Finally a decent pic of my hair AND I'm anemic!

[Guyaneek]

such pretty hair!!!!

 

[*Michelle*]

Thanks for the compliments ladies!

And a HUGE thanks for all the support and information...I will be checking all of it out and let you ladies know how its going. I have the ultrasound on Friday and go to the second dr (who had been my dr for 14 years) next Thursday. Thanks again

 

[Tee]

beautiful hair.

 

[KiniKakes]

Your hair looks soooo beautiful!!!!! Whatever you are doing, keep it UP girl!!!!

Im anemic too.... hmmm, must ask my doc. about these meds. I STAY cold and energy-less.

 

[Poetrygirl]

First and Foremost, beautiful hair.

Second. I have fibriods and have had them now for 5 years. Do not and I repeat do not let the doctors talk you into having a hystorectomy or a myomectomy (similar to a hystorectomy, but they cut into your uterus to remove the fibroids. Check out http://www.myomectomy.net/ to learn more abuot this procedure). I had a doctor tell me something similar about 5 years ago and it scared the life out of me, that is when I got educated on fibriods, doctors who push them and the reason behind it (money, money, money!).
I agree with the other ladies you must change your diet. I cut back on the red meat, too many hormones and way to hard for your body to digest, no pork (more so my beliefs than anything, but they also have a lot of horomones), lay off the dairy and do not allow things to stress you out. At one point I only ate seafood, no meat at all and they went away for a year, but due to stress they came back. Vitamin B and fish oil supplements are GREAT and drink Noni Juice everyday, a little goes a long way. You can deal with them and they are common in women of child bearing age and minority women.

Next time you visit or if you go for a 2nd opinion ask them what kind of fibriods are they and where they are located. You can check out this link to get more information on them, http://www.myomectomy.net/types_of_uterine_fibroids.htm.

Again love the hair, but wanted to make sure that I passed on what I knew about them and that I am living with them and have been for 5 years.

 

[indefinite]

I had a myomectomy last year. I actually didn't have any problems with the surgery. I got to be out of work 6 weeks with pay. My fibroids made me look 3 months pregnant, so they HAD to go. I went from 114 to 104 when they came out. They were growing at such a rapid rate, but I didn't have ANY symptons. NO pain, nothing.


The guy at the health food store advised me against soy protein shakes. He said soy acts as estrogen(sp?), so be careful with the soy protein. Use Whey.

 

[Dijah]

I don't know how true this is, but I saw D.ick Gregory recently and he said that fibroids are almost exclusively a black woman's problem and no one knows why.

He said fibroids are caused by relaxers!?! It might be worth making sure that you do off-the-scalp applications.

My sister in law who is white has fibroids. And anyone who is told to get hysterectamy without discussing other options is a bad doctor. Thank God your old doctor is so kind to accept your new insurance. I think some doctors have no respect for women in general and black women especially.

On a happier note. Your hair is gorgeous!

 

[indefinite]

. And anyone who is told to get hysterectamy without discussing other options is a bad doctor.

I agree! A hysterectamy is easier to perform than a myonemectomy(sp?).

 

[deltagyrl]

Purty hair.

 

[PuffyBrown]

Tons and Tons and Tons of Protein.
I will gather some info and post it.

I have the information for you. I sent you a PM.

 

[InsertCleverNameHere]

anemia-->ferrous gluconate w/orange juice for better absorption.

 

[RootPunch]

You definitely do not have to have a hysterectomy at this point. Any doctor who would recommend that without having any studies that show the number of fibroids, their sizes, and the size of your uterus is a quack!!! Your best option, if anything needs to be done right now, is to have a uterine artery embolization. It's minimally invasive and may require an overnight stay, but it's much less traumatic than a hysto. Recovery time is quick, and many women start to see improvement within a couple of weeks. Basically, the arteries leading to the uterus are blocked with tiny granules that are injected/released into the arteries. This blockage of the blood flow shrinks the fibroids, as they are not able to be nourished any longer. This also decreases the menstrual flow as well. Many women experience significant improvement with this procedure, but you can get specific information from a healthcare professional. This is not done by an OB/GYN or general surgeon; it is done by an Interventional Radiologist in the hospital. You can get a referral for a consultation from your physician for you and your husband to talk to the IR. He/she will tell you all about the procedure, risks, benefits, alternatives, recovery, etc. The only thing that may prevent you from having this procedure is if you have adenomyosis in addition to the fibroids. Unfortunately, this condition is usually not treatable with the UAE, but there are some physicians that will attempt to treat it with UAE, depending on the extent of disease. The IR will usually have you get an MRI of your pelvis and have an endometrial biopsy to be sure there are no precancerous/cancerous changes. The MRI will give him/her a clearer picture of the sizes of everything, the locations of the fibroids, any effect on the bladder, and whether there is any adenomyosis or endometriosis to be concerned about. Once he gets this and the biopsy results, he can make an informed decision about whether you are a good candidate for the procedure. I suggest you do some further research online about uterine artery embolization so that you will be ready with any questions for your doctor. You also might want to check at whatever hospital you are affiliated with and find out which physicians perform the procedure. You can find out online or call the Radiology Department and ask which IR docs perform the uterine artery embolization procedure. An informed patient is the best patient. Blessings.....and hope this helps!

Edited to Add: As with any procedure, there are always risks involved. Please make sure you know what they are when you and your husband are making decisions about your health.

This is why I love this board. This is truly a family here. The advice has been remarkable and accurate; and encourages you to do your own research to verify the information.
I'm glad you followed your instincts and decided to RUN from that first doc. God Bless you and your family.

 

[remnant]

Great topic hope that everything is OK now for Pixel Lady

 

[Miss*Tress]

Deleted: old thread.

 

[Yellowflowers]

Well after several request, I decided to take a decent pic of my hair...so here it is.

I found out today I'm anemic and have fibroid(s) UGHH! ...now I have a question. Is there a difference between Slow Fe and Ferrous Sulfate...I mean besides the easier on the stomach, time released part. Does one work faster than the other? Yes I know I should have asked my Dr. but after he said I have fibroids, I couldn't say anything else

Oh yeah for those wondering I did do a Redissimo Colorshine last weekend and my routine haircare consists of Redken products.

Pixel Lady,
I understand your pain. I don't know where you live but I have the name of a doctor who might be able to help. I'm sending you a p.m.

In the meantime keep up with the iron. Prenatal vitamins might be good also during this time. We can loose a lot of nutrients during heavy blood flow.

Cathy Howse says that iron is one thing that does help with hair growth. Good luck.

 

[AvaSpeaks]

your hair looks great!

Not to hijack the thread but I wouldn't worry about the fibroids unless they are bothering you. You can remove them but they will probably grow back. They will go away by themselves when you go into menopause. Also, so many women have them now, at first they thought it was epidemic but now they are beginning to think they are just normal. It is a good idea to stay away from non-organic beef and other foods with hormones or hormone like substances. The current theory is that they thrive on estrogen. And please don't let the doctors talk you into a hysterectomy! If they even mention the h word find another doctor that is unless you are in extreme pain. PM me if you have any more questions. I had fibriods, a cystanoma and ended up with endometriosis. I found two really good doctors and a fantastic acupuncturist. Thank goodness!

Here is the thing about fibroids.

It can make your stomach look as big as a 4 or 5 month pregnancy

Also, fibroids can increase your chances of infertility. I know there are people that get pregnant with fibroids, but there can be a lot of problems.

I have fibroids myself and I'm going to see if I lose weight, like many pounds, will this help the appearance of my stomach. That's the only things.

As for the Iron, make sure you get the Iron from your doctor. Why? Because they give you the right amount that you need to be taking. The anemia can lead to heart palpatations so you don't want to play with that. Pharmacies may say it's all the same Iron, but there is a difference; amount, amount per day, when to take it, etc.

 

[AvaSpeaks]

I mean there are other options out there that you can try. I mean there is pills and there is Fibrovan (I think that's how you spell it).

But at this point, for childbearing women, from what I understand, surgery is the only option because there is nothing to shrink them.

I say, maybe perhaps try changing diet, using Iron and maybe Evening Primrose Oil tablets to help yourself. That's what I am going to do. I don't want nobody cutting on me.

And sense I don't really plan on children just yet, I'm not in a rush to get surgery. But at least know your options, both surgical and non-surgical.

 

[AvaSpeaks]

You definitely do not have to have a hysterectomy at this point. Any doctor who would recommend that without having any studies that show the number of fibroids, their sizes, and the size of your uterus is a quack!!! Your best option, if anything needs to be done right now, is to have a uterine artery embolization. It's minimally invasive and may require an overnight stay, but it's much less traumatic than a hysto. Recovery time is quick, and many women start to see improvement within a couple of weeks. Basically, the arteries leading to the uterus are blocked with tiny granules that are injected/released into the arteries. This blockage of the blood flow shrinks the fibroids, as they are not able to be nourished any longer. This also decreases the menstrual flow as well. Many women experience significant improvement with this procedure, but you can get specific information from a healthcare professional. This is not done by an OB/GYN or general surgeon; it is done by an Interventional Radiologist in the hospital. You can get a referral for a consultation from your physician for you and your husband to talk to the IR. He/she will tell you all about the procedure, risks, benefits, alternatives, recovery, etc. The only thing that may prevent you from having this procedure is if you have adenomyosis in addition to the fibroids. Unfortunately, this condition is usually not treatable with the UAE, but there are some physicians that will attempt to treat it with UAE, depending on the extent of disease. The IR will usually have you get an MRI of your pelvis and have an endometrial biopsy to be sure there are no precancerous/cancerous changes. The MRI will give him/her a clearer picture of the sizes of everything, the locations of the fibroids, any effect on the bladder, and whether there is any adenomyosis or endometriosis to be concerned about. Once he gets this and the biopsy results, he can make an informed decision about whether you are a good candidate for the procedure. I suggest you do some further research online about uterine artery embolization so that you will be ready with any questions for your doctor. You also might want to check at whatever hospital you are affiliated with and find out which physicians perform the procedure. You can find out online or call the Radiology Department and ask which IR docs perform the uterine artery embolization procedure. An informed patient is the best patient. Blessings.....and hope this helps!

Edited to Add: As with any procedure, there are always risks involved. Please make sure you know what they are when you and your husband are making decisions about your health.

ONLY use this option if you plan on NOT having anymore children.

If you want to still have children, but do not want the fibroids, at this point, surgery is the only option for childbearing women.

 

[mrsbookworm]

My doctor recommended Vitron-C which is gentle on the stomach. It's designed to be easy on the stomach because it contains Vitamin C which helps our bodies absorb iron supplements more easily.

 

[LuvLiLocks]

Hey Pixel Lady, My mom had 5 girls, 4 had fibroids, one died a few years back from complications related to a hysterectmy (sp!!), I was the only one who didnt have it....that is until my last doctors visit and found out that i have it as well. Anyway, last year when my oldest sister was having extremely heavy periods and passing extra large clots, she said someone told her to get off of red meats and get on whole grains and all natural stuff. she did it and now she says her bleeding is back to normal and the tumors have shrank. When i got my diagnosis i started the 'whole grain healthy lifestyle', its been less than a month, but i am expecting great results!

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread about non-organic red meat and hormones, maybe thats the key. Let surgery be the last option.