TMI - Fibroids and HUGE period blood clot

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

My periods have been getting heavier, and eventually a couple of scans revealed 1 have two fibroids, one inside my womb, and they're growing.

My consultant said we can watch and wait.

The last 2 months my periods had got slightly lighter. But this month is bad again. It started last Friday with a "normal" period. Then it lightened up. This afternoon it got heavier again, but it's bright red blood, not like "period" blood.

I've had a couple of large clots. Then just now I went to the loo and the BIGGEST thing you've ever seen fell out of me. It looked like raw liver. It was about 6cm long, and not all flat, but more rounded. Like a ball of liver. I've never given birth so this has to be the biggest thing that's ever come out of me. It was unreal.

What the fuck do I do?

Do I call someone? I'm really scared.

They were with the internal at my appt on Tuesday - left me with a UTI I think - good god the pain! I only slept 2 hrs last night!!

Ah well onwards and upwards

Sorry meant to continue & say once haemoglobin is below 100 you are badly anaemic. That is why you are so tired. Get some iron from the pharmacy tomorrow and take with vitamin c to help with absorption.
Get an appointment from your gp and insist on tranexemic acid and norethisterone.

The embolisation only works if the fibroid is on a stalk, which can be cauterised. You will need an ultrasound to see what sort of fibroids you have

@CurlyWurlyTwirly Thank you. My haemoglobin is about 45, I think? None of the GPs seemed to think that was worryingly low.

I was lucky - we have BUPA insurance so I was able pretty much to say I wanted a hysterectomy and the surgeon booked me in.

I would have loved a laparascopic one but the size of my fibroid was the same as a 5 month pregnancy so that was impossible. Had to be the full open procedure. It is a major op and it is limiting in what you can do immediately afterwards - no lifting, no driving etc - but it really is life changing. I now don't have to plan my life around where the nearest loo is. I'm no longer having to buy Tena pads as they were the only thing which could contain the flow. I've bought white pants and white trousers for my holiday - totally unthinkable in pre-operation days.

I first learned I had fibroids in c 2005, no symptoms. From 2007 onwards the bleeding got worse - flooding, clots, three week periods, anemia, every bit of bed clothing ruined - you get the picture. Despite having no desire to have children (at 44!) I resisted a hysterectomy but finally had one in early 2010. OMFG - the relief!! Yes, it hurts but no more bleeding and skipping down that aisle in the supermarket is fab :)

@PolkerrisBeach Lovely BUPA! I wish!

What's your scar like? Is it like a caesarean bikini-line scar? Or up the tummy?

My fibroids had the heavy bleeding with large clots but what you are describing is a lot like what mine looked like as they broke down with a treatment I was never offered the coil but I second asking for a referral to a gynae clinic

I also have a picture of my fibroid, fallopian tubes and cervix lying on a theatre tray after removal. I would post it, but it's very graphic and might upset the squeamish.

Fibroids are round, solid, and very vascular. They look just like liver. Yes after menopause they will start to shrink, but none of us know when that will start.

OP, are you sure your haemoglobin is 45. Mine was 48, and I had 4 pints of blood transfused. ( this was after losing about 30 satsuma sized clots in a 48 hour period).
Please call your gp in the morning and insist on an emergency appointment

Scar is low down. Haven't had a C-section but it's in the same place. Right across the body though, not a wee 2 inch thing. Not everyone has that big scar though - it's possible depending on the size of the fibroids to do a hysterectomy vaginally or keyhole. You really need to try to see a gynaecologist.

My surgeon started off doing a laparoscopy, so 1 inch scar 4 inches above belly button, in through belly button and 2 below bikini line.
I also had a uterus about the size of a 5 month pregnancy, so he went in through part of my c-section scar. About 4 inches. It all healed really fast so I was driving in 2 weeks. But no lifting for 6-8 weeks.
I kept my ovaries so I didn’t go into menopause

PolkerrisBeach how far up your tummy was your uterus? Mine is behind my tummy button but I dunno how 'big' that is

And my problems have started with my menopause

This is looking less likely isn't it?

PolkerrisBeach how far up your tummy was your uterus

No idea!! Have had three pregnancies though so it must be all connected up properly...

She said mine was really big as she could feel it behind my bb

As as aside, I had my hysterectomy in Faro (Algarve) and my nurse's name was Jesus. "Jesus, it hurts", Jesus, I need a cigarette". He was a god send....

@CurlyWurlyTwirly I'm almost 100% sure, yes. My Ferratin is 30. I feel like shit and I'm sure my hair is getting thinner.

I'm convinced, I'd love a hysterectomy. I'll see my lovely GP and beg.

@Sarahlou63 Hoiw did you end up having a hysterectomy in the Algarve?! I could totally go for that. 🙂

@KatyMac Please don't worry or speculate (easier said than done, I know!) You'll find out more on Saturday. Come and update on here, as I'll be thinking of you and wishing you well.

Thanks for not posting the "after" picture; I've seen enough blood tonight! 🤣

Fibroids are round, solid, and very vascular. They look just like liver.

That's pretty much what fell out of me. I did hope for a moment that I'd managed to squeeze out my fibroid. I know losing weight can shrink them (due to lessening the amount of oestrogen you produce), and I started WW on Sunday and have lost half a pound, so I did briefly believe I'd killed it off.

Will I find anything out? Surely they will scan and send results through rather than tell me?

@WhatsGoingOnEh - I live in Portugal!

@KatyMac I've had a few scans over the years and I've always been told loads by the radiographer. They can't give you final results as the scans have to be interpreted by someone, but they've always been pretty informative.

I once thought I was dying of lung cancer and had a chest X-Ray. The person doing it knew how scared I was and let me see the film. I went OMFG WHAT'S THAT HUGE SHADOW?!?!

She replied, "...That's your heart." 🤣

Is it tomorrow?

Yes the doctor suggested 3 outcomes:

1. told to get on with it (not happy)
2. brought back into gynae (fair enough)
3. referred to a different department (scary)

Fingers crossed they tell me something

I have suffered with this for a number of years.

Had two lots of myectomies to remove fibroids, and two mirena coils which both fell out. I now have a number of the little sods in my uterus (I think she said 7?), the biggest being 11cm long. I have a uterus the size of a 20-week pregnancy because of them.

I am also severely anaemic, I was very close to having to go into hospital for a blood transfusion to top me up - but they decided to treat with iron tablets - the levels have come up, but nowhere near where it should be. Vitamin D was also very low.

I have tried tranexamic acid/mefenamic acid to reduce blood flow - which did work for a bit.

Was on Esmya for one cycle - but this has been withdrawn from use due to issues with liver failure - great!

Apparantly, at my age, I am "too old" for a hysterectomy because I should be coming to menopause. However, being overweight means my menopause could be delayed as, apparently, if you carry a lot of weight around your middle, this increases the production of oestrogen which fuels the growth of the fibroids and also keeps your reproductive system working - this is something they don't tell you.

I am back on northisterone for three months while the consultants think about what to do.

To be honest - I want it all out! Next time I see the consultant, I am going to push very hard for a hysterectomy.

Just one more thing - don't let them do a hysteroscopy on you without a GA. There have been some horrendous stories about women being held down by nurses while having this procedure done. I refused point blank to have it done without a GA. The doctor was not happy with me, but I hadn't even been informed that that was what the appointment was for - I just though it was to review my scans, not a procedure so was wholly unprepared for any type of procedure at all - plus knowing what they do during a hysteroscopy having had two under GA, there was no way I was doing it awake.

Thanks for posting. Sorry to hear about your horrible experiences! And good luck getting it all out.

I really didn't fancy the sound of a hysteroscopy - that's one of the reasons I've been trying to just live with this till menopause.

I'm off to make a GP appt now, to discuss my options with him, and to get the very strongest iron tablets that Boots will give me.

Hugs to everyone with nightmare periods. My used to be a breeze - I could get by with just some loo paper shoved in my pants if I ran out of tampons! ARGHHHH.