# Uterine fibroids



## Bellavista (May 29, 2012)

Warning to males: Contains graphic information about female issues..

Has anybody had any experience with these? I went today to have an ultrasound to see what might be going on with my misbehaving 'lady bits' and I am waiting to hear back from the doc to see if uterine fibroids might be the issue.

I have been having extremely heavy periods for the last 2 years, but only every 3 months or so. I have clots so big I feel them passing and soak through maternity pads every 2 hours or so. I have figured this was just peri-menopause, so didn't do anything.

But... in the last three weeks I have started bleeding for a couple of hours after sex and that is not something I can live with!

During the scan today, when she was scanning externally, the radiographer pressed hard on my pelvic area, which hurt like hell, and then did an internal ultrasound. Since then I have been bleeding heavily with huge clots, so I am thinking she squeezed something out with all of her pressing as there had been no bleeding or any sign of any period starting prior to the exam.

Anyway, has anybody has these, and what was the treatment? I have to go to the doc on Monday to get the results as the radiographer would not tell me the results and she had the screen turned away from me. She was however, doing lots of clicks and typing.


----------



## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

I've not experience this. Just wanted to give you a ((((hug)))). It sounds awful and worrisome.


----------



## Bellavista (May 29, 2012)

Thanks Ele, I will take all of the hugs I can get. These female problems are just one of the many things I am dealing with ATM..


----------



## MambaZee (Aug 6, 2013)

Hi Bella, I have fibroids but am not seeking treatment mainly because they'll just grow back and I don't want repeat procedures. However, I'm not having the same bleeding issues you're having, i.e. after sex. If my problems were worse, I probably would try and have them removed.

I suspect the fibroids are why my Novasure procedure last year didn't take. My doc told me that may happen. Like you, I started having very heavy periods that lasted about 10 days. I asked her about Novasure. During an exam, she could tell just by pressing on my abdomen that I had fibroids, so I had to get a hysteroscopy to see if I could even get the ablation. I also had a uterine polyp that needed to be removed.

I had everything done in a day, outpatient. Novasure, polypectomy, D&C. Knowing that it could take several months to see if the ablation worked, I waited, but had no change in the periods except for the duration. Instead of lasting 10 days, they went back down to about 7 (still sucks, IMO) but I have a day or two that's so heavy, I'm in the bathroom taking care of things hourly. Can't sleep through the night at those times. 

I'm 42 and am just waiting on menopause, if things don't get worse. If they do, I'll have to suck it up and get a hysterectomy since that's my only other option. I know that once I hit menopause, the estrogen that causes fibroid growth decreases, so they usually shrink on their own at that time. 

You can definitely get fibroids removed as long as their position/size is okay -- can't recall all the info right now, it's been a while since I researched all this. Your doc should be able to give you all your options. 

Best of luck!


----------



## ScarletBegonias (Jun 26, 2012)

Bellavista said:


> Warning to males: Contains graphic information about female issues..
> 
> Has anybody had any experience with these? I went today to have an ultrasound to see what might be going on with my misbehaving 'lady bits' and I am waiting to hear back from the doc to see if uterine fibroids might be the issue.
> 
> ...


Had them and they can be dangerous if you don't get them treated. If they attach to any major blood vessels in your uterus then somehow become detached,you're looking at an emergency situation.

They took the laser to mine then did a uterine ablasion to keep them from growing back. Eventually due to other issues a hysterectomy was needed.

Good Luck! The bleeding WILL stop once they remove the fibroids.


----------



## ScarletBegonias (Jun 26, 2012)

Also,they tried a D&C on me before they realized I had a huge fibroid growing in there...it made the bleeding worse the following month then after that,it didn't stop for more than a few days at a time.

I'm not trying to scare you,just trying to help you understand while they can be harmless in many cases,they can be very dangerous in other cases.


----------



## MambaZee (Aug 6, 2013)

ScarletBegonias said:


> Had them and they can be dangerous if you don't get them treated. If they attach to any major blood vessels in your uterus then somehow become detached,you're looking at an emergency situation.


Scarlet, did your doctor do any special procedures to see if yours were in a dangerous position or anything? Because mine doesn't seem all that concerned about mine.


----------



## ScarletBegonias (Jun 26, 2012)

MambaZee said:


> Scarlet, did your doctor do any special procedures to see if yours were in a dangerous position or anything? Because mine doesn't seem all that concerned about mine.


He didn't say anything about the position.Just the size of it was what had him very concerned.It wasn't enormous or anything but it was big enough to make him concerned about the amount of blood vessels it involved.If it ruptured or became detached somehow,I could have bled out very fast.


----------



## Anon Pink (Jan 17, 2013)

Scarlet, did you have any pain?

Bella, the painful nature is what concerns me. Fibroids, to the best of my knowledge, are painless. It's possible and most likely that the pain you felt during the ultrasound was intestinal and not uterine. You had to have a full bladder during this procedure right? That could have cramped up your intestine and when she pushed, ouch!

Don't wait, make calls to ensure the doc is getting the radiologist report. 

Hopefully a D&C and you're good to go. I have had two D&Cs...piece of cake and really nice to have normal periods once again.


----------



## ScarletBegonias (Jun 26, 2012)

Anon Pink said:


> Scarlet, did you have any pain?


Possibly no pain associated with that but I really have no way of answering accurately since I also had severe endometriosis too.


----------



## Phenix70 (May 6, 2012)

I have them, as well as a cyst on my right ovary. 
Yay for me. 
I was told my treatment options were going on the pill to shrink the size of the fibroids & the cyst, or having a hysterectomy, or doing nothing.
I chose going on the pill, I stayed on it only for about 3 weeks because my BP shot through the roof & since I had never had high BP before, that danger to me was greater than the fibroids or the cyst.
I refuse to have the hysterectomy as well, so I'm right back where I started at, wait & see since I have had shrinkage in the size of the fibroids & cyst. 

At Anon Pink, actually pain is a recognizable symptom of having uterine fibroids, especially pain that doesn't go away & it's often accompanied by pelvic pressure.


----------



## ScarletBegonias (Jun 26, 2012)

Phenix70 said:


> I have them, as well as a cyst on my right ovary.
> Yay for me.
> I was told my treatment options were going on the pill to shrink the size of the fibroids & the cyst, or having a hysterectomy, or doing nothing.
> I chose going on the pill, I stayed on it only for about 3 weeks because my BP shot through the roof & since I had never had high BP before, that danger to me was greater than the fibroids or the cyst.
> ...


Have you considered just doing the uterine ablasion for the fibroids then having dr do laparoscopic laser on cyst(s)? 

Of course,the only way you could consider the ablasion is if you aren't interesting in having children or more children if you already have them.


----------



## Phenix70 (May 6, 2012)

ScarletBegonias said:


> Have you considered just doing the uterine ablasion for the fibroids then having dr do laparoscopic laser on cyst(s)?
> 
> Of course,the only way you could consider the ablasion is if you aren't interesting in having children or more children if you already have them.


The thing for me was, even though I'm Child Free, I still wanted to have the choice to have a child, even though I'm 43.
Yeah, I know craziness in of itself, but the thought of having the ability to have a child taken from me due to a medical procedure really did a number on me mentally.
I never realized how much it did matter until this happened.


----------



## ScarletBegonias (Jun 26, 2012)

Phenix70 said:


> The thing for me was, even though I'm Child Free, I still wanted to have the choice to have a child, even though I'm 43.
> Yeah, I know craziness in of itself, but the thought of having the ability to have a child taken from me due to a medical procedure really did a number on me mentally.
> I never realized how much it did matter until this happened.


I hear you,I didn't want anymore children until the option was being taken away from me.I ended up happy that I didn't have another one but it didn't make losing the choice any easier.

The worst part about the whole situation is the mental aspect,in my opinion.


----------



## Rowan (Apr 3, 2012)

ScarletBegonias said:


> I hear you,I didn't want anymore children until the option was being taken away from me.I ended up happy that I didn't have another one but it didn't make losing the choice any easier.
> 
> The worst part about the whole situation is the mental aspect,in my opinion.


:iagree:

I needed my hysterectomy. But that didn't help me to be any less sad about losing my fertility entirely at 35.


----------



## keeper63 (Mar 22, 2012)

My wife was diagnosed with severe endometriosis in her early 30's. We had tried to have a baby for a total of 8 years, and she had 3 laparoscopic procedures to stem the endometriosis and the adhesions that went with it.

She eventually got pregnant after 2 miscarriages, and our son was born in 1999. We tried to get pregnant again, using fertility drugs, etc., everything but in-vitro. Turned out she had fibroids, one was really large, and it was crowding out her bladder and intestines, and causing a lot of problems. Doc said it was too big for ablation, and when they removed it, it was about 7-8 inches across. She decided while they were in there taking out her uterus and the fibroid, they might as well take her ovaries (she had a cyst on each one anyway). The incision to remove the fibroid was larger than her C-section scar!

So at age 40, she had no ovaries, and went on HRT, and her well-being and overall health couldn't be better. At some point she will taper off the HRT, but for now all is well.

Get the fibroids treated. You will feel better, and you won't have to deal with all the bleeding, pain and other problems.


----------



## Bellavista (May 29, 2012)

Will be going to see the doc on Monday hopefully, I have to see another doc (skin specialist) in the same surgery to check on the healing of some moles that were removed last month, so I will ask about my results at that time and make a time to see my lady doc.

I am not worried about the possibility of a hysterectomy, I am nearly 45 and have 5 kids that are nearly all grown up. I have no further use for those bits.

The bleeding that started from the exam yesterday has stopped, so that is something anyway. 

From what I have read, uterine fibroids are very common, and in the majority of cases they cause no issues so women are unaware they have them. It just so happens when they do start to cause issues, you certainly notice them.


----------



## ladybird (Jun 16, 2010)

I had these, I was 20 when I had them removed. Sex was very painful If i would twist the wrong way I would end up on the floor crying because it hurt so bad, not to mention I looked about 5-6 months pregnant. My periods were horrid..

My husband finally got really good insurance at the place he was working and my aunt called and made me an appointment at her Gyno's and she also took me to my appointment. When I left the Dr's office i was already scheduled for surgery, it was to see what was going on, exploratory surgery. 

I did have endometriosis and boy was she surprised that I had a huge cyst in my uterus and a bunch of small pear shaped with stems on both ovaries. She was able to remove them without any problems. 

If they are fibroids, they will usually try to treat them with pills to see if they can't get them to go away or shrink, surgery to remove them or a hysterectomy (my mom had a hysterectomy because of them, as a matter of fact, I think most all my moms sisters had to have hysterectomies for the same reason.)


----------

