My focused Ultra sound treatment...(long)

[Guest guest]

I went to Brigham & Women's hospital yesterday for my focused ultra sound

treatment. I had to arrive at 7 a.m. and by 8 a.m. they had the i.v. in (the

nurse was really great and able to put it near my wrist-in line with my thumb,

which was more comfortable for me than in the elbow crease.) I had to have a

bladder catheter (deep breaths!) and sign some more papers. Louise Greenberg

said they've increased the # of women they're accepting for the study, since

many women don't pass the screening visits. So, I felt lucky I was able to

participate.

I hobbled into the MRI room (they taped the bladder tube to my leg so I was

moving carefully!) Once in the room I crawled onto the table face down. They

carefully positioned my freshly shaven abdomen over some cold water that was

covered with a plastic bag. The water warmed up once it melded with my body

heat.

First they took some images and then the sonifications began. They gave me pain

med. through the IV and the pulses sometimes felt warm and other times felt

crampy. The doctor checked in with me over the microphone after each one. " How

was that? " she'd ask. And I'd say " that felt warm near my bladder, like I had to

pee " or " that was like a cramp in my low back. " So, for the first couple of

hours it went like that. A pause, a sonification, a pause. My back began to

hurt, not from the treatment, but from laying face down on my abdomen and being

unable to move (not even a little bit.) So, I thought if I asked for more pain

meds. perhaps I wouldn't feel my lumbar area spasming. They gave me more and

then I had a panic attack a few minutes later. I got very dizzy and very hot and

wanted out of that tube ASAP. Now, I had a nurse with me the whole time and they

must have known from all the lead wires that monitored my vitals that something

was up, cause all the doctors came out from behind

the glass and they took me out of the MRI, uncovered me and gave me a cold, wet

cloth to dab at the back of my neck. After a few minutes I said, " O.k. I'm good

to go again. " but the doctor said, " No, we'll wait til your heart rate comes

down under 100 " !

I was in that tube for over 4 hrs. Towards the end I was in a great deal of pain

because of the position I had to lay in. (Face down with my uterus the size of

an 18 week pregnancy.) The doctor told me after the treatment that the fibroid

is pressing on my L5, S1...so that explains my back pain. I was baffled that a

year ago I had about four fibroids and yesterday they told me I just have one

big fibroid with many areas growing off of it. Could my fibroids have grown

together? I plan to ask at my follow up visit which is tomorrow.

The doctor said they were able to necrose a large area in the center of the

fibroid and I should feel some relief in one to three months.

Today I'm back to " normal activities " which for me was going up to my shop,

giving one client a hair cut and color and chair massage. I'm glad I only

scheduled one person because I still feel a little " spacey " from the pain meds.

Please don't hesitate to e-mail me if I can answer any of your questions. ~