Guest guest Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Your not mentioning how you must also consider if a woman wants children or not. That will also influence treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Welcome Tricia! There are different treatments for fibroid tumours but factors that might influence a treatment choice. Here are some of them: *How troublesome the symptoms are to live with. Some women get no symptoms or milder symptoms. Symptoms can eventually worsen and for other women the fibroids stay the same. I would guess that some patients don't even realise some health annoyances are due to the fibroids, so do look up all the symptoms to check. Doing nothing at all is a valid response in many cases, since at least then you're not interfering with the body and nature with surgery etc. Do look into symptom control as you have. Also make sure the fibroids are monitored from time to time and read up on the down sides of 'watch & wait' (watch & *monitor*). Insist on these occasional checks on fibroid growth, whenever you want another check. Doctors may make you feel as if it's nothing more serious than a splinter, but it'll make a difference to you, what's done to your body and what the recovery and health afterwards is like!! Some women wished they hadn't watched and waited since their fibroids grew and their treatment options shrank. Others never did bother with treatment and did fine. Also check that statements you read about the menopause and fibroids are accurate and not misleading. ______________ *Which treatment best suits the type, size and position of the fibroids. For example, different types of the myomectomy operation (different means of access), which retains fertility (all being well) and removes the fibroids: many of them, if not all. There are also different types of hysterectomy. like the UAE it's a hot topic for debate and well worth reading up on if you go for this option. (See hyster sisters site, for example). The uterine artery embolisation (UAE) approach shrinks fibroids There are some other treatment approaches too ______________ * Whether the woman might possibly want children in the future Anyone wanting to have children in future needs to do their homework before going with the UAE option because of an alleged risk of embolising the wrong vessels and affecting fertility. ______________ *Other gynaecological problems also present. For example, endometriosis or an ovarian cyst or polyps. _______________ * Other health issues that might effect surgery and recovery ______________ * The possibility of having fibroid problems again in the future. The hysterectomy approach is like concreting over a garden to get rid of the weeds. You'll never get weeds again, for sure, which is the main advantage. This is the right answer for some women, but too many unecessary hysterectomies are doled out and there are alternatives out there. Nobody on this board minds women choosing the hysterectomy. They just want to be sure everyone knows about the other options too. It is possible for someone who has had a myomectomy to get fibroids again in the future, but it won't necc. happen. Statistics claim that more women remain fibroid free than get fibroids again. _____________ * Rejecting another treatment option as not what you want for you because you have reservations about it. There is no magic wonder solution, but having said that, they're not so bad really. I had the myo and 6 months after my operation the scar is almost invisible. It's not like at the dentist where you're awake throughout. ____________ * The feasibility of taking the time off to rest and recover after surgery * Financial reasons Some women just can't take 6 months off doing no heavy lifting and not going into work. _____________ * The skills and biasses/preferences of the gynaecologist. Some surgeons recommend a hysterectomy and are down on the myomectomy because they lack the skills to do this sugery (which has been around for a very very long time). Mind you, there may be good medical reasons for recommending a hysterectomy in certain cases, such as a past history of cancer. Get a second or third opinion whenever bizarre scare tactics are used (It has happened to some women on this board). Gynaecologists and radiologists do not always see eye to eye about Uterine Artery Embolisation. You may hear one sided accounts and sales pitches on different treatments on some web sites. There isn't a best treatment or a right or wrong answer, just different solutions for different cases. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX < One was reasonably large and the other two were not.> Sounds like mine Don't know, I'm afraid are that these will continue to grow. > It varies but they may do. Your symptoms may or may not give a clue. Weight changes are sometimes an indicator. Ultrasound is the best way of knowing. Some women can feel their fibroids externally and others can't. There's something to be said for the wait and monitor approach, but don't put up with intolerable symptoms either, and do get them monitored from time to time. < I would also like to know if anyone knows of anything homeopathic for the treatment of this.> Look out for books on fibroids and diet by Lark and check out The Yahoo Healing Fibroids Naturally site and other book titles (Amazon is a good supplier of fibroid book titles). Eat a balanced sensible varied diet, go easy on the liver, avoid stress where possible and try to retain a sense of humour. Iron rich foods are good and organic food is less likely to have chemicals that worsen hormone imbalance. Have fruit juice instead of tea or coffee with meals to help iron absorption. Aztek p.s: and never take anything I say as gospel either...I have no medical knowledge whatsoever :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 HI " T " (newbie) I played the watch and wait game also. I was about 40 or 41 when diagnosed. This was fine since I was not displaying any symtoms. At that time, the fibroid was 5 cm. Over the course of 2 1/2 yrs, I tried natural stuff, diet change, hormonal balancing, and thought I could help shrink or reduce with the use of natural progestrone cream as described in the book by Dr. Lee, " What your doctor may not tell you about perimenapause " The fibroid stayed the same for about 1 yr, then it started to grow. My periods got heavier and heavier. I started to have to mark on the calender when they were comming becuase they were ruining my lifestyle when they would come. Heavier and heavier. Then this past october, I had a major hemmoraging episode for about 4 1/2 hrs. Had all the tests, my fibroid had grown to 10 cm. My doctor again said, lets wait, this may or may not happen again. I was fine the next month, but the next month, wham! Again, major gushes!!! Uncontrollable bleeding. I knew it was time to do something. Finally, I had this happen this January called 'breakthrough bleeding " anotherwords, happening between periods!!!!! So scary!!!!! I had to flee from work and places all the time. Anyway, these last few months I was researching the UFE procedure and decided this was my route. I had it 1/30 . My procedure went smooth and I feel great. I now have my period and it is so light and managable. It's been quite a learning process but through these groups, I've learned everything. Check out the Yahoo Embo group for info also. This is my story, good luck. If your bleeding is managable, then watch and wait is a good start. Jen > hello everyone... I was recently dioagnosed with UF. I am 43 years. > > I spoke with my gyn last week > who told me that the US was consistant with fibroid disease and that I had 3 in all. > One > was reasonably large and the other two were not. He does not feel the need to do > anything at this time. He prescribed PONSTEL for the pain and said it would help with > the extreme bleeding that I have each month. > > I guess my question is whether or not anyone has taken ponstel and what the chances > are that these will continue to grow. I get the feeling that my gyn would like me to > just wait until I cannot take it anymore, which I guess is where my mindset is right > now. > > I would also like to know if anyone knows of anything homeopathic for the treatment > of this. > > thanks > T~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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