Treatment for fibroids

[Gwenhwyfar]

I went to the gynaecologist today for an annual checkup as is usual where I live (not Uk). She found a fibroid, maybe two by doing an ultrasound. I was not that shocked because I know they're common in our forties and I'd looked up urination problems during periods and that was one of the options.
However, I was quite shocked at the treatment, not medication but a hysterectomy. Seems quite extreme to me. It's true that I have no need for my womb, but would not want to go into menopause any younger than necessary so would definitely want to keep my ovaries.

Can anyone tell me what happens after such a hysterectomy. Could it provoke menopause even if I keep my ovaries. Is it a difficult operation?

I have to book a pelvic MRI first. Any experience of that would also be helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Oh god!

Ovaries have their own blood supply.
I recovered in a few weeks after full open surgery but then I just had my womb out. We're all different

Oh and I gym, lift weights etc, no issues. I kept my cervix too

Yes, I read that too, but it's an outpatient procedure I think compared to hysterectomy which is major surgery. Still sounds like and OK option to me compared to a 6 to 8 recovery and 2 weeks stuck at home.

"You can't lift heavy stuff after a hysterectomy (over 10kg) ever again"

Ever??!! I thought it was just during the recovery period.
Thank you for confirming that recovery is really, really hard. I'm going to have to avoid having a hysterectomy as much as possible I think.

What would you try in terms of natural remedies @HenryCavillsWife ?

The green tea studies listed already on here sounded good. You have to take 800mg (I think!) of green-tea extract. Read what you can find and try those.

Raspberry Leaf tablets definitely helped me. Definitely.

I've heard something to do with vegetables can help but I can't remember what it was. Maybe celery? Might be worth a try.

You can also get pills that stop heavy bleeding - ask your doctor. Transexamic acid, you don't take them every day or even every period, only when/if you get flooding bleeding. Be warned though, they can give you really big blood clots (in your period) that can be scary.

@Disturbia81 I'm glad you've had such a good recovery, and you can exercise like normal. I had my cervix removed (previous CIN III cells so they suggested it went) so maybe that's the difference?

I did spend a lot of time on a hysterectomy FB group during my recovery, which was really helpful but also full of contradictory advice. We all got told different things about exercise, lifting, etc. And for every woman (like me) who was knackered for 6 weeks there was another who was running marathons. It's really weird.

I had a abdominal hysterectomy when I was 36 (I am 69 now). I kept 1 ovary.

I had the op Thursday afternoon. Friday morning I had a shower and walked a little. Saturday morning I walked a little again and then went home.

My surgeon told me to walk every day and although I should not lift anything heavy or do things like hoovering or changing the bed I should not just lay or sit around all day. He said I could do light housework. His opinion was that the more active you are the quicker the recovery.

I went for a walk every day and two weeks after the op me and DH camped at the British Grand Prix and did quite a bit of walking.

I went back to work 5 weeks after the op. I did have a desk job but a 3 hour commute by train and tube.

I never had any problems and did not go through early menopause. I had a very easy menopause when I was 54. I have never taken HRT

@mydogisthebest How long were you in hospital for?

Sorry, ignore that! I see you went home after 2 days.

I thought hospital stats were much longer 30+ years ago? I heard tales of women staying in for 2 weeks.

I was in for a week with my hysterectomy as was on an epidural for pain relief for several days.

It was normal to be in hospital for 2 weeks but my surgeon had very different views from most other surgeon. He said that the advice given by other surgeons was to literally just stay in bed for a couple of days and even once home to do very little.

I know woman were often told they shouldn't even lift a kettle but I was told that was rubbish and as long as it wasn't a full kettle it would be fine.

Two women I worked with had hysterectomies the same year as me (different hospitals) and one spent a week in hospital and the other two weeks. They were both told not to get out of bed for 2 days after the op and then to take it very easy when home.

They were a bit older than me - 42 and 48 but their recoveries took far longer than mine and they were both off work much longer than me.

I realise that recovery is different for everyone but I feel lucky that I had such a forward thinking surgeon as I really do think it made a big difference

I was lucky that I didn't need any pain relief but I do have a high pain threshold

It is weird you're right, shows how different bodies can be. Yes think not having a cervix means risk of prolapse

OP I know recovery sounds long.. I had a month off work but felt great after 2 weeks, I was mopping after a few days, I've had sections so know it's best to move a lot to recover quicker.
Time flew though and then I have a lifetime of no pain or periods there.
But you have to do what feels right for you. Try the embolisation

My surgeon didn't like to use opioids. I have to say that the first night after immediately having surgery I was in sheer agony. Felt like I had a hot poker sticking inside me. They said I had had the total amount of pain relief I could have. NHS.

Just to add a counter opinion: I had a UAE in 2019 and didn't get any pains worse than basic period pain as the fibroids died off. Yes, there were a few extra chunks but nothing too grisly. I don't know exactly how well it worked as the follow-up scan was cancelled during lockdown but it's certainly worth considering.

I'd also had a myomectomy several years before - which basically shells the fibroids out if they're growing in the right place - but they do grow back, unfortunately.

I had a sub total hysterectomy where they leave your cervix, in, done & out in 16 hours, all done keyhole. I walked to the local shops the morning I came home, was having lunch at the local pub 3 days after, drove 6 days after & was discharged by consultant 8 days after. I was back on the school run 10 days after, the only thing I couldn't do was lift anything heavier than a full kettle. I could have sex a week after & started HRT a month after. Best thing I ever did, no pain, just had a catheter & drain for 10 hours after, both out at 6.00am & was home by 8.30am.

Sounds like you had a quicker r recovery than others. What you describe still seems ott for me with the symptoms I have though.

This was not my experience...recovery was quick and i noticed a difference fairly quickly. I could no longer feel the fibriod and it was big..15 cm.

I have had my uterus and cervix out (kept my ovaries) and nobody told me no heavy lifting ever!

Because of the size of the fibroid my op was a full open procedure, I have a big smiley face scar on my lower abdomen. The first 12 hours were rough, I was catheterised and in a lot of pain. Doesn't help that I am not good with opiate painkillers and kept vomiting. But the following morning I was up and out of bed, shuffling round the room, had a shower, catheter out.

Recovery was OK but I did feel very tired for the first week or so. Even standing in the shower for 5 minutes was a huge effort and I needed a sit down afterwards. But every day was a bit better and within a week I was easily walking the 5 minutes to the local Co-op even though I wasn't allowed to buy anything heavy to carry home... Driving again short distances after about 3 weeks. I work for myself from home and so going back to work wasn't an issue, but was back working after about 4 weeks. Recovery from keyhole is quicker as you don't have a large wound to worry about.

There is lots to consider @Gwenhwyfar and I think getting a second opinion is an excellent idea. All the best.

That's an exaggeration IMHOAE it was painful for about 24 hours but I was in hospital and had pain relief. I only passed one tiny bit of tissue later and I had three fibroids.

And this is one of the things that the Op needs to consider - a planned keyhole op or a "run with it and see" and potentially having to have a full open procedure due to the possible overdrive of fibroids.

Actually, now I think back to my UAE procedure... the worst pain I had - the awful stomach pain that I phoned the surgery to get extra opiates for - turned out to be acute constipation caused by my over-enthusiastic clicking of the morphine pump the day after surgery. Doubled the laxative and all was sorted.

Yes, that's why I'm wary of the do nothing approach or even 'watchful waiting', but I still tend to think that a hysterectomy sounds extreme. I realise now that I should have written down how big my fibroid was and where exactly it is as those things affect what kind of treatment I can have, but I didn't know that at the time.

I have a very, very low pain threshold.