Hopefully a Myomectomy on Monday!

Hi Everyone! I joined this site a couple of years ago when my mom was going through a hysterectomy for cancer and it's been a great resource. I have been reading but hesitating to post because I didn't know where to put myself for my own issue. I have a gigantic - 21cm by 16cm by 25cm (at least those were the measurements five months ago) fibroid that was found when I was trying to concieve.

I am having surgery and we are remaining hopeful that it will be a myomectomy NOT a hysterectomy as I would really like to give birth to children.

Tomorrow (or later today depending on how you look at it!) I do my bowel prep - I am NOT looking forward to that as when my mom had her surgery it was the worst part of the whole thing.

Well I just thought I would say hello and maybe there's someone out there preparing for similar stuff this week!

Jennifer

Jennifer - I hope all goes well for you tomorrow. I have fibroids too; several about 6cm each, and am hoping I am a good candidate for MrgFUS (radio ablation). If not I will choose myomectomy. I'll bet that you will feel a lot better after you lose that fibroid!

Thanks Mistone! I appreciate the good thoughts!

Hi Jennifer!



I hope all goes well today and you have a successful myomectomy with no complications!

Wishing you the best!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by KnitterGrl Hi Everyone! I have a gigantic - 21cm by 16cm by 25cm (at least those were the measurements five months ago) fibroid that was found when I was trying to concieve. I am having surgery and we are remaining hopeful that it will be a myomectomy NOT a hysterectomy as I would really like to give birth to children. Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,

I hope your myomectomy went well. I too have a massive fibroid measuring in at 21 cm by 19 cm by 8 cm just slightly smaller in measure but not much smaller. Original measurements were 21 cm by 20 cm by 11 cm but with Lupron injections, my fibroid has shrunk a teeny bit.

I am hoping to have a hysterectomy at some point but have another complication of which I am working with the doctor to resolve before they will consider me for surgery.

Hope you are doing well. Due to the similiar size of our fibroids, I would be encouraged to hear how it all went for you.

Good luck tomorrow. I had a myo done in December 2009. It was a huge success for me. Quick recovery, feel great. Keep us posted on how things go!

Hello Everyone!!!

Thanks so much for your words of encouragement! The operation was a success! On 8/16 I had a myomectomy of one HUGE fibroid and several smaller ones (I don't have all the pathology info but will share with you when I do.) The total weight of fibroids taken out was almost 13lbs!

I am still a bit foggy on the details because every time I spoke with the doctor while in the hospital I was on pain meds and had a fuzzy mind but what I do know - the surgery went longer than expected - they were thinking it would be three hours but it was about five and I lost a bunch of blood. I had donated three pints to myself and they somehow "recycled" some of my blood that I think was about two pints worth during the surgery and gave that back to me. I have an incision that is maybe 8-10inches from the bottom of my belly button up.

After surgery I was in the ICU for about three days - the blood loss was the main issue - then my blood pressure just didn't want to normalize so I believe they had to transfuse four more pints of blood into me. When the BP was better I was moved up to the gyn floor of the hospital for about 5 days. I did get put on some antibiotics for a UTI but I didn't even know I had that aside from a low level fever so that wasn't a huge deal.

The only other issue that I've now been dealing with is fluid overload - I got LOTS of fluids when they were trying to deal with my BP issues. Mid-week in my hospitalization I felt like a sausage with severely swollen hands, feet, knees, etc. They gave me two doses of furosemide which in turn made me lose about 9lbs of water weight - but I guess it wasn't enough because after about three days home I ended up feeling wheezy and had a chest ex-ray done showing fluid overload and that I needed more furosemide.

Despite the roller-coaster that the story above may sound like I am actually feeling pretty good. I am tired and not doing much - but then again I got out of the house tue to ride in the car to pick up lunch, wed for 6 hours for a variety of doctor's appointments, and today for a meeting at hospice. I can sit comfortably, lay down, shower, walk, do the stairs, etc - and all being about a week and a half post surgery. I am treating my pain mostly with advil/tylenol and a tad of dilauded on a very rare basis. I'm taking a bunch of supplements to help with healing and listening some to the meditations from Peggy Huddleson's Prepare for Surgery, Heal faster CD.

I know that was a LONG update but I wanted to let you all know what happened especially if it might help anyone who has a similar situation in the future!

Wow, 13 lbs.?! Scary with the transfusions, etc., too! But you made it through! Glad you are doing well and on your way to a new you!!

Take it easy, now, don't overdo. Be well!!!
Hugs!!!
~WendyWeb

Wow 13 lbs eh? The size of my huge fibroid is similiar to yours and so I kinda figured it would be anywhere from 5 to 10 lbs. I also have smaller fibroids as well. So thanks for sharing your story as I was curious how it all went for you.

You must feel much lighter without that massive thing in you.

Glad it all went well for you. Take care and have a speedy recovery.

Your story makes me really question my doctor. I had a fibroid that measured 12cm in it's largest direction and it weighed 2 pounds. It was on the outside so it was a mickey mouse ear. I had expressed a lot of interest in keeping my uterus but my doctor gave me the impression it was not really possible to save my uterus. I really had strong feelings but I didn't really want to over ride her professional opinion. I knew I could go interview more doctors but I just didn't feel like not trusting.

Right before I went into surgery my doctor told me she may have to do the incision from belly button down. I told her I didn't remember discussing that at all. I have had three c-sections so I expected she was going to go in through my c-section scar. I thought that was plenty of space to work with given that some doctors can remove stuff through little one inch incisions these days. She almost canceled the entire surgery if I wasn't alright with having a vertical incision. I decided I wanted to just go ahead and get the surgery over so I O.K.ed it if it was really necessary. Luckily when I woke up she had done the incision horizontally. I was in so much pain when I woke up that I was afraid to ask.

The concern was that they would go in horizontally and then have to go vertical which would mean a T scar.

Well I know this is getting off the subject but your story speaks so loudly to me. I really question my doctors professional opinion and wonder if I wouldn't have been a good candidate for a myomectomy. I hope I don't miss my uterus. So far I really don't because it's not like I can see it. But it messed with my head a lot. I just am one of those people who believes in keeping all my organs for better or for worse.

Your fibroid was so much larger yet your doctor attempted a myomectomy. Although it is true you did go through some highly dangerous stuff with the blood transfusions and complications after wards. I was not going to have anymore children so maybe my doctor did make the more appropriate choice. I don't know but your story raised questions for me.