BRANDY re: I was just told I have an Enlarged Uterus...

[Guest guest]

Dear :

So sorry to hear about your frightening pain ordeal last week... in the

pre-dawn hours!

But you did the right thing by going immediately to the ER.

The type of pain that comes on acutely and suddenly-- as yours was-- IS

definitely concerning.

Unfortunately, while you were able to receive some temporary pain relief, it

sounds as though you left the hospital without the benefit of a firm

DIAGNOSIS. Which, of course, happens at the ER, all the time.

An " enlarged uterus, " is not a diagnosis. An enlarged uterus-- per se-- would

not cause the kind of severe pain you experienced.

Otherwise, every single woman on this list--and millions of pregnant women

everywhere would be camping out (24/7)--in their local ER! (Hey...interesting

idea, tho.....a Fibroidal " sit-in " ....or " lie-in, actually --Ladies, bring our

sleeping bags, to the ER......to just " camp out " .......to promote uterine

fibroid awareness...... Perhaps sing some old favorite Girl Scout

songs...????.....But, no!......I digress!!!!!)

You're right, --women who have been pregnant WILL have a uterus that is

larger than their nulliparous ( i.e., " never pregnant " ) peers. Of course, as

all of us seasoned Fibroidians come to know, the presence and growth of

uterine fibroids can change that little uterus size " rule. "

To tell you that your uterus is " enlarged " is descriptive, but it really

provides you with no useful diagnostic information. How large is " enlarged? "

What

are the dimensions and WHY is it enlarged?

As I read your story, I wondered.....

Did your ER doc also discuss the possibility of you having had renal

colic--meaning, pain in the urinary tract-- (especially given that the fact that

you

said it occurred when you were " doing my morning " pee " .. " ) and felt the pain

in your back (flank?)

And you wrote that you " got very faint, sweaty, "

and thought you were going to vomit.

The kind of excruciating pain (with nausea and near-vomiting) that you

experienced could be many things (including an ETOPIC (i.e., tubal) pregnancy.

That's what I bet the ER doc meant when he raised the concern of a pregnancy.

But I'd also think that stones in the urinary tract (urinary calcoli) could

be another possibility that your doctor should consider, as well.

Did they perform a urinalysis?--which would reveal the presence of any

bacteria or blood (sometimes microscopic) in the urine. And bear in mind: it

doesn't have to be a mammoth stone to cause extreme pain. Sometimes the tiniest

of

stones can lodge in one of the two ureters (the two tubes that go from your

kidneys to your bladder) and cause the kind of symptoms you have.

It's possible that the CT did not detect such a stone, in which case you

might need to undergo more detailed testing--such as an IVP.

I mention all this, not to cause you unnecessary worry or needless

speculation. But simply to point out that sometimes doctors make a rapid

diagnostic

conclusion based on a preliminary impression that jumps out at them when they

first start sizing up you--- and sizing up your complaint. (Especially in the

frantic, rushed ER.)

They then order tests to " fit " their hypotheses, and can ignore other

possibilities.

As I've written on more than one occasion--it's tempting to blame our uteri

and fibroids on every medical symptom we experience. But, alas, we're

susceptible to the same stuff the non-Fibroidal women have, as well!

, continue to SPEAK UP to your GP and/or GYN about your pain--and keep

careful notes of any other symptoms you have.

Make sure your physicians get to the bottom of this by careful listening to

you AND with thorough testing. Let them provide you with a definitive diagnosis

so that they are able to suggest a treatment plan--beyond just pain meds--

for you. Be persistent.

Don't be afraid to keep asking questions of your physicians-- and of us here

on the list, too!

Good Luck!

-Roma