The Specialist

I saw the specialist today. I'll call her Dr. S. I was thinking I would be at the hospital quite awhile so I packed a lunch and loads of activities for Bean but I got right in, so that was nice.

Dr. S didn't really have much new to say that Dr. C hadn't all ready told me. Dr. S seems to think the fibroid will not continue to grow now that I am not pregnant. She confirmed that it does not have any features of a cancerous tumour so it is benign. She down played down its size though, saying it was around 7-9cms, which made me nervous because Dr. C let me read the actual radiologist report so I knew how big it really was. If I remember correctly,11.2x10.3x7 something. I think Dr. S, was looking quickly at the MRI itself and one side of the fibroid was 7 cms so maybe she was working from that? The result is the same regardless. 

The fibroid is in my muscle wall, on the top and to the left. I didn't want to hear that. I was really hoping it was going to be an easy to snip one. 

She told me if I wanted to get pregnant again I had three options:

     1. Leave it in and hope for the best. Apparently fibroids are mostly harmless and there are women with fibroids bigger than mine, living their lives and are not bothered by them.  I would be heavily monitored if I got pregnant as the fibroid would balloon again but there is a chance I could have a healthy pregnancy with it in but it would likely be a painful pregnancy and the baby would likely be breech, premature, and require a c-section to deliver. Dr. C and I all ready discussed this and she doesn't think I'd be able to carry a baby to term. I would like to avoid having another miscarriage, the risk is to high.  So NEXT...

     2. Take the new fibroid medication that is on the market. Apparently, it shrinks fibroids. Apparently, it costs $1000 a month and since fibroids aren't life threatening some drug plans don't cover it. Even if mine does, I could lose my health care coverage when I lose my recall. My thoughts: NEXT! 

     3. Open abdominal myomectomy - I'll be put to sleep, an incision will be made below my bikini line, my uterus pulled from my abdominal cavity (not cut out, just pulled out enough but still attached so they can look at it and work unencumbered), the fibroid removed, and my uterus put back in place.  I can expect to be in the hospital a few days and then sent home with painkillers. I'll likely be off work for 4-6 weeks. It is recommended I wait a year, ideally two, for my uterus to heal before I can try to get pregnant. My pregnancy will be monitored and I will likely need a c-section. There is a risk of bleeding that will require a hysterectomy and I won't be able to get pregnant ever. 

None of these options have me jumping for joy. However, I said I understood the risks and I wanted surgery. Like I said in an earlier post, part of me thought I'd have a hysterectomy by now most of my life anyways. Bean is my miracle and she is wonderful. If she ends up an only child, so be it, but I want to to try for two if I can. 

I have a rare blood type, A-, and asked if I could donate to myself. Dr. S says that doing this has gone out of a practice as it means I'll be anemic before the surgery. If you have A or O neg blood, donate for people like me! 

As for when the surgery will happen, Dr. S says her wait time for surgery is normally 3 months, maybe longer, for fibroids. I told her about my achy cold/numb left foot and that Dr. C thinks the tumour is compressing my femoral artery. She looked alarmed and did a quick abdominal exam. She said, that it was entirely possible that it was and that she would try to get me in sooner if she can. 

Now, I play the waiting game. Apparently, her office will call three weeks to a month before my surgery with a date, time and instructions. Hopefully, it will be sooner rather than later. 

Good news: I'm not laid up for the holidays. I can drink wine and eat soft cheeses. Plus, I get to finish the term at the school I am at, who have been wonderful about this whole experience. 

Bad news: I'm in pain, need to invest in compression socks, and will look like this for an indefinite amount of time:

People who don't know my story may look at me funny while I am eating soft cheese and drinking wine...