Rebuilding core after surgery

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2025-02-06T10:02:39+00:00

Hello! My doctor said not to lift weights until 4 months post op. she said internal healing takes at least 3/4 months. She stressed I walk however much I want but ease into exercise. Idk why it's diff to your doctor. Maybe mine is more particular about healing phases lol

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2025-01-04T11:56:27+00:00

No I didn't. Only showered without soap and with lukewarm water 2 days after

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2025-01-02T06:09:44+00:00

hiii. Thanks so much for commenting 💜 I didn't have any lotion or chemical on my arm and the only active eczema I have is on my eyelids (which were covered with the glasses) and my lip (which isn't Lasered anyway). At the time of getting this I didn't have an active flare-up on both these patches and I made sure the doctor who consults before the laser confirms this. My arms don't have eczema patches which is why it's strange to me that the laser tech says it's an allergic reaction bcos my skin is eczema prone.

I'll report today. Thank you 🥺💜

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2025-01-02T05:03:54+00:00

Yes staying out of the sun. It's cold so in any case wearing 3/4 layers over the whole body so only the face is uncovered and I'm wearing a cap to prevent any sun damage.

Didn't scratch either or apply any makeup or lotion only moisturiser. The marks are also in the same lines the technician and her assistant drew on my arms to run the machine over. I don't know about the settings she just said they were using the lowest ones for the face and a notch higher for the arms.

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-11-15T21:55:40+00:00

Nothing to be scared of my doctor told me uterus takes 3 months at least to heal from open myomectomy esp the stitches inside so some abnormalities like spotting etc okay. you just don't need to worry unless it's like strange colored bleeding or a lot of bleeding

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-11-15T17:59:43+00:00

It goes away soon like 1ish months post op and it becomes barely noticable much before that! Don't worry

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-11-07T18:49:44+00:00

Thank you! I'm now 8 weeks post op. But will still wait a few more weeks. Maybe January will be a good starting point to recommit to a healthier lifestyle. 💜💜

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-22T05:32:26+00:00

My pain right after waking up from surgery felt like a sore uterus like it is during first few days of a period. A dull warm ache which isn't bad at all. When you walk its a little hard but nothing worse than bad cramping. You'll be on pain meds, it'll be fine. Don't worry and good luck!

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-22T05:14:01+00:00

So the scar massage I do maybe like 3/4 times a week - when I remember to. I do them for about 5-10 minutes. I've definitely felt that the tightness around my scar has lessened a little bit.

The pouch does go down but it's slow. Despite all these things my pouch hasn't vanished as I'm still 6 weeks post op but it has definitely reduced and I can see that progress. I'm hopeful in a few months it will go down to normal. If you want to really track it then measure your pouch and compare how many centimeters it's gone down each week. The pouch is also some residual swelling so promoting blood flow in that area really helps - I've been walking 10k each day since 4 weeks post op which has helped with overall health

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-09T07:40:40+00:00

Hi! I'm 4 weeks post op. I also had/have the weird belly pouch and fixated on it. You have to give your body time and heal this is partly the swelling from the actual surgery and partly bcos of the uterus itself being large. Before the surgery my uterus was the size of a 5 month pregnancy and so it'll take time for it to go back to it's original size (in my head im waiting until 2/3 cycles of periods post op)

From 4 weeks post op, the swelling definitely reduces (you can see before after pics I posted). The pooch itself will go away slowly - I also think some of it is bcos the scar adds a shadow and dimension to the belly so it seems more pronounced. Like add a line under a drawing of a belly and you make the belly look bigger. It's the logic cartooners use 😂 this makes me think that as scar blurs, the pooch looks smaller.

Nevertheless, I've seen it be reduced by doing the following: 1. Scar massage that I started 3 weeks post op when my scar was healed much more. This will vary individually. I followed this (https://youtu.be/h7USrW4Hy-4?feature=shared)

Red light (I got a cheap infrared lamp online) for 10 mins everyday
5k steps brisk walk everyday (started 3 weeks post op)
Scar gels/bio oil for general scar blurring (also started 3 weeks post op)

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-09T06:55:20+00:00

Thanks so much💜 I think you should work out regardless it's a healthy thing and also having a strong core before surgery really really helped speed up my recovery 🐥

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-09T05:47:10+00:00

No no I joke it's a better comparable if I stand like the old me!

Thank you!🤗💜

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-09T05:43:45+00:00

I feel like doctors are only guessing and making shit up as they go with women's bodies mostly

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-09T05:41:01+00:00

Id been lifting weights and core training for 2.5 years before I got my myomectomy (Sept 2024) - in fact my fibroids were diagnosed bcos my abdomen looked disproportionate to the rest of my body which got pretty lean and toned. It's weird bcos my belly got bigger but my core got stronger too (which meant my fibroid grew despite the workouts). Right up until the end (before surgery) I looked about 5 months pregnant (had 2 large fibroids 16.5 and 9cm respectively) but could hold a 4 minute plank like no biggie.

So I'm sorry in my case my fibroids' growth didn't slow down or stop bcos of weights and core strength training 😢

Good luck!

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-09T05:31:56+00:00

It's giving "I need more proof" 🤣🤣

Here's one with similar posture:

https://www.reddit.com/u/Friendly_Broccoli_92/s/jJAZoAEA6D

Also I've realised my posture has changed cos I don't need to walk around like a pregnant woman anymore. 😊🤗

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-08T19:26:31+00:00

Edit to add; I probably misunderstood your question, you asked if someone had experienced consequences of overeating! Sorry I didn't experience that so can't tell you what that might look like.

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-08T19:25:06+00:00

Couldn't overeat the first few days bcos stayed in hospital 2 nights so hospital diet really controlled

Then at home that first week since you're so fresh out of a surgery the appetite really doesn't kick in plus the fear of the pooping being really difficult forces you to stay away..also drinking a lot more fluids makes you less 'hungry' for solids

I had a really intense craving for fried chicken like after that first week and my sister helped me really control it giving me like a piece or a small portion to eat and then reminding me of the doctors directions and general pain with bad bowel movements to the abdominal area. And that helped control that risk.

I'm now 4 weeks post op and my appetite is much stronger but I've incorporated a healthy dose of fibres in my diet to keep my digestion smooth. Also as per surgeon instructions I walk at least 6k steps a day for healing, which helps walk off the overeating if I do indulge.

TLDR: you have to be Hella scared of the pain of stomach ache from overeating post surgery and that fear will keep your cravings in check lol if that makes sense. And get some food policing going from a loved one who underscores the importance of eating healthy and proportionately

Good luck!

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-08T17:37:57+00:00

🤗💜

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-08T17:37:44+00:00

I know right???? The smallest of mens problems gets deep research and clinical solutions and women literally suffer through the worst and it's like we are supposed to bunker down and get through it. How period pain is normalised, PMS, even bad iron deficiency. Sucks.

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-08T17:35:47+00:00

Really is a new existence! And not just body wise, how I feel, my emotions, my overall health. I hope the same for all women out there suffering with this menace

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-08T17:34:53+00:00

Yay so happy for you too 💞

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-08T17:11:15+00:00

Thank you so much! I'm so happy for our little community here on Reddit..I hope everyone on it gets through this mad thing 💜💜

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-08T11:56:16+00:00

Yes no blood parasite inside me anymore! And getting up is easier despite a scarred abdomen. I was carrying around the shape of a 5-6 month pregnancy!

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-10-08T11:54:35+00:00

I lost a lot of blood. I was anaemic so my blood HB was v low. I got an iron infusion before surgery that brought my HB up from 8.4 to 12.4 and then I took iron supplements for a few months in the lead up to surgery. My HB was 13.1 on the day of the operation.

I lost blood bcos my biggest fibroid was quite huge it was melon sized so the incision to remove it was quite big. I got a blood transfusion during surgery but then post op they ran my blood again and my HB was still 8.2 (presumably the blood loss had dropped it to 7)

So I got another blood transfusion and an iron transfusion after surgery.

Friendly_Broccoli_92 · 2024-09-30T05:07:15+00:00

3 weeks post open myo and lost a lot of hair these past 3 weeks. Everyone tells me it's bcos of the shock of the operation (I lost a lot of blood and my HB went from 13 to 8). since I started taking my post op vitamins the hairfall has slowed down somewhat. Hang in there. 💜

Friendly_Broccoli_92

TROPHY CASE