it, but post my open myomectomy I’ve kind of dropped the ball on sharing (I’m sorry). I honestly think that my surgery gave me the freedom to live my life the way I want and I’ve tried to be far removed from how sick I was.
You can read more about what I went through in this post A Long Overdue Life Update.
I know that so many women are still suffering with fibroids and with this being the start of the year many of you are probably considering getting surgery to ease the suffering. While I would never push my opinions on others, I can tell you with certainty that getting my open myomectomy completely changed my life for the better so I wanted to write this post to talk about my experience as well as share all of the essentials you will need to prepare for surgery and post surgery. So let’s jump in .
Why I Decided To Get An Open Myomectomy
My fibroids literally ruined my life. I couldn’t leave my house for more than an hour at a time when they were at their worse due to extreme heavy bleeding. My cramps were unbearable and my social life was just none existent. I suffered for 3 years with 2.5 of those years being manageable (but when I step back and think about it, it wasn’t manageable) and the last half of year 3 being life in misery. I couldn’t continue to live my life that way because it truly went from living a full life to just existing. I tried to get a less invasive procedure twice (hysteroscopic myomectomy) but the biggest fibroid grew right back both times so it was time to do something more permanent.
Things I Did To Prepare
I ate healthier incorporating more greens, veggies, and fruits into my diet. I juiced regularly focusing on fruits and veggies that were anti inflammatory, and while this may sound unrealistic, I stuck to a workout routine. The 3 months before my surgery were ROUGH with heavy bleeding every single day, weekly iron infusions, and a couple blood transfusions, but I kept going. Some days my workouts were crap, but I did what I could. My focus was on building my core strength because I knew that having a strong core would be vital to my recovery. I focused on planks, and other core building moves and it definitely helped with my recovery. My open myomectomy was an out patient procedure and I was able to go home the same day (I hate hospitals so this was music to my ears).
Post Surgery Essentials
I consider myself to be a strong person, but this recovery was not easy. The first 2 days being the worst because I was so terrified that I would rip my stitches trying to get up and down, but because I spent to much time exercising and building my core, I was able to go to and from the bathroom on my own ( so work those core muscles to prepare). Something people don’t walk about is the consitpation that happens post surgery ( it is no joke) so a few things to make sure you have on hand are:
* The links below are affiliate links, by making a purchase I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Warm blanket (for some reason I felt better sleeping on top of the covers under a blanket instead of fully getting into bed)
A large pillow to help you sit upright
A long phone charger (trust me on this one)
Scar Care
If you’re considering getting surgery make sure you weigh your options and talk to your doctor about what works best for you. Know that a hysterectomy is not your only options (especially if you want to have a family). May women go on to have children post myomectomy. The list above are the things that helped me feel comfortable after my surgery however, they may not all be right for you. Use this list as a guide to pick and choose the items that are a fit for you. I am always an email away if you have more questions or want to know more about my personal experience with fibroids and surgery.
I wish you all the best in your fibroid and recovery journey.