Fibroids

I understand that fibroids come and go. I had fibroids with daughter no. 1, and they went away by the time I had daughter no. 2. I suggest waiting. Most people don't suffer any ill effects from fibroids.

J.

First of all you need to ask yourself if you finished having children. Once you have accepted that answer and can live with it. I strongly recommend a hysterectomy laporscopicly. I had it done for the very same reason a few months ago and have never felt better. I am only sorry I waited so long to get it gone. I am 35 with one child. I also work in surgery, embolization will be a bandaid. I see lots of both procedures. I was able to go back to work in 4 weeks. Again, I work in surgery which requires me to be on my feet for 8-10 hours a day. I didn't have any problems. Have a Total Laporoscopic Hysterectomy. Safest quickest recovery and so much better for the patient. I did spend once night in the hospital which is normal. Trust me, don't wait one more day. You will feel like a new person!

I would recommend getting a second opinion!
Most hysterectomies performed for fibroids are unnecessary (up to 75%) and there are better and less invasive treatment options available. Unfortunately many doctors are not up-to-date on their training on the advances that have been made.
Just because your doctor may not be able to offer you another option, does not mean that there is not one.
Consider contacting the National Uterine Fibroids Foundation (nuff.org).
Good luck.

I had a tumor that was the size of a grapefruit by the time it was removed. It caused excessive bleeding and I had to quit my job because it was too painful. The surgery that I had was a myoectomy which the doctor cut me vertically, because of the size of the tumor, like a c-section and then removed the tumor. I chose this surgery because I was 24 and had no children. Fibroid embolization or hysterectomy is a choice you can make if you are done having kids but for me they weren't even an option.

J., you are so young! I know it seems like you should just trust what your doctor says (that there are only two treatment options), but I really highly suggest you read a book called "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause" by Dr. John Lee.

It explains so well about fibroids and why women get them, what we can do to naturally reverse them, and why treatments like hysterectomy are actually worse for our bodies.

Good luck!

Hi J., when I was about your age, I had the same diagnosis. At the time, I chose to have the embolization. It really helped for about 5 years, then I began to have increased pain again, and ended up having the hysterectomy, and have felt great since then. The recovery from the embolization was maybe a week, the hyst, I was off work for 6 weeks, but it took about 4 months before I felt like myself again. In retrospect, I think it would have been best for me to have just had the hysterectomy initially and have been done with the problem for good. Recovering from surgery is much quicker the younger you are. Good luck to you!

Hello!
First, I'm amazed that you're having any symptoms due to fibroids. Most women have them and rarely do they cause symptoms. But I'm assuming that you are having symptoms and thats why you're seeking care.
I encourage you to talk to your health care professional about other options. See if he/she is open to less invasive treatments first. Often times symptoms associated with fibroids can be taken care of with ultrasound or other means. But ultimately it's your choice.
Good luck!

J.,

First, get multiple doctor's opinions. That doesn't mean that your doctor isn't wrong, just get a variety of opinions.

Second, find out if your ovaries are healthy. If they are, don't (let me repeat that, DON'T) let your doctor take them out.
I had a hysterectomy (If you have a hysterectomy they take your uterus out and your fibroids won't come back.) and my doctor took out my ovaries. My sister had a hysterectomy and her doctor left her ovaries alone. She has had a much easier time adjusting. She is healthier and looks better. Hormones are not the answer.

It took me about 6 weeks to recover. My scar is massive because I had a huge fibroid, so don't wait.

This is a good place to begin your research. But do some more.

Whatever you do good luck, W. C.

My mom had the embolozation in 2000 and then had a hysterectomy in 2003. They didn't tell her the fibroids could come back on the outside of her uterus and ovaries. They removed 13 lbs of fibroids when they did the hysterectomy in 2003. It took her a couple of weeks in 1999 to recover and about 5-7 weeks in 2003 to recover.

I would ask the doctor what your chances are that they will return.

Hi J., I had fibroids very bad and had a hysterectomy (partial, they left one ovary) when I was 25.I was never so happy in my whole life...I felt so much better after I had it done.
They could not do it vaginally so they cut the smiley incision on my stomach...it took a couple of weeks to start feeling normal. I did go through a few days of depression but thatis due to the hormone levels..nothing they could not deal with and I think it had something to do with being so young.I was not sure i was finished having children but I was hemoraging (sp) every month and very anemic. I was weak and skinny and depressed. Plus I wasin terrible pain...
I started taking HRT about 5 years ago when I turned 50....it isprobably good thatwe did not have anymore children as wehave gotten our three grandchildren to raise when they were 3 mos, 22 mos and 3...they are 19,17 and16 now. The nineteen year oldis on her own but we still have the two at home and will have for quite some time. Theyare like our own..we forget they are our grandchildren by now and they consider us their parents.The bond between us is asparentand child.
I started out taking Premarin but did not like taking it because of risks so now I use what is called Phyto B's for hormone replacement. It is a plant derivative....allnatural and works just as well...stops hotflashes and moodswings maybe even better. You just go and type in Phyto B's...and it brings you to a website that you can buy them. Hope some of this helps...L.

I had a hysterectomy and partial salpingectomy. There may have been another name involved in my surgery. A hysterectomy only removes the uterus and possibly the cervix. Removing the ovaries can be done at the same time as a hysterectomy but it is my understanding that if the ovaries are healthy the doctor leaves them in so that you will not go thru an early menopause.

Both of my ovaries were covered with cysts. The doctor removed one ovary and part of the other one. I went thru a natural menapause in my 40's.

I'm guessing that you are having pain and/or heavy periods or the doctor wouldn't recommend a hysterectomy. I have read articles and a book that suggested that one should not have a hysterectomy if at all possible. If you are having pain I would recommend a hysterectomy. I felt much better afterwards.

I also had endometriosis and had a great deal of pain. I still had some pain for years after the hysterectomy. I felt much better after I went thru a natural menapause 15 years later Menopause shut down hormone production from that one partial overy. Aas long as one has part of an ovary they continue to have a monthly cycle of hormones. And hormones cause changes in the endometrium that is left behind when one has endometriosis.

The doctor recommended leaving part of an ovary in so that I wouldn't have an early menapause. Now I would investigate further to see if an early menopause might have given me more relief from pain and still been a healthy choice for other reasons.

I've recently discovered naturopathic doctors. Before having surgery, it might be worth your time to find one and see what other options you have (do a google search in your area, or look in the yellow pages under physicians, naturopathic). They have a whole different world of treatments, which aim to cure the body so it can heal itself without drugs and surgery. It might be intense, though, such as diet changes. I've been going to http://hillsboronaturalmedicine.com/ in the Portland area, and she's fantastic, but they are all over. You can simply ask a question on the website (like can you treat fibroids?), and she typically emails back right away. It's worth a shot. Good luck!

from what I understand if the fibroids are not hurting you, there is no reason to remove them.. I discovered I had fibroids when I had pain but it was painful a few times but always went away.. I thought I would have complications when I got pregnant and it did grow a bit but never interfered or hurt throughout my pregnancy.. Now that I've had the baby, I've had no pain and the doctor said there's no reason to remove them.. it's not harmful to you is what I understand unless of course you are in constant pain!

I had surgury to remove mine and have not had them back yet. It was a fast and simple procedure. My mom had a hysterectomy and was just fine. If you are done having children it may be a way to go. I was not done, but I now that I am I am sure I will get a hysterectomy if they come back.

D.

I'm 44 years old. My Dr.found fibroids 5 years ago on my uterous. I have had unbearable periods for the past 6 years. I tried to get through it without having any medical treatment other than, check-ups and advice from my Gynecologist but after years of pain and unbarrible heavy periods. I had to do something, so 7 months ago I had "Endmetrial Ablation" surgery to try to help the heavy periods. It helped for a month, then I was right back to the awful periods again. I am in the beginning stage of menopause...(not at all fun)!!
I have cramps all the time. My body feels like it's in labor all the time due to Endometriosis. (That I just found out a week ago that I have).
I have had 4 babies...my youngest is almost 20.
So needless to say no desire for more babies.
I am scheduled for a hysterectomy in one month...I'm having a procedure called, "Robotic Da Vinci" I have heard nothing but great things about this procedure for a hysterectomy! It's a much quicker recovery, shorter stay in the hospital, and much less pain after surgery. Also I'm told I will be able to get on with my normal daily life much sooner, then if I had a vaginal or abdominal hysterectomy. I'm looking forward to this. Not that I want to have surgery...but I want to feel good again and I want to do it quickly and as pain free as possible.
If you do decide or find that a hysterectomy is what you need. You may want to check into this da vinci surgery.
You can look it up online, its a very helpful and informative website...www.davincihysterectomy.com
I hope this is of some help to you.
Good luck.
The Lord be with you~

If I were you I'd get a second opinion about treating the fybroids. I've had them myself for several years (I'm 53) and even though she has kept an eye on my fybroid tumors by giving me a ultrasound with each physical my doctor hasn't suggested we should do anything about it unless they become too painful for me each month during my menstrual cycle. My doctor told me that IF I couldn't hang in there until menopause we would discuss removing my uterus via an hysterectomy. She assured me that they very, very rarely become cancerous and are not much more than just uncomfortable while a woman is still having her periods.

I guess I'm just saying that surgery of any kind seems a bit drastic for me unless your fybroids are cancerous or are causing you a LOT of trouble during your menstrual cycle. I often suffer terrible cramps and bleeding each month but am willing to hang tough until menopause because I really don't feel like surgery for this particular condition is a good idea just because I have bad cramps once a month.

Maybe you would benefit from doing some research on line about fybroid tumors and that might help you decided how far you want to go to get rid of them. WebMD is a great place to learn about such things.

Good luck.
C.

I think you should get a second opinion too! What one doctor says might be totally different from what the next one will tell you.
I'm not sure where you live but I go to a great office of all women ob/gyn. It's called Valley Obstetrics and Gynecology and it's over next to Valley Medical Ctr in Renton WA.
Good luck to you.

Jenn-
I'm 33 and pregnant with my second baby. I have very large internal and external uterine fibroids that have grown with each child to the point that (with my last baby) the fibroids made my uterus the size it would be if I were three months pregnant. They've gotten even larger this time. As you probably know, they're incredibly painful when you're pregnant, and even when you're not.

I was told pre-first baby that I would never be able to have children and was offered the options of hysterectomy or Uterine Fibroid Embolism. I chose the UFE hoping it would work and increase the slim chance I had to have kids. It was a simple, expensive procedure that did absolutely nothing to help. The fibroids didn't shrink at all. I wouldn't recommend it.

I would strongly recommend getting several opinions on how to deal with your fibroids. There are a lot of options.

I had UFE or Uterine Fibroid Embolization done at OHSU by one of the leading doctors who was doing a study about 10 years ago. It was suggested that I look into this by my gyno who was very advanced technically at the time. I had another opinion from another gyno to have the full surgery with possiblity of full hysterectomoy. I did not want that cause I was still young enough and hadnt had kids yet. I chose the embolization cause they thought that it would still give me a chance. Although I wasnt the best candidate as the size and location of the fibroid made it questionable whether it would work.

It did. The embolization was pain free and outpatient day surgery. I was up and back to work in less than a week. It was a success in it stopped the excessive monthly bleeding and reduced the size of my fibroids to the point of no symptoms, but did not get rid of them.

I find that the male doctors are much quicker to do hysterctomies and dont quite understand the emotional desire to keep everything in tact even if you arent planning on having more children. I also found that I couldnt let go of that possibility and knew that I was a long way off of menopause even in my mid thirties.

I ended up having the fibroids removed 4 years later as the symptoms returned. But, even with those two surgeries, I was able to conceive with artificial insemination on the first try being 41 years old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would definitely try the UFE if you can. It cant hurt and it is much less invasive, and extreme in terms of losing your uterus and hormones and time off work and everything else. I am sure that there are more doctors doing them locally now with alot more practice and I hope you have good success.

There is also a book out there I used to help me with my decision called the no hysterectomy solution. I saw it recently on the shelves of powells, but dont know if it is still in print.

Feel free to contact me if I can offer any more information, support, or anything else.

I have PCOS which was diagnosed by my gyn.I had polyups.Bleeding was bad.I had a partial hysterctomy and would do it in a heart beat again.I had this done 5 years ago.It is great!I tried a bunch of other things like pills,shots,and 4 d and c's.Nothing helped!