Hello, I am a 49yrs old and for what seems all my life I suffered from heavy periods, it was not until I was in my late 30's I was told I had fibroids after an MRI and ultrasound confirmed it. When I was told about the fibroids the Dr made it seem like it was just part of aging. "Nothing to worry about, they're just part of aging like we get wrinkles or grey hair. It's very common at this age" I thought nothing of it, but like I said I have ALWAYS have had the heavy 7-9-10 day periods since I was blessed with the curse of menstruating at the age of 11. What I did not realize was that tiny grape size fibroids would continue to grow and that they spread. Fast forward to me at 49, three children later, tied tubes after the 3rd child was born in the late 20's and still suffering from heavy, debilitating periods. I was losing my hair, energy depleted, mood swings from dealing with living with a 2 week period every month and its symptoms. I finally went searching to find a permanent solution to my problem with a new Dr. An ultrasound and another MRI taken, confirmed that the 6 fibroids I had were massive, 3 being the sizes of tangerines. I FREAKED OUT! She has me try an IUD, did not work, moved around in my large uterus, we had to remove it. She strongly suggests a hysterectomy since I am no longer in my childbearing years and it would stop all the problems. I was so terrified about the surgery and all its consequences like the menopause symptoms, bladder issues, sexual misfunction issues that I looked endlessly for another option and found UFE. After several consultations with my Dr, I scheduled the procedure with great excitement to have some relief.
Surgery went as planned, 8 am surgery w/ an overnight stay. Waking up from the procedure I was immediately sick. I was spinning, extremely dizzy and vomiting whenever I was awake. I am very sensitive to narcotics and was given a very strong narcotic while asleep to help with pain recovery. It was awful. It was so awful that they had to put me on oxygen through the night to help my system clear the drug out. I was hooked up to the IV to maintain my hydration since I could not hold down a sip of anything. I had the catheter inserted all night. FUN CITY!! It was a tough night. The vomiting subsided the next day early in the morning around 9 am and that is when the pain hit me so hard. To describe it...it felt like someone was stabbing me. The sharpest, most intense pain that trickled down my legs and up my stomach and electrified my entire midsection. IT WAS WORSE THAN LABOR! ( I bore 3 large children all being close to 10 lbs, in a 105 lb original body frame that eventually led to C-sections due to babies size and still, the pain form this procedure was more intense) It actually felt like constant labor pains, the way the back and legs hurt. I had to stay monitored and have my pain pills every 5hrs on the dot or else the pain was unbearable. Then the painful consequence of taking pain meds and lack of movement for 24 hrs hit and the constipation was awful. The urge to go was definitely there but nothing was moving. I even ate very light food a couple of days beforehand anticipating it hoping that it would help but it took me an entire 5 days to actually pass a BM. That was awful for me since I kept telling myself it was the pain pills that were doing that to me so I tried not to take as many but then the pain was so unbearable I had to take the meds in order not to feel like I was being stabbed in the gut. That is where I believe I made my mistake. I refused to take the strong pain meds prescribed, the Percocet. I was prescribed Percocet every 4-5 hrs and the 500 ml of Ibuprofen every 4- hrs or as needed. I refused to take the Percocet at all because of my constipation and fear of pain pills, they make me ill and sleepy. I now realize that if I did take both meds as prescribed, I would not have been in such pain. I just wanted to know how I felt and what my body was feeling and how it was healing and I just did not want to numb myself and not know when I was truly better. It took me approx 17 days for the pain to finally subside completely. This is while faithfully taking the Ibuprofen as prescribed. The days after the surgery I was passing tissue constantly, large masses of tissue that would just come out while using the restroom. I found that sitting on the toilet and letting my body have time to let everything come out was best. I was afraid that I would get an infection if all that would not come out. It was gross, large tissue masses along with blood clots. I took it as a sign that the fibroids were dying as they should and were exiting my body. After the 17 days the pain stopped and I was overjoyed not to have to be on the ibuprofen. The continuous spotting and pieces of tissue still passed for 30 days or so here and there so I was always wearing a pad. It was not heavy, it was erratic here and there throughout the days.
FIVE WEEKS AFTER SURGERY is when I decide to have sex. I am still lightly spotting and that is when the fear struck me. I was having what seemed to be a PMS symptom. My breasts were extremely tender all of a sudden, my nipples hurt so badly that the slightest touch hurt, my bra was uncomfortable. That is the only symptom though, no cramps, no bloating or period. I was missing intimacy with my husband after 5 weeks of no sex, sex is a very important part of my happiness and stability. Being with my husband had a way of balancing me and it was almost a daily part of my life, at 25 years of marriage its always what kept me happy and I needed it and when I finally felt my body was healed. I had sex and instantly was horrified at the lack of sensation. I could feel he was inside me but the electricity of sexual arousal was not happening. To describe it would be like when you go to the dentist and you know and feel the touch on your face from the pressure only but not the sensation. It scared me and now 3 months after the surgery, I am still numb. I cannot reach a climatic orgasm, just a very short, outer clitorial tiny orgasm that is best achieved with oral sex and not with intercourse. Nothing at all to what I used to feel before. I also lack any desire what so ever, my body does not react to excitement. I do not feel any arousal at all and I am devastated and so sad and so frustrated that I do not know what to do. I have emailed my Dr. (I also would like to remind everyone that a gynecologist does not perform the surgery. My gynecologist did not perform it, it was a radiologist who performs the surgery. The only time I ever felt this numbness was during the awful experience I had with the 3-month birth control shot Deprovera. She told me that sometimes numbness can occur for 5-6 months post surgery. THAT IS WHY I AM HERE POSTING THIS LONG STORY HOPING SOMEONE CAN RELATE AND THAT THEY EXPERIENCED THIS AND IT GOT BETTER WITH TIME. I am hoping to hear from someone telling me that the sensation will return. I am absolutely terrified that somehow the surgery and the blood blockage to my uterus affected my ability to reach orgasm forever.
PLEASE SHARE ANYTHING YOU CAN TELL ME IF THIS HAS HAPPENED TO YOU.
I also wanted to note that I have not really had a period since the surgery other than 2-3 days of very light spotting when I should have had my period. It's so odd for me not to bleed all I have to use is a panty liner now, that what is happening. So as far as the bleeding it is gone, not sure if I am going into menopause now?? I am 49. I got tested on my FSH levels before surgery, and was told I was nowhere near it, my mom lost her period at 56. So the procedure I guess did do what it's supposed to?? Going in next month for an ultrasound to see how much the fibroids have shrunk. I am praying that in time I will feel again, and am horrified at the mere notion that I may never again. WHAT HAVE I DONE IF THIS IS FOREVER!! 
Please share any insights to this if you can relate.
Thank you for your time.