In preparation for the surgery, you will be given an enema to clear your
bowels. A catheter will also be fixed into your urethra (to help you
urinate during the surgery and a few days afterwards ). Most surgeries
are
done under spinal anaesthesia (where only your abdominal region is numbed
through an injection into the epidural space via the muscles of your back)
rather than general anaesthesia (where your whole system is shut down and
you are made to breathe through a ventilator). This is because spinal
anaesthesia allows the medical team to constantly monitor your pulse and
check your consciousness by chatting you up. A patient under general
anaesthesia can easily die during surgery and never wake up without anyone
knowing, since most wake up only 12 or more hours after the surgery. It is
said that the slightest movement during the spinal injection leads to
inability to walk for life but my anaesthetist dispelled the notion and I
never had cause to move because my injection was painless.( Please
play it safe by not moving, to prevent stories that touch the heart.)
The hospital
gown will be tied to the drip stands across your chest , leaving only your
head and shoulders on one side and your lower body on the other side for
the surgery. A brush will be used to smear a cream on your bare skin from
the chest down to demobilise you , preventing you from moving your body and
interfering with the surgery. To remove the fibroids, the following layers
will be cut open : the abdominal skin, the muscle, fascia, peritoneum and
uterine wall .Throughout the surgery (and for days afterwards), you will be
taking in liquids through drips and urinating through the catheter into the
urine bag (to be emptied when full into bed pans by the nurses). Water is
life.
After the surgery, you will experience surgical pains (as the anaesthetics
wear off). The pains will be intense and continuous for the first 12 hours
and gradually ease off over the next few days. [ No woman can escape the
curse God placed on Eve. If you choose a Caesarean Section to avoid labour
pains, you will experience your own pains after the surgery. Even if you
don't have a child, you will undergo fibroid surgery and experience its
pains]. You will be told to lie on your back without lifting your head (or
get 5 days' headache) for the first 12 hours. After the first 12 hours , I
took my first sip of water and was allowed to sit up on the bed. You won't
be allowed to eat for the first 24 hours so that you won't have to defecate
and get up from the bed. But you will take in water through drips and later
orally and urinate through the catheter into the urine bag.
The second day, I was led to the bathroom in the morning ,bathed by a
nurse and allowed to
take tea and liquid pap. On the 3rd day,I walked round the premises . The
urine bag was removed, allowing me to try urinating normally through the
catheter into the toilet for a few hours before the catheter and the belly
plaster were removed. I was discharged from the hospital on the fourth day.
How should you take care of your body after you have been discharged from
the hospital? These tips will help.
1. Soak a piece of cotton wool in methylated spirit,squeeze out excess
spirit into a container for later use and use the wool to wipe clean the
surface of the surgical incision (in one direction only, not back and
forth) about every 2 hours.
Use a mirror to see the incision clearly during wiping . Don't
bother your caregivers with this little task; let them concentrate on
heavier tasks like fetching and carrying.
2. Don't scrub or peel away any scab (the hard covering formed on a wound
as it heals). Otherwise, you may scrub away both the scab and the healthy
skin developing under it. The scab will dry up and fall away by itself once
the skin underneath is fully developed.
3. If you accidentally break a scab and bleeding starts from that spot,
don't wipe away the blood (or more blood will ooze out). Let the blood form
a new scab over the spot.
4. Cover the incision (with nylon tied round your waist) when bathing , to
prevent soaking and opening up the incision.
5. The stitches will be removed by your doctor once the incision has been
covered by pink skin throughout its length. However, the holes left behind
by the removed stitches must be protected from water. Therefore , continue
to wipe the holes (and the incision line) with methylated spirit and
protect them from water until they heal.
6. After the holes heal (and there is no scab or hole on the incision
line), you can bathe your whole body without covering up any part. However,
wash the incision area gently with your hands and soap only. The pink skin
or ridge is too delicate for any hard sponge. 🔯* After your incision has
been fully covered with pink skin, stop wiping it with methylated
spirit ; it is unnecessary. The "branches" linking the
suture holes to the incision line will be the first to shrivel away. The
outside borders of the pink, hairless ridge will gradually become normal
skin (with its tiny hairs), until the belly is left with a very thin scar
or none at all.
7. Keep constipation at bay by drinking a lot of water and eating fruits,
vegetables and fibre-rich foods. Stay away from junk foods and drinks.
Doing this will help prevent the development of new fibroids and also keep
a host of other diseases at bay.
8. Even after your incision has closed (with pink skin), don't lift
anything heavier than 2.5 kg (or 2.5 litres of water) or bend down with
your fingers below the knee (e.g. to pick something from the floor, wash
your legs,etc) for the first 3 months after the surgery. The inner layers
of the incision (between your skin and your womb) also need to heal. *
Don't eat or drink more than that amount (2.5 kg or litres) at a time.
Taking small meals frequently is better than burdening your body with heavy
meals or a lot of water.
9. Walking and lying on your back are safe exercises you can do (from the
moment you are allowed to take your first walk) to tone up the excess flab
in your belly after fibroid removal.
10. If your hair is coarse (e.g. African virgin hair) and you don't want to
straighten it with chemicals, cut it short. Combing long tough hair can be
too stressful for you at this time. You won't need a second haircut since
you will be strong enough for hairdressing in 6 months.
11. After the third post-surgery month, you can bend down to wash your
feet, do the laundry and other chores but don't carry items that are too
heavy for you. GRADUALLY increase the weights you carry, adding an
additional kg (or litre) per month, and see how your body reacts. Try other
activities (such as using a sewing machine) gradually the same way. Listen
to your body. If an activity sounds too strenuous, stop it for now and try
it again in the next 2 weeks.
12. Be careful about lifting young children. Most children weigh about
3 kg at birth, 7 kg at 6 months, 10 kg at 1 year, 12 kg at 2, 15 kg at
3, 16 kg at 4, 19 kg at 5, etc. Walk and play with them but don't lift
too much weight too soon.
13.Avoid riding on rickety roads to avoid upsetting your uterine
lining and seeing blood in the wrong time of your cycle. This lesson
will also protect you from a miscarriage when pregnant. Walk instead
or find a better route.
14. Don't stress yourself unnecessarily. It is better to fetch 60
litres of water in 12 5-litre trips than in 6 10-litre trips or 5
12-litre trips. Don't always carry the maximum weight you have safely
carried before; it may be safe to carry that weight once or twice but
not on a regular basis. Spread apart your chores. Get help whenever
you can (even if you have to beg your worst enemy), rather than injure
yourself. NEVER COMPARE YOURSELF TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER UNDERGONE
SURGERY. YOU WILL HAVE TO TAKE IT EASY THROUGHOUT LIFE.
NOTE: The above tips are based on MY experiences. Yours may be different (
based on the size and location of the fibroids, extent of the surgical
cut,etc) . Therefore, consult your surgeon for specific instructions.
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