Abnormal Bleeding /Fibroids

Has anyone had a hysterectomy for only having abnormal bleeding and fibroids? I cancelled a total hysterectomy scheduled for me after researching the options out there. I am on Provera which has controlled my bleeding , but I still bleed when on the hormone which is not suppose to happen. I have not hit menopause and I am 54. Thank you.

I was embolized with a procedure called UAE at 51. My bleeding was heavy but I never bled again post UAE and my fibroid has shrank a lot. Outside of bleeding after the procedure I stopped having periods and glided into menopause.

Thank you. I will further research with my doctor if UAE is an option for me. I am so happy you are doing well. Thanks for your reply.

Yes. It was a large fibroid (15cm at diagnosis) and my main symptom was abdominal pressure - with irregular bleeding. Sometimes it was very heavy with clots but any day felt like it could have a little bloody or brown discharge. The abdominal pressure made bladder control difficult and in the last year, it was uncomfortable to lie on my front.

I could have had UFE but my doctor felt that the best case scenario was getting the melon to a grapefruit size - which although it should resolve the bleeding, wouldn't necessarily help with the bladder/pressure problems. If my fibroid had been small enough that it would have got to lime size, I'd probably have given it a shot first.

I had a hysterectomy in August after hormonal treatment to shrink it a little (it went down to 13cm). I kept my ovaries (48 and not yet in menopause) but they took tubes and cervix. The initial recover is long although you do see remarkable progress from week to week when you look back. But since about week 6, it's been more about gradually building back to normal. At just over three months, I'm still careful if something is particularly heavy and I wouldn't go and climb Kilimanjaro but I feel like everything else is now do-able. I'm not sure I'd even have said that 2 weeks ago. Last week, I threw out all my undies and bought myself pretty new knickers as I'm confident they won't end up stained and discoloured. My bladder is back under my control and everything else works down there.

You mentioned you'd cancelled yours. I'm not sure whether you're still considering it and taking time to weigh up options - or if it's off the table entirely. If you've got particular concerns about aspects of it, do ask or check out the library of resources here as I'm sure over the years, pretty much everything has been asked or experienced! Best wishes while you work through everything.

Thank you for sharing your journey. It is comforting hearing from others with similar issues. Right now I am taking time to with my Options, research and seek a second opinion. I felt a huge difference today just from cancelling the surgery knowing I was scared and so unsure. I will checkout the-resource library too, I am still learning to navigate the site.

I am happy for you and your progress. Best wishes and thank you.

That makes sense. You need to be totally sure to go through with such a big op. I did find that making a list of each option (including do nothing) was useful with a column for the Pros and the Cons. I also put a rough idea of the likelihood alongside them so that it was easier to way things up.

For me, the guaranteed misery of the 'do nothing' option was then really highlighted and it made me really seek out my options. There's always a part of you that thinks that surely you can just live with it; things could be worse!

If you go up to the top of the page, under the logo, you'll see a blue bar where the second menu item is 'Alternatives', where you'll find lots of information about the various fibroid treatments available. There's so much here that it is daunting!

Do keep asking questions and I'm sure others will be along with more help.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by SissyMegg Has anyone had a hysterectomy for only having abnormal bleeding and fibroids? I cancelled a total hysterectomy scheduled for me after researching the options out there. I am on Provera which has controlled my bleeding , but I still bleed when on the hormone which is not suppose to happen. I have not hit menopause and I am 54. Thank you.

Yes, I did. Aside from three or four isolated incidents when I was in my 30s, my abnormal bleeding started shortly before I turned 40. At first, I had heavy flow for a few hours, and it would happen one out of every three cycles. Then it was one out of every two cycles, and eventually every cycle. In a given cycle, the heavy flow could happen for several hours, then almost turn off, and then resume the next day for a few more hours. This was, of course, accompanied by clots that sometimes looked like heaping tablespoons of jelly (sorry about the graphic imagery). Instead of a 28-day cycle, I had a 21-day cycle during most of my 40s, which was a real nuisance.

When I was 46, I had a D&C and removal of a fibroid, which helped for about one cycle and then I was back to the same problems. I also went on progesterone for 10 days every cycle, and it took probably a year before that became effective. (I had a lot of heavy bleeding during the first several months, but my dr told me to persevere -- that it would help eventually -- and it did.) The heavy flow was less heavy and less frequent for maybe three years, but gradually it resumed to its previous intensity -- and worse. The last straw was a flooding incident that occurred in January 2020 (I was 50 at the time) while I was teaching in front of an auditorium of college students. I had to abruptly cancel the rest of the class (saying that I felt unwell due to something I ate, which wasn't true) and dash out the door to the ladies room.

I had another D&C, with removal of two fibroids, in mid-March 2020. I was scheduled for a hysterectomy in late May 2020, but of course the hospital canceled all non-emergency surgeries. My gyn told me to take progesterone every day, starting in late March, and that helped keep the bleeding at bay for several months, and I began to hope I might make it to menopause without major surgery.

In early 2021, I began having heavy bleeding again, and after a bad incident in early April 2021, I contacted my gyn and said I wanted to schedule a hysterectomy as soon as the school year ended. I had the surgery in early June, a few months before turning 52. The recovery took longer than I expected (I had more bleeding than many other Sisters), and I finally stopped spotted 9 weeks after the surgery. Since then, though, I have felt great and am SO glad I had the surgery.

By the way, the pathology report showed that I had adenomyosis. For most people, the symptoms are abnormal bleeding and a lot of pain. I only had the abnormal bleeding, which really affected my daily life. Looking back, it is amazing that I did not have to quit my job at any point. Maybe if I had had a lot of pain, I would have had the surgery earlier.

There are other options out there. As Dom Mel has suggested, listing your options (along with pros and cons) is a great way to make sure you are considering everything. That way, you can make an informed decision that is the best one for you.

I didn't have any heavy bleeding, but I was having urinary issues stemming from a large fibroid pressing on my bladder. When I had my first consultation with the surgeon, I was told that it was too large for UAE, and a hysterectomy was my only option; if I could turn back time, I would have consulted with an interventional radiologist, who would have the specialized training to determine if UAE would be appropriate for me. As it stood, the original plan was for an LAVH, which would have mandated removal of my cervix, but I successfully pushed for a supracervical approach after my research, which was corroborated by subsequent talks with my family doctor, indicated that it would be more appropriate for my individual situation. I kept both ovaries, but I did have my Fallopian tubes removed because of recent studies showing that ovarian cancer often starts there, and I glided through menopause. I recommend that you continue your research, and seek out as many additional opinions as you need, so you can be comfortable with your decision. Best wishes for whatever you decide!