Fruit Salad

Hello Sisters. I am 42 and in Oklahoma. Just wanting to know that I am not alone in all of this. So, here goes. Until the last year, my periods were all but none existent.....maybe 36 hours in duration and very light in flow. However cycles seem out of control now. With my last period, I feared standing up. That coupled with pain and baseball sized clots, I called my dr. Went in and she thought that the flow was too much. Ordered an internal ultrasound. To my surpirse, I have a fruit salad in my belly and it didn't get there through eating...lol I have a large, between orange and grapefruit sized, pendunculated fibroid on the top of my uterus and two smaller ones in the uterin wall. Uterus is enlarged, but overies look fine. Until this finding, I thought that ALL of my weight just went to my belly. Honestly, if one more person askes when I am due, I will scream!!!! Can this condition truly extend ones belly this much? I have so many questions and just don't know where to start. I guess just jumping in is best. I am going to have abdominal surgery to remove fibriod, uterus and cervix.

1. Is my stomach distended because of my condition?
2. I am terrified of the possibility of lose of sexual drive and satisfaction after surgery. How great is that possibility?
3. I am thinking of also having a tummy tuck at the time of my surgery to correct scar tissue and a gagging lower tummy due to pregnancy and c-section. Is this a smart thing?
4. Will the "when are you due" look go away after surgery?
5. Is a clear / yellowish discharge normal right now?
6. How do you get you DH to really understand how you feel emotionally?
7. How do you sleep at night? Seems that all I do is stay on the computer trying to find as much information about this as I can.
8. How much weight might I lose after the fibroids and uterus are removed?

The list is endless, but I need to start a load of laundry right now. I appreciate all insight that I can get. Thanks so much.

Hi!

I'll try to answer a few of your questions:

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1. Is my stomach distended because of my condition?

Probably, more than likely.

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2. I am terrified of the possibility of lose of sexual drive and satisfaction after surgery. How great is that possibility?

It's always a possibility. However if you read some of the posts on the PostOp forum, a lot of members have libidos going crazy

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4. Will the "when are you due" look go away after surgery?

Probably, it will take a while because of "swelly belly", the swelling of the tissues as a result of surgery and the body's trying to protect the area. It can't be exercised away, exercise will actually make it worse.

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5. Is a clear / yellowish discharge normal right now?

That has been christened "fibroid-ade", it seems to be fairly common with fibroids.

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8. How much weight might I lose after the fibroids and uterus are removed?

Unfortunately not as much as you would hope. I had lots of large fibroids and my uterus was about 16-18 week size. It weighed 380grams. That sounds like a lot right? Nope, 380grams is 13.4 ounces, that's right, ounces, less than a pound. I did lose about 10 pounds in the immediate weeks following surgery, mostly due to lack of appetite. When the appetite came back so did about 5 of those pounds.

Hope these answers help you. If you haven't already, be sure to check out the PreOp Hints and Articles (click here) PostOp Articles (click here) and Princess Stories (click here) for information and answers to help you get ready for surgery and what to expect after surgery.

Thanks MaryLou! The answers to those questions are helpful to me too!

I'm 2 weeks post TAH-BSO, on Premarin .625 mg...and my libido is coming back after a year-long absence! And I have to wait 4 more weeks, at least, to do anything about it. Needless to say, DH is thrilled!! From everything I've read, here and on other sites, sex is better after the surgery for most women.

Something to look forward to!

Hi Peg, and Marylou,
Thank you so much for your imput. I am amazed how nice and helpful everyone on this sight is. I am sure that I would be in the looney bin right now without it.... LOL
My DH is threatening to pull the plug on the computer because I am spending so much time on here. Just think that I owe it to myself to be as informed as possible. Thanks again. Still looking forward to more of my questions being answered

My DH was the same way...for about 2 minutes!!! I told him that if he pulls the plug on the computer, then he has to listen to me fret and find answers to all my questions! Didn't hear another word about it!