When I initially visited my ob/gyn and told him that I endured painful, heavy menstrual cycles he suspected endometriosis. I endured a number of tests that showed that while I did not have endometriosis, I did have quite a few large fibroids and numerous polyps. Nevertheless, my doctor told me that a correlation between fibroids and infertility had not been found and that it was his opinion that unless they were affecting my quality of life that there was no need to remove them. I could not imagine what a “normal” period was at that time and thought that everyone had extremely painful cramping. I did think that having to use the largest tampons possible every hour with a pad was unusual, but did not think it was cause for concern – just a hassle for me.
So, I was quite surprised when my Reproductive Endocrinologist advised that I have a hysteroscopy and myomectomy before my IVF cycle. His opinion was that the fibroids could be affecting implantation and be causing miscarriage, in addition to feeling as though we wanted to give the embryos the best uterine environment possible in which to be transferred. The catch was that I needed to have the procedure done and that wait 4-6 months before undergoing IVF. I had the hysteroscopy and my RE removed two tennis ball sized fibroids. He warned that I was predisposed to the growth of fibroids and that more could develop, but that now that he had removed the ones that I had he was willing to do IVF in a few months time.
I went through the IVF cycle and blessedly conceived twins. The ultrasound showed that there were fibroids growing alongside the embryos and that they were actually larger than the babies initially. I was sent to a high risk specialist because of twins, but also because of the concern that the fibroids would cause complications with the growth of the babies, bleeding, and blood supply. The fibroids continued to grow throughout the pregnancy but I was lucky that they kind of stayed out of the way and did not impede the growth of the babies. When they were delivered the doctor removed the largest of the fibroids (grapefruit size). When he told me that he actually did end up removing the largest one (he had said that with the c-section he probably wouldn’t do that but it ended up being in the way)I didn’t think much of it – I was overwhelmed with thoughts of my precious babies in the NICU and recovering from the c-section. It was only months later, when my period returned, that I was truly grateful that he had made that decision.
I am certainly not a doctor, and don’t proclaim to know anything about fibroids and fertility, but I am convinced that the fibroids could have been a factor in my miscarriages and inability to conceive. I wish that I had gotten them removed when they were first discovered. Even if removing them did not help me conceive, the difference in my periods is unbelievable. The most difficult thing for me is when a doctor or nurse asks how painful something is. That is really hard to answer because you don’t know what is normal or not and you have nothing to compare to, but now I do. Now I know that debilitating pain with periods is not normal. I know that typically women do not have to plan their life around their period each and every month. And I know that, for me, getting the hysteroscopy and myomectomy was the best decision I made for my fertility and quality of life.
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