How long was your recovery time?

You ladies are really giving me comfort because no one can comfort you more than people who have gone through it. The more I think over all my choices the more I think the answer really is to have a hyst. No matter what kind it is, just do it and be done with it. I want great pain meds for recovery tho. LOL Im thinking to have the ovaries taken also so I don't have to worry about ovarian problems later on in life. I too go to the gym all the time and am healthy otherwise. I wanted to stop my B/C pills on Tues but the doctors office said wait till i talk to him and that will be tomorrow they moved up my appt.

Can you tell me how long was recovery for many of you and another thing im not really happy about is the catheter in my bladder. Not a happy camper about that. HMMMM.

At 2 weeks post-op, I was at the gym, walking on the treadmill starting at 2 mph for 10 min. Within 3-4 weeks from there, I was walking at 3.5 mph for 60 min. At 4 weeks, very light weights (no more than 20lbs) for arms/shoulders and eltipical at level 1, starting at 20 min and moving up timewise (not resistence wise) from there. At 6 weeks, I went back into yoga classes (very modified). My surgeron and physio guy ok'd it all. At the end of week 8, I got clearance to go back into my workouts at my own pace. 5 months post-op and I'm doing everything as I did before with the exception of heavy squats and leg presses (doen't feel right..I used to leg press 400 lbs..now I'm at about 250 lbs with high reps). All in all, I lost 5 lbs and noticed that I got smaller muscle-wise (but I've put the muscle back on since). No real change in terms of physique.
On the plus side: Now that I don't have fibroids pressing on my bladder, my running is better post-op (no worries about peeing myself...no full bladder all the time feeling...nice!).

Don't sweat about the catheter...you don't even feel it being removed. Though it was weird not feeling like you had to pee when it was in, you don't really notice it since you'll be zonked on meds anyways...don't worry about what you don't need to worry about...cheers! vidachic

My suggestion would be to really investigate--at my last yearly (February) I mentioned I had a little heavier periods this past year, but haven't had the symptoms some of the sisters have. (I've been on the pill for the past 20 years and it seemed to control my heavier bleeding that I remember from my high school years.) Since my mom had a hyster, my nurse send me for a pelvic ultrasound, and after finding an 8cm growth, I got to go for a 3-D ultrasound and then a MRI. Turns out I have a subserosal fibroid and uterine ones as well. I had to get a second opinion (a GYN/ONC) who said the subserosal one had to come out as it was neucrotic (dying) and the other ones were only going to get fatter and happier in the 10-12 years I had before menopause. My TAH is 4 weeks out and I wish it were tomorrow.

During this time, I surfed the web like a crazy person (including here), asked questions, wrote down what I needed to know and checked my insurance for a second opinion. First--the information is out there if you're willing to slog through it all. Second--this is your body, so you know what feels right. If you need more questions answered or a second opinion, ASK! I have no problem asking any question of my (new) doctor because I need to understand this and feel comfortable with it.

Good luck!!!

I am like you....in many respects. I had no clue that I had fibroids until my surgery was scheduled.

Over the years, I had horrid periods. Had to go off the pill as it did not play well with my blood sugars.

So, in 2007, when my periods would not stop (they were horrid for 5-7 days and then spotting for 20 or so day, yet I remained on a 28 day cycle) I called my GP. She referred me to an OB/GYN. Six weeks later, I had surgery.

Happy that I did. My life is so much better now as I no longer have to worry about flooding for days at a time, nor wearing a mini pad the rest of the month.

As a few others have posted, I had an LSH.