 Fibroid Woman (Deb) - Alumni Hostess 2007 |
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Thanks so much for stopping by to check me out. 
My name is Deb. I chose the name of Fibroid Woman for obvious reasons...........to quote my surgeon, "I have never seen as many, and as big, fibroids in any one woman!". He compared me to a jack-in-the-box when describing his experience in opening my abdomen.
I was born in Charleston, WVA. Grew up in Indiana, but spent Summers with my two sets of grandparents in WVA (I was very fortunate in having all of them until I was in my 30s.). After high school, did not know what I wanted to do with my life. So, I became an exchange student to Brasil, and travelled to other countries while still young and able to be in sponsored programs. As a result, am multilingual and have a very broad perspective on life and people.
I now live in a small town in Indiana, not far from a huge city in which I'd lived for more than 20 years..........the same city to which I'd moved, in order to attend college to become a registered nurse. Worked in a couple of large hospitals and had many specialties over the years. Over the decades, I realized that, as I had retired one specialty to take on another, I was not able to utilize all my training all the time.................at this point in my life, I wanted to incorporate all that I had learned and use it every single day. So, 8 years ago, I moved to this small town and took a supervisor position in a very progressive small hospital in another, nearby small town. Will probably stay until retirement..........I love the variety.........am involved in absolutely everything! This is truly my calling.
As you may have figured, I am very involved in my career.....becoming a bit of a workaholic over time. Am divorced (as of 1988). I enjoyed marriage and helped raise 5 stepchildren, who are all grown, with children of their own, now. They live out West. Even though able, the opportunity to plan having my own children never presented itself (Husband was already "snorfleed" when I met him.....). And, by the time I was 47 years old, had already accepted that childbearing was not an option for me, anymore.
I have always enjoyed fabulous health and had never had any surgeries, aside from a childhood tonsillectomy that all we children of the '50s experienced prior to entering school. In 1995, my gyno told me that my uterus was full of golfball sized fibroids and that I should consider a hysterectomy. Well, I didn't agree with that, but just nodded my head. I was banking on an early menopause, and that the growth of these would stop just in time....before they caused any health problems. And, even though I'm a nurse........the thought of having someone cut me open was too frightening to imagine........therefore, would not mind having a lumpy tummy, as long as I didn't HAVE to undergo an operation.
Well, as the next few years flew by, and my gyno kept insisting, I just quit going for checks........(Yeah....I know....denial can make us do stupid things...). I waited 8 years before having another pelvic exam, and only because I was starting a new lifestyle/health plan, and wanted to have bloodtesting, and a complete physical......including the gyno. After chastising me for my long absence, my doc was surprised that I had no physical complaints, as he could tell I was in trouble with large, multiple fibroids, many of which were growing outside of my uterus. Even though he determined this with simple pushing around on my abdomen, I was not convinced until I saw the transvaginal ultrasound with my own eyes. My TAH was in the Spring of 2004. I kept my ovaries. This journey has been a real eye-opening and educational experience for me. It has taught me that taking better care of myself does make an enormous, noticeable difference at this stage of my life. This trip has also made me a much, much better nurse.
I actually found Hystersisters prior to my surgery, as I searched the net for reasons not to have an operation. I already knew the answer, but was more comfortable with my decision after haunting this site. Because some of the stories scared me, I did not plan on returning to Hystersisters. However, after my surgery and a gift of a laptop computer, I peeked back in..........and found much needed help, along with the kind of support I could find nowhere else. I was hooked! Educated myself, then my gyno.
Today, I am a very active Hystersister. With the approval of all the gynos in the county I work, I've created a discharge education program for all women in our facility, postop hysterectomy. I also refer them all to this website. It has been VERY well-received. These women seem to appreciate meeting a "live" Sister. Our town also sports a very educated female pharmacist..............a compounding pharmacist who uses bioidenticals, herself....it's her specialty. Ironically, I found her AND the open-minded docs through this website!
When I went through a very rough illness and unexplained ovary shutdown in 2005, this place helped me hang on during the most difficult time of my life.
It was an honor to become a hostess here. I just pray that I can even begin to give back all the wonderful education and support I have received from all of you wonderful, beautiful women.
David Mainman, M.D.
Desert Bloom Obstetrics & Gynecology
6452 E. Carondelet Drive, Suite A
Tucson AZ 85710
520-885-5300 |
Boniface Ndubisi, M.D.
2964 N. State Road 7
Suite 100
Margate FL 33063
954 974 5190 |
Owen R Bell, M.D.
2501 E. 42nd Ave
Anchorage AK 99508
907-561-1925 |
Steven McCarus, M.D.
400 Celebration Place Suite310
Celebration FL 34747
4073034190 |
Marshall Bovelsky, M.D.
200 Banning St
Suite 320
Dover DE 19904
302-674-0223 |
Christina Ellis, M.D.
600 E. Marshall St. Ste. 205
West Chester PA 19380
610-903-6200 |
Mark Richey, M.D.
1200 Airport Heights
Ste 205
Anchorage AK 99508
9072724443 |
Nonnie-Marie Estella, M.D.
295 Varnom Ave
Hanchette Bldg 3rd Floor
Lowell MA 01854
978-459-8300 |
Madalyn Squires, M.D.
8240 Naab Road Suite 400
Indianapolis IN 46069
317-415-1000 |
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-- January NewsletterPost Hysterectomy Fitness and Health is the theme of our January, 2012 newsletter at HysterSisters.com. Visit this link [ More]...
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