Wanna share your experience with fibroids? Ugh.

[MEmama]

Earlier this week I had a couple of ultrasounds that verified a suspected fibroid. 9 cms! 😞

My doctor is referring me to a specialist, but of course the process will take time in these covid times and in the meantime I’m not sure what to expect. I *definitely* want to get rid of it— it seems even at 49 I’m a ways out from menopause and it causes all kinds of discomfort. I’ve been reading about various surgeries and am surprised by the recovery times. My C section recovery didn’t take nearly as long as what I’m reading! 
 

Does anyone have experiences/advice/commiseration? 
 

 

 

[1234]

I have a few and one is too large for the easier options like ablation. I’ve just decided to live with it for now, so I don’t really have any great advice. I’ve had two ultrasounds six months apart to make sure they weren’t fast growing (they didn’t change at all) and bloodwork both times as well to make sure he wasn’t missing something. Some months are worse than others but I’m just not really ready for any of the available options. I’m sorry you’re dealing with it too.

[Terabith]

I didn’t have fibroids but I had a 20 lb ovarian cyst that required an open hysterectomy with a 15 inch incision.  It was painful but while I followed the no lifting rules for six weeks, I was pretty much back to normal in two. 

[HS Mom in NC]

I had 3 uterine and 1 cervical.  The largest, after translated into relatable measurements to me, was 1#-so large if caused my left kidney to stop draining properly. I was 41.  I had robotic surgery where there are 3 small entry points in the abdomen you "birth" what's being removed vaginally.  I had the option of keeping my uterus and cervix or getting rid of them.  I opted to get rid of them.  YAY! I have no known family history of ovarian cancer, so I kept those. (They suggest removing them if you do have a history as a precaution.)

Recovery took much longer than expected.  They say 6 weeks, but being older, it can take longer.  It was a solid 10 before I was back to my normal hiking self.

It's one of the best health decisions I ever made. Fibroids had contributed to my anemia.  After the recovery from surgery, I felt better in general than I had in years.

I hope you figure out an approach that you're confident and comfortable with.  Just make sure you have physical support lined up longer than think you need, so if it takes longer, you're already prepared for that.

[MEmama]

7 minutes ago, Terabith said:

I didn’t have fibroids but I had a 20 lb ovarian cyst that required an open hysterectomy with a 15 inch incision.  It was painful but while I followed the no lifting rules for six weeks, I was pretty much back to normal in two. 

Wow—I’m glad recovery didn’t take too long for you! 

[MEmama]

2 minutes ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

I had 3 uterine and 1 cervical.  The largest, after translated into relatable measurements to me, was 1#-so large if caused my left kidney to stop draining properly. I was 41.  I had robotic surgery where there are 3 small entry points in the abdomen you "birth" what's being removed vaginally.  I had the option of keeping my uterus and cervix or getting rid of them.  I opted to get rid of them.  YAY! I have no known family history of ovarian cancer, so I kept those. (They suggest removing them if you do have a history as a precaution.)

Recovery took much longer than expected.  They say 6 weeks, but being older, it can take longer.  It was a solid 10 before I was back to my normal hiking self.

It's one of the best health decisions I ever made. Fibroids had contributed to my anemia.  After the recovery from surgery, I felt better in general than I had in years.

I hope you figure out an approach that you're confident and comfortable with.  Just make sure you have physical support lined up longer than think you need, so if it takes longer, you're already prepared for that.

Good advice, thank you. 

Some of our hospitals have had to put a hold on elective surgeries because of covid overwhelm, so I might have to wait quite awhile. It sounds like winter would be ideal though, in case recovery is long. 

I'd love to get rid of my baby making parts— I’m still bitter that no one told me I could have had my tubes tied during my c-section. I would have jumped on the opportunity and avoided decades of worry about getting accidentally pregnant. Would have saved a lot of anxiety!

[Pawz4me]

I had a vaginal hysterectomy when I was 41. Three days later I felt way better than I had felt in years. The first 24 hours was a little rough, but only because I don’t do well with anesthesia. After that I felt fine. 

[HS Mom in NC]

8 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

I had a vaginal hysterectomy when I was 41. Three days later I felt way better than I had felt in years. The first 24 hours was a little rough, but only because I don’t do well with anesthesia. After that I felt fine. 

Oh, that reminds me, if you're a person who struggles after surgery because of anesthesia (I vomit violently for about 3 hours) tell the surgical team that when you meet before surgery.  They have approaches now where they can target that.  During my recent neck surgery recovery I wasn't even a tiny bit nauseated.  It felt miraculous. 

[Faith-manor]

I am so sorry, OP. I had two fibroids but they were very small, and we would not have known they were there if I had not been in the car accident and had a CT looking for possible internal bleeding. It was what the radiologist called, "finding accidentals". I was so injured, I could not really handle obstetrics examination and treatment for six months, and by then with the care of our very much more injured son, I totally forgot to do anything about them. Then I got into the nearly menopause stage of menopause, and they shrank up, disappeared, something. Not really sure, but they didn't show up four years later, and thought, " Sheesh. I should probably see the Gyn."

I think that if I had them at this stage, and they were big enough to be causing issues, I would consider a hysterectomy. But, it would be a tough call. My mom had a vaginal hysterectomy, and despite them tacking her bladder back in place and putting in some sort of support mesh, she has had bladder issues ever since. Her hysterectomy could not be avoided because it had prolapse badly. She kind of wishes something else could have been done about the prolapse in order to keep her uterus so she would.not have the bladder issue.

I hope you get very good advice, and whatever you choose to do, works very well for you!

[fairfarmhand]

I've read that the average age of menopause is 52...so there is that....

[Faith-manor]

20 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

I've read that the average age of menopause is 52...so there is that....

I wish! I am 53.5 and still occasionally have the stupid thing happen, and of course no way of predicting. So I am very angry with my ovaries at the moment. Just five it up already!

[fairfarmhand]

30 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

I wish! I am 53.5 and still occasionally have the stupid thing happen, and of course no way of predicting. So I am very angry with my ovaries at the moment. Just five it up already!

I'd love to wave a magic wand and vaporize my uterus. After having given me 4 children, it's done its duty and should just go away.

[Katy]

I have no personal experience but in my years of working in a gyne floor the only woman upset over needing a hysterectomy was 20 years old and not a mother yet. 

Most people with fibroids commented that they already felt better the first time they got up to walk, literally still hunched over and shaky. That may have been blood transfusions rather than the surgery (some had scary low numbers), but I was always surprised by how consistent the comments were. 

The only real complaints I heard were with the people who got their catheter removed too early, they were too swollen to pee and that got uncomfortable. 

[MEmama]

1 hour ago, fairfarmhand said:

I've read that the average age of menopause is 52...so there is that....

I’m going to guess it won’t be that early for me. My cycle is still every 3 weeks, so that plus ovulation—which is *multitudes* worse than actually having my period (likely because of the fibroid), I’m just constantly bloated and achy and miserable. Even if 52 was the magical number, it just can’t come fast enough. 

And now I must make brownies. Lol

[catz]

I had an extremely large fibroid (cantaloupe sized) removed during my first c-section.  Do not recommend 1/10, ugh super stressful pregnancy and delivery.  Weirdly enough I haven't had a fibroid since that I'm aware of.  I was able to have another baby after that which is probably a small miracle.  That also had to be an early c-section.

I am 51 and perimenopausal.  I have had heavy periods and other unpleasantness.  I went in a number of months back and had blood work and a pap smear, she offered me an US but didn't feel anything unusual other than being just very slightly anemic so I waited on that.  I added a prenatal vitamin, raspberry leaf and primrose oil.  Things are reasonably tolerant for the moment.  My mom hit menopause at 52-53 so I'm just trying to hang in there because it is not clear an ablation or a hysterectomy would solve my issues.  My biggest complaint is an uptick in anxiety.  Which I definitely think CAN be tied in with being anemic for me.  But ugh, with covid and too much time to think about that, that isn't helping.  

That said, I would definitely have an open mind at the specialist.  I know people who have had great results with surgeries with faster recovery times than a full hysterectomy even with large-ish fibroids.  

Edited October 27, 2021 by FuzzyCatz

[DeainUSA]

I had 3 mid to large ones found with my first pregnancy at 27.  

I lived/dealt with them until my 40's, then finally had a hysterectomy.  I have PCOS and many other issues as well that contributed to that decision along w the fibroids.  

They never caused me much issue aside from when I was pregnant, since they grew right along with the babies.  As I got older, they did shrink a bit.  Birth control was used to help shrink them as well, but I ended up with a PE from that.   

GL!  

[Faith-manor]

10 hours ago, fairfarmhand said:

I'd love to wave a magic wand and vaporize my uterus. After having given me 4 children, it's done its duty and should just go away.

For the ridiculous price we all pay for healthcare, and the abuse heaped on us by our reproductive systems and pregnancy/childbirth, I think the very least the medical community could do is save our uteruses when they yank them out, give us a big knife, and allow us to stab them like the Ides of March!

Edited October 28, 2021 by Faith-manor

[elegantlion]

I had a hysterectomy last fall. They suspected something else, but the biopsy showed fibroids and endometriosis. Mine was laproscopic. I had cervix, uterus, & ovaries removed. I stayed one night in the hospital. I felt better immediately, had a few weeks of taking it easy - about a week off work (I was working at home at the time). I never even picked up the pain meds they prescribed. I might have taken ibuprofen a few times. 

My surgery came after an ER visit, and bleeding that never stopped despite meds from the doctor. I had a period, mostly heavy, from about late June until late October when I had the surgery. There's no way I could have worked outside of the home at that time. Because of Covid the surgery was originally scheduled for February but an opening came up.  

I have no regrets, I feel better, I wish I had it done years ago. 

[fairfarmhand]

56 minutes ago, elegantlion said:

I had a hysterectomy last fall. They suspected something else, but the biopsy showed fibroids and endometriosis. Mine was laproscopic. I had cervix, uterus, & ovaries removed. I stayed one night in the hospital. I felt better immediately, had a few weeks of taking it easy - about a week off work (I was working at home at the time). I never even picked up the pain meds they prescribed. I might have taken ibuprofen a few times. 

My surgery came after an ER visit, and bleeding that never stopped despite meds from the doctor. I had a period, mostly heavy, from about late June until late October when I had the surgery. There's no way I could have worked outside of the home at that time. Because of Covid the surgery was originally scheduled for February but an opening came up.  

I have no regrets, I feel better, I wish I had it done years ago. 

I’ve never related more to the miracle Jesus did in healing the woman with th bleeding disorder until I hit age 38 and things turned into the monthly texas chainsaw massacre. That poor lady!