My Open Myomectomy Story: Treatment Option for Symptomatic Fibroids
- Tabitha Ndichu
- Feb 18, 2020
- 8 min read
Thanks for stopping by, this is me sharing my Open Myomectomy surgery story which after a lot of research and consultation I believe was for me the best Treatment Option for my Symptomatic Fibroids.
I will be sharing also my key learnings and recommendations in the event you are trying to make a decision whether you want to opt for an open myomectomy as a treatment option.
I talked in depth about the type of fibroids women can have and different treatment options in videos I shared on my YouTube Channel, ‘My Red Is Beautiful’ care to check them out?
In case you have questions about the aforementioned, please listen to this videos. I believe they are informative and educative.
Let me start by saying if you haven’t read my blog article on ‘All Things Fibroids’ where I shared my fibroid journey then you should head on their first so us to be able to understand the type and size of fibroids I had and the treatment options I had opted for previously before this one.
A brief recap, I found out I had Symptomatic Fibroids in February 2017 and I have battled with the condition for 3 years until when I did my last successful surgery in August 2019.
By successful I mean, the symptoms that accompanied the type of fibroids I had have since disappeared. Prior surgeries (see full story on the blog post titled, ‘All Things Fibroids’) gave me a short term relief of the symptoms I had. In 4 months, all the symptoms came crawling back.
I initially tried a laparoscopic surgery that for my case wasn’t successful. Why? Because I had intramural and submucosal fibroids that needed the gynaecologist to cut me open (equivalent to a CS) to get to a 360 view of all the fibroids I had then remove them. This isn’t normally the case with a Laparoscopic Surgery as the surface area being open is smaller than with an open myomectomy. Chances of the doctor being able to see all the fibroids and remove them were lower in comparison to an open myomectomy.
So, here we go:
The day was 1st August 2019 and I checked into Nairobi Hospital for my earlier scheduled surgery with my Gynaecologist Obstetrician to get rid of my fibroids.
The surgery was to take place on the 2nd of August, so I was checking in early to get prepped for it.
This basically looked like getting blood work done and securing a room and settling into what was the next 3-4 days my home.
I had mixed feelings, it felt like a snapshot of my Laparoscopic Surgery that happened a year ago.
I was in the same hospital being prepped for my Laparoscopic Surgery to treat the same fibroids I had, let’s just say this didn’t go well as 4 months later the fibroids were back. I was hopeful that this time something would give and I would get a permanent solution.
This surgery I was going for is equivalent to a Caesarean Section where they do a bikini cut and go through layers and layers of skin to reach your womb and then remove the fibroids.
I was mentally prepared for what was going to happen during surgery but not prepared for the recovery. Not to alarm you if you are considering this type of surgery but the recovery is pure hell if I can put it in 2 words.
The next day I was wheeled into theatre at 7am in the morning and was ready to bring this nightmare to an end. If you know my story you know that fibroids had taken my health, my career my social life, literally everything I had and loved away from me.
As I was haemorrhaging throughout and had become anaemic.
So there I was praying. I felt a calm inside that this was the end of this horrific chapter of my life.
I was so ecstatic to go back to being healthy again, I remember telling God that if he would heal me I would never ask of anything from him again.
I was also very scared, what if something went wrong?
I remember signing a consent form that if anything would go wrong and I lost so much blood then the doctor would remove my womb!
This sent chills down my spine because as much as children were the last thing on my mind at the moment I was hopeful that one day I may be able to have some of my own. So me signing this consent form totally took a toll on me.
As they were injecting the anaesthesia through my veins to put me to sleep so that surgery can begin, I kept telling God that in the end, let thy perfect will be done. That didn’t drown my sorrows but in a minute I was unconscious.
I woke up in a recovery room and in a few hours after I fully gained conscious I was wheeled back to my ward.
My mum, husband and sister were so delighted to see me. I was still numb and drowsy and I couldn’t recall much until a few hours after I woke up. Then I tried to turn on my back and sweet Jesus the pain checked in. I also realised unlike my previous surgeries I wasn’t feeling the need to pee until I felt the catheter between my thighs. It then dawned on me why.
Allow me to break down the highlights and lessons of the 1st month of recovery:
Day 1-Ooh the PAIN!
Highlights
1. Wasn’t allowed to move at all. With a catheter in place there was no need to.
2. I was allowed to only eat soft foods. My appetite was quite pathetic to say the least. The effects of the drugs and gas affected it. My tummy had been previously pumped with gas to help with the procedure, this was the most uncomfortable thing ever. The constipation was just the worst.
3. I was drowsy and 90% of the time asleep.
4. The pain was only felt when I was trying to move, I tried to be still though it was difficult. My back took the strain as I always had to sleep in an upright, slightly sitted up position.
5. I was still bleeding from the surgery. Since I couldn’t get up, the nurses were always on call to change my sanitary towel if need be (bless their souls)
6. In a nutshell all I did was sleep.
Lessons:
1. Allow yourself and your body time to heal on the first day, if you can avoid visits from people on this day even better. You will be sleeping all day anyways. For the most part my husband was the only one with me.
2. Carry your own sanitary towels if you don’t like the hospital ones. Avoid the ones with wings since you will not be wearing your undies for a long time. That will be replaced by a huge bandage on your lower bikini line.
Ooh and if you are like me, you will have a catheter in so…
3. You will for the most time do nothing but sleep and take meds and eat if your appetite will not be affected by the gas and drugs. So just rest. Ooh and the gas, that nasty feeling will be there for some time. Ask for meds from the nurse in case it persists. Don’t JUST SUFFER IN SILENCE!
Day 2-4 –You can do this!
By day 3 you be required to walk. I didn’t know I would have to learn to walk all over again!
This time it was very hard, as the incision is still quite fresh. This helps with the gas.
I was ready to do anything to get rid of the gas by this time.
So even in pain, I figured I had to put on my big girl panties and walk down the ward corridors.
Lesson: A step at a time. Slowly but steadily. I did it for like 10 minutes and as the days progressed I went for 30 minutes and even after I was discharged every morning I would walk outside my house. Eventually the gas stopped.
By day 5 I was getting discharged. The doctor came in and ripped off my bandage. I was shocked that I didn’t feel pain during that process. He mentioned the wound was healing quite well.
I was discharged with medication, before I left the hospital the catheter was removed half way and the other half left in. The doctor mentioned that there was a huge fibroid sitting in my endometrial cavity and to assist with my uterus not collapsing they had to leave it in there until I recovered fully.
Day 6 –You got this Tabby! You are stronger than you know!
I was excited and nervous to be home because I knew the nurses wouldn’t be there to help. This is when I had to learn to take care of myself. With my hubby helping where he could.
Also I was able to get into our car and walk around a mall nearby. This lifted my spirits.
It was hard for me to just sit in the house because if you know me I am not one to lazy around the house. Am always up doing something. Whether its washing the dishes, cooking etc.
I was quite stubborn with getting help with getting chores done. As much as I would rest most of the time. One time my husband came home and I had made dinner. He was so shocked. I tend to want to believe that this helped me heal faster…
I didn’t do any activity that required me to bend though.
Sleep. I spent a week sleeping on the coach while sitted and my head laid on a pillow because anytime I laid flat the pain from the incision was unbearable. This was a real test for me. My body was constantly in need for me to sleep, yet the only way I could sleep was when sitted. This was really hard.
In 2 weeks though I was back to my bed, trying to sleep on back or on my side, another very difficult process.
To date, this has resulted to me sleeping on my back or on my side.
I have to unlearn this; I still find it difficult sleeping on my tummy. On the brighter side, let just say, I learned a new habit… well hello!
Lesson: Avoid bending for the first 2 weeks after surgery, you don’t want your stitches bursting open.
Week 3: Let's hit the Road
Trust Tabby to be out, getting her nails and hair done.
I was over staying indoors. It depressed me a little bit. I always looked forward to getting a chance to go out even just for a walk and feel the sun’s rays bounce on my skin.
I was basically back to my normal self, apart from abdominal pains here and there occasionally from the incision.
Lesson: Please plan for a caregiver to take care of you…our bodies heal differently. If for the most part, you are in pain don’t push yourself harder…
By this time my catheter had come out on its on…a scary ordeal, I thought something was wrong. I hit up my doctor and he mentioned I was going to be fine. I would go for a 2 weeks’ review at the doctor’s clinic post-surgery.
Week 4: Results of the Surgery: Winning all the Way!
1-month post-surgery my period was back. I went from haemorrhaging every day to a 5-day period. So yes the surgery was successful.
Congratulations! You made it to the end of this article, the plan wasn’t to make it long but informative and insightful. If you are trying to plan or choose the RIGHT treatment option for you if you have fibroids, please speak to your doctor. Our bodies are different and my body isn’t yours.
The size and location of your fibroids may be different from mine which means you may have to choose an alternative route. Remember am not a doctor. I can only help you based on my personal experience.
Therefore, get a good gynaecologist who will assist you first.
Look out for an article I will share soon on, ‘What to look out for when shopping for a Gynaecologist Obstetrician.’
If you have any questions relating to Treatment Options when you have fibroids, please leave them below. I am always excited to hear from you and assist where I can.
See you here soon.
Xoxo,
Tabby
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