From BoffinMumsFibroid: Come here all you fellow fibroids and bring me your success stories

[BoffinMum]

I am a lovely fibroid the size of an orange and I have successfully infiltrated BoffinMum's body causing all sorts of mischief

Roll up, roll up and tell us what you are up to and how big you have grown.

By the way, my role model is the alien that burst out of Sigourney Weaver's body in Alien. Except I do not plan on bursting out!

Luna no my biggest one is 20cm on a stalk on the top of my womb. When it was initially found I was told that I'd most likely need a hysterectomy which isn't an option at 23.

I guess I'm going to have to make peace with the bloody thing and try shrink it.

I would still push for a referral - there are options which may help but have less of an effect on your fertility. My sympathies though - 20cm is mahoosive.

Luna, I do not want surgery because just the thought of it makes me feel weird, I like my bits being there, my health insurance may not cover it so I would be looking at an NHS waiting list culminating in an operation at a particular point in the academic year where it would (this year anyway, tricky post-Brexit stuff going on) be career suicide to take time off, and I'm not going to die of a fibroid. Even the Brian. Plus my DM had at hysterectomy at roughly my age and she turned into something of a grumpy old bat.

It's worth looking at all the options Boffin, I just had my uterus removed, still have my ovaries and cervix so no early menopause and aparently keeping your cervix reduces your chances of prolapse. Don't get me wrong it probably took a full 8 - 12 months to feel 100% but it was definately worth doing

In my fantasy world I lose 4.5 stone and the consultant announces he can't find The Brain, plus I look great in leather trousers again.

I really, really, really don't want surgery, but I can't walk around all swollen like this.

Brian not Brain

losing weight did not work for me and my Carmen Miranda bunch. I lost about 3.5 stone over a few months, but attributed it to a back issue I was having and the horrible painkillers r. Of course, I was also getting weaker and weaker, until eventually back specialist told me to see my gp - something else was wrong. Well, turns out I was so anemic I was at less than 50% of normal. It astonishes me now that I failed to react when my bathroom looked like a slaughterhouse (yes, one of the questions my ob/gyn asked me specifically) every month. After the 'harvest' the weight faithfully returned - perhaps even brought some friends, unfortunately.

I hear you, Boffin. I am already stressing about how I am going to manage during 4 weeks of not driving and being unable to do the basics around the house. The kids will help - they'll have to - but it is going to be hard. I work for myself from home so am hoping to be back working fairly quickly but it's a risk that if a client asks for something and I can't manage it, they'll go elsewhere and I'll lose their business.

It's a huge balancing act - the potential risks of time off after surgery compared with the monthly crap, swelling and other side effects of fibroids. Have you investigated the less invasive options such as embolisation or ablation? We're with BUPA and they've been happy to pay so far although haven't approached them to see if they'll find the hysterectomy, will be having that conversation on Monday probably.

Shove your granny - I think we don't react to losing so much blood as it creeps up on you over time, each month is a wee bit worse and before you know where you are you're using a super extra plus tampon as well as a maternity pad and still having to change every 30 minutes...

Take care of yourself Boffin.

Boffin that sounds rotten, have you tried another GP to get a second opinion? You've probably already thought of that sorry.
Have a look on this It's got loads of advice and not just about surgical options. I found it really helpful

Oh boffinmum, I have been there. I hope you manage to find your way. Please do at least take iron and rest. That kind of blood loss every month is hard on the body. You don't realise how hard until it's gone. My too tip is tena lady disposable pants, when times were tough they were the only things that let me sleep a decent amount.

Your insurance company sound like wankers.

I have just reported my own post because the GP has just been brilliant and that stopped me being quite so despairing. They rung me just now after surgery and immediately sorted out scans and all sorts to help me get back on track. A great degree of faith restored in the NHS. Yes, the insurance company are wankers but then most of them are which is why I would hate to see the NHS go. I have relatives in the US and no matter how much you spend over there (and some of my relatives are loaded), the general standard of family doctor level medicine is to my mind atrocious compared to here.

Things are actually quite painful and I keep wetting myself a lot but I think I can probably endure if it means avoiding surgery and so on. I just don't want a body organ taken out for something that will start to wither naturally in a few years.

Lost 1.2kg in the Brian starvation offensive, by the way, so that's not all bad.

You gotta laff. MNHQ have alerted me to the existence of a Brian in How to Get Ahead in Advertising.

My names Freddo and I belong to Trouble. We only made friends today and I don't think she's too impressed with the hassle I've caused her, and worry! I'm 8cm at the moment pleased to meet you all.

I'm known as Insidious Sidney, I managed to keep my identity hidden from Fennel, making her believe that the menopause was the cause of all her ills.
I've been lurking in her cervix and managing to wreak havoc causing lots of mystifying symptoms and my finest moment was sending Fennel into shock when she had her period causing an emergency hospital admittance.

The best part was that I managed to hid so well that the gynaecologists scan didn't show anything up, but the departmental scan was more thorough and although I tried my best to hide I was spotted.
It did mean that Fennel had to have an endometrial biopsy, and I managed to cause extensive flooding over hospital floors in revenge.

I've also been spotted on an MRI scan and they are talking about removing me imminently, Fennel is seeing a gynae on Tuesday when they will tell her what is happening.

In the meantime I'm causing wonderful bladder problems, constipation and nausea as well as lots of discomfort. She will remember me well.

Hi Sidney, you sound a bit like me.

This fibroid of mine isn't going without a fight. Since my consultant appointment and MRI 3 weeks ago I've been bleeding almost constantly - I think it knows that we're onto it and it has a limited lifespan left to create havoc.

I'm sore, bloated, knackered and FED UP. Roll on Monday when together with the gynae we can come up with a plan to evict the main fibroid, its evil spawn and help me feel normal again.

I went to have a chat about the mirena with my GP this week - I was concerned about migraines increasing, but was willing to think it through.

Didn't get very far- Cedric the fibroid is placed in such a way that it fills the uterus..... probably won't get a coil in!

Now need to go and see a gynaecologist to discuss how to proceed. I just want it sorted.

Hi Nearly, I think my GP is going to suggest the coil, is it to ease the heavy bleeding?

I am wondering what is actually in a fibroid. Is it more womb tissue or something else? Where on earth does it get the material from in order to grow?

According to Dr Google it's made up of muscle and fibrous tissue, goodness knows how it grows. And 1 in 3 people have them but I know no one if real life!

So a random extra muscle just decides to pop up? And what is fibrous tissue? How does it decide to appear? What fuels it? I am so baffled.

I've got one of these fuckers.

Just turned 55 recently.

It's causing so many problems, it's got to go enough one way or another.