Living With Fibroids

Fibroids! Let me start off by letting you know that I am not an expert on this condition.  Being that I suffered with this condition for around twelve years, I do believe I have some wisdom to offer.
Around age twenty three I started noticing severe periods accompanied by pain, not just cramping pain but a resonating pain that would go from my ovaries, to my pelvic area, and abdomen. This was the most debilitating experience to go through as a young adult. My abdomen would bloat up so big that I looked three months pregnant, hence the title of this post. As time went on and the years passed my symptoms increased, headaches were a common occurrence, body aches as if I had the flu, bone and joint pain, and weight gain. My libido went down, as intercourse was so painful. Because this was a condition that had no real evidentiary cures I was left to figure it out and become my own advocate. Below I will give you some tips on how to deal with the pain, questions to ask your Dr, to do or not to do surgery, dangers, and most of all encouragement. Keep in mind there has been major advancements since my time, but in case you are newly diagnosed, been given the runaround, not sure what to do, or just need support, I hope this post helps.

.  Pain
 Pain was so bad at times that there were days I couldn't get out of bed, hot packs brought relief when applied to my abdomen and back. You don't have to purchase expensive heating pads try pinterest here is a post I found very helpful

 https://unsophisticook.com/rice-heating-pad/ for a diy project.  Another thing I did was place a pillow under my lower back while laying flat, this will relieve pressure, and help you relax. I did have to take Ibuprofen occasionally to alleviate inflammation and the aches. Hot baths with Lavender oil or epsom salt would help me relax and aid in pain relief. Another great way to relieve the discomfort is to do back stretches, I keep mentioning the back because at least with me the pain resonated there all the time. Some great stretches can be found here https://pin.it/rosvbl7cmmfjgq.

. Surgery?
In my twenties I had minor surgeries, because not only did I have fibroids I also had endometriosis which I will do a separate post on. My surgeries helped to alleviate some of the pain, which were only guaranteed to last for two years or so and like clock work it would return. When it came to the surgery I was told by two Dr.'s that the only two ways to go about this would be having a surgery to remove the fibroids one at a time, as long as they were not imbedded deep into the tissue. The problem with this option was that there was no guarantee it wouldn't come back. The other option was to have a full or partial hysterectomy, now let me just clarify this option. First this is for severe cases only. If you have had several fibroids taking over your uterus and minor surgery has not worked and you are done having children then this may be a good fit. I opted for this surgery when I was thirty five years old, so it was about twelve years later that I made this decision. I chose the partial hysterectomy which left my ovaries intact which prevented early menopause. I was done having children and this condition had already robbed me for twelve years, so it was time. To say this was a good decision is a major understatement, it was the best decision I made. My Dr explained to my husband that she originally believed I had about three large fibroids on my uterus, when in fact I had twelve! one being the size of a grapefruit which gave me the appearance of being pregnant. The recovery was long but the result was amazing. So please look at all your options first, to see if there is less invasive things to do and choose what fits your life and family situation best.

. Birth Control
This option had been given to me about three years into having this condition, although I believe it was given to treat my endometriosis rather than the fibroids. This did help to alleviate some of the massive amounts of bleeding, however did not shrink, or alleviate my pain. Fibroids are very responsive to hormones such as estrogen and progesterone which can enhance growth this is why this is was not a good fit for my situation. Do your own research and do what is best for your circumstances.

. Pregnancy Danger's
If you are still having kids fibroids can cause complications while being pregnant, here is a list of some.

. Miscarriage, because fibroids cause a lot of bleeding it can take away vital cells needed for a babies growth. If you have multiple fibroids your chances of miscarrying is higher. As fibroids grow they take up room in your uterus not allowing fetal growth.

. Pain, although I already talked about this it is different when pregnant. Fibroids can twist which can cause severe pain in the abdomen and uterus. Some fibroids can out live there blood supply, when this happens it turns red and dies which can lead to a miscarriage.

. Placenta abruption,this is when your placenta tears away from the wall of your uterus. This can be very dangerous to the fetus because it wont get enough oxygen and can cause extreme bleeding which may lead to shock.

. Preterm delivery, women with fibroids are more likely to deliver earlier than women without fibroids.

. Diet
Eating a diet rich in fiber and plenty of greens, good oils and fresh fruit can help decrease the size of fibroids. Reduce the amount of alcohol intake. The Mediterranean diet has been known to help alleviate fibroids all together. Make sure to exercise and drink plenty of water. The first several years into having this condition I chose to eat healthier, and began running on a treadmill. At this point my fibroids had taken over my uterus so I didn't get as much relief from this as I had wished but it did bring a bit of relief.

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Right now you are probably feeling overwhelmed, remember there are different severities of this condition. Today the advancements in medication and treatment have improved. I want to encourage you to be your own advocate, make sure you go to your yearly women health exams and be aware of your body. Remember to pay attention to unusual pain, unusual bleeding, pain with intercourse, bone pain, severe back pain and swelling of abdomen. It is not guaranteed this is your problem, however it is better to be safe. Taking extra steps towards ensuring women health will allow you to make better focused decisions. This doesn't mean you can't have children, again there has been advancement since my case and I believe you can get through this without major surgery. For older women who are done childbearing you may want to talk to your Dr about a more invasive approach such as surgery. So in closing, stay strong, stay encouraged, and know that there are more of us out here. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have, and I wish you amazing health, and that's the "Heart of the Matter"!