My Gyno just called....

Hi,
I had an endometrial biopsy done a few weeks ago and gyno called with results. He said there is no cancer or pre-cancer and is leaving the decision up to me for a hysterectomy. I have a fibroid the size of a 12 week fetus and one as large as a tennis ball. Plus a cyst on my left ovary... The gyno said a D and C will probably not do anything for me but he mentioned an Embolization or a complete hysterectomy... Or he said I could wait a few months to see how my periods are and if they change(which they have not), I told the gyno I would think about it and let him know. I am at wit's end now as I do not know what to do. Please help me.
Thanks,
Diane

((((((Diane)))))))))

Congrats on the no cancer

We cannot make the decision as to what next for you.

The best advice I know is to make a pro and con list , then listen to your gut.

You have the luxury of time to decide, so take it.

Hopefully the choice that is right for you will come to you soon.

Best wishes,

Pamcat

Diane,

Not sure what your age is, but fibroids do not shrink until menopause and they often continue to grow in size. Embolization procedure are fairly new and they also have some risks.

Some questions to consider,

Do you want children or more children?

How close are you to menopause?

Do your periods disrupt your life and cause you pain and distress?

You can have just the fibroids removed, a hysterectomy, an embolization procedure or you can wait. I don't recommend the waiting part with fibroids, unless you are just trying to decide what to do. I encourage you to research your options, both on this site and the internet , get another medical opinion and make an informed decision.

There is lots of great info here!!

Hugs....Joan

I am 48, done with pregnancies. Just so confused but I do have large fibroids, irregular periods, heavy bleeding and spotting after periods end. Seems I have to wear a panty liner everyday.

Diane, have they done a complete blood count recently? How is your hemoglobin and hematocrit?

For me, the two biggest items in the "do it" column were my overall fatigue due to living in a near-anemic state for most of the last year and lower back pain due to the one big fibroid that was pressing on my spine. I was taking frequent naps because I just didn't have the energy to get through the day. My hemoglobin had been hovering in the 11.2-11.4 range for quite some time (normal is over 12.5). It wasn't low enough, except during my worse bleeding episodes, to be considered an emergency. I took iron supplements and altered my diet to make more hemoglobin, but I was unable to overcome the draining effects of the two deteriorating fibroids.

When I left the hospital, my hemoglobin was only 11.4, but that was to be expected. Can't turn that one around in 24 hours. However, the lower back pain disappeared over the weekend. It's gone. I'm amazed.

I'll have another blood test next week and see how things are going.

Glad to hear your biopsy came back negative. My surgeon put me on his schedule for a hysterectomy before scheduling the biopsy -- he was certain of his recommendation with or without cancer present. If he hadn't been so certain, I would have explored some of the other options before going under the knife. But I have to say ... so far so good on my recovery.

Diane,

Nobody can make this choice for you, but if your fibroids are making you miserable, it may be time to have them removed.

As was mentioned by another sister, I also suffer from low back pain when sitting and it really hurts when I stand up, but then it subsides. I am sick and tired of severe cramping, heavy bleeding and fatigue. During my period I normally take 600-800 mg of ibuprofen about 4 times per day and sometimes had to add Darvocet. Since children are not an issue, a hysterectomy might help you feel better and regain your strength.

Please research this, take some time and make an informed decision.

Hugs....Joan

I had bloodwork taken afew months ago and it was fine except for I am anemic and gyno wants me to take iron pills everyday.
I have been going to physical therapy for 3 months for left lower back pain but the gyno does not think that pain is related to the female problems but my physical therapist definately does. She told me she had a patient with the exact pain i have in my back and had the fibroids and no more pain. I still don;t know what decision to make on the hysterectomy. My husband wants me to have it done. He is sick of me complaining all the time and bleeding when the period is well over....

I think I understand your reluctance to have surgery if your husband is making a big deal about all this. It's really not helpful to have your partner say, "You have a problem that is affecting our relationship, now go fix it." (Having been through marital problems with a man who decided everything was my fault and he was totally blameless ... I can relate.)

So you have to do your pro and con list without taking your husband's complaints into consideration. It's not very nice of him to tell you to have major abdominal surgery just because he's tired of your "complaints." I wish there was a male equivalent to this condition. It sure sounds like he's not taking the "in sickness and in health" part of those marital vows very seriously though.

(Can I smack him for you? Please??? )

I have to say that the biggest surprise of my recovery was having my lower back pain disappear. I just woke up on Sunday and thought to myself, "Hey. It's gone." It had been bothering me a lot the last 6 months or so while that fibroid was going gangbusters and growing like mad. I'm glad it's gone.

My recovery is going so easily that I think my doc should have cut me somewhere just so I'd have a visible reminder of what's going on. I don't want to be a poster girl for hysterectomy at age 48, but it is working for me so far. I'm anxious to get back to my workouts and my volleyball team, but I'm trying to convince myself that it's in my best interest to wait a while longer.