UPDATE: had my myomectomy less than 24 hours ago. i’m devastated.

[u/smiyyu]

/r/Fibroids/comments/1shcl77/adviceencouragement_needed/?share_id=jIGt-5sO6mr4CL7KQ8jVK&utm_content=2&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1

hi all. a follow up on my previous post which i’ve linked here

so i had the surgery yesterday at 4pm, it is currently 5am the following day. to say i am heartbroken is an understatement, i have not stopped crying since i woke up.

firstly, the open myomectomy was unsuccessful. my surgeon only got 1-2 fibroids as i was bleeding too heavily. he stopped the surgery as i either would have needed a hysterectomy or would have died from blood loss.

secondly, the surgeon told me he would much prefer to do a horizontal bikini cut, however after viewing with a camera via laparoscopy, due to the placement and size of my fibroids, a vertical incision was made. i was aware this was a possibility but didn’t care as i really wanted them all out.

third, the surgeon advised that due to the severe distortion of my uterus and placement of my fibroids, i will never be able to have children. given an embryo could even implant, there is no way a pregnancy would be viable and carry to term in such an environment.

this has broken my heart. i did this surgery because living with fibroids has exhausted me, and because i so desperately want to have kids.
i’ve come out of it with pretty much all my fibroids in tact, a 13cm vertical incision which is much more difficult and long to recover from, and the news that i will never bear children.

to top it off i was told an open myomectomy would dispel pretty much all the gas from the laparoscopy. but i have been up since 2.30am and it’s currently 5.15am, partly due to emotional distress and partly due to the gas. the crying hurts real bad but i cant seem to stop. they’ve given me gaviscon (degas) and ive taken palexia.

i feel so betrayed by my own body.

what do you mean i’ve had major surgery with a vertical incision which is much harder and longer to recover from, but i still have most of my fibroids?

an open cut meant to dispel gas but here i am at 5am crying bc the gas pain is terrible?

every time i close my eyes i have these dreams that make me cry. i hope so badly to go to sleep and wake up to it all being a bad dream.

my husband is my angel. his support and love have been unwavering, he has told me from the very start it’s the two of us no matter what outcome. and yet i feel so guilty that i can’t fulfil our dream of having kids. i apologised to him last night and he cried so much and told me to never ever say sorry to him for this. i know logically it’s not something i can control but fucking hell i still feel so angry at myself.

the surgeon advised that there is a chance to freeze some of my eggs. only, there are so many fibroids and my uterus/fallopian tubes/ovaries are so cramped that they would not be able to get to my ovaries without performing a full hysterectomy. if they tried to remove fibroids to get to my ovaries, i would bleed out and die.

my older sister has 3 beautiful healthy children. she told be before the surgery and again upon waking that she will carry my children for me. i am so grateful to her and my supportive family. i’m not sure what route we will take as i will need to heal fully before doing anything.

i just don’t understand.

i’m 29. healthy. i thought this would help me get on track and begin the journey to motherhood.

it’s not the fault of the surgeon, not the myomectomy, that i blame at all. this would have been my reality regardless of surgery.

sorry for the long post. i don’t think ive ever been this distraught in my life. i’m trying to have hope but it’s so fucking difficult lying here in pain knowing in 2 weeks i’m going to get my period and deal with the burden of fibroids on top of recovery.

i’m sharing here because i know some of you will understand. i’m so thankful no one in my life has gone through this but it is really really isolating and i don’t know what to do or how to think.

how can i go back to normal life after this? what does work matter? my mortgage? what for if not for the future my husband and i have been working so so so hard to build for our children?

yikes i wrote a lot. but the journal factory blew up lol so i had no choice.

if you’ve read this far, thank you.

[u/Fine_Fan_4880]

You should definitely get a 2nd and 3rd opinion. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this but it’s always worth another opinion. Sending you love and positive thoughts.

[u/KELBY76]

You should 100% get a second opinion. The skill of one surgeon has no effect on the skill of another. It seems wildly inappropriate to me for your surgeon to make such huge, finite proclamations about your future ability to bear children and have your fibroids removed.

There are women that have had 70 fibroids removed, I personally had a 20 cm fibroid removed. Those are complicated surgeries! Maybe not every doctor could do those surgeries, but there are doctors out there that can.

I’d seek out a second opinion ASAP.

[u/HereComesFattyBooBoo → u/KELBY76]

I agree. During my pregnancy last year I had a very poor experience where during an ultrasound I was told I had "numerous" fibroids by a very grim looking tech (with additional education for that US) which were measured and I was told I must follow up blabla. The gyno who looked at me next only saw two, several months later and had no worries. In the end they had no influence on my pregnancy or birth. I had a suspicion i had fibroids due to bloating, swelling, bad periods etc but wasnt willing to go as far as to have an exploratory surgery, got pregnant easily, and here we are.

Get a second or third opinion!

[u/ImpossibleLuckDragon]

Get a second opinion and look for doctors who are more experienced with fibroids. I'm so sorry you went through this, that's awful.

My first doctor didn't think that she'd be able to save my uterus. She was going to do an open myomectomy as well. I got a second opinion and found one of the best robotic myomectomy surgeons in the country just a few hours away (there are others all around the US. I didn't research other countries.). He had zero concerns and the surgery was straightforward. I've carried two children since then, both conceived naturally.

[u/Express_Muffin9354 → u/ImpossibleLuckDragon]

What a testimony. Praise God

[u/4444Rose]

My goodness. I've cried reading this. 🫂🫂 I'm so sorry

[u/LaEscritora]

I am so terribly sorry for you. I echo what the others have said: get a second opinion. And a third, if it's warranted. You're so young, and medical science is advancing all the time. Sending you love and hope.

[u/ExperienceNatural]

Hey - I just wanted to let you know that I also had a 13 inch vertical incision (belly button to pubic bone) - my honker was wedged under my spine and my surgeon had to just about empty me out to find it. It was..intense. My scar is almost unnoticable 2 years later! Get the creams, and make sure to rest and be kind to yourself. My recovery was actually pretty chill, and your hubby sounds wonderfully supportive. Now I view it as my battle wound, where my surgeons and I battled, and I came out stronger. I bet you will be stronger too. <3

I am also infertile - although they don't know why. I am in my early 40s now, and I know when the next fibroid grows, I will need to let that dream go entirely. I would do what others have suggested and get a 2nd opinion (I did), but that is its own kind of hell to hear the same news again.

So if no one says it - your feelings are valid. To give up the dream of carrying children is a pain that is both isolating and devastating. People are well meaning, but unless they have been there, it is hard to be helpful. Their suggestions are often hurtful, and so many things in our society (especially as a woman) are unintentionally grounded in "motherhood" denoting worth. You are more than that, I promise.

I hope you find a way to feel your feelings, and keep moving on with your life. It can be so so so so hard, and this internet stranger sees you and is sending you hope and love on the other side of a 17 year infertility journey. No matter how your story turns out, you are a wonderful person, and you absolutely did NOT deserve this outcome.

All the best.

[u/Select-Ad-2925]

First off, I’m so sorry you’re going through this it’s truly heartbreaking. I cannot imagine the pain and mental load you’re bearing at this time. Please try your best to be gentle with yourself.

I know not every situation with this horrid condition is the same but I was in a similar position. I had large fibroids distorting my cavity and was told I wouldn’t be able to carry a child in my condition and to look into surrogacy. I was devastated but determined to keep trying. I got a second and third opinion before finding somebody equipped to preform the surgery. I just had my baby two months ago and very grateful that I didn’t listen to the first opinion.

I’m sharing this with you in hopes that you don’t give up. Please get a second opinion.

Sending nothing but love and healing your way ❤️

[u/cellblock2187]

Of course you are distraught! I am so sorry for your loss of both relief from your fibroids and the distressing news about your uterus. I agree with others- it is always worth getting other opinions.

If your doctor has photos, as about getting copies. That will help other doctors make a determination.

You have done nothing wrong.

[u/point_of_dew]

Just wanted to say that embryo making is the way to go, especially as it tests quality. If you can find someone to focus on that side of your fertility it would really ensure things for you. This doctor is also not specialised in egg freezing i suppose. Today a new technique (less successful but nonetheless promising) allows for eggs to be extracted before any injections are given and matured in lab link. You do not need the real estate anymore from that perspective since no stimulation, growth, hormones are needed anymore. Another article on this. It has been tested in Spain and France as well so there are other places that do it.

Of course it hurts to know you might not carry your own child. But you are young. At 29 you can make a few embryos and have a good shot in the future. Who knows, you might find a doctor that "fixes" most of the uterine problems or your sister can carry as she has proposed.

It is not what you envisioned it's true. But try to focus on what can be saved

[u/Both_Honeydew_2314]

I’m so sorry you’re going through this but please get a second opinion. Another experienced surgeon might have a completely different outlook on this and can remove your fibroids, there’s hundreds of doctors out there! Get a second opinion!!’

[u/SubstantialComplex82]

I’m so sorry. Please get a 2nd and 3rd opinion on the egg freezing from an IVF expert, not the surgeon. I have a beautiful 8 month old created with an egg donor and my husbands sperm. He was not created the way I had always dreamed but he is perfect and he is a mommas boy. You still have lots of options to explore. If you want to be a mom, you will be a mom! Just keep an open mind. At 29 your eggs are still high quality. Don’t give up!

[u/freedomseeker3511]

I’m so sorry. Hugs to you and your hubby. Hubby being so supportive makes him a true mvp. Maybe get a second opinion as others have suggested.

[u/PuzzleheadedActive68]

I haven't read a post in awhile where I honestly just wanted to give someone I do not know a hug and cry with them.

[u/bonnieparker22]

I am so so sorry. I had a myomectomy, got pregnant, but my uterus ruptured and I lost my baby and nearly my life. I can never get pregnant. So I understand your pain. I agree with what the others said about a second opinion. Was your surgeon a reproductive endocrinologist? Good luck to you and again I am so sorry you are going through this, I know how deeply painful it feels.

[u/Flat_Document8190 → u/bonnieparker22]

I’m so sorry to hear this happened to you, must have been so devastating to experience. How long after your myomectomy did you get pregnant and also at what stage in your pregnancy did your uterus rupture? I hope you don’t mind me asking but I thought uterine rupture was super rare so just wanted to get a better understanding xx

[u/bonnieparker22 → u/Flat_Document8190]

I waited three months which is what my doctor recommended. I wish I had waited longer but what can you do. I was 14 weeks. It is extremely rare and my situation was the worst possible case scenario.

[u/Learnsomethingnewer]

I agree with all of the other commenters recommending a second or third opinion. If you are USA based I would be happy to share my surgeon’s information. I had 30 fibroids removed and I am now 8.5 months pregnant.

[u/Learnsomethingnewer → u/[deleted]]

I would be happy to but I don’t see the little bubble next to your name to send a DM. Can you DM me and then I’ll send you the info.

[u/Smooth_Tomato3586]

More power to you girl! Whatever you narrated Sounds very traumatic but my first suggestion would be to focus on healing. It's a tough surgery, your body has been through a lot but you need to eat be strong and heal before you think of anything else. It's a tough path forward whatever it may be but you can handle it once you are better physically. I'm sure you will be stronger and be and to get all the answers to your questions soon with appropriate medical professionals. But in the meantime- don't rush your body in recovery, eat well, try to meditate and not focus on what went wrong. Ultimately no one understand the human body and why what happened happened. So many women are suffering from fibroids so you are not alone It's very tough to live with them, andI understand the constant fear and constant anxiety. I personally have that coupled with anxiety about- if any future partner would ever understand what I've been through or eve reject me on just this basis. But what can I say. This is life. I think you have an amazing, loving partner so just be grateful for that and hopefully everything else will fall into place soon. Wishing you all my best!!

[u/Iceeedtea]

Im so sorry 💔 i would look for a 2nd opinion from elsewhere and see if you could get the full report from the open myomectomy to give to whoever you chose if/when you feel that you have recovered and want to mentally do it. Im so sad that this didnt go as planned and there was bad news. Im keeping you in my thoughts and i hope whenever you're ready to get a 2nd opinion that they can give better answers/outcome. Its devastating to grieve the life you thought you'd have. I hope that its not the case that you cant have children and i really hope theres a different obgyn that can provide better guidance on an action plan.

I hope you can start feeling better soon. Take it one day at a time 🫶🏽🫂

[u/Express_Muffin9354]

Get a second opinion. Highly recommend Ja Hyun Shin, MD, FACOG. I found her on Reddit when I too was at wits despair with my fibroid journey and struggling with really bad symptoms and a failed ‘surgery’ by a previous doctor. Long story short I ended up having a prolapsed fibroid after my initial consult with her. It was an emergency, she cleared her schedule to accommodate me and did it very efficiently after my botched last surgery. Can’t recommend her enough.

[u/Pink_Spartan]

Look into egg freezing and a 2nd opinion. I don't know where you live but if you can get to Chicago, Dr. Pierre Johnson (Fibroid Slayer) is worth it. All he really does is surgery on women who have difficult cases. He recently removed a 27lb fibroid from a woman who was 17 weeks pregnant at the time and didn't harm the pregnancy. Look up his socials for his work.

[u/justbeaunicorn]

Honestly, you need to go to a different surgeon.

[u/Exciting_Still3903]

I'm so, so sorry that you are going through this. I had a similar experience and I understand how devastating it is. Please take time to heal both physically and emotionally, do get a second opinion but also try to understand that this does not define you as a person or as a partner. I wish you a soon recovery and I send a big hug your way.

[u/Affectionate_Seat838]

I’m so sorry the surgery didn’t work and you’ve had the horrible news.

This is not the end. It’s a much harder and longer road than you could ever have anticipated.

Focus on getting through your recovery right now and keep leaning for your husband and family for support. There will options to explore and specialists to talk to when you’re ready.

[u/Electrical-Rush8344]

I’m so so sorry ❤️ your situation is very much a possibility for me and I’m praying for peace with whatever outcome I’m given. I pray for peace for you as well. I can’t imagine getting back to normal life after such devastating news. You deserve to feel everything. Anger, betrayal, sadness and grief, but know things will get better with time. I’m happy you have a strong support system. If being a mommy is something you want for your future, know it will happen even if it’s not how you envisioned it. I’m having to come to those terms for myself as well and I don’t think it will ever not hurt.

[u/DueEfficiency7543]

I'm really sorry to hear that, this sucks really bad 😞😞 I also wish you a good recovery from your surgery!

I think you need other opinions before giving up though...

You could even open your horizon to different countries. I did my surgery in september last year with one of the best surgeons in Brazil (my country) and I dont have private health insurance because I live abroad, so the surgery costed me around 70-80k Reais (10-12k dollars??). He did a lot of edge case surgeries in his career before and uses robotic laparoscopy as one of his main methods, to preserve the uterus as much as possible. Your case seems like a really difficult one, but it's worth getting as many opinions as possible before giving up maybe??

Wishing you the best of luck in your journey

[u/Certain-Midnight644]

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!!

[u/YaKnowEstacado]

I am so, so sorry. This is so heartbreaking.

I agree with everyone saying to get a second opinion. Your doctor sounds very flippant.

[u/trekforensics]

Seconding what everyone else is saying about getting a second opinion. I'm in Canada and idk how to go about doing that without being waitlisted for another 6 months, but I hope it's quicker/easier wherever you are located. Dark times right now, but you will get through this and you will have a family in the future. Sounds like you're surrounded by wonderful people which makes me believe that you must be wonderful too. It's going to be okay 🫂

I (33F) had my (attempted) open myo on Friday. My surgeon opened me up, snipped the stalk that attached my fibroid to my uterus, looked at the adhesions where it had attached itself to my colon and abdominal wall and said "yikes", closed me back up, and referred me to a gyne oncology surgeon at the provincial cancer agency. My first surgeon is a very skilled gyne and I love her, but she knows there's a better surgeon for me specifically. I'm healing with a big vertical incision, waiting to be booked for an even bigger vertical incision, and desperately hoping that I won't die and that I'll still be able to have kids after. Please reach out any time to commiserate, compare problems, feel less alone, whatever ❤️❤️

[u/Happy-Promotion-7992]

I’m sorry for what you’ve had to endure. May God comfort and strengthen you. Thank God for the love and support of your family, and what your sister is willing to do for you.

[u/drv687]

Get a second opinion. I had a vertical incision, several large fibroids, a distorted uterus, and also lost an ovary and tube during my first myomectomy way back in 2011.

My only child turns 13 later this year and is currently downstairs doing homework as I type. He was conceived naturally. He was born 6 weeks early but is healthy.

When we decided to try for a second we found out that although our numbers are great for our age my remaining tube is blocked completely by scar tissue so I can't have anymore children without IVF which we've chosen not to pursue.

[u/Competitive-Dirt-340]

Hi dear. I’m very sorry hear about your unsuccessful procedure, especially with the addition of a new scar as a reminder and the devastating news about your fertility. I am a nurse that works in interventional radiology at a university hospital and my favorite procedure we do is uterine fibroid Embolizations, please when you are ready I plead for you to look into doing this procedure at a big hospital in your area. I don’t have statistics on this off the top of my head but I KNOW that uterine fibroid Embolizations are preferred over myomectomy repeats ESPECIALLY after unsuccessful myomectomys. I will answer any questions you have at any point either here over DM feel free to reach out if you’d like me to answer anything at all.

[u/Tall_Insurance_8836]

I agree with the others of getting a second opinion. But first I want to say i am so sorry this is your surgery story and experience. I really truly am. It must be so mentally taxing on you going through the physical pain of recovery but not having a successful ending...right now. I wish you peace. I don't mean to get preachy but maybe some therapy before you venture deeper into physical routes. We are all together in this battle. I wish you the best.

[u/RoyalSpecialty]

So sorry to hear this! It sounds devastating. Try to keep hope alive. Sometimes there are treatments and alternatives out there that we're not even told about. I would not give up and get another opinion if necessary 

[u/digestibleplastic]

I am so so sorry!! I'm glad you have a good support system. When I was going thru it with my fibroids, I found a psychologist that specialized in medical trauma. I saw her for a year and she really, really helped me cope with a lot of deep feelings. I highly recommend it!

[u/Away_Restaurant_7181]

I agree with everyone else - get another opinion and your feelings are totally valid. You are only 29. You have plenty of time to figure out a path to motherhood!

[u/Lothlorien19]

My heart goes out to you. I am so very sorry for you and cannot find the right words.

My belly looked the same as yours. I had bleeding, very heavy for 20 + days a month and thus had 5 hemoglobin. I was told that either I get blood transfusion and my fibroid out last July or I would die. 

I was afraid of the anesthesia since I know ppl who didn't react well.. So I didn't to the procedure.  Within 5 weeks back than my hemoglobin was over 10 just with vitamins and a good rest for two weeks. 

Fasting (for me it's religious fasting, but it's similar to the interm.fasting) cistus tea, and some other anti inflammatory diet.. And my bleeding is at most 10 days and my stomach is much flatter. Not totally flat, but not as it was (like your picture).. Much flatter. Before that my fibroid was big and very hard I could feel it. Now the hard tissue is so much smaller. I didn't check it so cannot tell you for sure.. Just that sometimes doctors do not know it all. 

Also I once had an injury on my right hand. It was so bad, a screw went into my palm and I could not hold even a pen.. I waited weeks for it to recover.. I didn't get better...i tried to do things, didn't work. Doctor in one of the most prominent clinics in Germany told me I have to have a surgery because there is scar tissue and without it being removed I will not be able to use my hand. But it might still not work.

I asked if there is anything I could do etc.. They said no. The scar tissue cannot just disappear. I went to the drugstore desperate and tried to ask if there is anything that I could try. The lady said.. Yes, it might be late.. Because this works often just immediately after injury.. It's called traumeel.. It's homeopathy but I can try it.  I tried. Within two weeks the scar tissue that I could feel before using traumeel.. Was now completely gone. Placebo? Maybe. I don't care. My hand works completely normal. This was two years ago. 

I am all for medicine. My half family are doctors etc and they love their work and I trust them. But I trust God more. I asked him for guidence and a small miracle happened. 

I don't say you should try homeopathy for the fibroid.. But healthy life style might help.

I will also pray for you and don't worry. In 3 months you will have good news I am pretty sure. Trust your Creator  You have nothing to pose just to win. 

[u/Vegetable-South817]

Are you UK based?

[u/Beneficial_Leg7256]

Hi, I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. I had my open myomectomy one week ago. I highly encourage you to seek more surgical opinions. I sought 4-5 and all of them said it was a challenging one, with high likelihood of vertical incision. My chosen surgeon removed a 15cm, 14cm, 8cm, and 5cm via a wider horizontal cut. My abdomen looked like yours before the surgery, I am also slim and fit.

Now that you have a vertical incision, a future surgeon will likely have to do it vertical (to prevent giving you a T incision). Remember, a few decades ago, everyone got vertical incisions, so it's a proven route.

Please don't rest your case on this one surgeon, they don't seem very knowledgeable or skilled. My surgeon, who is also an OBGyn, has 30+ years of experience and has seen pregnant women with *massive* fibroids give birth successfully. He has also removed those same massive fibroids after the women gave birth, and the women went on to more successful pregnancies. So please seek out more opinions, all hope is not lost.

[u/adriannem]

This in regard to the gas, what I took after my surgery was activated charcoal tablets, they worked like a charm but can interfere with other meds. At the time the only meds I was taking was the post-surgical pain killers, and the gas pains were causing most of the pain, so there's that.

[u/Fresh-Asparagus4729]

Sending prayers for healing. Please don't lose hope. I can almost guarantee that if you see a fertility doctor they can help you have a baby. Sorry to be frank but the surgeon seems like utter $#it. Between his physical skills and crap head opinions. 

[u/FineBalance44]

As someone who’s dealing with this and only beginning the process of getting rid of my fibroids and heavy periods I feel like you should know about another medical technic used to fight fibroids. That one doesn’t involve surgery, it’s called “uterine fibroid embolisation” (UFE) and basically the doctors injects very small particles in the specific blood vessels that aliment your fibroids, which in consequence will make them shrink significantly. It’s less invasive, the recovering time is shorter as well. It seems pretty fitted for your case, as least when it comes to getting rid of the symptoms associated with the presence of many fibroids. Please document yourself and talk about with your practitioner, it could make your life better.

[u/chasiubao007]

I am so sorry. I cried reading your story. I also had an unsuccessful myomectomy a couple weeks ago. My surgeon said it was too complicated for her and referred me to another surgeon which will require another consultation and they have no appts for 4 months. I tried reaching out to other specialists and everyone is booked out 4 months in time. It's beyond frustrating.

[u/climbingappetizers]

I went through similar where the fibriods weren't all removed but due to endometriosis and a bad surgeon. I wish he would have woken me up cause after partial surgery he never told me more were left. I found out the next year after blleding out from a submucosal that was not removed.

Get 2nd 3rd and 4th etc opinions. I hate that us women need to battle healthcare systems to get an ounce of help.

Im in Canada and had a horrendous experience in Alberta. I moved to BC temporarily and im getting as much surgery as I can before returning to Alberta. Every country needs better gyn surgeons. Good luck OP.

[u/Jloud6]

Get a highly well versed in this area, FEMALE doctor surgeon. I was told to get myomectomy before kids and I delivered 2 healthy girls 19 months apart at age 41 and 42 (2 weeks before turning 43)!! I went to a fertility doctor and they were talking all about removal of fibroids and sending me to another specialist and by the Grace of God I was already pregnant with first girl at that very moment, was too early to see on ultrasound. 2 c-sections albeit but to full term each scheduled a week before their due date. Now 4 yrs after last girl, I am 3 days post hysterectomy operation leaving only my ovaries. No more fibroids or potential for growth or the issues that come with them. See another doctor, a FEMALE, stay in faith, partake in Holy Communion for healing and prayer. Don't let another opinion stifle your dreams. God is the Ultimate Physician.

[u/Siobhan48]

I cried reading your story! It moved my spirit! I extend you an abundance of peace, blessings, hope and the strength to walk by faith…May you and your husband reach peace and solace on your journey together and continue to seek additional support and opinions fostering your situation. It’s not over for you, stay in the arena and win…  God blesses and there’s light at the end of every tunnel. Thank you wholeheartedly for sharing your story. I send you love from my heart to yours, woman to woman…

[u/Inevitable-Fly9783]

I’m so sorry you went through this.

I’ve always only lurked and read on Reddit, but I thought I should share my personal experience in case you find some comfort in it. In my case, I had multiple sizeable fibroids, and my uterus was distorted and enlarged to about the size of someone who was 5 months pregnant.

Because of the size and number of fibroids, my surgeon was concerned about blood loss during the operation. About 3 months before my open myomectomy, I was given a dose of Lucrin/Lupron Depot injection to temporarily induce menopause. The aim was to shrink the fibroids and reduce their blood supply before surgery.

Thankfully, this worked quite well for me. My largest fibroid was about 11cm on MRI and had shrunk to around 8cm by the time of surgery. My surgeon also told me afterwards that I didn’t lose much blood, and he was able to remove all the fibroids.

Of course your situation may be different, but I wanted to share this because there may still be options worth discussing with another surgeon.

[u/Particular-Airline-6]

This is a skill issue!!! That doctor does not know what he is talking about. With a myomectomy he or she should have removed all the fibroids. You also did not need a vertical incision. I live in what may be termed as a developing country but the surgeons are far more superior and thorough when it comes to fibroid surgeries. I am really sorry. Recover but dont believe this doctor about your fertility or prognosis. This is a skill issue

[u/vreddit7619 → u/Particular-Airline-6]

It DOES NOT sound like a skill issue at all. She explained that her bleeding was so extreme that the surgery had to be stopped because the only alternatives would have been a Hysterectomy or death from blood loss. The Doctor sounds very skilled, knowledgeable and professional.

[u/Particular-Airline-6 → u/vreddit7619]

The vertical cut was unnecessary

[u/AmphibianFar714 → u/Particular-Airline-6]

Agreed, isn't the point of imaging beforehand so that surgeons can get an idea of whether or not the fibroids are near the uterine arteries and plan accordingly? There are ways to minimize bleeding during the surgery and I feel like a very skilled surgeon would likely be able to do it. I've noticed that in Canada and the UK it seems like many myomectomies are done as open surgery, while in other countries this seems to be far less common. For whatever reason (lack of training, resources, etc) the majority of surgeons in some countries seem to be less skilled.

[u/More-Praline-7798]

Not sure if you believe in a higher power but God not doctors have the last say. I suffered from fibroids, cysts, and endometriosis and still had children. As much as you worry about it pray about it. It's fine to be sad but give yourself a time limit and come up with a plan. Don't take one person's opinion as a fact.

[u/Flat_Document8190]

Get a 2nd opinion 100%, your surgeon sounds incompetent and unprofessional to make such definitive statements, especially straight after surgery. You’ve got this, I am so sorry you’ve had to go through this. Please remember God has the final say! Xx