Day 10 post op- ask me anything
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Hello! Hoping to pay it forward to the next person prepping for surgery as this sub helped alot!
I am currently home recovering from a laparoscopic myomectomy and mini-laparotomy combo that was performed on May 11th. The surgery was five hours long, and though I lost a fair amount of blood, I did not need a blood transfusion. I spent six hours in the PACU before being sent home the same night. I have six incisions sealed with surgical glue: the typical "keyhole" incisions in my abdomen (two on the left and two on the right, slightly above my belly button), a belly button incision, and a very low bikini-line incision.
The pathology report noted the tissue removed was roughly 17 cm x 15 cm x 5.5 cm—about the size of two grapefruits, one lemon, one kiwi, and a grape combined! Best of all, it came back non-cancerous! Yay!
These fibroids have been an issue for years, causing terrible, heavy, painful periods, back pain, constipation, frequent and urgent urination (along with leaking), bladder pressure, fatigue, and bloating. Most seriously for me, they were causing infertility; due to their size and location, I had no chance of getting pregnant.
Recovery has been significantly easier than I anticipated, and I felt immediate relief from the fibroid removal. The bladder, intestine, back, and abdominal pain and pressure are all gone!
Days 0 to 3 were tough, and I required a lot of support with bending, reaching, getting in and out of bed. Also had vaginal bleeding. I CAN'T RECOMMEND A WEDGE PILLOW AND DISPOSAL UNDWEAR ENOUGH! However, I was able to have a bowel movement on Day 2 (thanks to taking stool softeners every 12 hours starting as soon as I got home from the hospital) and take a shower. The shower exhausted me, but it made me feel so much better in its own way. While Day 3 still required some support, I was independently mobile. By Day 4, I turned a positive corner in my recovery; I no longer required oxycodone and was managing most of my needs by myself. One week post-op, a friend joined me for a walk in the neighborhood. I did push myself a bit too hard that day by cleaning, so I ended the night sore, but it was nothing a little ice and a heating pad couldn't solve.
I have been walking since Day 1. For the last three days, I averaged around 4,000 steps each day by keeping my walks to about 10 minutes multiple times a day, in addition to general movement around the house and backyard. Yesterday, I went to BJ's, and the errand was completely painless. Today, I am going to the movies just to get out of the house.
I used oxycodone the first 3 days (a total of 5 pills) and I alternated Tylenol and ibuprofen for the first five days. On days 6 through 8, I only took Tylenol and Ibuprofen as needed, and yesterday and today, I haven't needed any pain medication at all.
I was given six weeks off from work, and I am going to take the full time to ensure I heal completely. I am a teacher and cannot imagine making it through a full day on my feet without being able to rest. I naturally wake up at 6:00 AM right now but hit a wall of fatigue around 2:00 PM.
The one thing I still require support with is my dog. She weighs 70 pounds and is a puller, so I can't take her for walks. I also can't sleep with her since she likes to burrow near my abdomen, so she has been sleeping with my partner in the guest room.
Feel free to ask my anything! Good luck to anyone who is still navigating their journey 🙏🏼