Lord, I'm scared u-kno-what...

[Guest guest]

Here I am. Brand new to your list. One day old and I'm rushing ahead like

gangbusters. Got a referral to a highly respected gyn in our area. He's

already got me diagnosed with fibroids and had me set up for an ultrasound

on the 11th. Started up with a slight fever today and hubby got concerned

and called. Moved my ultrasound up to the next 12 hours. NOW I'm scared.

Doctor's not inclined to think it's anything other than fibroids but I've

been bleeding now almost 5 mos. continuously. He says it's either going to

be a d&c or a hysterectomy depending on how the sonogram comes out. It's

very unlikely that they can do much else since I can't take the hormones to

try to shrink the fibroids (previous medical conditions make it dangerous

for me). He's not committed to any particular form of treatment but I don't

think I'm going to be able to shop around for second options even if I felt

I wasn't getting nearly the best info possible.

What I'm most worried about is hubby. He's a heart patient and he's getting

very upset by this whole thing. If I'm not around to make sure he's taking

care I'm afraid he'll not watch the bp while I'm in the hospital and end up

in there himself. He's balanced on a knife edge of massive amounts of drugs

and one little upset and he's in the hospital himself. He gets upset about

me and away we both go...

Geeze.. someone tell me that it's going to all work out in the end... I

purely hate the idea of having yet another doctor carving on me but if I'm

getting sicker then I'd rather get it over with.

Cj. Aberte mailto:stitelyaberte@... Melbourne, FL USA

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Are you being treated for anemia? Slow FE iron and vitamin C. If your counts are

low, forget surgery. Anemia can make your bleeding worse too.

Bleeding like yours can br fibroids. You do have other options. UAE and

myomectomy. You may even just need a resection which is a simple surgery.

Hormones (estrogen) feed fibroids. What kind of hyst? If they take your ovaries,

they ususlly want you to take HRT and if you can't there's a problem and if you

do, there could be a problem. Hyst can cause a whole new set of problems for

you.

You need to ask your doctor how many myomectomies he does. If he doesn't do

them, find another doc. Your doctor should give you ALL your options. Ask about

UAE too.

I had bleeding like yours and first I had to treat my anemia. Then I had a myo

last Aug.. I went home the next day. No more heavy bleeding. A big change in my

life. You do have other options. Roma had 42 fibroids removed by myo. Many have

had UAEs here.

I understand about you worrying about your husband. You may very well need help

from friends and family. Pull your people resources. You'll both need support.

You are lucky to have this group of women. Tell them your ultrasound results and

they can help explain them. Ask questions. They may be able to put you on to a

new doctor if you tell them where you live. You have support here and more

options than you were told about.

CHECK ON ANEMIA IF YOU HAVE NOT!

Ku

" Cj. Aberte " stitelyaberte@...> wrote:

Doctor's not inclined to think it's anything other than fibroids but I've

been bleeding now almost 5 mos. continuously. He says it's either going to

be a d&c or a hysterectomy depending on how the sonogram comes out.

[Guest guest]

Hey cj, you just bring all your worries here and then you can tell

your husband all the reassuring things and not the worrying

ones. We're glad to help. It sounds as if you're right on track with

th surgeon and ultrasound.

I had an external ultrasound and I can tell you it was nothing to

worry about. I didn't need to get undressed, I just hitched down

the waistband of my trousers a little. They apply light pressure

and it's quite interesting if you can see the grainy images on the

screen. You don't hear what you have in there and I couldn't

understand what the images meant that I was seeing. You'll be

more worried about when you can go to the toilet if you're having

the type of ultrasound where you drink lots of water beforehand

(You ould perhaps drink the last lot in a bottle just before going

in. They put a clear gel on the outside of your belly. Maybe that

wasn't what you meant...

Heavy bleeding is a common fibroid symptom. Why not a

myomectomy I wonder? I would ask that.

Read people's accounts after they've come out of surgery for

reassurance. We do come out the other side and it will be a

frustrating worrying year. Try and avoid reading stories about

malpractice cases in the world and focus on the practical and

positive information. Try not to let people or situations get to you

over this coming year.

Az

[Guest guest]

Hi CJ-

Aztek is right; post your concerns here! I joined this list in

February of last year when I suddenly started bleeding and felt very

lost and afraid and it saved my life. I had some unpleasant

encounters with some nasty docs who all said " hyst " before I found

two who agreed with me that my uterus was worth saving. I was quite

anemic and had a host of other medical problems so I was extremely

stressed out, made worse by inadequate emotional support from my

family and many " (ex-)friends " . I met wonderful women here and

learned more from this list than anywhere, really. It took 2 months,

but I found a doctor to perform my resection and spent the month

before surgery getting my iron levels up via iron infusions and iron

supplements. I too cannot take hormones and it was OK.

If you haven't had your iron levels checked, please do so and address

anemia if you need to ASAP. With iron infusions you can get your

levels up more quickly than via pills. I went from a HGB of 8 to 10.5

in 3 weeks, and my ferritin went as high as 188 just before my

period, which coincided with the surgery. If you have any questions

about the infusions, email me.

Ku and Aztek have advised you well so I won't add to what they have

written, other than to urge you to avoid an unnecessary hysterectomy

at all costs if you don't need one. I had a D & C after my resection

and have one day a month of medium bleeding and a few days of light

to scant flow since. What a difference! I still take iron pills to

raise my ferritin but my other values are fine. Myomectomy may

certainly be a choice for you, but you'll have to find a surgeon

skilled enough to perform it. Not all can, and unfortunately, some

withhold that information as an option if it is beyond their

capabilities. If you tell us where you are, someone may be able to

recommend a good dr.

>>He's not committed to any particular form of treatment but I don't

think I'm going to be able to shop around for second options even if

I felt I wasn't getting nearly the best info possible.<<

Why is that, C.J.?

Yes, it was upsetting and life-changing but I made it through and so

will you and your husband, but finding external support will be

important for you both. I made a friend here in my city and we

supported each other through both of our surgeries (and continue to);

maybe there's someone on the list nearby who can do the same for

you? I suggest getting a support system of friends and relatives in

place by feeling out who will be there for you to run errands, visit,

and possibly help take care of you at home immediately post-surgery.

Maybe a part-time nurse/caregiver to look after the two of you after

your surgery? Once you decide what you are doing about your fibroid,

you'll have a better idea of your needs. The women here have tons of

tips on how to make life easier with surgery looming (and after).

Good luck, post often and let us know what is happening!

Jan