How many need a hyst for fibroids?

Greetings,
I too am new and my last appt with my GYN said it's looking like a LAVH for a huge fibroid that has almost doubled in size in the past year. I have had the horrible bleeding, cramping, dizziness, fatigue, and even IBS-type symptoms. The thing I did not realize was that if the ovaries are left in, then fibroids can grow on them too? Something to think about. Mine's going to be sometime in January, so hopefully will learn more. Good luck to you and let us know what pans out.

Well I can now actually feel more of a rounded bulge on my right side than my left and it reminds me of when I was pregnant and could feel my baby's bottom. My uterus and/or fibroids have definitely grown - but I have no real pain or discomfort as of yet.

They may change their decision to do a TVH and opt for a TLH instead. We'll see. I'm trying to walk more and avoiding red meat when possible.

Still don't know whether my cervix is staying put or not....?

I have a lemon-sized fibroid in my uterine wall, menorrhagia, anemia, and possible hyperplasia. I think my fibroid doubled in size in five years. My uterus is 12 week pregnancy sized. I've been having horrible heavy periods for 2-1/2 years at least. They last 10-12 days. I'm looking forward to ending that on Dec 18!

I'd known about my fibroids for several years. Many women have them and don't really experience any problems with them. My doctor let me know hysterectomy was available, but she didn't push it, and it certainly didn't seem like an emergency. My symptoms from the fibroids grew so gradually, I had just learned to live with them. My periods became painful and I had a lot of flow, but only for a couple of days or so, and I just thought that was normal. Finally, I knew it was time, and I was lucky to get a surgery date 3 weeks from my consult with my doctor. After the surgery, I wanted to kick myself, because I'd gone through two years of symptoms when I needn't have. I had several fibroids, and it turns out one of them was the size of a normal uterus! I had been getting pain in my left hip from hiking or brisk walking, and that went away after my hysterectomy. Now I can exercise and have so much more energy, what a relief!

I am having mine due to fibrods. I will know more about how many and how larger after my sonogram next week.
Everyone who I know that has ever had this surgery tells me I will will feel 100% better even though I feel fine anyway.

Good luck to you.

I found out I had fibroids when I was 35 - had no idea what these even were! (And to think I thought I was an educated individual). Had no issue with them until 3 years ago and was told I had "numerous" with one of particular size. Well, that one is now the size of a 5 month pregnancy - and causing grief with the bowels (constipating) and bladder (difficulty voiding some mornings). Was going to have the procedure to shrink it but realized it wouldn't shrink it much and the others could keep growing. I wonder what the pathology report will tell me about just how many of these things there actually were. Have also been going every 6 months for uterine biopsies because of my family's history with cancer - sure won't miss those!! Am having the ovaries taken as well because both of cancer and the fact that menopause is already happening to me.
I read a lot to come to this decision - hope you have the time to do the same and not feel rushed.
Good luck and good health to you.
TKJ

I suffered from Fibroids and I was miserable with all the bleeding and clotting and the bloating was just awful and did I forget to mention....Anemia. I had a hysterectomy 7/07 and it was the best decision I made. Turns out that the fibroid was LEIOMYOSARCOMA. Rare and aggresive cancer. I am going through Chemo and it's no walk in the park. I wish you the best in whatever you decide to do.

We still get together and discuss our body snatchers as I liked to call them. I had 3 prior procedures before my SAH in July. I grew them every 4 years and they came back bigger and bigger each time so finally in May I told my doc, you know what, you can have it! He said a normal uterus weighs 60 gm, mine weighed 941 gm. So no I don't regret it one bit!

Now I am amazed at how much my bladder actually holds. It had been blocked by my overly large uterus for years so it never filled completely. I didn't have pain or bleeding but the bulkiness and bloating were beyond description. I am almost 4 months post op and feel better than I have in years. Saturday I went to the Woodbury Commons shopping outlet and even though I was tired, it wasn't the exhausting, drop dead tired I would have been a few months ago. I am 36 now and have not had any kids and the hubby and I are fine with that.

So please don't be afraid, many of us have walked this path before and will walk it with you now. It helps to have friends along the way.

Craftingaddict - my history is much like yours. I had an EA also for heavy bleeding. My fibroid was 2 cm when I went in for US before the EA.

It grew to the size of a volleyball in 2 years, my uterus was the size of a 22 week pregnancy. So, yes they keep growing in most cases.

I had symptoms for the past year and a half but also thought it was "other things". Like having to pee all the time, back pain, twinges, stabbing pains during ovulation, heartburn, etc.. etc..

99% of my symptoms have disappeared since I had my TAH, I haven't had any regrets.

Keep reading up as much as possible to make the best decision for you and your health.

Hello,

It was recommended to me to have a hysterectomy because of FIVE fibroids, one as big as an orange, the other are more "clementine-like" as my doctor put it. I didn't have any bad symptoms until the start of this year. It just kept getting worse and worse. I also may have some hyperplasia issues, not sure, getting a repeat biopsy tomorrow.

An in vitro doc told me to take meds and hormones and to do it when I am ready, but I've been dealing with this since May, and I just want this out of my life. I really wanted kids, but I don't want to mess with this until I have a HUGE problem. It seems it would be better to nip it in the bud. Anybody else out there have similar thoughts?