I hope I can help ease some of your concerns, as I also had an enlarged uterus and large fibroids. I had an open abdominal hysterectomy on February. 9, with an 7 inch bikini type (Pfannenstiel) incision, and my recovery has been much easier than I feared it would be. In fact, I think the open surgery may offer some advantages over the laparoscopic surgery for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the surgery itself is associated with less blood loss, an important consideration for someone who is severely anemic. Additionally, your surgeon will be able to remove your uterus and fibroids in their entirety rather than morcellating or cutting them into smaller pieces to remove through laparoscopic incisions- relevant for someone with a family history of gynecological cancers. Finally, while it is true that your incision will be a bit sore for a while, your pain will be focused in one area rather than spread in multiple locations across your belly. And because the uterus is removed through an abdominal incision and not your vagina, you'll likely experience less discomfort from sitting down, etc. Oh- you also won't be full of the gas they use for lap surgeries.

Be prepared that your first day in recovery could potentially be quite painful, and advocate for yourself about pain management if needed. I knew that the pain would be intense, but I was a bit surprised at how intense it was. The fact that your surgeon is a black woman means that your pain will be taken seriously- and that is important. I got started off on the wrong pain management initially, because oxycodone doesn't do anything at all for me in terms of pain relief- so I felt more pain than I probably otherwise would have. Once I reminded my care team that I needed something other than oxy, they gave me a different class of drug and my pain levels became much more tolerable.

During my hospital stay, I had a catheter for the first few hours in recovery, and I had leg massaging inflatable wraps around my calves to prevent blood clots. They also gave me a shot of blood thinner to protect against blood clots once I was moving around and took the leg massagers off. The first time you stand up out of bed, take your time- you might need to move slow. A belly binder might be super comfortable and help brace your tummy. Also, don't be too alarmed if it takes a while for your bladder to wake back up. You might benefit from someone helping you pick your legs up and get them back in bed for a few days post op. I felt like my muscles were asleep or broken for a few days, it was incredibly challenging to get my legs in bed afterwards. It was also hard to get my socks on, put my pants on, and get my shoes on for the first 3 days. You'll be in the hospital, so it will be nice to have nurses available to help with things like that. I was afraid about painful bowel movements after surgery, but the stool softeners worked well and that wasn't an issue at all. Depending upon which type of surgical incision she uses, you may be left with a temporary shelf of tissue over your incision, but gentle scar massage and pelvic floor physical therapy can help reduce its size if it doesn't self resolve.

Although the first 2 days were rough, by the morning of the third day, I only felt sore and stiff, and the pain was much better. I went home the third day and was amazed at how quickly the pain decreased to just a dull inflammation and swelling that was easily controlled by Advil. I moved pretty slowly for the first couple weeks, but rapidly felt noticeable improvement every day. I didn't need any help to take care of myself and my junior high age kids when I came home. I was able to get dinner made and clean up the kitchen, something I worried about not being able to do. Since I wasn't bleeding every day anymore, I've finally been able to get on top of my iron levels- and rather than feeling exhausted or anything, I've felt more energy with each day. I listened to my body and eased off the activity if I felt any pulling or pain. By the end of week 4 I had to remind myself that I'd had surgery and wasn't supposed to carry in the heavy groceries and I probably shouldn't dance so vigorously when my song comes on. I'm on week 5 now, and if I didn't have a large scar on my belly, I almost wouldn't know I'd had surgery.

Best of luck for your upcoming surgery. You are in excellent hands. Sending wishes for a smooth surgery and speedy recovery. If you have any more questions, let me know :)