Ok ladies- the reality has surely set in. Yesterday I had my MRI without contrast, because I have metal sensitivities I was not comfortable with the contrast dye- now I am starting to rethink that after reading about how its imperative to diagnosing malignancy... but I digress, lets set that aside for now.
ANYWAYS, They sent me home with a disc w/ some images. I finally seen this THING for the first time. It was 8x7x7cm when I had an ultrasound on November 22 and it's now Dec. 31 (happy NYE!) and this thing looks like a freaking grapefruit inside of me!! I can see it so clearly in the images. It's literally taking up all "free" space inside my abdomin pressing up against everything surrounding it (including my spine)
I also have a little more terminology now... its "intramural" and in the "fundal" area (at the top of my uterus)
AHH. I just felt like sharing. Has anyone else seen images of their fibrous invaders??
Now I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to be a candidate for the minimally invasive technique afterall....
Hi yes i saw mine i was in shock the size was a yellow melon sadly i had to have hystorectomy due to size and i needed it out as causing me so many problems im just 12 days after my op. But glad to see back off it
Had the same thought after my MRI my larger fibroid was very similar in size to yours in the wall at the back of my uterus and I was also in shock after my MRI.
My NHS hospital didn't offer keyhole surgery and most surgeons won't do it over 6cm by I researched and found Adrian Lower who did the minimally evasive procedure upto 10cm. If your surgeon is comfortable and has done the procedure for a large fibroid of your size it should be fine but make sure you ask and have enough information before your surgery.
If there is just one big one it might respond well to uterine fibroid embolisation but it will take a while to shrink. In my experience, up to 18 months.
Hope you don't mond me asking but how big was yours, where was it & how old are you? Did you have total hysterectomy?
Was this keyhole myomectomy?
Mine was the size of a honey dew melon i have just turned 50 yes i have everything toik away
Hey heather, yes it was keyhole
Ah thank you, you see why I ask is my fibroid is in the lower posterior wall (intramural i think they call it) possibly simillar place to yours but it is 13cm, Ive had a few drugs to shrink it but they dont seem to have worked. I was considering embolisation but the arteries feeding it are small so there probably wouldnt be much size reduction. But who knows maybe enough to then get it out by keyhole if it was under 10cm. Its nice to know Adrian Lower did this for you without insisting the uterous come out too. I'm really not sure what to do because of the size of it try embolisation (as it can infect with necrotic tissue more likely when a big fibroid dies, or weither just to have an open procedure. I was told however that lower posterior myomectomies often result in bowel adhension by two different consultants which pushed me towards hysterectomy. What were you told about that I'd really appreciate your thoughts & advice on the whole thing! So confused! (Just concentrating on loosing weight at the moment - but still have heavy periods, terrible lower & upper back pain, bloated stomach like I'm well pregant & wee all the time! Of course its a given that I'm exhausted & ameamic into the bargain! x
Did you get the choice to keep your ovaries?
Yes i got the choice to keep them but i just told them to take them aswell yes i was cut open bikini line
Heather,
My diagnosis was a large posterior wall intermural fibroid with an anterior wall submucosal fibroid plus two smaller fibroids at the fundus of the uterus.
During my keyhole surgery the two largest fibroids were removed in due to have a transvaginal hysteroscopy to remove the small 2 in about 6 weeks.
I found on a website that some surgeons can operate upto 15cm
I hope you don't mind me asking do you have children or are you planning to have any more?
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Hey heather I replied with a link to a website with some useful information but it's being moderated so hopefully you'll get it tomorrow
Yes, I have seen pictures of my little babies too. 9.5 cm in diameter. I am now on Fibristal to shrink them. Also hoping that I can get them small enough to have Focused Ultrasound to blast them to the moon. I see my GP this Thursday so that I can request another ultrasound in February that will show if they have shrunk or not.
Hi Cygamx I had a Fibroid the same size as yours. I had a UFE 18 Jan 2016. It has now Shunk to 7cm (from 10cm)
The difference is I now have heavy periods but no flooding but it has not worked on my tummy area I still look pregnant. But I do not regret having it done. I feel it's better to try a less invasive op 1st.
I am. Now referred back to Gyn on 24 Jan 2017 and I am going to ask for a Myomectomy as I don't want a Hysterectomy.
If you are the same then push the Gyn to refer you.
Good luck and hope you get good results
Hi Marsha,
Can you PM me the info as it isn't allowed on the page. I'm 46 would have loved a sibling for my now 9 year old, but I don't know if I was injured in a nerve wilst having the c section delivery or if its the fibroid but I've suffered with back pain since the birth, I cannot remember that I did before hand.
Many years ago I had a myomectomy and as a result suffered a bowl obstruction. So that can happen and it is dangerous.
Now fibroids are back and I'm facing hysterectomy 🙁
Sorry to hear this. I also had an associate have keyhole myomectomy & they left parts & they spread, problem was them way worse.
When I saw mine a few months ago, I cried. It looked like my entire torso was fibroid, and that my entire organs just said, "Oh don't mind me, here you go." It made me angrier at the male doctors who said to me, "Didn't you notice the 20 week size fibroid taking up room in your clothes?" Um no, doctor, I didn't. This was the reason why, as you said, it was the entire body - the fibroid. I'm sure by now you've started to calm down and accept it, but your instant reaction is...at least how I felt. I did not function very well the next day after seeing it. It was so abstract before. Suddenly on the screen it became so real.