Fibroid Tumors
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I had a stellar radiologist. You have to do your homework to make sure you get a provider skilled in this area. There are adverse effects for every invasive procedure you get.
You don't get a choice in the UK you get referred by your GP to where ever's free and then of course in America you have to have insurance.0 -
I had a stellar radiologist. You have to do your homework to make sure you get a provider skilled in this area. There are adverse effects for every invasive procedure you get.
You don't get a choice in the UK you get referred by your GP to where ever's free and then of course in America you have to have insurance.
Yeah, I'm in the US, get my health care through the VA (Veterans Administration), and don't get a choice in providers.0 -
I underwent a uterine artery embolization this past December, as I had a uterus the size of a 16 week pregnancy. There were many in there, and many were large, so they could not take my uterus out laparoscopically. The OBGYN suggested I look into this, and I was an ideal candidate. I could feel them when I put pressure on my belly or when I lied on my belly.
The fibroids were wreaking havoc on my workouts every month. I was having horrible PMS, pains in my lower right-abdomen (found out it was my biggest fibroid sitting on my bladder, and I am still dealing with the pain six months later). When I would start, I would just suffer for 3 days. I was so tired and bleeding so much, I didn't want to do anything.
The UAE post-procedure was the worst, as I had some intense pain I had to deal with, but six-months later, I'm doing great, my workouts are better than they have been in years, and I've lost 9 pounds with diet and exercise. All in all, nothing helped my fibroids except medical help.
@steph268 Mine is closer to 14 weeks. The fibroid I have seems to give me the most trouble the week before my period. I love to run long distance, but the pressure on my bladder makes it so I literally have to stop every 5 minutes to pee. The rest of the month I also have bladder pressure, but I can usually go a few miles without peeing. Really takes the enjoyment out of my run. I can't do my marathons anymore because who wants to wait in line for 30 minutes for the porta-potty every other mile? Talk about a nightmare! My sister and I did a relay run and I wrecked our time with my bathroom breaks. Sad.
The doctor has suggested UAE, since it's just one giant fibroid so it's less likely to have a bunch of other ones popping up later. I've heard they keep you overnight to juice you up with drugs for the pain and nausea. I guess the body reacts negatively when you try to kill parts of it off. How long did it take to recover? I hate the idea of being inactive for very long...
So, it was an interesting recovery. you are sort of in this drug induced but conscious state during the whole procedure. Yes, they kept me in the hospital until about 9 am the next morning on a morphine pump that I could hit every 10 minutes. it was kind of crazy. I was so high by the time I got home and the next night when I started on the meds they gave me for home, I was hallucinating. But, it kept the pain at bay. I also run a lot, and when I was in the hospital they kept asking me if my HR is always that low.
I stayed on the cocktail of meds for the first 5 days, and then I broke out in a rash. I thought it was the opioids, so I cut those out, and it turned out it was the anti-inflammatory. Anyway, I switched to ibuprofen, and I was feeling so good by the next Monday, I went for a run/walk. Bad idea. But, they tell you you need to always keep moving. Don't just get sedentary. So, I walked. I took two weeks off of work, and I don't think I needed it.
When I finally felt ready to jog/walk again, about 3 weeks later, it seemed to wake up the anger in my fibroids again. I was doubled over in pain after two miles. It seemed to be the blood pumping in my body, and my fibroids wanted it, and they were super angry. It's a weird recovery. All in all, it was a really good decision I made. I still sometime to get some pain after running, but it's rare, and it's not to the point where I have to take any pain meds, but the exercise induced pain went on for awhile. I read as much as I could, so I could get an idea of recovery for people. I hope this helps. Especially since you are a runner. Everyone's recovery seems to be very different, but there is certainly a recovery that goes with it. If you have any other questions, let me know! I found people's stories very helpful.
Awesome, thanks! Did you have pain while running BEFORE the procedure, too, or did it just start after?
I make my own schedule, so I can take as much time as I need. I just don't want to lay around in bed for days. I need to move or I go crazy. (It doesn't have to be hardcore running. I can just walk with my dog, too.) I think I'm doomed, though, because I'm allergic to opiates - I break out in hives and vomit like crazy. I hope they have other pain management options...
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I underwent a uterine artery embolization this past December, as I had a uterus the size of a 16 week pregnancy. There were many in there, and many were large, so they could not take my uterus out laparoscopically. The OBGYN suggested I look into this, and I was an ideal candidate. I could feel them when I put pressure on my belly or when I lied on my belly.
The fibroids were wreaking havoc on my workouts every month. I was having horrible PMS, pains in my lower right-abdomen (found out it was my biggest fibroid sitting on my bladder, and I am still dealing with the pain six months later). When I would start, I would just suffer for 3 days. I was so tired and bleeding so much, I didn't want to do anything.
The UAE post-procedure was the worst, as I had some intense pain I had to deal with, but six-months later, I'm doing great, my workouts are better than they have been in years, and I've lost 9 pounds with diet and exercise. All in all, nothing helped my fibroids except medical help.
@steph268 Mine is closer to 14 weeks. The fibroid I have seems to give me the most trouble the week before my period. I love to run long distance, but the pressure on my bladder makes it so I literally have to stop every 5 minutes to pee. The rest of the month I also have bladder pressure, but I can usually go a few miles without peeing. Really takes the enjoyment out of my run. I can't do my marathons anymore because who wants to wait in line for 30 minutes for the porta-potty every other mile? Talk about a nightmare! My sister and I did a relay run and I wrecked our time with my bathroom breaks. Sad.
The doctor has suggested UAE, since it's just one giant fibroid so it's less likely to have a bunch of other ones popping up later. I've heard they keep you overnight to juice you up with drugs for the pain and nausea. I guess the body reacts negatively when you try to kill parts of it off. How long did it take to recover? I hate the idea of being inactive for very long...
So, it was an interesting recovery. you are sort of in this drug induced but conscious state during the whole procedure. Yes, they kept me in the hospital until about 9 am the next morning on a morphine pump that I could hit every 10 minutes. it was kind of crazy. I was so high by the time I got home and the next night when I started on the meds they gave me for home, I was hallucinating. But, it kept the pain at bay. I also run a lot, and when I was in the hospital they kept asking me if my HR is always that low.
I stayed on the cocktail of meds for the first 5 days, and then I broke out in a rash. I thought it was the opioids, so I cut those out, and it turned out it was the anti-inflammatory. Anyway, I switched to ibuprofen, and I was feeling so good by the next Monday, I went for a run/walk. Bad idea. But, they tell you you need to always keep moving. Don't just get sedentary. So, I walked. I took two weeks off of work, and I don't think I needed it.
When I finally felt ready to jog/walk again, about 3 weeks later, it seemed to wake up the anger in my fibroids again. I was doubled over in pain after two miles. It seemed to be the blood pumping in my body, and my fibroids wanted it, and they were super angry. It's a weird recovery. All in all, it was a really good decision I made. I still sometime to get some pain after running, but it's rare, and it's not to the point where I have to take any pain meds, but the exercise induced pain went on for awhile. I read as much as I could, so I could get an idea of recovery for people. I hope this helps. Especially since you are a runner. Everyone's recovery seems to be very different, but there is certainly a recovery that goes with it. If you have any other questions, let me know! I found people's stories very helpful.
Awesome, thanks! Did you have pain while running BEFORE the procedure, too, or did it just start after?
I make my own schedule, so I can take as much time as I need. I just don't want to lay around in bed for days. I need to move or I go crazy. (It doesn't have to be hardcore running. I can just walk with my dog, too.) I think I'm doomed, though, because I'm allergic to opiates - I break out in hives and vomit like crazy. I hope they have other pain management options...
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The pain started after. When i asked my doctor about it, she was just happy that I was moving around, so just know that you absolutely can walk as much as you want, and the doctor should stress to you that they need you moving around. She also didn't say whether she had heard about the pain happening to anyone else, but she also didn't seem completely surprised by it.
They have to have other pain management options available!1 -
The pain started after. When i asked my doctor about it, she was just happy that I was moving around, so just know that you absolutely can walk as much as you want, and the doctor should stress to you that they need you moving around. She also didn't say whether she had heard about the pain happening to anyone else, but she also didn't seem completely surprised by it.
They have to have other pain management options available!
Thanks so much! You have been super helpful to me! I have an appointment this week and I will be bringing lots of questions with me!
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Having this insight from all of you, really warms my heart. I see so many options now and even though it still hurts (physically) I mentally feel better. Thanks ladies.1
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DanyellMcGinnis wrote: »You don't have to deal with menopause symptoms if you keep your ovaries. I kept mine and I've been fine. During the operation you can't have anxiety as you are not awake! After I was mostly just glad it was over.
I also had no complications whatsoever. No clots (in the hospital they had these things they hooked up to my legs, it's hard to describe, they expanded and contracted to provide gentle pressure that did not prevent me sleeping, but they were for preventing clots). Pain was minimal and well-controlled. No infection, no nicking of other organs, etc.
I gained a bit of weight afterwards mostly because during my recovery I wanted to continue to eat at pre-surgery levels despite not being able to exercise, but that is coming off now. Less than 6 months after the surgery I was capable of swinging a 20 pound kettlebell (heavy for me but I have tiny wrists) and doing a Focus T25 and an Insanity workout back to back. I am still a US size 2.
Also, please be suspicious of anyone claiming fibroids can be controlled with diet. I had someone (a fellow fibroid sufferer, no less) tell me that eating a plant-based diet could make them shrink. Which is total BS as I have been a vegetarian with a high-fiber diet for 25 years and I still grew fibroids. In my case, I have a family history of fibroids and I was 39 when diagnosed, 40 for surgery, and had never had children (because I didn't want them, not for some other reason).
Fibroids can continue to grow if left untreated and can get so big that they block the flow of urine from the kidneys to the bladder (this was the doctor's worry based on the placement and size of mine), can block the ability to urinate as described by someone else in this thread, etc. Mine also caused constipation and acid reflux, which can have problems down the road that need to be dealt with. Not addressing the problem means emergency surgery may eventually be required, despite patient anxiety. It is much better to plan and prepare, considering what recovery time can be (I was stuck at home for 7 weeks) than to end up having the same procedure on an emergency basis and have to deal with the consequences without adequate time to get ready, request time off work or arrange to work from home, take care of household or family responsibilities, etc.
Thanks
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I had my fibroids removed surgically, with a heated mesh to burn them off. Nothing I did helped with the pain except cocodamol. If you are near the menopause or want children then you will have to put up with it, otherwise, discuss removal options with your doctor, a hysterectomy is not the only way.0
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