new to list

[Guest guest]

Hello. I am new to this list and have a few questions.

Here's some background:

My fibroids were first diagnosed three years ago, when I made an appointment

to see my naturopath after feeling some odd lumps in my pelvic area. Before

we'd even confirmed that the lumps were fibroids (a pretty safe bet, given

that there is family history of fibroids), my naturopath was talking about a

hysterectomy. I was and still am asymptomatic, so I " fired " her as my

doctor. I didn't like her attitude.

I made some half-hearted attempts at alternative healing methods, but the

fear and self-blame overwhelmed any real healing effort on my part. It took

me until this week to get the courage up to get a second opinion. The

fibroids are large -- at the time of the first ultrasound, I was told that

one was the size of a grapefruit -- and they have likely grown since then.

Today I got a pelvic exam from a gyn at Group Health (in greater Seattle).

She acknowledged that my uterus is " lumpy, " but didn't display any of the

fear or anxiety I saw in my former doc. I'm scheduled for another ultrasound

on Monday. After that, I'll have a consult with a surgeon.

My questions:

When is myo recommended?

When is UAE a better option?

Do any of you know about the study being done at Brigham & Women's in Boston

that is using intense ultrasound to necrose the tumors? If so, what have you

heard and do you know of any other places that are experimenting with that

method?

Do fibroids always shrink after the onset of menopause? That's what I've

always read, so I haven't been too concerned about surgery. The fibroids

don't cause pain or excessive bleeding, so I figure, they'll go away

eventually and for now I just have to put up with an enlarged abdomen. But

today my gyn said something that made me a little concerned. She suggested

that the tumors don't necessarily shrink, and that they can " droop " and

press on organs, necessitating surgery/hysterectomy. My mother got a

hysterectomy in the 1970s because of a prolapsed uterus, which I am now

wondering was caused by fibroids.

On the other hand, technology is always being refined, so I figure the

longer I keep my body intact, the better chances I'll have of taking

advantage of less invasive procedures in later years. Any thoughts?

If you've read this far, thanks very much for wading through my story.

Good health to you all.