New to the sisterhood

im 37 and I having a TAH in 3 days.

Mine is due to as my doc calls HUGE fibroids and that the word huge is an understatment in her opinion . She says that i'm close to a 7 month pregnancy size (wow). my mom had to have a hysterectomy after menopause due to the fact her fibroids continued growth

Can't wait to have it done, biggest problem is bulk I'm so large it is hard for me to even eat and the gas and constipation is beyond belief. I'm up to two lax a day just so that I don't have a feeling I'm going to burst.

Thanks for letting me share.

Hi redishorange,

I am praying for you as I believe that if you cast your burdens on our Heavenly Father He will lighten your load. God is our One and Only that can truly get us past this and all we have to endure to improve our quality of life. So go ahead and lay your head on His bosom, He is faithful to those who call on Him!!!
Much Grace

Hi Reddishorange,
I know how you are feeling. My fibroid was 20x114x12 cm 6mos size. I had heartburn,bloating, constipation, back & leg pain just to mention a few. My mom & aunt had fibroids & they shrunk at menopause, so they told me just to wait. I found out I had it at 38 & we watched it grow. If I waited to menopause I hate to think how big it would be. I wish I would have had the surgery then, instead of waiting. I don't know how long you have yours, but good for you to have it out. I feel so much better! Recovery was harder than I thought. I had to have both vertical & horizontal cuts due to the size, so I think that made recovery longer. I am 7 weeks now & feel great! Good luck to you.

34 y.o. here! Happy with my decision! Wish I could have done it at 24!

Gals - I too have huge fibroids - 20 CM uterus. I was told I would only have a vertical incision. I know how you feel. I was scared to death, but I am making peace with the fact that I really need to do this. I can't wait to be 2 mos post-op. In fact, I wish I could beam myself to that place!!!

Welcome to the sisterhood,
I had multiple fibroids both internal and external, plus a cyst on my right ovary that was 9 cm. By the time I had my surgery my uterus was the size of a 27 week pregnancy. I delayed surgery for 2 years, I tried herbal remedies that actually worked. They got me to a 28 day cycle and had my heavy bleeding under control but the fibroids kept growing. My decision came when I was losing my bladder control and then an ultra sound showed my cyst as a possible cancer problem. Thank goodness the cyst turned out to be a fibroid and not cancer. I am just short of 7 week recovery and starting to feel great. The biggest change is that I now have great bladder control and am not missing my period at all.

Good luck to all of the sisters awaiting surgery. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

ip - that is great news to hear! i am glad bladder cvontrol is back for you and i hope that happens for me too.

I had my TAH with the right ovary and tube removed on Nov 19th. I didn't have huge fibroids like you, but a host of other problems. I did okay with my surgery and recovery. Just plan on lots of down time afterwords. Plan on being a princess for quite awhile.

I had my surgery on a Wed and came home on Saturday. I had a spinal block along with general anethesia. I ended up needing a morphine pump after surgery (a few women are fortunate enough that the spinal is enough pain control). The pain pump was a great blessing.

The best advice I can give you to help you through this post op recovery is to get up and walk around as soon as possible. Don't let the pain get ahead of you. The worse your pain, the more pain medicine it takes to get it under control. Sleep when you need it; don't think you need to entertain visitors.

When you get home, take it easy. Do get up and walk and move around some every couple of hours but also rest. Follow your surgeon's instructions about lifting restrictions, sex, and activities. Take your pain meds regularly. Don't try to "tough if out" and not take pain meds. Listen to your body. Drink lots of water and keep yourself hydrated.

As for clothing post surgery, think larger and loose. Some women were more comfortable with large loose nightgowns, others with pj tops and pants. I was comfortable in pj tops and pants in a size to large. I camped out in the recliner at the house with my laptop, the remote control and cell phone. I was quite comfortable.

You will get through this with some planning and forethought.

One of the best things I did though, was find this site. It helped me so much to prepare for this surgery. I know my recovery wouldn't have been comfortable or smooth if I hadn't found this site.

Best wishes!