Re: new here have question

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/22/02 3:29:57 PM Pacific Standard Time,

coollady@... writes:

> 'Wait and see' is not an option with fibroids.

> They only grow. And the bigger they get, the less success you

> will have with their removal.

> Sex is BETTER after a UAE for me (mine was 7cm intramural/submucosal).

> No more pain and WAY better PC control.

> Sounds to me (but I'm no doctor) like your fibroid is pinching a nerve.

> Walk out of the door if your doctor suggests hormones (only temporary

> and too many side-effects).

> JUST GET RID OF IT NOW!

>

I think everyone has to decide what their own options are. For some of us,

wait and see is indeed an option. For those of us close to menopause, wait

and see can be an option. I have a cousin who has two fibroids and she has

had no growth for at least the past year. Every woman's case is different.

And, every woman's idea of what is a viable option is different.

Cheryl

[Guest guest]

When I first started reading about fibroids, I figured they would go away

once we

reach menopause but the long I read, the more I'm hearing that we shouldn't

be

thinking fibroids will magically disappear once we hit menopause. Estrogen

is still there.

Most of the estrogen in your body is not in your ovaries and uteruses (which

surprised me)

but more in your body tissues (a lot in your arms). Ovaries and uteruses

are secondary

sources of estrogen. I didn't have any fibroid growth in a year. Then the

symptoms

started to get unbearable enough for me to start looking them up on the

internet.

The symptoms shouldn't be the thing that gets us to do something about them,

the

size of them should be because that is KEY to the success of their removal.

Re: new here have question

In a message dated 3/22/02 3:29:57 PM Pacific Standard Time,

coollady@... writes:

> 'Wait and see' is not an option with fibroids.

> They only grow. And the bigger they get, the less success you

> will have with their removal.

> Sex is BETTER after a UAE for me (mine was 7cm intramural/submucosal).

> No more pain and WAY better PC control.

> Sounds to me (but I'm no doctor) like your fibroid is pinching a nerve.

> Walk out of the door if your doctor suggests hormones (only temporary

> and too many side-effects).

> JUST GET RID OF IT NOW!

>

I think everyone has to decide what their own options are. For some of

us,

wait and see is indeed an option. For those of us close to menopause,

wait

and see can be an option. I have a cousin who has two fibroids and she

has

had no growth for at least the past year. Every woman's case is

different.

And, every woman's idea of what is a viable option is different.

Cheryl

[Guest guest]

When I first started reading about fibroids, I figured they would go away

once we

reach menopause but the long I read, the more I'm hearing that we shouldn't

be

thinking fibroids will magically disappear once we hit menopause. Estrogen

is still there.

Most of the estrogen in your body is not in your ovaries and uteruses (which

surprised me)

but more in your body tissues (a lot in your arms). Ovaries and uteruses

are secondary

sources of estrogen. I didn't have any fibroid growth in a year. Then the

symptoms

started to get unbearable enough for me to start looking them up on the

internet.

The symptoms shouldn't be the thing that gets us to do something about them,

the

size of them should be because that is KEY to the success of their removal.

Re: new here have question

In a message dated 3/22/02 3:29:57 PM Pacific Standard Time,

coollady@... writes:

> 'Wait and see' is not an option with fibroids.

> They only grow. And the bigger they get, the less success you

> will have with their removal.

> Sex is BETTER after a UAE for me (mine was 7cm intramural/submucosal).

> No more pain and WAY better PC control.

> Sounds to me (but I'm no doctor) like your fibroid is pinching a nerve.

> Walk out of the door if your doctor suggests hormones (only temporary

> and too many side-effects).

> JUST GET RID OF IT NOW!

>

I think everyone has to decide what their own options are. For some of

us,

wait and see is indeed an option. For those of us close to menopause,

wait

and see can be an option. I have a cousin who has two fibroids and she

has

had no growth for at least the past year. Every woman's case is

different.

And, every woman's idea of what is a viable option is different.

Cheryl

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/23/02 7:07:14 AM Pacific Standard Time,

coollady@... writes:

> How does taking hormones help in the long run? I don't get it.

>

>

By balancing the effects of the estrogen? And I do know of a woman who had a

myomyectomy about 8 years ago. She was about " 26 weeks " . So far, no

reoccurence.

Cheryl

[Guest guest]

I read something Tish posted on March 14, 2002:

'Although we commonly think of the ovaries as the main source of estrogen,

the enzyme which makes it can be found in all parts of the body.

Surprisingly, in rhesus monkeys, aromatase in the arms accounts for a very

large part of estrogen production. Fat and the skin are major sources of

estrogen, especially in older people. The activity of aromatase increases

with aging, and under the influence of prolactin, cortisol, prostaglandin,

and the pituitary hormones, FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and growth

hormone. It is inhibited by progesterone, thyroid, aspirin, and high

altitude. Aromatase can produce estrogen in fat cells, fibroblasts, smooth

muscle cells, breast and uterine tissue, pancreas, liver, brain, bone,

skin, etc. Its action in breast cancer, endometriosis, uterine cancer,

lupus, gynecomastia, and many other diseases is especially important.

Aromatase in mammary tissue appears to increase estrogen receptors and

cause breast neoplasia, independently of ovarian estrogen (Tekmal, et al.,

1999).

Women who have had their ovaries removed are usually told that they need to

take estrogen, but animal experiments consistently show that removal of the

gonads causes the tissue aromatases to increase. The loss of progesterone

and ovarian androgens is probably responsible for this generalized increase

in the formation of estrogen. In the brain, aromatase increases under the

influence of estrogen treatment.'

(from the link below)

I've read that fibroids are supposed to shrink with menopause, but that

could

take YEARS and depending on your symptoms, how long can you deal with your

symptoms? And if you take HRT, there's more estrogen for your body (not

that HRT is a bad thing since it does have other benefits) but it seems to

be

related to fibroids.

My doctor agreed that 'wait and see' is no option with fibroids.

What exactly do doctors expect to see with 'wait and see'? Has anyone

ever experienced that they just go away when their doctors have told them

'let's wait and see'? They tend to grow or stay the same. It's best to

treat

them when they are small.

When you have a myomectomy, the fibroid is removed but I still have not

heard

of one woman post who has had a myomectomy and her fibroids never grew back

after a few years. Maybe they just leave the groups? I'm curious, does

anyone

know of anyone who has had a myomectomy and not had them grow back? It's

major surgery and not something really good for you to be risking having

every

few years.

Everyone has different levels of what they're willing to tolerate in life.

Mine is

just low. I was not willing to live with the symptoms I was having anymore.

But I do think 'wait and see' needs to be removed from the list of options

doctors

give us. I think they want us to 'wait' (until they REALLY get big) and

'see' how

long the woman is willing to put up with all her symptoms. And maybe

they'll

give us some hormones to temporarily stop the symptoms, but it just prolongs

the

inevitable....that the cause of the symptoms, the fibroids, need to be

removed.

How does taking hormones help in the long run? I don't get it.

Re: new here have question

>

> In a message dated 3/22/02 3:29:57 PM Pacific Standard Time,

> coollady@... writes:

>

> > 'Wait and see' is not an option with fibroids.

> > They only grow. And the bigger they get, the less success you

> > will have with their removal.

> > Sex is BETTER after a UAE for me (mine was 7cm

intramural/submucosal).

> > No more pain and WAY better PC control.

> > Sounds to me (but I'm no doctor) like your fibroid is pinching a

nerve.

> > Walk out of the door if your doctor suggests hormones (only

temporary

> > and too many side-effects).

> > JUST GET RID OF IT NOW!

> >

>

> I think everyone has to decide what their own options are. For some

of

> us,

> wait and see is indeed an option. For those of us close to menopause,

> wait

> and see can be an option. I have a cousin who has two fibroids and

she

> has

> had no growth for at least the past year. Every woman's case is

> different.

> And, every woman's idea of what is a viable option is different.

> Cheryl

>

>

[Guest guest]

If we are talking about the same Tish then it was she who travelled from her

home state to Boston to

have her fibroids removed and her uterus and ovaries preserved.Also,if it is the

same Tish,I do not

believe that she has had any re-growth.Also if this is the same Tish,I believe

she talked about her

own mother who had a fibroid reduced to nothing post menopause.

Re-growth in any event, is not important-symptomatic re-growth is what counts.

Best,

Bonnie

coollady wrote:

> I read something Tish posted on March 14, 2002:

>

> 'Although we commonly think of the ovaries as the main source of estrogen,

> the enzyme which makes it can be found in all parts of the body.

>

> Surprisingly, in rhesus monkeys, aromatase in the arms accounts for a very

>

> large part of estrogen production. Fat and the skin are major sources of

>

> estrogen, especially in older people. The activity of aromatase increases

>

> with aging, and under the influence of prolactin, cortisol, prostaglandin,

>

> and the pituitary hormones, FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and growth

>

> hormone. It is inhibited by progesterone, thyroid, aspirin, and high

>

> altitude. Aromatase can produce estrogen in fat cells, fibroblasts, smooth

>

> muscle cells, breast and uterine tissue, pancreas, liver, brain, bone,

>

> skin, etc. Its action in breast cancer, endometriosis, uterine cancer,

>

> lupus, gynecomastia, and many other diseases is especially important.

>

> Aromatase in mammary tissue appears to increase estrogen receptors and

>

> cause breast neoplasia, independently of ovarian estrogen (Tekmal, et al.,

>

> 1999).

>

> Women who have had their ovaries removed are usually told that they need to

>

> take estrogen, but animal experiments consistently show that removal of the

>

> gonads causes the tissue aromatases to increase. The loss of progesterone

>

> and ovarian androgens is probably responsible for this generalized increase

>

> in the formation of estrogen. In the brain, aromatase increases under the

>

> influence of estrogen treatment.'

>

> (from the link below)

>

> I've read that fibroids are supposed to shrink with menopause, but that

> could

>

> take YEARS and depending on your symptoms, how long can you deal with your

>

> symptoms? And if you take HRT, there's more estrogen for your body (not

>

> that HRT is a bad thing since it does have other benefits) but it seems to

> be

>

> related to fibroids.

>

> My doctor agreed that 'wait and see' is no option with fibroids.

>

> What exactly do doctors expect to see with 'wait and see'? Has anyone

>

> ever experienced that they just go away when their doctors have told them

>

> 'let's wait and see'? They tend to grow or stay the same. It's best to

> treat

>

> them when they are small.

>

> When you have a myomectomy, the fibroid is removed but I still have not

> heard

>

> of one woman post who has had a myomectomy and her fibroids never grew back

>

> after a few years. Maybe they just leave the groups? I'm curious, does

> anyone

>

> know of anyone who has had a myomectomy and not had them grow back? It's

>

> major surgery and not something really good for you to be risking having

> every

>

> few years.

>

> Everyone has different levels of what they're willing to tolerate in life.

> Mine is

>

> just low. I was not willing to live with the symptoms I was having anymore.

>

> But I do think 'wait and see' needs to be removed from the list of options

> doctors

>

> give us. I think they want us to 'wait' (until they REALLY get big) and

> 'see' how

>

> long the woman is willing to put up with all her symptoms. And maybe

> they'll

>

> give us some hormones to temporarily stop the symptoms, but it just prolongs

> the

>

> inevitable....that the cause of the symptoms, the fibroids, need to be

> removed.

>

> How does taking hormones help in the long run? I don't get it.

>

> Re: new here have question

> >

> > In a message dated 3/22/02 3:29:57 PM Pacific Standard Time,

> > coollady@... writes:

> >

> > > 'Wait and see' is not an option with fibroids.

> > > They only grow. And the bigger they get, the less success you

> > > will have with their removal.

> > > Sex is BETTER after a UAE for me (mine was 7cm

> intramural/submucosal).

> > > No more pain and WAY better PC control.

> > > Sounds to me (but I'm no doctor) like your fibroid is pinching a

> nerve.

> > > Walk out of the door if your doctor suggests hormones (only

> temporary

> > > and too many side-effects).

> > > JUST GET RID OF IT NOW!

> > >

> >

> > I think everyone has to decide what their own options are. For some

> of

> > us,

> > wait and see is indeed an option. For those of us close to menopause,

> > wait

> > and see can be an option. I have a cousin who has two fibroids and

> she

> > has

> > had no growth for at least the past year. Every woman's case is

> > different.

> > And, every woman's idea of what is a viable option is different.

> > Cheryl

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

If we are talking about the same Tish then it was she who travelled from her

home state to Boston to

have her fibroids removed and her uterus and ovaries preserved.Also,if it is the

same Tish,I do not

believe that she has had any re-growth.Also if this is the same Tish,I believe

she talked about her

own mother who had a fibroid reduced to nothing post menopause.

Re-growth in any event, is not important-symptomatic re-growth is what counts.

Best,

Bonnie

coollady wrote:

> I read something Tish posted on March 14, 2002:

>

> 'Although we commonly think of the ovaries as the main source of estrogen,

> the enzyme which makes it can be found in all parts of the body.

>

> Surprisingly, in rhesus monkeys, aromatase in the arms accounts for a very

>

> large part of estrogen production. Fat and the skin are major sources of

>

> estrogen, especially in older people. The activity of aromatase increases

>

> with aging, and under the influence of prolactin, cortisol, prostaglandin,

>

> and the pituitary hormones, FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and growth

>

> hormone. It is inhibited by progesterone, thyroid, aspirin, and high

>

> altitude. Aromatase can produce estrogen in fat cells, fibroblasts, smooth

>

> muscle cells, breast and uterine tissue, pancreas, liver, brain, bone,

>

> skin, etc. Its action in breast cancer, endometriosis, uterine cancer,

>

> lupus, gynecomastia, and many other diseases is especially important.

>

> Aromatase in mammary tissue appears to increase estrogen receptors and

>

> cause breast neoplasia, independently of ovarian estrogen (Tekmal, et al.,

>

> 1999).

>

> Women who have had their ovaries removed are usually told that they need to

>

> take estrogen, but animal experiments consistently show that removal of the

>

> gonads causes the tissue aromatases to increase. The loss of progesterone

>

> and ovarian androgens is probably responsible for this generalized increase

>

> in the formation of estrogen. In the brain, aromatase increases under the

>

> influence of estrogen treatment.'

>

> (from the link below)

>

> I've read that fibroids are supposed to shrink with menopause, but that

> could

>

> take YEARS and depending on your symptoms, how long can you deal with your

>

> symptoms? And if you take HRT, there's more estrogen for your body (not

>

> that HRT is a bad thing since it does have other benefits) but it seems to

> be

>

> related to fibroids.

>

> My doctor agreed that 'wait and see' is no option with fibroids.

>

> What exactly do doctors expect to see with 'wait and see'? Has anyone

>

> ever experienced that they just go away when their doctors have told them

>

> 'let's wait and see'? They tend to grow or stay the same. It's best to

> treat

>

> them when they are small.

>

> When you have a myomectomy, the fibroid is removed but I still have not

> heard

>

> of one woman post who has had a myomectomy and her fibroids never grew back

>

> after a few years. Maybe they just leave the groups? I'm curious, does

> anyone

>

> know of anyone who has had a myomectomy and not had them grow back? It's

>

> major surgery and not something really good for you to be risking having

> every

>

> few years.

>

> Everyone has different levels of what they're willing to tolerate in life.

> Mine is

>

> just low. I was not willing to live with the symptoms I was having anymore.

>

> But I do think 'wait and see' needs to be removed from the list of options

> doctors

>

> give us. I think they want us to 'wait' (until they REALLY get big) and

> 'see' how

>

> long the woman is willing to put up with all her symptoms. And maybe

> they'll

>

> give us some hormones to temporarily stop the symptoms, but it just prolongs

> the

>

> inevitable....that the cause of the symptoms, the fibroids, need to be

> removed.

>

> How does taking hormones help in the long run? I don't get it.

>

> Re: new here have question

> >

> > In a message dated 3/22/02 3:29:57 PM Pacific Standard Time,

> > coollady@... writes:

> >

> > > 'Wait and see' is not an option with fibroids.

> > > They only grow. And the bigger they get, the less success you

> > > will have with their removal.

> > > Sex is BETTER after a UAE for me (mine was 7cm

> intramural/submucosal).

> > > No more pain and WAY better PC control.

> > > Sounds to me (but I'm no doctor) like your fibroid is pinching a

> nerve.

> > > Walk out of the door if your doctor suggests hormones (only

> temporary

> > > and too many side-effects).

> > > JUST GET RID OF IT NOW!

> > >

> >

> > I think everyone has to decide what their own options are. For some

> of

> > us,

> > wait and see is indeed an option. For those of us close to menopause,

> > wait

> > and see can be an option. I have a cousin who has two fibroids and

> she

> > has

> > had no growth for at least the past year. Every woman's case is

> > different.

> > And, every woman's idea of what is a viable option is different.

> > Cheryl

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

If we are talking about the same Tish then it was she who travelled from her

home state to Boston to

have her fibroids removed and her uterus and ovaries preserved.Also,if it is the

same Tish,I do not

believe that she has had any re-growth.Also if this is the same Tish,I believe

she talked about her

own mother who had a fibroid reduced to nothing post menopause.

Re-growth in any event, is not important-symptomatic re-growth is what counts.

Best,

Bonnie

coollady wrote:

> I read something Tish posted on March 14, 2002:

>

> 'Although we commonly think of the ovaries as the main source of estrogen,

> the enzyme which makes it can be found in all parts of the body.

>

> Surprisingly, in rhesus monkeys, aromatase in the arms accounts for a very

>

> large part of estrogen production. Fat and the skin are major sources of

>

> estrogen, especially in older people. The activity of aromatase increases

>

> with aging, and under the influence of prolactin, cortisol, prostaglandin,

>

> and the pituitary hormones, FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and growth

>

> hormone. It is inhibited by progesterone, thyroid, aspirin, and high

>

> altitude. Aromatase can produce estrogen in fat cells, fibroblasts, smooth

>

> muscle cells, breast and uterine tissue, pancreas, liver, brain, bone,

>

> skin, etc. Its action in breast cancer, endometriosis, uterine cancer,

>

> lupus, gynecomastia, and many other diseases is especially important.

>

> Aromatase in mammary tissue appears to increase estrogen receptors and

>

> cause breast neoplasia, independently of ovarian estrogen (Tekmal, et al.,

>

> 1999).

>

> Women who have had their ovaries removed are usually told that they need to

>

> take estrogen, but animal experiments consistently show that removal of the

>

> gonads causes the tissue aromatases to increase. The loss of progesterone

>

> and ovarian androgens is probably responsible for this generalized increase

>

> in the formation of estrogen. In the brain, aromatase increases under the

>

> influence of estrogen treatment.'

>

> (from the link below)

>

> I've read that fibroids are supposed to shrink with menopause, but that

> could

>

> take YEARS and depending on your symptoms, how long can you deal with your

>

> symptoms? And if you take HRT, there's more estrogen for your body (not

>

> that HRT is a bad thing since it does have other benefits) but it seems to

> be

>

> related to fibroids.

>

> My doctor agreed that 'wait and see' is no option with fibroids.

>

> What exactly do doctors expect to see with 'wait and see'? Has anyone

>

> ever experienced that they just go away when their doctors have told them

>

> 'let's wait and see'? They tend to grow or stay the same. It's best to

> treat

>

> them when they are small.

>

> When you have a myomectomy, the fibroid is removed but I still have not

> heard

>

> of one woman post who has had a myomectomy and her fibroids never grew back

>

> after a few years. Maybe they just leave the groups? I'm curious, does

> anyone

>

> know of anyone who has had a myomectomy and not had them grow back? It's

>

> major surgery and not something really good for you to be risking having

> every

>

> few years.

>

> Everyone has different levels of what they're willing to tolerate in life.

> Mine is

>

> just low. I was not willing to live with the symptoms I was having anymore.

>

> But I do think 'wait and see' needs to be removed from the list of options

> doctors

>

> give us. I think they want us to 'wait' (until they REALLY get big) and

> 'see' how

>

> long the woman is willing to put up with all her symptoms. And maybe

> they'll

>

> give us some hormones to temporarily stop the symptoms, but it just prolongs

> the

>

> inevitable....that the cause of the symptoms, the fibroids, need to be

> removed.

>

> How does taking hormones help in the long run? I don't get it.

>

> Re: new here have question

> >

> > In a message dated 3/22/02 3:29:57 PM Pacific Standard Time,

> > coollady@... writes:

> >

> > > 'Wait and see' is not an option with fibroids.

> > > They only grow. And the bigger they get, the less success you

> > > will have with their removal.

> > > Sex is BETTER after a UAE for me (mine was 7cm

> intramural/submucosal).

> > > No more pain and WAY better PC control.

> > > Sounds to me (but I'm no doctor) like your fibroid is pinching a

> nerve.

> > > Walk out of the door if your doctor suggests hormones (only

> temporary

> > > and too many side-effects).

> > > JUST GET RID OF IT NOW!

> > >

> >

> > I think everyone has to decide what their own options are. For some

> of

> > us,

> > wait and see is indeed an option. For those of us close to menopause,

> > wait

> > and see can be an option. I have a cousin who has two fibroids and

> she

> > has

> > had no growth for at least the past year. Every woman's case is

> > different.

> > And, every woman's idea of what is a viable option is different.

> > Cheryl

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Bonnie wrote: " Re-growth in any event, is not important-symptomatic re-growth is

what counts. "

If you had symptomatic fibroids before, and you have re-growth of fibroids,

aren't those fibroids likely to keep growing to the stage at which they become

symptomatic? Also, I would worry about the size to which some fibroids can grow

before symptoms are evident.

(in the context of the letter Bonnie was replying to, I think that she is

infering that if you have fibroids removed near the time of menopause that any

regrowth is likely to be minor due to the decrease in estrogen levels at

menopause)