Like many other African American woman my age I have battled with uterine fibroids most of my adult life. Until recently I had not experienced symptoms serious enough to warrant any major treatment. Since 2003, I was able to tolerate the pea size fibroids in my uterus. I did receive treatment for heavy bleeding (menorrhea) and anemia that were caused by the fibroid. My doctor prescribed progesterone and iron supplements to combat those symptoms. However, these treatments do not affect the abdomen discomfort or reduce the size of the cysts.
Several months ago, I began to notice differences in the way my body was feeling and its functioning. After experiencing some pain and pressure in my lower abdomen and back last month, I decided to go back to see the doctor. The doctor recommended a pelvic ultrasound and later ordered an MRI. The results uncovered four uterine fibroids; their size equal to that of two grapefruit, a golf ball and an orange. Fibroids that large also resulted in an extremely enlarged uterus (about the size of someone 17 weeks pregnant). The discomfort coupled with the rapid increase in size lead me to get another opinion from a specialist. During the meeting with the specialist, two possible options were discussed, myomectomy or UFE. I have decided to go with UFE because the myomectomy is much more invasive and costly. Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a less invasive procedure for the treatment of uterine fibroids. The process typically lasts less than an hour and requires only a small incision into the femoral artery. The procedure is designed to block the blood supply to the uterine fibroids, causing them to shrink. As one of the alternatives to hysterectomy or procedures, UFE is clinically proven to reduce the major symptoms of uterine fibroids.
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Hey There, Babe!I am a 43 year old bangle loving, deal seeking, info gathering, coffee drinking, craft doing, overthinking, God trusting mom and social worker. Archives
March 2018
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