RE: Frequency of Ultrasounds

[Guest guest]

I have minimal symptoms other than enlargement; I go yearly.

> I just had a quick question for women in the watch and wait mode:

>how often are you having ultrasounds? I had one last June, and haven't

> had one since. One doctor said the physical dimesions don't matter

>as much as the severity of the symptoms. But I think it would help me

>in making a decision about a procedure if I knew how fast it (they?) is

> growing/not growing. I'm worried about the creeping quality of life

> issues that have been discussed here before.

[Guest guest]

I have minimal symptoms other than enlargement; I go yearly.

> I just had a quick question for women in the watch and wait mode:

>how often are you having ultrasounds? I had one last June, and haven't

> had one since. One doctor said the physical dimesions don't matter

>as much as the severity of the symptoms. But I think it would help me

>in making a decision about a procedure if I knew how fast it (they?) is

> growing/not growing. I'm worried about the creeping quality of life

> issues that have been discussed here before.

[Guest guest]

I don't know what size determines what frequency. As mine has grown I have

been checked every 6 months to insure my kidneys are functioning correctly,

irregardless of symtoms, and to monitor pace of growth if any.

Frequency of Ultrasounds

I just had a quick question for women in the watch and wait mode: how

often are you having ultrasounds?

[Guest guest]

I was getting transvaginal ultrasounds every 3 months, but I'm not sure it

was really necessary to do it that frequently.

Faryl

Frequency of Ultrasounds

> I just had a quick question for women in the watch and wait mode: how

> often are you having ultrasounds?

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi

I started out having mine every 6 months and then my gyno wanted to go to 3

months (not sure why.....) however I didn't get around to doing the 3 month one

because I got too busy. I would have kept right on forgetting about it but then

I started having symptoms at what would have been the 6 month mark. What makes

all this even less precise is that depending on where I am in my cycle, my

symptoms are different. I even suspect that if I had an ultrasound every week,

the size of the fibroids might be fluctuating!

I would say that you can't predict how these things go..... symptoms are not

inevitable..... our groups here (uterinefibroids and embo) really represent a

set of people who are either gathering information or are, in fact, having

symptoms. I know quite a few people with fibroids that never had any symptoms

at all, got to menopause, and then were fine.

[Guest guest]

I wish that I had had them more often than I was told I " needed " . I started out

in watch and wait mode when it was big (7cm) but not huge. I was told I should

get a pelvic exam in 6 months but probably wouldn't need an ultrasound for

another year. At my 6 month checkup, my gyn at the time said that it hadn't

grown substantially enough to " warrant " an ultrasound (although the symptoms had

gotten worse). I certainly felt (in my literal and figural gut) that it had

grown. I did not, however, push the issue and settled with the standard pelvic

exam. Unfortunately, 6 months after that, my new gyn found (with an ultrasound)

that the fibroid was substantially larger than both my previous pelvic exam and

the ultrasound from 12 months before indicated. I am not convinced that it

hadn't grown substantially during the first 6 months and I believe that an

ultrasound during that time would have shown it. Now, just a year and a month

after my first ultrasound, the fibroid is too large to risk a laparoscopic myo,

my first choice. I'll never know if having that extra information about size

and rate of growth from an ultrasound at 6 months might have changed my ultimate

decision about what kind of myo to have, but I think it would have allowed me

more options.

Bottom line...If you really feel like anything has changed, insist on it. The

more information you have about the state your body is in, the better. I no

longer trust the standard pelvic palpation exam to tell me anything useful about

the size and state of my uterus, it's just too subjective. And, in my

experience, 6 months is too long between ultrasounds for fibroids that grow

rapidly. And, of course, you won't be able to figure out what the rate of

growth is unless you monitor it fairly often and regularly.

Hope that helps,

Ann

> Frequency of Ultrasounds

>

> > I just had a quick question for women in the watch and wait mode: how

> > often are you having ultrasounds?

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

When ovarian cysts were found during one of my routine ultrasounds to follow

up on the fibroids, I started going every month. I was so worried about

ovarian cancer.

The radiologist finally told me that although I was great for his business,

I didn't need to come so often!!

I think the normal follow up is 2 to 3 times a year.

[Guest guest]

When ovarian cysts were found during one of my routine ultrasounds to follow

up on the fibroids, I started going every month. I was so worried about

ovarian cancer.

The radiologist finally told me that although I was great for his business,

I didn't need to come so often!!

I think the normal follow up is 2 to 3 times a year.

[Guest guest]

,

When I was in the watch & wait mode, my gyn said to do u/s's every 6 mos.

Unless the symptoms become unbearable. I think, too, if the symptoms are

getting worse, it matters that you do something about the fibroids.

[Guest guest]

I have many fibroids. The largest is abt. 8cm.and also ovarian cysts - but

asymptomatic and get ultrasounds every 6 months.

[Guest guest]

I have many fibroids. The largest is abt. 8cm.and also ovarian cysts - but

asymptomatic

and get ultrasounds every 6 months.

[Guest guest]

I do the same thing...I have 2 fibroids, one is 12 cm the other is 6 cm...I

also have been getting ultrasounds for the last 2 yrs, every 6 months...it

looks like I'm 5 mo. pregnant...there is a lot of pressure but no

excruciating pain...they keep growing but I do not want a hysterectomy, no

way...I want to find a doctor that can get rid of them another way, or I'll

just keep them and be uncomfortable...I guess I could get some maternity

clothes...they keep growing...

Re: Re: Frequency of Ultrasounds

>I have many fibroids. The largest is abt. 8cm.and also ovarian cysts - but

>asymptomatic and get ultrasounds every 6 months.