Over 50 & Fibroids/Quality of Life & Waiting

[Guest guest]

My response to question about " wait and see " approach over age 50.

As for being over 50 & diagnosed with fibroids – that's me too – I'm

54. I've decided I can't deal with the " wait and see " approach. For

me, this situation is bothersome. It needs to be fixed. Waiting

around while feeling lousy is the pits. At our age, mostly they

figure if we wait long enough, maybe we'll reach menopause and the

fibroids will then shrink & not be so problematic.

For at least 6, if not 8, years now – every year at my annual pelvic

exam I'm told that " maybe by the time we see you next year, you'll

have reached menopause " (in fact when I had a bleeding incident in

1985, they told me that maybe I was going to start into menopause

early – well here I am 16 years later and still having regular

periods). – So far their batting average on this " prediction " is

exactly ZERO. Even if they are right this year, their batting

average will still be in the sewer.

It would be nice – I'd love for it to happen. Obviously, sooner or

later they'll be right – if I don't get hit by a truck or something

first. But, I could wait for a year – and be even worse off & still

not be menopausal – what do I do then – wait for another year – and

another - ???? I know a lady who is 60 and still not menopausal – I

don't have 6 years of waiting in me. I know that by the odds I

should get there – but I don't like the idea of handling my health

like it was something to be put on a roulette wheel. I have to base

my decisions on what I have now – unless someone can PROMISE me

something else, I can't depend on it. Besides, it's expectations

that lead to disappointment. If I go around for a year expecting to

reach menopause and it doesn't happen, I'll be really depressed & I

don't need that.

Maybe I'll win the lotto in the next year too. That would also be

nice & I'd love for that to happen (probably even more than becoming

menopausal), but I'm not quitting my job this week based on

that " possibility. " I can't quit my job because I " might " win the

lotto, and I can't just let my fibroids go because I " might " become

menopausal soon.

Maybe if I wasn't bleeding, or at least spotting most of the time;

maybe if I could eat a whole meal at one sitting; maybe if I didn't

wake up in the middle of the night because it feels like I've got

rocks in my gut – I'd feel better about waiting. I don't doubt that

menopause might be the " ideal " solution – it just isn't very

dependable about happening & I don't have the patience to just live

my life around these things, possibly for years.

One of the things that I think very few medical professionals

consider with proposing that we " wait and see " – at any age – is how

much dealing with symptomatic fibroids impacts our lives. For

instance (just one example), I don't go hiking anymore – because it

often starts or increases my bleeding – which means I have to carry a

backpack full of kotex and at least one change of clothes and then

keep trying to find bushes to change behind – which isn't easy or

fun – so the whole thing has become unfun – and I don't go.

Pat B.

[Guest guest]

Well, I'm not quite 50 yet (just 49), but my ex-gyn had me on wait &

see for many years, and for some reason I finally got fed up with

it. " At my age " I don't need these problems is true, but " at my age "

is certainly no reason to take it all out! My bleeding is stopped

right now by birth control pills (with no week of dummy pills), and

I'm scheduled for a UAE next week. But the wait & see approach does

change your life in so many ways. I've long gotten used to avoiding

seminars & property showings as best I can around my period. But

something little happened last week that just struck me. I had to go

to court, and I wore a tan suit. A light colored suit! With all the

heavy bleeding & spotting before, I would never have dared wear

something that light. I really hadn't noticed the change, but almost

all the bottom half of my wardrobe is dark - navies, blacks, browns -

with one lone pair of khakis. Trivial compared to everything else we

go through I know, but there was something about it.... I am so

looking forward to getting rid of these things and taking back my

life (and my wardrobe)!

Christy

> My response to question about " wait and see " approach over age 50.

>

> As for being over 50 & diagnosed with fibroids – that's me too –

I'm

> 54. I've decided I can't deal with the " wait and see " approach.

For

> me, this situation is bothersome. It needs to be fixed. Waiting

> around while feeling lousy is the pits. At our age, mostly they

> figure if we wait long enough, maybe we'll reach menopause and the

> fibroids will then shrink & not be so problematic.

>

> For at least 6, if not 8, years now – every year at my annual

pelvic

> exam I'm told that " maybe by the time we see you next year, you'll

> have reached menopause " (in fact when I had a bleeding incident in

> 1985, they told me that maybe I was going to start into menopause

> early – well here I am 16 years later and still having regular

> periods). – So far their batting average on this " prediction " is

> exactly ZERO. Even if they are right this year, their batting

> average will still be in the sewer.

>

> It would be nice – I'd love for it to happen. Obviously, sooner or

> later they'll be right – if I don't get hit by a truck or something

> first. But, I could wait for a year – and be even worse off &

still

> not be menopausal – what do I do then – wait for another year – and

> another - ???? I know a lady who is 60 and still not menopausal –

I

> don't have 6 years of waiting in me. I know that by the odds I

> should get there – but I don't like the idea of handling my health

> like it was something to be put on a roulette wheel. I have to

base

> my decisions on what I have now – unless someone can PROMISE me

> something else, I can't depend on it. Besides, it's expectations

> that lead to disappointment. If I go around for a year expecting

to

> reach menopause and it doesn't happen, I'll be really depressed & I

> don't need that.

>

> Maybe I'll win the lotto in the next year too. That would also be

> nice & I'd love for that to happen (probably even more than

becoming

> menopausal), but I'm not quitting my job this week based on

> that " possibility. " I can't quit my job because I " might " win the

> lotto, and I can't just let my fibroids go because I " might " become

> menopausal soon.

>

> Maybe if I wasn't bleeding, or at least spotting most of the time;

> maybe if I could eat a whole meal at one sitting; maybe if I didn't

> wake up in the middle of the night because it feels like I've got

> rocks in my gut – I'd feel better about waiting. I don't doubt

that

> menopause might be the " ideal " solution – it just isn't very

> dependable about happening & I don't have the patience to just live

> my life around these things, possibly for years.

>

> One of the things that I think very few medical professionals

> consider with proposing that we " wait and see " – at any age – is

how

> much dealing with symptomatic fibroids impacts our lives. For

> instance (just one example), I don't go hiking anymore – because it

> often starts or increases my bleeding – which means I have to carry

a

> backpack full of kotex and at least one change of clothes and then

> keep trying to find bushes to change behind – which isn't easy or

> fun – so the whole thing has become unfun – and I don't go.

>

> Pat B.