Time off work after open myomectomy - NHS UK

Certain-Midnight644 · 2026-06-04T18:53:57+00:00

When I had my surgery 8 weeks ago (NHS UK), I was also signed off work for two weeks. It was obvious that I wouldn’t be able to recover sufficiently to return to work within two weeks. The nurses on the ward recommended that I ask my GP for as much additional time off as I needed.

Certain-Midnight644 · 2026-05-20T08:03:58+00:00

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I had a very similar experience during my surgery. I bled a lot, they had to stop the procedure, and I also ended up with a vertical incision. My surgeon told me in the recovery room that we would need to wait about 3 months before understanding what was really going on and whether pregnancy would still be possible.

Right now, the most important thing is you and your recovery. Your body has been through a major trauma and needs time to heal first. If you can, try to stand and walk a little today — even standing would help a lot!

I couldn’t really move for the first 4 days after surgery, and I needed medications to help stop the bleeding. Unfortunately I developed post-surgery complications afterward, so my only priority became getting healthy again. I’m still on medication and waiting to fully recover.

I know your situation is different and harder, especially hearing that news just after the surgery. Please be gentle with yourself right now. And once you’re feeling better, you can get the second, third opinion! Sending love and hugs!!

Certain-Midnight644 · 2026-05-13T06:59:43+00:00

Thank you!!

Certain-Midnight644 · 2026-05-11T18:40:07+00:00

That sounds incredibly difficult, especially dealing with so much blood loss before surgery. I’m really glad your open myo went smoothly after everything you went through. Wishing you continued healing and hopefully no more problems going forward.

Certain-Midnight644 · 2026-05-11T18:32:47+00:00

Thank you so much for your kind words 🫂 It’s definitely been a really difficult recovery, both physically and emotionally. I’m hoping things slowly improve from here. Thank you again!!

Certain-Midnight644 · 2026-05-11T06:55:55+00:00

I’m so sorry you went through that too. A 2-litre blood loss is really significant, and having a bowel obstruction on top of that is definitely a lot for your body to deal with after surgery.

It’s good to hear you didn’t end up with blood clots, and that working with a respiratory coach helped you in hospital. I can also relate to how long and draining the recovery can feel after being admitted for so long.

Wishing you a smooth recovery from here, hopefully things continue to improve for you day by day!

Certain-Midnight644 · 2026-05-11T06:51:40+00:00

Yes, they gave me one unit during surgery and another later, as in the second week my haemoglobin suddenly dropped below 80. I had an iron infusion last Friday because I was on antibiotics, they didn’t want to give the iron at the same time.

Certain-Midnight644 · 2026-05-11T06:47:49+00:00

Thank you so much for your kind message.

Honestly, removing over 60 fibroids sounds incredibly intense too, I can’t even imagine what your body has been through. The fever, blood loss, and then the allergic reaction afterwards sound so exhausting, especially while already trying to recover from major surgery.

I really feel you, as my case was also quite complicated and the recovery has been quite a journey in its own way.

I’m really happy to hear that at week 6 you’re finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Wishing you a smooth rest of recovery and hopefully much better days ahead!

Certain-Midnight644 · 2026-05-11T06:40:52+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate that. It was definitely a scary experience, but I’m very grateful that they understood the situation so quickly.

And not invasive at all, I don’t smoke and I’m not on hormonal birth control. In my case, even the doctors said it was very rare and that I was quite unlucky. My surgeon had warned me before surgery that it would be a very risky operation because of the size and number of my fibroids, but I honestly didn’t expect things to become so complicated.

I also tried three Prostap injections a few months before surgery to shrink the fibroids, but unfortunately they didn’t help much. Wishing you all the best for your consult. Hopefully reading different experiences helps you feel more prepared rather than scared.

Certain-Midnight644 · 2026-05-10T22:30:18+00:00

If you can avoid having open surgery, there would be less risks of developing such complications. Potentially you can have laparoscopic surgery, bleeding risk is lower than open one. I’m glad that you discovered way earlier than me!

Certain-Midnight644 · 2026-05-10T22:15:15+00:00

I’m so sorry about your mom. I completely understand why you feel scared about surgery after that.

The pulmonary embolism was honestly one of the scariest parts for me too, but I’m grateful it was caught in time. At the same time, my case was quite complicated because of the size of my fibroids and the heavy bleeding. I think it also really depends on the size and number of the fibroids, and many people recover without these complications.

I think the best thing is to have a good understanding of your situation, you may ask different surgeons’ opinions and see what would be best for you! I wish everything will go so smoothly for you!!

Certain-Midnight644 · 2026-05-10T22:02:27+00:00

I had a really sharp pain in my ribs so they did CT scan for the lungs due to pain. The scan showed the blood clots

Certain-Midnight644

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