fibroid diagnostic ultra sound next week kinda scared

My Dr. told me in June that my uterus was the size of a 16 week pregnancy and that it was probably fibroids. I have been having a lot of pain , discomfort and other symptoms. I finally decided to go get the ultrasound that she recommended in june, it is scheduled for november 5th. I am getting worried as to what they will find in there. But I know I can't continue feeling like I do. Other sites I looked at that discussed fibroids all said that they mainly had no symptoms except for some people, but never went into what those symptoms were. Until i found this board and read what others were experiencing with fibroids I didn't know how much of the way I have been feeling for the past 3 years was probably due to this. I am glad that I found this board. But I am also scared as to what all is going on in my body. If it is as I suspect I am leaning heavily toward a hysterectomy, I just want to feel normal again.

The worst that they are going to find with an ultrasound is that you have fibroids and need to have them treated. I am 5 weeks post hysterectomy (TAH) and had HUGE fibroids. I went along for years telling myself that I had no symptoms and therefore didn't need to do anything about the fibroids. Although the surgery and recovery have not been easy, I can tell you that I did not know how bad I felt with the fibroids. Things are finally starting to get better, and I know that I will feel so much better than I have in years and SOON!!
Don't be afraid to find out what you need to know about the fibroids. Until you know, you can't fix it! Good Luck!

Thank you, I know that you are right. I'm just nervous. Today has not been a good day I am hurting on both sides just below the rib cage and can't seem to find a comfortable position. I know that I need to get it all taken care of but it scares me as well.
I'm glad that you are feeling better.
stories like that are keeping me going at the moment.

Hi - I was in the same boat too. Lots of huge fibroids. I sucked it up for years thing that the pain and excessive bloating and bleeding were "normal". This past summer, one of the fibroids got so large that was putting a lot of pressure on my bladder. You can imagine all of the fun things that go along with that. These bladder problems were what convinced me that "this is not normal!". For me, a hyst was the right choice and at 10 days post-op , the only regret that I have is that I waited so long.
Good luck with your decision process and know that we are here for you.

ShoeSister-
Thank you so much for your support.
I keep debating with myself but I pretty much have already made my decision. I just don't know what my DH is going to say about it. One of the reasons I have waited so long is he wanted to take a pray and wait approach and I agreed with him. I kinda feel like i'm going to be letting him down by not exercising enough faith. I know he will support me no matter what though. I just can't function like this anymore. I am 5' 1" and have a small torso and it all seemes to be going up. today the bottom of my ribcage on both sides just ache. I want it all out!!!!!!
I'm glad you are feeling better. Good luck in your recovery.

Hi Prplpnutbutrfly -
Thank you for the good wishes. After I got my ultrasound report I spent a lot of time going over all of the possible options with my doctor. You can find a lot of "option" information on the HysterSisters website. Based on the number, type and size of the fibroids along with family history, the hyst was the right choice for me. (It's funny now, but wasn't at the time - when the ultrasound technician was imaging a large cluster of huge fibroids, she blurted out "Oh my gosh!". That was a wake up call for something that I had been ignoring all those years.)
Some of the other sisters have posted here about being able to buy some time by having a myomectomy, but for me that just wasn't a viable option. I felt at peace with my decision since I had researched options and I have a great doctor that went through them in detail and answered all of my questions. I was pretty calm until about one week before my surgery. Then I freaked out and imaginened every possible bad scenario and bad outcome. Luckily, the sisters here got me through that. I also went back through the decision process to remind myself why I had made this choice. The night before surgery I was a little scared, but by the morning I was ready to have the surgery so that I could start healing.
Didn't mean to write a novel here- just wanted to give you the background on my experience.
Take care and I am sending hugs and good thoughts your way during this difficult time.

I have been asked by 2 ultrasound and ct techs how long have you been in pain...I wanted to say my whole life. you read that fibroids are harmless and cause no pain. thats wrong. it causes other issues. the pain is not worth it. faith has nothing to do with it. God made drs to help us. one thing that I keep thinking is how did women in the 17th 18th or even in much earlier times get through. our issues are timeless. it must have been horrific for the. we have options. we must use them.

They confirmed that my uterus is about the size of a 15 to 16 week pregnancy and there is a 12 cm fibroid sitting on top of it. Dr. is recommending a hysterectomy. I don't know what kind or anything yet. will be going in to sit down and talk to her in a few weeks. I guess now I just need to make a list of questions.

Hi

12 cm is certainly enough to cause discomfort, heavy bleeding etc. Mine were 11 and 9 with various small ones throughout. My hyst was three years ago. I am MUCH better and have never regretted that decision. My recovery was absolutely normal. Now I cannot blame a big stomach on those awful fibroids. people had said, well they will shrink after menopause. Mine were calcified and would not have shrunk in any case.

Ultrasound techs should stop blurting things out during the examination. They can turn a perfectly innocent situation into something that will worry you until you speak to your doctor. I am not saying fibroids are no big deal. I was once taken to the ER after a heavy bleed and had a sono, during which the tech blurted out OMG your uterus is the size of a 5 month pregnancy!! Why haven't you addressed that? I told her I had, was awaiting hysterectomy, and you should mind your own business and stop passing judgement on your patients.

Best of luck, whatever you decide to do.

love, Ruthie

Hello! I'm 5 months post-op -- partial abdominal hysterectomy due to a 15 cm fibroid attached to the exterior of my uterus. My best advice is to educate yourself and obtain a second opinion. I ended up having surgery by my second opinion doctor because once I had a comparison I found her to be much more informed and attentive. In my experience, information was the key to a quick-ish recovery and no post-op problems. Stick with your gut instinct and get as much information as possible about all your options (there's tons of great info on this website, but also just google "fibroids"). There are so many surgical choices, and it's hard to know sometimes which is the best fit, but regardless you will be so glad once it's over and you no longer live with daily pain and discomfort. Good luck to you!