hidden fibroid symptoms

Other than my 20wk size uterus I am almost symptom free. My sister who had the same thing and my Dr. both say that I just don't know how "bad" I feel since the symptoms come on so gradually. Dr. says he thinks that size and number of fibroids should be enough to warrent treatment. The science is unclear or does not exsist. Anyone out there suprised at health change after loosing large mild symptom fibroids any info. on when large is to large to watch and wait? I have done a ton of research and have talked to many of the Dr. you see quoted in the books and on the web but I still feel like a fortune teller would be just as scientific. I never thought that I would wish to be in pain but it would make my choice clear.

Dear Rye,
I, too, had symptomless fibroids and then all of a sudden they started showing their real selves - only I didn't know it. I thought I was going into menopause - I was shocked when I went to the doctor and found my hemoglobin count was 4 and that I needed 3 pints of blood. I don't think there is an exact science but be very careful because your health errodes so slowly you don't realize it is getting bad. I had my hyster on June 18th and even though I am still healing and I have some aches and pains due to that - I feel better each day - the backaches I thought were just a sign of old age have disappeared!!! Maybe you would feel better if you got a second opinion or two. This is major surgery and not reversible, but like you said it is hard to get facts from just one source, that is why this website is so unique - you get lots of information from lots of sources to help you make decisions.

Good Luck in coming to a decision.

Barbara

Hi Rye

I had my hyst, last December, for fibroids and rectocele repair. In my case, the fibroid was VERY symptomatic for 3 years, then, last year, it started to behave so well, that I thought it was actually shrinking. Little did I know....

Last August, I was horrified to feel a bulge at the entrance of my vagina, as I was showering. I immediately figured it was cystocele (bladder prolapse). After two weeks of procrastination, I finally headed to my PCP's office. He diagnosed a cystocele and recommended a hyst. My gyn, however, diagnosed a rectocele (rectal prolapse).

It turned out that my fibroid had grown from being undecernable during a transvaginal ultrasound, to the size of 20 week pregnancy!!! While the rectocele was most probably caused by a pelvic floor weakened when giving birth to two large babies, it was aggravated by the huge fibroid that was sitting on my internal organs.

Ironically enough, the period following scheduling my surgery turned out to be the monster of all periods: lasted 8 weeks, still going strong as I headed in the OR, was accompanied with VERY heavy bleeding and large clots (would most likely have gone to the ER if the surgery hadn't already been scheduled).

It is always amazing how much we take for granted where periods are concerned. I now realize that I probably never had a normal period: I always had very heavy and very irregular periods, often accompanied by clotting. All of these things are not normal, and shouldn't be considered as normal. I also was borderline anemic (crossed that border while I was having my surgery), was hormonally imbalanced and had chronic joint, abdominal and back pains.

For more information on Fibroid, try these web-sites:

http://www.huff.org

http://thefibroidplace.com/

http://womenshealth.about.com/healt.../fibroidtumors/

The Fibroid Place even has a message board and a chat room.

Wishing you best of luck in your quest for answers.

Hi Rye,
I have had years of Fibriod problems. I have had two previous myomectomies to remove them. It seemed as if every two years they returned. This all started when I was 25. I started getting the "pain" again last year. (a year had past since my last surgery) The pain was always terrible. I delt with it using Anaprox for pain. I put off seeing a Dr. because I had relocated for work and just did not want to deal with starting over with a new Dr. I fianally realized I had to do something. My new Dr. put me on Lupron and hormones for a few months to try and shrink the Fibriods. Well, 3 got bigger and the pain was worse. I was scheduled for my third myomectomy on the 14 of June. Unfourtuantly I had terrible complications during surgery and things were much worse than they thought. I had so many Fibriods 15 or so; some of them were almost as high as my belly button. I had a lot of bleeding and needed a blood transfusion. I was in surgery for 7 hrs. I ended up with a TAH. Needless to say I was in complete shock when they told me what happened. I've been stuggling with issues that if I had not put off seeing someone that this could have been avoided. I saw pictures of my surgery and that actually gave me realization of what I was going through. It has been a tough time, but it is SO much better than the pain. Other than post op pain I already feel better. No more pain in my sides or my legs. My Dr said that in three months I will feel better than I have in years. Looking foreward to it. Good luck to you.
Amy

For months before my annual exam in March I knew something was wrong. My mid-cycle was miserable. I was miserable. I couldn't sit down, couldn't stand up. My annual exam a year ago indicated there was nothing amiss.

By March when my fibroids were diagnosed, an ultrasound indicated my uterus was 10 to 12 weeks in size, including fibroids of various sizes and spread within the uterine wall. After 2 months and 3 medical opinions, my uterus was a 16 week size and the fibroids were pushing out my waistline and all the way to my navel.

Eight weeks after my fibroids were diagnosed, they were removed. My uterus weighed a whole pound and came out in 34 pieces. They found adeno as well.

I didn't take a lot of time to decide what I should do, but I did a lot of very careful research into fibroid treatment. As you say, it seems nebulous. I felt the same way. Everything I read seemed to say that things could be tried or not, but nothing was for sure. I wanted to find the least invasive treatment possible that would work. As it turned out, that was not what I found. I felt very unsure about all the prospects, including myomectomy, which I felt for sure I'd have to have done over again in a year or two because I had so many small fibroids within the uterine wall.

I was never sure that surgery would be the route I would take, and in fact I was sure it would not be. How wrong I was! The moment I met my doctor I knew I could trust her to do whatever I needed and that I would be safe with her. I think doctor/patient relationship has an awful lot to do with the decision, as well as the procedures they offer as well as the very specific needs of the patient.

Make sure you take the time to decide which route you will take for yourself. Don't let anyone talk you into or out of what you decide. The decision is yours and yours alone, and it is irreversible if you have a hyst.
Good luck to you,