*This post was written January 1st, but not posted till later in the month.
I have uterine fibroids and I want a family. These two facts don't play well together. I've decided to start this blog to share with others going through a similar experience. I had a diagnostic laparoscopy and I'm scheduled to have a myomectomy in a week. I have many questions and find that fibroids really appear to be something people just don't talk about-despite how many women it affects.
History:
I have had painful menstrual cycles since the day they began.
My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for two years.
I met with an obgyn about a year and a half ago and was notified that I had multiple uterine fibroids. I was told this was something many women have and brushed it off.
My menstrual cycle seemed to get out of whack about three months ago. It was coming every 17 days or so and I started spotting in between. In addition, I was exhausted. My life revolved around when I was going to be able to sleep next. I had pain that can best be described as feeling like the back side of my pelvic bone was being scraped with a dull knife.
I went to see my primary care physician who suspected endometriosis and referred me to an OBGYN. The OBGYN did a pelvic exam (which have always been very painful for me). He also felt I most likely had endometriosis and scheduled a diagnostic laparoscopy.
The diagnostic laparoscopy took place on a Thursday. The worst part of the procedure was probably the IV insertion, which really wasn't bad at all. After the procedure I barely recall the doctor talking to me. He stopped into the recovery room to explain that there were multiple fibroids. He mentioned one was the same size as my uterus. The funny thing about that...I had no clue how big a uterus is. He referred me to a fertility specialist to discuss my options. I proceeded to request copies of my medical records. One report stated I had "innumerable fibroids" and the other referred to my uterus as being "15 weeks".
I researched my options and found that many times a hysterectomy is recommended as a "solution". Fortunately, this specialist feels he can remove the fibroids and preserve my fertility! The surgery, a myomectomy, has an estimated 4-6 weeks recovery time. During my consultation with the specialist, he did a transabdominal ultrasound to confirm the size and location of the fibroids. I have one that is located near the ovaries/Fallopian tubes and may require a gore tex graph to minimize scarring. The graph would require a second laparoscopy two weeks after the myomectomy.
The possibility of becoming a mother is all I need for motivation.
