Swollen Belly - so depressed

I know I should just be thankful my surgery went well and it turned out to indeed be just fibroids.....BUT....I just wasn't prepared for this HUGE belly. I had three fibroids removed. One was about 7 inches wide and the other two the size of oranges. I figured by removing all of this that my stomach would be flatter. My dr. said my uterus was the size of someone 18 weeks preggo. My stomach (all concentrated below navel) is twice the size it was before I went in for surgery. I was just wondering if some could share their experience of how long this will last and if it will indeed go away. ALso, something that is very concerning to me....on the right side above my incision it's as if someone has vacuumed from the inside of my body sucking my skin in taught. It isn't like this on the left side. From the side it looks like a mushroom. Any comments would be appreciated so much!

I know the feeling. I'm still much bigger than I was before surgery, and I'm so emotional about it today. I cried in the grocery store this morning. Poor hubby.

I don't have advice on the incision area.
But I can tell you it takes way too long to lose the Swelly belly! I am soooo over it myself. It is the gift that just keeps giving.
My Dr said at least 8 weeks. I think it will be much longer for me.

Swelly belly, as hystersisters calls it, is normal post op. It's swelling from the trauma of the surgery.It usually gets worse in the evenings. Mine is not as bad as it was in the beginning, but I still can't wear my normal jeans yet. Been wearing stretchy pants. AS you progress through recovery you will also notice it gets worse when you over do things ( which in my opinion over doing things seems to be doing anything, as far as the swelly belly goes!)
:cathugs:

I have the same, exact issue. The mushroom lower belly and the tightness on the right side. Maybe someone can tell us both if this will go away.

I am 6 months post op and I can tell you that my 'class" on hystersisters felt swelly belly would never go away....and to be truthful, it still reappears if I over do it, however, by most accounts of the folks who are at about 6 months the belly settles into its new form. I will not tell you it goes back to its old self..so as not to mislead. Your gut is not the same AT ALL and it will make sure to remind you of that as you go forward. BUT...pain is so much better and while me belly has changed it is no longer the bloated balloon it was a couple months after surgery!
Be good and gentle on yourselves and don't overdo it!
Happy Healing.

Last week my belly was so swollen I looked 6 months pregnant and all I did was walk. I have started measuring my belly at the belly button. I measure in the am and pm and I have noticed in just the last week it isnt swelling as much. Actually yesterday it only grew a half inch! So all I can tell you is be patient it gets better. I also weigh myself ever other morning to make sure Im not putting on weight and that it actually is just a swelly belly. Good luck and happy healing!

In the first week and a half following my surgery I looked like I was about 7 months pregnant. It does go down! Sometimes in a morning my belly looks like it did before I had my op, but then usually by late afternoon it is swollen again. I can get into my 'fat jeans' by only if I leave the button open. I think it will be a while before I can wear any of my pre-op bottoms again!