"In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Phil 4:6
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Fibroid
Fibroid
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Hi, I know the thought of surgery is frightening. What you are facing is actually very common for women. My mother found out she needed to have emergency surgery (preceded by a few days of blood transfusion) and she was in a panic. Fortunately I already had some idea beforehand and thus I could "prepare" her for the eventual surgery. So please don't worry so much but focus on deciding what's best for you now.
First and foremost, please go through all medical options wrt the fibroid. Surgery is not the only option available, depending on your condition. If the fibroid is still quite small, you might be able to shrink it by taking some medication. But there's nothing stopping the fibroid from growing again and not everybody enjoys taking medicine. Also if your fibroid is already very large, there's a limit to how much it can be reduced. Since, as you put it, the fibroid is "large," then it seems that surgery is the only option. But even with that, you have options. You can opt for abdominal or virginal removal. The latter involves less pain but is not suitable for all ladies (I think it depends on the size of the fibroid, and maybe the confidence of the surgeon too?) Surgeons usually prefer the first option because it's easier for them. It's also possible to combine both - take medication to shrink the fibroid a little, and then resorting to surgery for removal. This option may be useful if you want to opt for virginal removal. There will definitely be pain and discomfort involved in surgery, particularly if you opted for abdominal removal. The first 3 days will be particularly bad. However, nowadays we have very effective pain-killers and good hospitals with good nurses. You will need to stay in the hospital for about a week, followed by a few months of recuperation (i.e. no hard labour such as housework, marketing). You must also be clear about whether the surgery involves the removal of the fibroids only, or of the whole womb (i.e. hysterectomy). If it is the latter, there is a need for HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) unless you want to do it the "natural" way (i.e. rely on soya and other "natural" supplements). This involves further cooperation between you and your doctor. Finally, will God shrink your fibroid? We can and will certainly pray but let God have the prerogative. I hope you will not think that God is "punishing" you. We are living here in a fallen world, sickness is just part and parcel of life. God may choose to heal a person of his present illness but he cannot escape from it (illness and suffering) forever: there's still the final death to face. Meanwhile, hope you can calm down and work with your doctors closely to examine your options.
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2nd doctor's opinion by GC, 2001, Jul 24
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