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Monday, November
27, 2007 Dr. Worthington-Kirsch performed my UAE on 04/2002; at time I was 41. Dr. Benjamin Gocial performed a myomectomy 10/11//2007; at the time I was 46. I chose UAE instead of myomectomy in 2002 because each doctor that I consulted with stated they wanted to perform hysterectomy or that there was a good chance of hysterectomy. I thought no way, these doctors are not going to make me a $ quota for their surgeries. I live in Harrisburg where most of the fertility doctors are in cahoots to either get $ for donor eggs or $ for hysterectomies after performing usually one test. I found approximately 2 good doctors here who actually do provide good care for women and not the $ to be made from women. I was told several crazy things by some of the infertility nurses, who seemed to be non-sympathetic and treated me really harshly. I was even told by one fertility nurse at a place for women care that she did not even know any medication to induce periods (yeah right). I later found out about progesterone withdrawal treatment.
I believe doctors/nurses should care about women not just for $. I know
Dr. Kirsch cares; he has proven this through his dedication to provide the
best treatment. I believe the UAE shrunk the fibroids and also killed
them so they came out easier since calcified. My recovery from
myomectomy has been good; some good hints about recovery can be found at
http://www.hopeforfibroids.org/questionstoask.html. Dr.
Gocial stated the myomectomy was a success, and I am waiting for my period
to start, and then I will be consulting with Dr. Gocial regarding my next
move. I believe my next move with be IUI with donor sperm.
Thursday, July 7, 2005 I am trying to get pregnant. My doctor wanted to rule out any problems, so he ordered a hysterosalpingogram. This test is normally performed on day 7-10 of the menstrual cycle. Prep: The doctor will prescribe an antibiotic to be taken in a three-day interval, the day before/of/after the test (one each morning and one each evening) to avoid the risk of infection. I then took four (4) Motrin and an antacid approximately one hour before the test. The tube was inserted into my cervix. The test was not painful but uncomfortable, especially once the dye starts traveling through your fallopian tubes. I felt a lot of pressure. I found by staying relaxed it helped me keep calm during the procedure. The report came back the one fallopian tube is open, but the other fallopian tube is not as open due to the remaining dead fibroid is pressing against it. On to the next step:
IUI (intra-uterine insemination) with Chlomid induced ovulation
stimulation.
Thursday, July 15, 2004 Hi everyone! I
did it! I went for my bilateral breast exam (mammogram). I
sure did take my time procrastinating, for nothing I might add. The
exam was not as scary as I'd imagined. My results are normal.
I have just scheduled my first appointment at the Advanced Center for
Infertility. I'm not infertile but my current partner had a
vasectomy. I'm going to try and get pregnant, God willing!
Friday, July 02, 2004 My UAE was performed in 03-2002. The procedure went great and I would recommend this to someone considering pregnancy. My current vocation is currently highly stressful, and I believe stress does affect your monthly cycle. I also had an ovarian cyst recently, which persisted for approximately one - two months. The cyst was discovered during my fibroid ultrasound follow-up visit. The cyst dissolved on it's own and my ultrasound revealed that I still do have some fibroids, but they are in the crystallized form (dead but not discarded). I recently underwent hormone testing to be sure
that all hormone levels were acceptable. I am currently going for
one more test the mammogram and then off to the fertility center.
Will keep in touch with you guys!
Friday, April 18, 2003 ONE YEAR POST UAE UPDATE: I am feeling great and the quality of life factors have increased dramatically. My stomach area and below the belly button has gone down to almost flat. I had the U.A.E. procedure on 3-27-2002 and my uterus was cluttered with at least six fibroids with sizes of approximately two inches and below in diameter. All of the fibroids have disappeared. I would caution each woman to make sure to eat a full meal throughout each day (even if you eat a little at a time). I experienced excess pain from gas, because I did not eat properly. With the pain medication you must eat properly and take the laxative per instructions. I now have no fear at this time regarding my ability to conceive. My
monthly cycle has remained steady, although I have experienced some extra
discharge from time to time. The quality of my life has reached a new
high! I want to again thank Dr. Kirsch, Mr. and Mrs. Waltman for their
support! (Update from
Tuesday, July 30, 2002 Now, in 2002, I am looking forward to getting pregnant! I feel I have the best chance of conceiving because I had the UAE procedure done and it WORKED GREAT!! The three month ultrasound reduction numbers (which I listed below) and the fact that three fibroids (I had a total of six fibroids) were no longer visible on the ultrasound study truly amaze and thrill me - I still can't get over the change in only THREE MONTHS!! Since
1999, I experienced so much uncertainty with my fertility, because of the
uterine fibroids, that I feel I need to convey my story to other women so
they will not go through all the anguish I did. The following is my story: 1999, at
the age of 37, was the year I was diagnosed as having fibroids. At that time I did nothing because
of lack of knowledge.
2001 was the year I found out about the Uterine
Artery Embolization (UAE) procedure from Hope Waltman. This was also the year I had my
second ultrasound, which showed my fibroids had grown almost double the
size since 1999. When I first
heard about the procedure, I thought this is too good to be true. After constant research, I decided
that UAE was the perfect solution for me.
My first concern was preserving my fertility, and
the UAE was my solution.
Before UAE my menstrual cycle was hell on wheels and getting worse. During my annual pap smear (which
was ordered by Dr. Robert Worthington-Kirsch in preparation for the UAE
procedure), my family doctor felt the fibroids. One of my doctor's comments was
“you might want to think about getting a hysterectomy”. This made me really mad, since my
doctor was not a specialist or anything, just a family doctor! I feel doctors, more than anyone,
should realize the affect of what they say to patients. Besides the statement, my doctor
knew she was performing the pap smear in prep for an ultrasound exam,
which was in turn a prep for the UAE.
So without any knowledge of medical practices, doctors should keep
their 'opinions' to themselves, rather than lead patients down the wrong
road. I was already tormented
mentally with anguish over what could happen.
2002, at the age of 40, the year the UAE was
performed on me. The process
was very efficient from check in through check out. I found every one involved in the
process were very professional, helpful and concerned. My recovery time was actually only
seven days. I realized late
in the game about the link between faster recovery and regular bowel
movements. Gas pains are the
worst type of pains, and I became constipated due to the medication I was
on and I didn’t use the stool softener when I should have.
My first period after the UAE was on time and a
whole lot lighter than any previous cycles. This cycle remains steady and
normal. Currently I have
mental relief and I no longer am concerned about flowing all over my
clothes.
The test results of my last ultrasound were quite
impressive and I am feeling GREAT since the UAE procedure. The following ultrasound
results are from 1999 to present: 5/3/99: Uterus - 9.7*6.3*7.4cms - Vol 113cc
Dom (dominant) Fibroid - 2*2*2.6cms
- Vol 5.4cc
11/26/01: Uterus - 12.5*7.5*8.8cms - Vol
429cc
Dom Fibroid - 4.9*3.9*4.3cms - Vol 43cc
3/27/01 (pre-UAE): Uterus - 12.8*6.3*9cms - Vol 377cc Dom Fibroid - 5.4*5.1*5.5cms - Vol 79cc
7/17/02: Uterus- 11.1*5.8*7.4cms - Vol
248cc, a 34% REDUCTION
Dom Fibroid - 4.3*4*3.9cms - Vol 35cc 7/17/02:
Right Mid-body: Pre-UAE 80cc, current 35cc, a 56% REDUCTION
Upper Body: Pre-UAE 38cc, current 15cc, a 61%
REDUCTION
Anterior Fundal: Pre-UAE 16cc, current 8cc, a
50% REDUCTION
Dr. Kirsch said, “The apparent decrease in the
overall uterine size from 11/26/01 to 3/27/02 is probably due to a
combination of differences in measuring technique between the local
Imaging Facilities where you are and my staff, different degrees of
bladder filling, and differences in the stage of the menstrual cycle.
Fibroid volumes do not change with the menstrual cycle or bladder
filling.” -
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