My Dr. found 4 large fibroid tumors on my Uterus...Hysterectomy?
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I had one the approximate size of a cueball, like on a pool table (about 2 1/4 inches), and another smaller one. The large fibroid pressed on my bladder, too, and gave me pretty bad periods. My doctor had a wait-and-see attitude, recommending increased dosage of ibuprofen (3 times the package's directions) and making sure I wasn't becoming anemic through blood loss. The option of a hysterectomy was always there, but put off-able month after month. I, too, had my family complete and didn't want more children.
In the end, I didn't get the hysterectomy, largely because the nature of what I do lets me dash to the bathroom often, and endure a couple of bad days every month. When I became perimenopausal, the big fibroid began to shrink. It's down to about 1 3/4 inches now and still getting smaller.
Ultimately, the decision for you should be based on how negatively it's impacting your life.
First, my heart goes out to you.
My advise is to get blood tested for cancer. There are markers that can trace to the blood the presence of cancer cells. You need to rule out cancer.
It wasn't me, but my mom. You see, I made the mistake of opting partial hysterectomy for her because I wanted less injury, smaller wound, faster healing, etc. It turned out, my good intentions lead to a wrong decision, because the biopsy result was cancer. So she needed to undergo another surgery - the total hysterectomy to remove all organs of the reproductive system: uterus, fallopian tube, ovaries, lymph nodes and fluids.
I would not want the same for you. To opt for the simpler procedure, only to be told that you need another surgery. This would traumatize your body and leave you much weaker.
If, I pray that you don't have cancer, the doctors advise the need for surgery, vaginal hysterectomy is better, because the abdominal surgery cuts 5 layers and needs more time to heal. My mother's vaginal hysterectomy needed just 5 days of hospital confinement and 2 weeks of homecare since she went home with a catheter. She was up and about after a month. (She is having cancer treatment now.)
Fibroids need attention and must need a doctor's monitoring. Whatever results, my prayers are with you.
Ask about a uterine fibroid embolectomy. We do these at our hospital and they're very successful. The go in thru a blood vessel in your groin(your numbed first), pass a catheter to the blood vessel feeding the Fibroid, then inject little coils into the blood vessel. This cuts off the blood flow to the fibroid and it dies within a few hours. The recovery is only a few hours. Most of my patients say it feels like bad menstrual cramping. Check this option out before having a hysterectomy
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