"Honey, my shoe laces are getting shorter: How I discovered I had a fibroid"

A lot of women and family members have asked me about when/how did I know I had fibroids. Actually it was a big surprise to me, BUT looking back I should of saw the signs. I thought it would be nice to start a list of all the things women and families have experienced when the uterine fibroids and uterus started to expand.  I’ll start the list and I hope everyone will add to it so we can help others through their Journey.

- I was used to tying my shoestrings, but my abdomen started to get in the way. So to compensate for it I either stopped wearing shoes with shoelaces or had to devise a way to do it using the steps or asking my Hubby to help. 

- I found it hard to squeeze between people in the stores – even when I tried going sideways.

- I started to use a huge MONSTER purse because my pad supply and pad size requirement for the day kept increasing. The mini purses were shoved back deep into my closet and forgotten.

- Over the counter medication just didn’t cut the pain anymore, and I had to finally break down and ask the Doctor for a prescription, which I did refill many times.

Please feel free to add your comments to the list. All comments are welcome!

Best Regards - Hope
 

- I used to like to wear light color slacks in the spring, but as my bleeding mishaps increased I found myself wearing darker colors more often. 

- I had to preplan how much fluid to drink and a time span to eliminate them before going on road trips. It started to get to a point travel became a hassle instead of an enjoyment.

- I never had to use stool softeners before until I started to experience a lot of constipation problems. Even when I tried to increase my fiber I sometimes still had problems.

- When I went to a restaurant or movie theatre I always asked for the directions to the 'nearest' bathroom. I would panic if the bathroom was only one stall because sometimes I had close calls with having to urinate in a hurry or heavy bleeding.

- I thought it was the norm to use a tampon, super pad, and disposable underwear at the same time, and changing them every 2 hours or less. I figure the flow increased with age. It never crossed my mind to tell the Doc because I thought all women did this.

Thank you for this wonderful Forum.

– JJ, Ohio

I am new to forum posts, so please bear with me...

Recently, I started feeling very bloated with mild to severe cramping in my lower right abdominal region. I was a personal trainer and bodybuilder for years, but stopped a few years back so I could get pregnant. We have been trying to conceive for about 6 months, when I found myself with this new bloating and pain. I took about 10 pregnancy tests and they all came up negative. I remember telling my husband "I know there is something growing inside of me, and I don't think it's good. If it’s a baby, I don't think this is how it should feel”. He told me I had probably pulled a muscle, but I KNEW something was wrong. Muscle pain has never lasted 2 whole months.

My symptoms included:

• Bloating
• Constipation
• Gas
• Feeling like my appendix area was going to explode
• Lower back pain
• Very heavy period
• Overall, all kinds of abdominal/pelvic pain.

I was sure I had an ovarian cyst, so I called my OBGYN, he ordered and ultrasound and alas, no ovarian cyst, but a 4" fibroid.

I’m glad I know what it is, but he doesn’t want to treat me yet because I am still trying to conceive. He has prescribed painkillers, which I try not to take, but do when needed. And as a woman, one of the worst things that have been hit has been my vanity. My stomach always looks bloated and I had to go up a pant size to accommodate my belly. It's really frustrating, but hopefully we can get pregnant soon and I can have a planned C-section to remove it after I have my baby.

Thanks for this forum, its very informative.

- Sally, PA

Car Shuffle - stuck in the car, fianc lost and refuses to get directions (normal man)!

I am laughing so hard right now and I have to add my funny story here. While on vacation 02/2002 in Florida went visited Disney World Resorts. I made the mistake of by passing the bathroom so we could try and make a quick exit (like everyone else right)! Big mistake, my fianc got lost and landed us in a mile long traffic jam. This was before my UAE was performed in 04/2002. I was stuck in the car with a pad that had already gone the 'length'. Good thing it was a rental car. Of course I cleaned what I could; thank god for the maps in the car! 

- Lilly, PA

I read this a while go and laughed so hard I cried. I re-read this today and well had to grab the pillow and press against my abdomen so I could laugh again!!! (I am now on week 3 of recovery from a "save the oven/fertility" abdominal myomectomy - best thing I ever did).

I found this web site during my search over the months for any and all information about fibroids, surgery and anyone’s experience and recovery process. Hope, this site and this Message really inspired me during my "battle with the "fibroids" (I am now Buddy belly fibroid free).  It brought a sense of humor that I carried with me (right into the OR room) and chuckle when I think about it now. So much so, I had to join the forum and respond.  I have been reading but never responded until today.

Let me share MY signs and pass along the laughter that got me through all this - hope you can use some of these in your document:

• humm .....why is it that the buttons on my pants are getting harder and harder to connect? Did all of my pants suddenly become 100% cotton and did I wash them in hot water...yeah that must be it.
   
• Where are my feet? I feel those swollen things but I can’t seem to see them anymore....
   
• Home pedicure???....couldn’t reach the feet...to the salon....
   
• Not enough sit-ups in the world will remove this belly.
   
• Oh where or where did all my high heels go? to the back of the closet to hide with all the tie up shoes.  Between the lower back pain and the constant trips to the bathroom high heels were not practical anymore.  You can move faster to the bathroom in slip on flats.
   
• I found myself wondering if there was a bulk section in the feminine isle at the drug store. (Do extra long overnights with wings come in bulk?)
   
• My husband asked where all the bath towels where.... "Look behind the bulk boxes of pads in the linen closet hon".....
   
• "Mr. Red" my saving grace...the Red bath towel I always had under the sheets to sleep on during my 15 day horrific flow periods for when the 3 extra long overnights with wings pads didn’t quite do the job or if I sleep through one of the every 2 hour "wake ups to pee" .
   
• Dark colored elastic waist skirts came back in fashion for me along with belly hiding long tops.
   
• My husband wondered why all the pillows. Lots of pillows on the bed to prop up the belly or support the aching back.
   
• Handbags....from cute tiny clutch to extra large hobo bag.
   
• Light colored pants (if worn) always required a long top or sweater to tie around the waist just in case.....
   
• I bought stock in toilet paper and Gas X.... for the frequent urination from the grapefruit size fibroid pressing on my bladder and the constipation and gas from another grapefruit size fibroid pressing on my colon and spine - hence lot of pillows on the bed.

Thanks for letting me share.

- Fibroid Free, PA