Tell Me About Uterine Fibroids UPDATE: NO FIBROIDS! Post #1

[Ginevra]

Because that's probably what I'm dealing with here. I go for a sonogram next week. 😣

 

 

Updated: sono results say NO fibroids, no tumors, nothing out of the ordinary except an ovarian cyst that was on it's way to resolution. So - YAY! Also, mammogram (routine) was clear.

 

So, I go on Friday to review the blood work results, so maybe that will have something to say about how far down the perimenopause road I've travelled, and also what we can do about horrendous periods at this point. I was found to have a blood clotting disorder several years ago, so that puts a crimp in some of our options.

 

Thank you all who sent prayers and good thoughts. 😊

Edited August 23, 2017 by Quill

[Laurie4b]

Make sure they are fibroids. If there is any ambiguity, go the route of further testing. 

[Liz CA]

A supplemental amount of progesterone can shrink fibroids - evidently in some people. I never knew about this and then it was too late for me. If you end up dealing with fibroids and want to try something else before surgery, it may be worth a shot.

[Guest]

Make sure they are fibroids. If there is any ambiguity, go the route of further testing.

Is that through biopsy?

[FaithManor]

I have a few. They were picked up on the CT scan after the car accident - incidentalomas as the doctor put them. Mine are small and do not cause me any symptoms so the OBGYN has chosen to leave them alone because often when a woman goes through menopause they shrink/disappear. Since I am late peri-menopausal I chose the wait and see if the problem resolves itself.

[Guest]

I have a few. They were picked up on the CT scan after the car accident - incidentalomas as the doctor put them. Mine are small and do not cause me any symptoms so the OBGYN has chosen to leave them alone because often when a woman goes through menopause they shrink/disappear. Since I am late peri-menopausal I chose the wait and see if the problem resolves itself.

That's a nice possibility, but I don't think that will be true for me. My last "period" (not sure it can really be called that) was 18 days long. And when the doctor was doing her palpations, she hit a spot that made me cry out.

 

I hate medical things! I really just want to be blissfully healthy until one day I just fail to wake up. I don't like needles and surgeries and appointments and tissue samples and instructions about coming in with a full bladder. I'm a weenie and a whimp.

[Liz CA]

That's a nice possibility, but I don't think that will be true for me. My last "period" (not sure it can really be called that) was 18 days long. And when the doctor was doing her palpations, she hit a spot that made me cry out.

 

I hate medical things! I really just want to be blissfully healthy until one day I just fail to wake up. I don't like needles and surgeries and appointments and tissue samples and instructions about coming in with a full bladder. I'm a weenie and a whimp.

 

Perhaps also endometriosis? The long bleeding may point in this direction.

 

[Guest]

Perhaps also endometriosis? The long bleeding may point in this direction.

 

I guess we'll find out.

[FaithManor]

That's a nice possibility, but I don't think that will be true for me. My last "period" (not sure it can really be called that) was 18 days long. And when the doctor was doing her palpations, she hit a spot that made me cry out.

 

I hate medical things! I really just want to be blissfully healthy until one day I just fail to wake up. I don't like needles and surgeries and appointments and tissue samples and instructions about coming in with a full bladder. I'm a weenie and a whimp.

So sorry Quill! Those sound  a lot worse than what I have. Hopefully  it can be taken care of by ablation or some other not too surgical kind of procedure.

[RegGuheert]

MomsintheGarden got a grapefruit-sized fibroid cyst soon after starting on birth-control pills which contained not-human-identical estrogen.  I am convinced that was NOT a coincidence.  She had to have emergency surgery when the cyst (which we did not know about at the time) fell over and cut off its own blood supply.

 

If you are using any products which provide estrogen to your body, I recommend that you look closely at them.

 

:grouphug:  We'll pray for you.  I hope you can get this resolved soon.

[scholastica]

Because that's probably what I'm dealing with here. I go for a sonogram next week. 😣

The only person I know who had them had to have a hysterectomy. She was is a lot pain with long periods and it affected her moods and anxiety level. They were benign and after that all was well. I hope you get answers and that it's no big deal.

[Guest]

MomsintheGarden got a grapefruit-sized fibroid cyst soon after starting on birth-control pills which contained not-human-identical estrogen. I am convinced that was NOT a coincidence. She had to have emergency surgery when the cyst (which we did not know about at the time) fell over and cut off its own blood supply.

 

If you are using any products which provide estrogen to your body, I recommend that you look closely at them.

 

:grouphug: We'll pray for you. I hope you can get this resolved soon.

How scary! No, I don't have any estrogen products at the moment; haven't for a long, long time. Thanks for the prayers.

[Guest]

Hugs and prayers, Quill.

 

ETA my mother and stepmother both had severe issues with fibroids, requiring hysterectomies. They were much happier after their respective surgeries.

Wow. That is kinda terrifying to me.

[Pawz4me]

I had a hysterectomy years ago due to a large fibroid. Due to its size and location I wasn't a candidate for any of the other procedures (which I have now forgotten the names of). I tried BCPs for a couple of months to see if they would help reduce my bleeding (and the resulting anemia) but they didn't work. My hysterectomy was done vaginally and other than some anesthesia related nausea I had no trouble at all. Three days afterwards I felt better than I'd felt in years.

[catz]

I had a fibroid that grew to cantaloupe size while I was pregnant. My csection was not pretty and it had to be removed via emergency surgery.

 

Fibroids are very common and can be distinguished easily on ultra sound. Mine was never biopsied.

 

Many people live with them if they are mostly asymptomatic. There is a technique where they can cut off blood supply too. I definitely would not panic about it at all.

[Guest]

I had a hysterectomy years ago due to a large fibroid. Due to its size and location I wasn't a candidate for any of the other procedures (which I have now forgotten the names of). I tried BCPs for a couple of months to see if they would help reduce my bleeding (and the resulting anemia) but they didn't work. My hysterectomy was done vaginally and other than some anesthesia related nausea I had no trouble at all. Three days afterwards I felt better than I'd felt in years.

Well, if it comes to that I'll be re-reading this post ten or twenty times to reassure myself. Cutting out body parts generally sounds like not the most fun I could have.

[Faithful_Steward]

I had several fibroids in my early thirties. My main symptom was long periods. It's been a while, but I think they cut them out and cleaned out the entire uterine lining. They biopsied the whole mess; everything came back fine and they never returned.

 

I hope you have a simple resolution, too.

Edited August 12, 2017 by Faithful_Steward

[HS Mom in NC]

I had 4 fibroids.  One was so large (just over 1#) it blocked my left ureter and folded by bladder in half, so I sort of had two bladders with one never fully draining.  The heavy bleeding was contributing to my being anemic.  (The other factor was crazy low B-12.) I was 10 years beyond having a baby and that one was adopted, so I opted for having the hysterectomy over having just the fibroids removed. (I kept my ovaries.) I had my cervix out too because there was a fibroid in it.

I had the robotic surgery 3 years ago where they make several small holes in the abdomen and remove everything through the vagina.  It was 6 solid weeks of recovery because I was over 40 (younger people can recover in 3 weeks.) They still have to keep slicing the abdomen open as a back up plan for robotic surgery candidates because once they get in and look around, there are situations that make them abandon plan A for plan B.
 

Biopsies of what they removed showed no cancer.
 

I'm thrilled with the results. 

Edited August 12, 2017 by Homeschool Mom in AZ

[Seasider]

That's a nice possibility, but I don't think that will be true for me. My last "period" (not sure it can really be called that) was 18 days long. And when the doctor was doing her palpations, she hit a spot that made me cry out.

 

I hate medical things! I really just want to be blissfully healthy until one day I just fail to wake up. I don't like needles and surgeries and appointments and tissue samples and instructions about coming in with a full bladder. I'm a weenie and a whimp.

I had a couple of large ones that caused near emergency level bleeding each month and periods that didn't want to end. What really drove me crazy was the fact that I was having frequent urination issues. Not incontinence - I didn't wet my pants - but I felt like I had to pee ALL THE TIME. Quite annoying. Anyway, the doctor said she felt that meant the fibroids were large enough to possibly be pressing against my bladder and either irritating it or reducing capacity. Sure enough, when she visited me after the hysterectomy surgery, she said I should feel much better because the fibroids were indeed large enough to be getting in the way of things.

 

I am much more relaxed now LOL. Plus I am living in white shorts this summer for the first time in years.

 

Hope your issues get resolved soon and easily.

[Pronghorn]

I had lots of little fibroids, which caused extremely heavy bleeding and long periods. You may need extra iron, if your experience is like mine. I was anemic, and my uterus became enlarged. Eventually, I had a hysterectomy. Within a couple of weeks, I started feeling much much healthier, even though I was still recovering from surgery. Emotionally, it was hard, because I wanted to have children. But we adopted our wonderful daughter, and I have no regrets.

[Guest]

I had 4 fibroids. One was so large (just over 1#) it blocked my left ureter and folded by bladder in half, so I sort of had two bladders with one never fully draining. The heavy bleeding was contributing to my being anemic. (The other factor was crazy low B-12.) I was 10 years beyond having a baby and that one was adopted, so I opted for having the hysterectomy over having just the fibroids removed. (I kept my ovaries.) I had my cervix out too because there was a fibroid in it.

 

I had the robotic surgery 3 years ago where they make several small holes in the abdomen and remove everything through the vagina. It was 6 solid weeks of recovery because I was over 40 (younger people can recover in 3 weeks.) They still have to keep slicing the abdomen open as a back up plan for robotic surgery candidates because once they get in and look around, there are situations that make them abandon plan A for plan B.

 

Biopsies of what they removed showed no cancer.

 

I'm thrilled with the results.

Well, your description of the way it impeded your bladder is interesting (terrifying, but interesting), because first, during her palpation, she hit a sensitive spot and it felt like it hurt my bladder. I had just started to say, "That kind of hurt in my bladder -" when she poked the other spot and I yelped. And that was when she said in a very definitive way, "You need to be screened for fibroids."

[Guest]

I had a couple of large ones that caused near emergency level bleeding each month and periods that didn't want to end. What really drove me crazy was the fact that I was having frequent urination issues. Not incontinence - I didn't wet my pants - but I felt like I had to pee ALL THE TIME. Quite annoying. Anyway, the doctor said she felt that meant the fibroids were large enough to possibly be pressing against my bladder and either irritating it or reducing capacity. Sure enough, when she visited me after the hysterectomy surgery, she said I should feel much better because the fibroids were indeed large enough to be getting in the way of things.

 

I am much more relaxed now LOL. Plus I am living in white shorts this summer for the first time in years.

 

Hope your issues get resolved soon and easily.

Yeah...I can see that. I don't have urinary incontinence, either, but it's like a family joke around here about Mom-And-Her-Tiny-Bladder.

 

I have to smile about the white shorts, too, because I was recently admiring some white capris and how cute they looked with a certain top, but I was also thinking, "HaHaHa, NO."

[Seasider]

I had a hysterectomy years ago due to a large fibroid. Due to its size and location I wasn't a candidate for any of the other procedures (which I have now forgotten the names of). I tried BCPs for a couple of months to see if they would help reduce my bleeding (and the resulting anemia) but they didn't work. My hysterectomy was done vaginally and other than some anesthesia related nausea I had no trouble at all. Three days afterwards I felt better than I'd felt in years.

Fibroids rule out the chances of a successful ablation procedure, depending on how large they are. My doc offered a hormone Rx solution, but since that's sort of trial and error on the dosage, and I was battling chronic anemia from blood loss, the hysterectomy was the best option. I kept my ovaries and they seem to be working just fine a year later - I still feel mild monthly PMS symptoms and only slight peri symptoms (though the heavy bleeding is often a pre-menopause symptom in itself).

 

She said that if I could wait things out, the fibroids would naturally shrink following menopause. But because of the anemia and the inability to predict how long it would be before I stopped cycling on my own, removing the uterus seemed the best course of action.

[Guest]

Yeah, I had bloodwork today too and anemia is quite probable. I have had it before in my life and after that long bleed, I had that no-energy feeling again.

[MotherGoose]

I haven't been diagnosed with anything besides heavy periods. I'm 42. But I do have mirena iUD to stop the heavy bleeding. If you are looking for a non surgical option you might consider that.

[Guest]

I haven't been diagnosed with anything besides heavy periods. I'm 42. But I do have mirena iUD to stop the heavy bleeding. If you are looking for a non surgical option you might consider that.

She talked about that, but the fibroid thing has to be figured out first. Also, I have a blood clotting disorder which has to be considered in coming up with a plan of action.

[MotherGoose]

She talked about that, but the fibroid thing has to be figured out first. Also, I have a blood clotting disorder which has to be considered in coming up with a plan of action.

 

It has made my periods go away entirely. So if it the other issues are taken care of then consider. :)

[Laurie4b]

Is that through biopsy?

 

Maybe. If there is any ambiguity on the imaging ie if the radiologist says "Fibroids but there is this quality or that trait that could indicated blah blah blah, follow up with more imaging, biopsy or whatever is needed until it is no longer ambiguous. Hard lesson from a friend. 

[Guest]

Maybe. If there is any ambiguity on the imaging ie if the radiologist says "Fibroids but there is this quality or that trait that could indicated blah blah blah, follow up with more imaging, biopsy or whatever is needed until it is no longer ambiguous. Hard lesson from a friend.

I hear ya. Good advice in general.

[MercyA]

My mom had a grapefruit-sized fibroid that caused very heavy bleeding and a feeling of heaviness in her abdomen. She dislikes doctors and medical procedures and chose to wait it out until menopause. It did shrink after that time and she has had no more problems. However, she dealt with the symptoms for years.

 

Honestly, if it were me (and it might be later!), I think I'd just have my uterus out and be done with it. I had laparoscopic surgery for endo, which I know is not as major, but really it was not bad at all (and I can't even stand to have my teeth cleaned!). The worst parts were feeling so sleepy waking up from the anesthesia and then having my bladder go numb for a couple days (a side effect of the anesthesia, which I think is fairly uncommon). I am so thankful for general anesthesia. You go to sleep and wake up done. If you have to have surgery, you will be okay. 

 

Let us know what you find out.  :grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[HS Mom in NC]

Well, your description of the way it impeded your bladder is interesting (terrifying, but interesting), because first, during her palpation, she hit a sensitive spot and it felt like it hurt my bladder. I had just started to say, "That kind of hurt in my bladder -" when she poked the other spot and I yelped. And that was when she said in a very definitive way, "You need to be screened for fibroids."

 

The way I found out about all this was having strange abdominal and side pain.  I went to urgent care.  The doctor said I needed a CT the next morning.  When the results came back it was clear the pain was from my kidney being backed up because the ureter was blocked by what was probably a fibroid.  He said go to the OB/GYN ASAP.  OB/GYN did a sonogram, saw the fibroids and referred me to a urologist for a consult.  

 

Urologist said I had 2 choices-go under general that week and have the stents put in until surgery could be scheduled with the OB/GYN 3 weeks later or get a prescription for pain meds and wait the 3 weeks and have them both done at the same time.  I have a hard time with anesthesia, so I got the meds and crossed my fingers hoping I didn't have another pain episode before the surgery.  I didn't, so I didn't even need the meds. The urologist  insisted on being present at the surgery and doing the stents in both ureters first to make sure neither was cut during the surgery-apparently that's a possible complication since they're fairly hard to see. 

 

I vomited violently for 3 solid hours in the recovery room.  I have no memory of it, but I think it was a contributing factor to my slower recovery.

 

I wasn't willing to do an ablation because some people have bleeding in the muscle and it's hard for screenings to detect uterine cancer before stages 3 or 4.  No thanks.

 

[Melissa in Australia]

I apparently have several small fibroids. GYN wasn't concerned about them and was pushing a mirena. I didn't want hormones. So he basically said live with them until I change my mind but he said it more politely. I bleed very heavily, but only for a few days. I have moderate anemia

Edited August 12, 2017 by Melissa in Australia

[Seasider]

I had a cyst and fibroids. If possible financially, get a hysterectomy. Really. It's over and done with, maybe medium pain for a couple days, slight pain for a week. No more long, drawn out periods, clots, emotional back-and-firths, etc. I wish I'd had it done years ago.

I have to agree, because I was comfortable knowing I'd keep my ovaries unless the doc found them in bad shape upon going in. Very liberating with no downside here. I know others have varying experiences but it has been great for me.

[Guest]

I had a cyst and fibroids. If possible financially, get a hysterectomy. Really. It's over and done with, maybe medium pain for a couple days, slight pain for a week. No more long, drawn out periods, clots, emotional back-and-firths, etc. I wish I'd had it done years ago.

  

I have to agree, because I was comfortable knowing I'd keep my ovaries unless the doc found them in bad shape upon going in. Very liberating with no downside here. I know others have varying experiences but it has been great for me.

Had either of you ladies had only vaginal births prior to hysterectomy? I'm assuming if a woman had a previous ceasearian scar, they will enter from there, but I don't know what approach they take if there was no existing abdonimal entry point.

 

I am a terrible ruminator. This is going to drive me nuts until I go back to the doctor with hopefully some answers! I leave for vacation tomorrow...I should be a great vacationer...not really.

[Seasider]

Had either of you ladies had only vaginal births prior to hysterectomy? I'm assuming if a woman had a previous ceasearian scar, they will enter from there, but I don't know what approach they take if there was no existing abdonimal entry point.

 

I am a terrible ruminator. This is going to drive me nuts until I go back to the doctor with hopefully some answers! I leave for vacation tomorrow...I should be a great vacationer...not really.

No. I'd had both vaginal and csection. The plan was to begin laparoscopically, involving two small (1/2") incisions on each side of my abdomen and the same in the navel. Because previous procedures (multiples, 2 sections, 3 hernia repairs) created the possibility that there would be adhesions from scarring, I knew that during the procedure the surgeon might need to resort to a full incision old style hysterectomy, and I was prepared for an 8 week recovery period. It was only in the recovery room that I would/did learn for sure how the procedure went. I don't think I'm your typical case, though!

 

Recovery was short, 2-3 weeks of achiness and feeling low energy, but I wasn't totally laid out, iykwim. The lifting restriction is the hardest part, nothing over ten pounds for 8-10 weeks. Got me out of a few chores!!!

Edited August 12, 2017 by Seasider

[Pawz4me]

  

Had either of you ladies had only vaginal births prior to hysterectomy? I'm assuming if a woman had a previous ceasearian scar, they will enter from there, but I don't know what approach they take if there was no existing abdonimal entry point.

 

I am a terrible ruminator. This is going to drive me nuts until I go back to the doctor with hopefully some answers! I leave for vacation tomorrow...I should be a great vacationer...not really. 

I had two c-sections prior to my hysterectomy. Because my fibroid was so large the doctor couldn't assure me he could do the surgery vaginally, but trying that way first was the plan. Thankfully he was able to.

 

I was almost 43 when I had mine. Recovery was an absolute breeze, although I was NOT a good patient. I did all sorts of things I wasn't supposed to do (lifting too much too soon, driving too soon, etc.). But I honestly felt SO much better than I had it was really hard to not do things. Plus the boys were just 6 and 9 at the time, so . . . 

 

Really, the only thing I regret is that I didn't have the surgery a few years sooner than I did. I would have enjoyed those years so much more!

 

:grouphug:

[HS Mom in NC]

  

Had either of you ladies had only vaginal births prior to hysterectomy? I'm assuming if a woman had a previous ceasearian scar, they will enter from there, but I don't know what approach they take if there was no existing abdonimal entry point.

 

I am a terrible ruminator. This is going to drive me nuts until I go back to the doctor with hopefully some answers! I leave for vacation tomorrow...I should be a great vacationer...not really.

I had a previous c-section.  It was the back up plan to go through that scar if the robotic options didn't work out.

[HS Mom in NC]

No. I'd had both vaginal and csection. The plan was to begin laparoscopically, involving two small (1/2") incisions on each side of my abdomen and the same in the navel. Because previous procedures (multiples, 2 sections, 3 hernia repairs) created the possibility that there would be adhesions from scarring, I knew that during the procedure the surgeon might need to resort to a full incision old style hysterectomy, and I was prepared for an 8 week recovery period. It was only in the recovery room that I would/did learn for sure how the procedure went. I don't think I'm your typical case, though!

 

Recovery was short, 2-3 weeks of achiness and feeling low energy, but I wasn't totally laid out, iykwim. The lifting restriction is the hardest part, nothing over ten pounds for 8-10 weeks. Got me out of a few chores!!!

 

That's what they told me and I had only had 1 previous c-section.  It seemed what they were telling me was standard.

 

[Guest]

I have only had vaginal births and never have had any abdominal surgery. There's nothing "conveniently" ;) already there from a prior surgery. I wonder what the strategy would be, but I guess I am way ahead of myself here. First, diagnose. Then treat.

[Seasider]

I have only had vaginal births and never have had any abdominal surgery. There's nothing "conveniently" ;) already there from a prior surgery. I wonder what the strategy would be, but I guess I am way ahead of myself here. First, diagnose. Then treat.

My GUESS is that you'd be at a lower risk of adhesions and a better chance of successful laparoscopic removal.

[Mandamom]

This is only tangentally related.

 

I'm perimenopausal and just went through a 6 week long period from hell. 

 

I had been told years ago that I was anemic but it wasn't enough to do anything about. The doc didn't even say take any extra iron. 

 

Anyway, did some reading and discovered that since I was anemic it was causing heavier periods which made me more anemic. This cycle I could live without. So, in desperation I went to Walmart (I"m normally a vitacost girl) and grabbed some iron. It ended 4 days later. I'm still taking the iron and plan to for a while. 

 

I was surprised at how quickly it worked so I thought I'd share. 

 

Feel better soon. 

[Guest]

Forgot I have to bump this.