Several Answers: Docs & Meetups/Watch & Wait/FAS

[Guest guest]

Docs & MeetUps:

There is a physician database which you can reach from this group’s home

page – lists physicians who’ve been mentioned on this list and references

the ##’s of the posts where they are mentioned – so you can see what list

members may have had to say (good, bad or indifferent). The data base is

incomplete – but still a tool.

Also, when we had the January meeting in S.F. – doctors’ names were flying

around the table – with info about those docs. So, I’d recommend the

meetups as a way to possibly meet other women who might be willing to share

the info they’ve got about docs in your area -- women seem more willing to

freely share this info in person than on-list. As always - someone else's

opinion might not be yours & you have to be the final judge of what doc you

want to use.

For purposes of meetups, I have moved myself (for this month at least) from

Alameda County to S.F. on the meetups site. I’ve done this in an effort to

help make sure we bring off at least ONE meetup in the S.F. Bay Area this

month. I note this morning that there are 7 women signed up in SF but only

4 have voted on a location for March. We need at least 5 voters in order to

insure that the meetup will get scheduled. So, all you SF ladies – sign up

and vote for a March location (stating “no preference” – also counts – but

just ignoring the vote doesn’t count).

Here’s that website link again: http://uterinefibroids.meetup.com/

*********

WATCHING & WAITING:

I’ve had one pedunculated submucosal fibroid removed & I still have the rest

of them. So, obviously, I think watching & waiting is a very valid way to

handle fibroids. I'm doing it & so far, it's working for me.

However, I agree that watching and waiting should be an active/involved form

of “treatment.” You have to actually watch your fibroids & their effects on

you & you need to know what you are waiting for & be able to recognize when

it arrives.

WATCHING & WAITING IS NOT THE SAME AS IGNORING AND AVOIDING.

I think you should be keeping track of symptoms, knowwhat your limits are,

research your other options, make decisions about what you will do if you

reach your limits, find the doc(s) you like & be ready if necessary, etc.,

etc.,

In my case, I’m waiting for menopause – and hoping to get there before

symptoms reach the “not going to wait any longer” stage. At 56 ½ it seems

like I should stand a good chance of making it. Also, overall my fibroids

have NOT increased any in the last 2 years. However, I also know what

symptoms would drive me to further treatment & I do keep track of them & how

often & how severely they happen. I do review that information from time to

time & make sure I’m not letting things sneak up on me.

One thing we talked about in Monterey last year is the way fibroid symptoms

creep up on us. They get a little worse each month – yet we just keep

adjusting to them and we often don’t really realizing how far our symptoms

have progressed & how much they are taking out of our lives. So, keeping

track is important so that you will REALIZE and RECOGNIZE if and when

watching and waiting is no longer the most appropriate treatment for you.

I think too, that some women use watching and waiting as an way to try to

ignore the fact they have fibroids and to avoid treating them. Lots of

women will never need to treat – or will be able to treat in a minimal way

and get enough relief to be able to watch and wait. Certainly, there’s no

reason to subject yourself to any treatment needlessly. However, watching

and waiting should not be an excuse for being seriously symptomatic, having

fibroids impacting your daily life, and not dealing with the problem.

* * * * *

– Female Alternative Surgery –

My understanding is that “Female Alternative Surgery” is pretty much a

smoke-and-mirrors name for myomectomy.

– You might want to see Carla’s website on the subject of FAS:

http://www.uterinefibroids.com/c_frs.htm

* * * * * *

Pat

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[Guest guest]

Thanks for cluing me into the database. I've signed up for the

March meeting, also.

Judith

So, all you SF ladies – sign up and vote for a March location (stating " no

preference " – also counts – but just ignoring the vote doesn't count).