How I’m Recovering After Fibroid Surgery

The learning has been endless on this journey. I want to share everything I think will be useful to you if you find yourself not knowing what to expect or what to do after surgery. A lifetime of anemia combined with not having enough information lead to this point. I’ve been plant based for 8 years and more ingredients savvy for about 3 years. My cycle started when I was 11 and my mother & grandmother also had myomas (no one ever thought to tell me this).

Several factors lead me here.

It’s likely that I’ll come back and edit this but for now it felt urgent to get this out.

Keep a pillow close to hold against your incision when you need to cough, or sneeze.

Use the spirometer. You don’t want to end up with pneumonia on top of all this.

Also take special care, getting in and out of bed. Try to resist hunching over, and walk every day.

These things helped me get through it. I hope you find them useful.

I was still knocked out from the anesthesia here. It was either from that or whatever they gave me afterwards. I don’t think I’ve ever been as scared as I was that morning. It’s all temporary. You can get through this. On June 25th I had an open myomectomy, and 15 myomas were removed. I’ll be honest, that’s the most intense pain I’ve ever experienced in my life, but the alternative was too risky.

Don’t try to power through the pain. This isn’t gonna be like a bad headache or cramps.

I couldn’t sleep at one point the first night, meds were wearing off and a doctor came in to remind me I just had major surgery, and powering through wasn’t what I needed to be doing. If anything it could set me back.

This became a trend for about a week. As soon as I was scheduled to take the next dose, I would wake up from the onset of pain.

Take the medication and stop as soon as you don’t need it.

Eat as clean as possible. I was very lucky to have my fiancé making me healthy veggie filled food. Remember the whole “Let food be thy medicine” thing?

Ok, now let’s get into this list.

Between the oxycodone, 1200-1800 mg a day of ibuprofen at one point and naproxen (to alternate with ibuprofen as I got better) I know my microbriome was taking a serious hit. Between eating clean and anything else I could think of along with probiotics, I think it all worked to support my healing:

“Antibiotics/pain meds are like throwing a hand grenade into your digestive system,” I forgot the doctor’s name but I definitely didn’t forget this. I wanted to help my body along.

Even if it’s just walking around in circles in your bedroom for 10 minutes (which is what I did during the hardest part of recovery), do it. It helps our bodily functions along.

I learned that we need different kinds of good bacteria, so I took this too.

This is the cleanser the hospital recommended before surgery.

I used it throughout the incision’s healing and moved on to a Walgreens brand of wound cleanse as the incision healed.

It was seriously uncomfortable for me to have anything rubbing against my steri-strips. I cut a piece of gauze slightly larger than the area they covered then placed the adhesive on top. I’d wear it for 2-3 days then remove it, cleanse the area and repeat. I figured this out during the 3rd week. I would wear this plus high waisted compression stockings, which I cut into shorts. They weren’t as tight as shapewear, which was perfect.

This is game changer!

I didn’t realize how much my body was craving this support until I put this 3 piece contraption. None of these are affiliates or sponsored

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EVGLMM8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

This is the underwear you get in the hospital. I love that they’re not tight, they’re high waisted, and totally disposable. I liked the idea of keeping the garments that would be used during this time separate from what I own. It felt symbolic. A reminder that this is temporary.

Of course your experience maybe different. I think I ordered 2 or 3 packs of these before going back to wearing my own.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JN42WMT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CTBwDbE6SXHX4

Also, this is a good time to mention to stock up on pads sis. You won’t be able to use anything else for a while.

Before starting any exercise you of course need the green light from your doctor. Never did I imagine I’d be using the post pregnancy option in my Sweat App but it’s really helping me to set goals. I started on the 5th week post- op.

I found this channel on YouTube with very light exercises to follow from 0-6 weeks: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxmIyPumQ-x4_tJI9H9piMH-i3z7j5Pep

On the 3rd week, I started using these videos.

Oh, and this one: https://youtu.be/ryLemkA1yDY

Scar Massage is something else I started week 5: https://youtu.be/KBOl8Y-01T0

I’m using these as well. I’ll keep you posted.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PM8WDJW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VLIwDbFA9M6GX

There are other aspects of healing that one can’t possibly prepare for. Despite the pain, there’s a mental aspect that was more than I could’ve anticipated but going into this I knew there had to be a balance of management and surrender. I’m still walking that tightrope, but it’s getting better. One day at a time.

💕