Ladies-Uterues Question-Long

[happily single]

First of all I've already tried google without much luck, but I know you ladies know your business!

I had a D&C several weeks ago due to "female issues". I just had my post op today where the dr informed me my uterus was twice the size it should be and I had several polps and fibroids.

Unfortunately he was very low key and although he answered all my questions I had to ask all the questions, he really didn't volunteer any information. I've tried google and it just doesn't seem to be helping me today.

So, has anyone had any experience with an enlarged uterus? I'm familiar with polps and fibroids. He did give me the option of undergoing an abblation. I know there is a recent thread on that. But he is also talking of a hysterectomy. I'm 35 and am done having children, but it just seems so young

 

[cepmom]

I had an enlarged uterus also. It was noted on my yearly exams, but I had no issues from it so I guess it was never looked into further. In 2007 I started having horrendous, awful bleeding during my periods so I went back to the gyn and was found to have a huge fibroid taking up 2/3 of the uterus. That explains the enlarged uterus!

I was given several options, from taking birth control pills to control the bleeding, Lupron, hysterectomy and uterine fibroid embolization. I was told that the ablation was not an option for me because of the fibroid...maybe because of the type of fibroid it was or the sizenot sure but the Dr said she could not do it.

I was 38 and really thought hysterectomy was too extreme to do at that time. The other choices did not appeal to me as they were temporary bandaids and would not solve the problem of the huge fibroid. I chose to have the UFE done and have not had problems since. Just had an ultrasound last month and the uterus went back to normal size and the fibroid has calcified and shrunk more than 50%.

I don't know anything about polyps though, sorry. Are you having any symptoms? Really bad bleeding? Pain?

 

[JessicaR]

I'm going through something similar right now. It was thought that I had fibroids but its turns out they believe I have adenomyosis. Due to painful everything and heavy periods I consulted to have a hysterectomy yesterday.

Are you in a lot of pain? If hysterectomy ends up being the route you take look at www.hystersisters.com. There is a procedure called a supra cervical hysterectomy that can be done laparoscopically, if you are a candidate. It seems recovery is quick and the procedure is outpatient most times. Pretty amazing actually. Seems there is great benefit for some in keeping the cervix and ovaries when able to.

I'm not positive if an ablation would be helpful in your case but I bet you can read up. Also write down your specific questions and talk to you doctor again until you get the answers you seek and are satisfied.

35 is young and I think you need to weigh your options and absolutely get a second opinion. Try and seek out a specialist in your area that has a high level of laparoscopic surgical expertise.

Wishing you the best, keep me updated!

 

[happily single]

Thank you for the quick responses. I am on birth control and had my tubes tied 5 years ago. I am having heavy periods (every couple of months), a lot of bleeding between periods and irregular periods. I am very upset that the nurse that I have seen for 15 years now and that did two trans******l ultrasounds in the past 4 months never mentioned any of this to me. In fact she assured me I only had ONE very small fibroid, which is not the case!

I agree that a hysterecomty is pretty extreme, but realize that any other procedure will not help with the fibroids. Honestly I don't know what is causing all of my problems and would hate to undergo another procedure to find out that I need the hysterecomy.

Thanks for all your help

 

[JessicaR]

Thank you for the quick responses. I am on birth control and had my tubes tied 5 years ago. I am having heavy periods (every couple of months), a lot of bleeding between periods and irregular periods. I am very upset that the nurse that I have seen for 15 years now and that did two trans******l ultrasounds in the past 4 months never mentioned any of this to me. In fact she assured me I only had ONE very small fibroid, which is not the case!

I agree that a hysterectomy is pretty extreme, but realize that any other procedure will not help with the fibroids. Honestly I don't know what is causing all of my problems and would hate to undergo another procedure to find out that I need the hysterecomy.

Thanks for all your help

I could have written (wrote?) this post! More than ever now I suggest you get a second opinion and have a different tech do a sonogram and an MRI. Its so disheartening to get conflicting info but it should be your plight to get to the bottom of it and get the very best treatment you possibly can.

I totally agree with having procedures that only resolve in a hysterectomy anyway. I also do not want to do that.

 

[minkydog]

I recommend a second opinion. Some doctors tout hysterectomy like its the Second Coming, but really its just Major Abdominal Surgery. You have to be sure that Major Abdominal Surgery is the best answer to your problems. .

It sounds like you need some questions answered before you go any farther. There are several treatments for heavy menses and fibroids, many less invasive than hysterectomy. And if in the end Hysterectomy turns out to be THE RIGHT ANSWER, you will be satisfied that you looked into all possibilities.

 

[happily single]

I could have written (wrote?) this post! More than ever now I suggest you get a second opinion and have a different tech do a sonogram and an MRI. Its so disheartening to get conflicting info but it should be your plight to get to the bottom of it and get the very best treatment you possibly can.

I totally agree with having procedures that only resolve in a hysterectomy anyway. I also do not want to do that.

I'm going to my primary care dr. on Monday. I requested the dr immediately fax all of my records related to this over to her. I'm going to get the name of someone else from her. Hopefully it will all work out.

I work as a paralegal and saw a horrible medical malpractice case where a woman had what the dr kept calling fibroids but was really tumors and by the time she got a second opinion it was too late and she died several months later. So needless to say I'm pretty upset

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Are you me? My doctor diagnosed me with an enlarged uterus last year. As she was feeling around, she noted that she was all the way up about an inch under my navel and said it shouldn't be that large. I had yet another ultrasound (I usually have them every year, as I have a loooong history of ovarian cysts), which showed a "small" fibroid tumor. How small, nobody has said and I didn't ask.

Along with the ovarian cysts - one of which was about 7.5 inches in diameter and had to be surgically removed (caesarian-type surgery, with a 6-inch scar) - I do have endometriosis. Over 20 years of excruciatingly painful, non-regular periods. Six types of BC pills and none worked. At some point, I do want a hysterectomy, but I'm only 35 and childless; I can't have one yet.

 

[cepmom]

Thank you for the quick responses. I am on birth control and had my tubes tied 5 years ago. I am having heavy periods (every couple of months), a lot of bleeding between periods and irregular periods. I am very upset that the nurse that I have seen for 15 years now and that did two trans******l ultrasounds in the past 4 months never mentioned any of this to me. In fact she assured me I only had ONE very small fibroid, which is not the case!

I agree that a hysterecomty is pretty extreme, but realize that any other procedure will not help with the fibroids. Honestly I don't know what is causing all of my problems and would hate to undergo another procedure to find out that I need the hysterecomy.

Thanks for all your help

I totally understand about not wanting to try something , then need the hysterectomy anyway. I felt the exact same way when I needed to decide how to procede. I did a lot of research before I made my decision; hystersisters is a great site to find information. I think it's important to get another opinion on this, by as many Dr's as it takes for you to feel comfortable making a decision.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm 35 and am done having children, but it just seems so young

It is young. It's the age that my mom had her uterus taken out, and she hated doing it (though she was relieved for awhile to just not be shedding blood anymore), and she hated going into menopause overnight (she did have her ovaries still, but did go into menopausal stuff), she hated hated hated it.

And then she got into chiropractic and acupuncture, and found out that for true practitioners of both, it's about helping your nervous system control your body closer to perfect, and that both have seen absolute miracles, even including stopping uterus problems...she wished SO BADLY that she'd met her chiro a year earlier.

She wasn't able to go back in time, but I always try to tell people...do *everything*, open every door to try to help your body help itself, before resorting to surgery.

I recommend a second opinion. Some doctors tout hysterectomy like its the Second Coming, but really its just Major Abdominal Surgery. You have to be sure that Major Abdominal Surgery is the best answer to your problems. .

It sounds like you need some questions answered before you go any farther. There are several treatments for heavy menses and fibroids, many less invasive than hysterectomy. And if in the end Hysterectomy turns out to be THE RIGHT ANSWER, you will be satisfied that you looked into all possibilities.

Absolutely. Totally. Positively.