Fibroid, Ovarian Cysts, Thickened Uterine Wall and Prolonged, Heavy Bleeding

Hi Doctor,
I am so happy to have run across your site. I am in my mid 40’s, have had 3 live vaginal births and 5 miscarriages. I have used fertility drugs for one of those pregnancies, progesterone for the first 4 mos. and steroids the last month, and she was born at 32 wks. I was in for my yearly physical and pap and mamagram in Oct. 2003, and everything checked out OK. My periods have always without fail been 27/28 days apart, a couple days very heavy and lasting 5 to 7 days. I have endometriosis and had surgery for that before my last pregnancy 9 yrs. ago. I noticed as I am getting older, my periods are getting heavier and more clotty. But now in January, 2004, I got my period starting out very light for 2 days and then what I would call hemoraging with liver-like clots for days and days, ultimately lasting 21/22 days. Still spotting, I saw my doctor. She did a pregnancy test (neg.) and then an endometrial biopsy, ran quite a few blood tests to rule out certain things and put me on Provera for 10 days. The tests came back fine, the biopsy came back neg. for uterine cancer although they said they would have liked more cells on the sample. The Provera stopped my bleeding in under 2 days. When I finished the cycle of Provera, I got my period again immediately (a Monday) On Friday, I had an ultrasound, both external and internal. I was still bleeding. I just got the results today. I have a fibroid tumor 7cm in size; and enlarged uterus the size of a 9 to 13 wk. pregnancy; the uterine wall lining is 1.2 in thickness, which I was told the norm. for my age is 1.0; I have a 6cm simple cyst on my right ovary and a small complex cyst with a septation on my left ovary. The symptoms I have had have been the prolonged, very heavy and clotty bleeding since January of this year, off and on abdominal discomfort, sometimes feeling like a knife was cutting a section off and with the bleeding periodic cramping and lower backache and headache. I see my doctor Fri. to learn my options of what we can do. She says surgery is inevitable. Possibly hysterecomy, with or without ovaries, depending what they find when they go in. She did also say that I would have to be cut for this surgery, it could not be done vaginally, because the fibroid is so large and because the cysts on the ovaries (mostly the left one, which she has some concerns about). She assured me from the report that she read that it is unlikely cancer, but she could not guarantee that until surgery is done and sent to pathology. It was a big comfort for me to read your bulletin. I am anxious to hear back from you. I am going to ask my doctor for a copy of the reports for myself, then I could possibly give you more info. and I am thinking of also getting a second opinion before making any decisions, even though I do trust my Doc. Please let me know what you think ASAP. My Doctor would like to take care of this in 4 to 6 wks. I still have little ones who need me. Thanks in advance.

Dear Blondie-
You are the perfect patient for FAS…there is no need for a hysterectomy. Based on your posting…I suspect you also have Adenomyosis..ask your doctor about this.
IF this disease is not treated, your symptoms will continue even if the fibroid is removed. Do your research carefully, hysterctomy is an irreversible procedure.

I GET MY PERIOD EVERY 2 WEEKS, MY MOM WAS DIAGNOSED WITH UTERINE AND CERVICLE CANCER, MY SISTER WITH OVARIAN( WHICH THEY REMOVED) THANK GOD. I HAVE BEEN HAVING MY PROBLEMS ALONG WITH PAIN SEVERE AT TIMES FOR 2 YEARS. I AM DONE HAVING CHILDREN I AM 34 YEARS OLD. WHY CANT THESE DOCTORS DO A HYSTERECTOMY

Dear Beverly-
Prophylactic removal of an organ is not the answer..even with a family history of malignancy.
Your doctors should be focusing primarily on generating a diagnosis for the cause of your irregular and painful cycles. You may possibly have adenomyosis..which is a benign disease and can be surgically treated without hysterectomy.
There can be many complications associated with hysterectomy…and at your young age you should try to avoid them.