Re: to Carla and all-myomectomy in Romania

[Guest guest]

Dear Cecilia,

Just to say thank you very much for sharing your experience for us

(so sorry to hear that you even started having heart problems due to

your constant bleeding -- I cannot even imagine what it must be like

bleeding for so long, but I know some of the ladies here do have

similar conditions...Talk about quality of life!).

I was so proud to hear of your efforts of bringing enlightenment re

fibroids in your country! To think you were the only patient ever to

have myo in your hospital! That's horrendous!

I want to share something with you. My mother, who is now 66, had a

hysterectomy at 60. She had to have an op. to get a tumor out of her

uterus (it's not clear to me whether they were fibroids or some other

kind of tumor, as my mother lives in Brazil but she's Japanese and

her understanding of medical terminology in Portuguese is very

limited...), and when they opened her up they found some fibroids and

adhesion, and the Dr. just told her later, " well, it was a mess in

there, and you won't have any kids anymore anyway so I just took your

uterus out as that way you're free from the risk of uterine cancer.. "

My mother thought it was great, but when she told me this on the

phone just recently, I nearly screamed at her. She wasn't even asked

to sign any authorisation forms pre-surgery,and neither was my father

consulted prior to his deciding to " take everything out " . She's now

suffering from oestheoporosis, and you wonder why....!! This is in

Brazil, and it just shows how alarming the situation must be there

too! I mean, do women have not rights?! I am so angry about this, and

if I were living there still (I'm in UK now), I'd be starting a

campaign just like you!

Sorry to make this long, but I have to tell you one more story. I

lived 9 years in Japan before coming to the UK, and because of my

constant period problems I was always at the gynecologist's. Their

stock answer to all my complaints were, " Oh, just get married and

have children as soon as possible, and you'll be fine. " About 3

patients at a time were made to lie down (and wait for quite a long

time!) with their legs apart and on stirrups separated by each other

only by a thin curtain (so you could hear everything the Dr. was

saying to your neighbour's during internal examination) -- and the

Dr. is dictating the diagnosis to the nurse (uterus x size, cervix

blah-blah-blah, vagina, blah-blah-blah) in a really loud voice. Then

he comes to you and does the same. It's like he's a vet examining a

bunch of cows lined up in a production line. I felt SO HUMILIATED and

dehumanised!! And this was at quite a famous hospital in Tokyo where

most Dr's had degress from the Univ. of Tokyo (top uni in Japan).

Needless to say I NEVER went back there again, and got traumatised...

I wish you the best of luck from the bottom of my heart. You have my

support 100%.Go for it Cecilia! Women need to start standing up for

the rights of women -- respect for our bodies, our health, and hands

off our wombs! Having said that,I am not sure what advice to give you

as I don't know about Internet connection facilities in Romania, but

you could start by writing to newspapers or women's magazines, or

going to television or radio people? Maybe there already are some

support organizations for women that you could contact and liaise

with? Good luck!

CN

> Dear Carla and everybody,

>

> I was thinking a lot if I should write here about my experience

with myomectomy because I'm Romanian and I leave in Romania and lot

of the ladies from the list are living in USA, and I don't think I

can tell you more than you already know. But first of all I must

thank you all because I learned from every mail I read and I think I

made the best choices for my health.

>

> So to be shorter, I had a myomectomy almost four weeks ago and I

had 13 fibroids removed and one third of my uterus. I'm 36 and is

very important to me to function normally, to have periods etc. The

first doctor I saw jumped to the hysterectomy right away, I still

remember his words: " I can guarantee your health but not your

fertilityE thank you very much. I found a terrific doctor trying to

find a second opinion, which seems to know more than other doctors in

this country. I was the single myomectomy in the whole hospital, and

I think there were 50 hysterectomies. There were nurses that couldn't

pronounce the word because they didn't know the meaning of the word.

I realize being in hospital how important is to be well informed and

I really want to do something because fibroid condition runs in my

family and I also know that is common .I was able to meet two other

ladies which were operated by my doctor, one of them just gave birth

to twins (no artificial insemination), so I know

> there are some success stories in my country but unfortunately the

number is so low. On the other hand there is no solution to send all

the patients to just one doctor, he has already too many patients, so

making a pressure on doctors to change there views and one of the way

is educating the women. I can use your experience in doing this. I

must underline that I work for a powerful media group, and I have

some experience in communication.

>

> So about my experience I was under treatment with diphereline for

five months and after that I was scheduled for the operation, one

month ago. I took iron (with folic acid) all the time, but the three

months before my operation I bleed almost non-stop. I have to

underline that I travel abroad for work and two weeks before my

operation I had an episode of tachihardy in a Milan hospital. Not

very funny. Just for information in Romania, a doctor in ER will come

and see you quicker that in Italy They couldn't do very much because

I had a quicker heart beat from anemia, because I bleed the whole day

with clots.

>

> Previous to my operation I spoke with my doctor and I told him that

I want my uterus preserved and that I hope he can avoid blood

transfusions went in with a value for iron(hemoglobin) of 13 and came

out of the operation with 8,5.I'm taking now what I believe it will

be my last iron pills for long. The operation was three hours long,

three doctors were operating me, I had also cysts on my ovaries .I

spoke with the second doctor and he assured me that they did the best

for my health. The amount they took out weighted 1000 gr., one kilo

(we have metric system here), one pound is around 600 grams I think.

The biopsy came out after theree weeks and I don't have cancer for

sure which is great. I came out from anesthesia very easy didn't have

any problems, the painkillers I took were just injection with a

medicine I'm taking for headaches, no need for morphine or other

heavier drugs. I was out after three days, was able to walk around

the house. The scar is bigger than any c-section I've

> seen but looks very well. And it heals quite well. My doctor is

very pleased with my recovery. I'm expecting my first period after

five weeks, what can I say I'm clean for the first time in this

horrible year. I started heavily bleeding in January and now I'm for

the first time I'm not using any tampons which is great.

>

> It seems that I was blessed with a doctor, who cares, which is well

informed, and also very warm.

>

> So I'm thinking to do something to help other women in my

situation, which are not lucky enough to have access of all this

information. Any advice? I really need to start from somewhere.

>

> Thank you I whish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year

and lot of health

>

> Neli Cecilia Gheorghe

>

> Bucharest, Romania

[Guest guest]

Hello Neli of Romania!

Thank you so much for sharing your myomectomy experience. Fibroids effect women

worldwide. It takes inner strength to stand up to doctors who immediately

recommend hysterectomy as a treatment for fibroids. Your sisters in the USA

stand with you - as we continue our personal challenges in stopping the

performance of unnecessary hysterectomies.

Joyce

to Carla and all-myomectomy in Romania

I was thinking a lot if I should write here about my experience with

myomectomy because I'm Romanian and I leave in Romania and lot of the ladies

from the list are living in USA, and I don't think I can tell you more than you

already know. But first of all I must thank you all because I learned from every

mail I read and I think I made the best choices for my health.

[Guest guest]

Hello Neli of Romania!

Thank you so much for sharing your myomectomy experience. Fibroids effect women

worldwide. It takes inner strength to stand up to doctors who immediately

recommend hysterectomy as a treatment for fibroids. Your sisters in the USA

stand with you - as we continue our personal challenges in stopping the

performance of unnecessary hysterectomies.

Joyce

to Carla and all-myomectomy in Romania

I was thinking a lot if I should write here about my experience with

myomectomy because I'm Romanian and I leave in Romania and lot of the ladies

from the list are living in USA, and I don't think I can tell you more than you

already know. But first of all I must thank you all because I learned from every

mail I read and I think I made the best choices for my health.

[Guest guest]

Hello Neli of Romania!

Thank you so much for sharing your myomectomy experience. Fibroids effect women

worldwide. It takes inner strength to stand up to doctors who immediately

recommend hysterectomy as a treatment for fibroids. Your sisters in the USA

stand with you - as we continue our personal challenges in stopping the

performance of unnecessary hysterectomies.

Joyce

to Carla and all-myomectomy in Romania

I was thinking a lot if I should write here about my experience with

myomectomy because I'm Romanian and I leave in Romania and lot of the ladies

from the list are living in USA, and I don't think I can tell you more than you

already know. But first of all I must thank you all because I learned from every

mail I read and I think I made the best choices for my health.