There was nothing to indicate that the fibroid had spread throughout her body. It did not show any signs of presence, and it was growing on the back wall of the uterus, on the outside. Jelena M. (43) from Belgrade was an apparently healthy woman until September last year.
"The monthly bleeding first got longer, then stopped, then started again. That was very strange to me, so after a few days I went to the gynecologist. "With a simple examination, without an ultrasound, the doctor told me that my uterus is enlarged and that I have a large growth, most likely a myoma," says Jelena.
She had a fibroid ten years earlier, but it was smaller, so the doctor monitored it during regular examinations. She also managed to get pregnant and it did not interfere with her pregnancy, and it was removed when she gave birth by caesarean section.
"Since I had already dealt with one fibroid, I wasn't too worried. I consoled myself that this too would be easily solved and that at least everything remained healthy. I bought some herbal drops which have helped my menstrual bleeding to normalize until I go for my ultrasound appointment a few weeks later. When that day finally came, the examination revealed that my fibroid was larger than my entire uterus. Just in case, they sent me to the clinic. I scheduled that examination as well, with a lot of waiting and rude treatment from the medical staff. Again, for the umpteenth time, I thought: 'God forbid you get sick in this country,'" our interlocutor is honest.
What will your uterus and ovaries do?
While she waited another two weeks until her scheduled examination, Jelena searched the Internet every day in search of the experiences of women who had a similar problem.
"The diagnosis was not terrible - the fibroid is large, I already knew that. The way of treatment was terrible. They asked me how old I was, whether I had given birth. When I answered that I had a son, two doctors immediately concluded that the only solution was a hysterectomy, i.e. removal of the uterus. And as if that wasn't enough, the removal of the ovaries, just in case. What do you want, they asked me. I was sick of answering them, and I said to myself that I needed them so that I wouldn't run headlong into menopause; that the hormones would protect me for a while longer from the problems that come to women as they age," recalls Jelena.
When she heard the bad news, Jelena came home worried. The operation was inevitable, and black thoughts and fears collided in her head. How can she tell her parents what will happen to her child?
"Searching the Internet, I found out that there is a therapy with special waves that fry the myoma, as well as a procedure to block the blood vessels that feed it. However, it is not yet available in our country, and the question is whether it would work on this big monster that was growing in my womb", explains our interlocutor.
Three possibilities
Her husband and she did not give up and tried in every way to find another solution, which would not involve the removal of the uterus and ovaries.
“We managed to find a doctor who was willing to reconsider my case. After the examination, he explained in detail what all my options were. I learned that removing the uterus and ovaries is the most common, but not the only possible solution. Another method is to remove the uterus, leaving the ovaries, if they are completely healthy. The third option is to shrink the fibroid with drugs and then surgically remove it, while preserving all healthy reproductive organs. I was extremely happy that there was another way," recalls Jelena.
The doctor told her to think carefully first and only then decide for herself what she wants. The choice was hers.
"The medicines were expensive and strong, far from the mild herbal therapy that I would have preferred, but if it's the only way, I agree! I decided to shrink the myoma as much as possible with medication, so that the surgery would be as easy as possible. The doctor warned me about the possibility that the drugs might not reduce the fibroid enough and that only when he opens me up, the surgeon will know whether to remove just it or everything else. I nodded, ready for anything, and asked if they would be able to patch the fibroid hole in my uterine wall. The doctor laughed and said he would 'patch' me up as best he could and I chose my surgeon at that point. I had boundless trust in him", points out Jelena.
The three-month therapy worked
She bought three boxes of imported medicine, each for 28 days of therapy, and started drinking it. All she had to do was wait and hope that in three months the fibroid would shrink enough.
"There were no significant side effects, I could work, drive, I didn't get dizzy, none of what was written in the instructions. The biggest burden was psychological, anxiety about whether the medicine will work or whether everything is in vain. At the check-up three months later, the doctor determined that the fibroid had shrunk and separated from the uterine wall, so it was easier to approach, and immediately scheduled an operation. When I woke up from anesthesia, I knew by the look on the nurses' faces that everything went well. The surgeon told me that it was complicated but that everything was 'patched up' as we agreed. There was no end to my happiness," says this brave woman.
More than half a year has passed since the operation. Jelena returned to her daily duties and joys she shares with her family. Only a thin scar in the lower abdomen reminds her of the operation and all the pains she went through.
"It doesn't matter about the scar, it's important that I'm healthy," concludes Jelena happily.
Taken from the Vijesti supplement "About health", which is published every Thursday with the newspaper
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