Fertility Enhancing Diets

I just posted some general tips here but note that while these tips work for both men and women, but there are some additional supplements that each gender should have such as selenium for men and iron for women:

Diet Tips
Dietary changes will depend on your individual constitution but generally these are good things to do and will help with your general health as well as your reproductive health -- I've read a lot of books over the past couple years about hormone balance, fertility, stress, fibroids, and alternative medicine:

Increase consumption of leafy greens -- these help your body with hormone balance and production and contain calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin d plus folic acid all of which are excellent for your fertility and the combination of them is easier for your body to digest.

Cut out simple sugars -- don't eat sweets and cut back on simple carbs as well as these foods are just empty calories and lack nutritional value. Too much sugar can affect your immune system and increase stress on your adrenals and all cells throughout your body. Have a piece of fruit instead. My acupuncturist has told me that even fruit juices contain too much sugar unless diluted.

Increase dietary fiber -- this helps to get rid of excess estrogen which takes a burden off of your liver.

Increase healthy fats in your diet -- more unsaturated fats and less saturated and hydrogenated fats.

Increase anti-oxidents -- Vitamin E and Vitamin C both help to fix cellular damage and heal tissues.

Cut out caffeine -- another adrenal stressor and can impede fertility.

Cut back on dairy -- we're not baby cows and the calcium in cow milk isn't easily absorbed without magnesium (and Vit D but they add that in). This is more controversial, my doctor told me that I would need a lot of calcium if I got pg but my acupuncturist says that the milk causes pelvic congestion and I got pregnant after following his directions and not after following my MDs so I've made up my mind. I just have a little dairy when I'm craving it.

Eat organic, whole foods as much as possible -- Processed foods and regular animal products are full of additives and chemicals which interfere with the endocrine system.

Here are some books you might want to refer to for more information about fertility/diet/hormonal and reproductive health:

Healing with Whole Foods

The Infertility Cure The author hosts fertility retreats and has a website with some recipes on it.

Healing Fibroids

Thyroid Power

Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements

Inconceivable -- I haven't read it but it is supposed to be hardcore into diet and lifestyle changes. The author has a website with some recipes on it: http://www.fertileheart.com/foods/p.fd.soups.html

About Ovulation

The ovaries are full of thousands of eggs held in hormonal stasis in their "primordial follicle" which is a androgen dominant environment. This is the pool from which follicles are constantly being recruited into the maturation process which can take 3 months from early maturation up until the time of ovulation. Maturation of the egg/follicle requires changing the environment within the follicle from androgen dominant to estrogen dominant.

Not all eggs that start the maturation process are developed all the way that you might see them on an u/s prior to ovulation, these ones were lucky and their development synched up with the hormonal cycle perfectly so they could mature up to the point of ovulation.

Ovulation itself is a series of hormonal events the LH, a little progesterone to ripen the follicle, a drop in estrogen are some of these changes. Hormonal imbalances can interfere with this process, as evidenced by women with PCOS whose follicles don't properly mature.

So, if there are imbalances that are interfering with hormones on subtle levels it can throw off the follicular development and you might end up with an functional ovarian cyst, a partially ruptured follicle, no ovulation, or maybe delayed ovulation. If ovulation doesn't happen normally then there's a good chance that even if you release the egg then the follicle isn't going to change over as well into the corpus luteum, the structure that produces the progesterone which causes a lot of changes in our bodies that make it receptive to accept a tiny embryo (I have a lot of information about progesterone but that will have to be a different post if you are interested)

Here are some links about ovulation, you also might check out The Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis which has an interesting chinese medicine explanation of ovulation through the cycle phases that I enjoyed.

http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/mmanual/figures/234fig4.jsp

http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/mmanual/section18/chapter234/234a.jsp

http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic1340.htm

Advice to someone trying to build their iron stores before surgery...

I've been working on building my blood over the past months, I had some bleeding problems related to my miscarriage that have left me anemic once again.

Here's a totally wacky suggestion but since I was just up in the Andes you should know that your body will produce more red blood cells at higher altitudes. You could plan on spending the next month up at a higher elevation.

I don't have it in front of me but the book Healing with Whole Foods (Pitchford) had suggestions for what to take for anemia. You might check it out at a book shop if you have time; I love this book as it provides information on how to correct illness and various conditions through diet. B6, B12, Magnesium, Vitamin C and of course Iron work together to bolster blood development. There was some other theory about transmutation or something where one other nutrient turns into iron into the body but I don't remember what it was you have to read the book.

There are also blood building herbs you can take, from what I recall these are yellowdock, nettles, and dong quai but I wouldn't use them on my own -- better to work with an herbalist, naturopath or chinese medical specialist than dabble. Also, since surgery is so close at most you might be able to use them for a couple of weeks.

If you are still bleeding in the meantime Potassium is supposed to help control bleeding so make sure you are getting enough in your diet. Also, things like garlic and onions are blood thinners so you will want to be careful of that.

I just wanted to show you this quote that I just found which explains from a chinese medicine perspective why just eating iron rich foods might not help treat anemia:

"Of course, knowing that a patient suffers from a specific type of anemia may influence the treatment strategy as a whole, i.e., if a patient suffers from iron deficiency anemia, iron rich foods and possibly iron supplements should be consumed. However, even in such a scenario, if the patient suffers from the spleen and stomach vacuity weakness pattern of blood vacuity, iron supplementation plays only a secondary role; the fortification of the spleen and stomach are primary. As long as foods are not absorbed correctly, no iron supplement will be of any help. This explains why certain iron deficiency anemia patients fail to improve even though they are on megadoses of iron." (from A Clarification of Andrew Gaeddert’s Article Key Blood-Building Strategies)

I've been eating lots of iron rich foods, even more so since I've been back from vacation and I'm still ailing -- pale gums, pettichae (little red spots on my breasts that are associated with anemia in Western medicine). When I went to see my acupuncturist yesterday he said I had blood stagnation and qi depletion and already after one treatment I'm feeling a bit better though we still have a ways to go. He's going to treat me with herbs after this period (which started today) is finished. Hopefully I'm not going to be hemorrhaging again, so far so good.

Anemia & Iron Rich Foods

Here are some links to pages with information about iron rich foods and some others about anemia generally. B vitamins are also important in healty blood production so make sure you eat a balanced diet with enough B vitamins.

Rules about iron include - take it with vitamin C, don't overcook foods (steaming is best), antacids, calcium (dairy products) and caffeine all block absorption so definately don't take at the same time. Iron from red meat and liver (heme iron) is more easily absorbed than from plant sources (non-heme) though taking non-heme foods at the same time as heme foods can improve iron absorption.

Here's a great link about iron absorption

Also, since some of the iron supplements are hard on people's stomachs I though I would share what I'm taking which hasn't caused me any difficulty (although if you are severely anemic this probably isn't strong enough) -- Nutrition Now Chewable Iron (25 mg of elemental iron per tab -- though they recently changed their formulation to ferric pyrophosphate and I don't recommend it anymore. Others I've met online have had good luck with Slow FE or Floradix.

"Which forms of supplemental iron are best?
All iron supplements are not the same. Ferrous iron (e.g. ferrous sulfate) is much better absorbed than ferric iron (e.g. ferric citrate).13 14 The most common form of iron supplement is ferrous sulfate, but it is known to produce intestinal side effects (such as constipation, nausea, and bloating) in many users. Some forms of ferrous sulfate are enteric-coated to delay tablet dissolving and prevent some side effects,16 but enteric-coated iron may not absorb as well as iron from standard supplements. Other forms of iron supplements, such as ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, heme iron concentrate, and iron glycine amino acid chelate are readily absorbed and less likely to cause intestinal side effects."
From: Vitacost's Iron Information page


What foods contain high amounts of iron?

Eat Iron-Rich Foods

Iron: Vegan Society

Menorrhagia Diet

Iron

How much iron do certain foods contain?

Iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy: a short account

Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron Balance - explains iron intake, losses and affects of iron
deficiency in women

Anemia and Fatigue

Iron Deficiency

and kind of unrelated but interesting information:

Workshop on Maintaining Iron Balance in Women Blood Donors of Child-Bearing Age

Since I got pg last spring I've noticed some changes in my cycle. Some of the changes are hard to know if they are sticking around since I had retained tissue until my surgery and second d&c in November and my body is still healing from the surgery. Still, there are some things like fibrocystic breasts that I've not experienced since before my BFP.

Here's what I've noticed:

BEFORE AF is heavy but fluctuates between flooding, clotting, heavy flow and medium flow and lasts at least 7 days Goes directly from period (AF for Aunt Flo) into lots of cervical fluid (CF) Copious fertile quality CF for 5 days before ovulation Full, sore breasts during luteal phase (LP) Really moody during LP Pimples on chin during LP Nightsweats during LP Half day of spot before AF arrives

AFTER AF is really heavy and fluctuates between straight blood (bright red), little to no clotting, heavy flow and medium flow and lasts at least 6 days Slow start on CF after AF, definately drier CM for 5 days before ovulation, mostly creamy and not really wet Pimples on chin around ovulation Scant EWCF for a day or two at most Full breasts in the LP, they don't hurt Tired during LP Faint pimples on chin during LP Nightsweats during LP and throughout the cycle Several days of spot before AF arrives

I'm going to be working with my acupuncturist again starting this week, hopefully that helps out a lot. I've been trying to address my post-surgery depletion with my diet as well but I may have to meet with my naturopath if I think I need more help on that end of things. It's so wacky to have things be so different even though my diet and lifestyle isn't that different.

Pregnancy and infant loss in the news

I just wanted to make note of an observation I had while watching the news today. Both the case of the murder-kidnapping of that fetus as well as a big arson case in Maryland have suspects who are dealing with pregnancy and infant loss. It sort of points out to me the great anger, grief and confusion that losing babies causes; and the lack of something to help people cope with their loss.

The suspect in the arson lost a baby at the beginning of the year and said something to authorities that the person who lit the fires likely had suffered a great loss. If it is true he did this and the two instances are related I can only imagine how hard the past year has been for him -- not excusing the actions though.

And the murder-kidnapping suspect, going from murder to parading the infant around the next day. The fact that her family didn't know it wasn't hers, that she had a pg loss and then was able to convince them that it must have been a mistake...while what she did was awful and macabre, it is just an extreme action paralling the extreme confusion and grief that pregnancy loss can do. It's almost like the very bad and black thoughts overtook her.

It seems we need to do more to help support people experiencing pregnancy and infant loss -- yeah there are crazy people out there, but if there was a better understanding of what people go through when they experience this kind of loss maybe there will be less anger, hurt and depression and more healing.

Perhaps I'm rambling, I just needed to get that out.

Working on fertility and fibroid prevention post myo

I had acupuncture treatment for most of the year up until my surgery and I expect to start treatment again in the new year. Through my weekly appointments I learned a lot about symptoms and sensations and was amazed as my acupuncturist was able to move things around -- such as getting rid of a sore throat in seconds, dissipating heat and pain in my abdomen within minutes, adding heat to my lower back that lasted for days when I was feeling cold and watery with some hormonal disturbance related to my miscarriage.

I needed a break from medical care for a little while, with having retained tissue from my miscarriage I was so out of whack and I was starting to feel like a perennial patient -- like it was more normal to be unhealthy than healthy so I needed some time to just be me. Anyway, I've been noticing little symptoms of hormonal imbalance over the past couple weeks so I know that my body isn't "normal" yet. My basel temp has been a little high, I have pain associated with my gall bladder channel, I have light night sweats, vaginal dryness, acne, low back pain and my body is telling me not to eat sugar right now. I feel so bad that my body is struggling still but I'll continue to take care of myself and in January after I return from vacation I'll go see my acupuncturist again.

I just bought The Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis, a fertility expert who specializes in acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. It is so interesting to read, adding to my own experience with acupuncture treatment. Reading it I see more examples of symptoms of imbalance in my body, some of them part of the pattern of imbalance I have had over the course of my treatment (liver, kidney and spleen Qi stagnation and Yang Qi stagnation). While these things will interfere with conception when I'm ready to try to concieve again, they also are part of the pattern of imbalance that contributed to my fibroid formation. It only increases my resolve to make changes and adjustments to try to be as healthy as possible to try to counteract the pattern to try to prevent future fibroids from forming. I've already made changes since my fibroid was discovered, I'll just have to keep working equally as hard moving forward.

I went to dance class today.

My doc said after 6 weeks I could return to normal activity; my six weeks were up yesterday. My body started complaining a couple days ago about wanting some exercise, I started getting achy -- amazing that it took that long. I ran down the block and back with my dog -- I can move again.

So this morning I knew from the aches and pains that I still needed more movement, to help get my energy flowing again. I went to a beginning modern dance class -- I've been studying modern dance since I was 5 so this wasn't something far-fetched. Anyway, as part of the warm-up we do some abdominal work, not sit-ups but lots of moving and stretching and small crunches and contractions. I got through that, taking a break for parts of it. Then we did footwork, brushes, tendus, degagés, passés (for those of you who have studied ballet or modern).

After about a half hour my fascia had enough stretching and was complaining so I stopped; my legs and arms and back were fine though perhaps a little weak. I've been kinda tired since, though I was run down before then as well -- I think it is my anemia from all my bleeding. I remembered how someone asked if they could do yoga a couple weeks ago, and how interesting it was to finally be the one getting to move again myself. My advice is take it slow, stretch a lot, listen to your body and stop if you need to. I'm going to keep up the exercise over the next few weeks and when I return from vacation I'll try to hit dance class again and I bet I'll be that much stronger.

You think you have a plan...

When I was younger I thought I would start having children when I was 28 but then that year my partner had his vasectomy reversal. We thought we would wait until I was 30 or so before we'd start trying, then 2000 rolled around and his S/A wasn't good. We stopped using protection and nothing happened, but we weren't ready for it then anyway. Then there was 31, and 32, we'd be ready by then. Well I can't say I really felt ready when we started TTC in 2002, and only later did we find out that my body wasn't really ready yet either -- at the same time I was diagnosed with my fibroid I was told I had bacterial vaginosis. A few weeks later my naturopath told me that not only was I anemic but that I really needed to do something about it. This all in spite of regular cycles -- well at least my pituitary and ovaries still work. Then 2003 was all about research into fibroids and hormones -- and not having surgery and crying after a lot of doctor's appointments. 2004, it started out hopeless, then gradually things started to change. We had treatment planned and then we even got pg on our own -- what a surprise. This second half of the year has been about letting go, grieving, healing, changing, transformation, and recovery.

I'm 34 now and I'll be 35 in six months time. I wonder where 2005 will take me, but I'm sure that I can't possibly predict.

Six Weeks -- Feeling Pretty Fine

I haven't had my laptop so I haven't been able to upload any photos in a week. I'll have some soon of my healing belly. I don't think you can see much change on the outside but I can definately feel the difference on the inside. I'm a lot less sore now and I have more energy.

My cramps were awful last week, I thought I was going to die and I had spotting which isn't normal for me. My period came last week, over a week late, and it wasn't normal. I had more hemorrhaging for several days and felt very light-headed. It doesn't even take that much blood loss for me to feel this way. I was anemic to start with, something I've been working on since my surgery by taking iron supplements. I think my uterus might have had a hard time contracting properly and maybe it was still adjusting to all the recent changes.

I looks like things are getting back into order though, all biological signs are A-OK now. My incision is still sensitive but I don't have to wear the granny knickers anymore and I can comfortably sleep on my belly at night. Wednesday morning my body told me it was time to exercise again. I've been aching for the first time since my surgery, the kind of aches you get when you don't exercise for a while. I've been trying to pick it up and do more physical activity including a little jogging down the street and push-ups.

We babysat my 26 month old nephew at the beginning of the week and the kid had us running around for hours. My partner says that he's not sure he wants one now, that his life will be certainly over if he has to do that every night. I don't think he is serious, he would love a baby if we had one and be awesome about it. I told him we can get an au pair, though I don't know that we really would do that. We'll figure it out when the time comes.

My partner also noticed the other day that for the first time in a couple years there is this lightness to my person, some weight being lifted. I think it is from the fibroid mostly. It was a big psychological burden on me to know that I wasn't well and that I had to manage a condition that may or may not affect my fertility. My partner said that now I know I can get pregnant and now that the fibroid is gone things are looking a lot easier. Let's hope so.

It will be another 8 weeks or so until we're able to start trying to conceive. I'll be away on vacation for part of that time and then I'm going to try to take some art classes in the new year to help keep my mind off of it all.

Why we have bleeding problems... Links/References

At the beginning of the year I posted some links about dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB) and one list member (on the fibroid group) asked if I would look into why women tend to have flooding first thing in the morning. Most of you probably know this phenomena whether or not you have DUB -- its when you are sound asleep and suddenly awaken because a big gush of blood is coming out all at once and you run to the bathroom if you can though sometimes you wake up too late and the sheets, your underwear and your nightclothes all need washing.

I wish I had a hematologist to confer with but doctors tend to keep to themselves or just don't overlap with my software oriented social network. I've got a few references here some mechanical and some physiological to causes for bleeding. Since excess estrogen/low progesterone is one theory of part of the cause of fibroids it is interesting to see that the same conditions also set the stage for bleeding problems. Also, I couldn't find references to early morning menstrual bleeding but there was a reference to there being early morning changes in the blood which might be related, at least in action.

"Most very heavy menstrual bleeding does not mean that a woman is shedding substantially more endometrium. The endometrial slough is determined by the size of the uterus and the hormonally induced endometrial thickness. The uterus has large blood vessels that come through the myometrium to feed and supply the endometrium. Really heavy bleeding occurs when the uterine muscle cannot do its job of contracting around these vessels. This is important because after the endometrium is passed out, the basilis layer may be very thin, which could expose the raw muscle surface. This means that the large
vessels can pump blood directly into the uterine cavity if the muscle cannot contract well."
http://www.centerforendo.com/news/adenomyosis/adenomyosis.htm

"what frequently happens when excessive amounts of estrogen are secreted. Parts of the endometrium outgrow their blood supply and are discarded but not simultaneously. While the one part recovers another part is discarded and the bleeding continue for prolonged periods. In the illustrations the bleeding might decrease while the one area heals before the the other area starts bleeding."

"Fibroids usually cause excessive cyclic bleeding. The amount of blood loss is increased and /or the duration of the bleeding is increased. The mechanism is probably due to enlargement of the womb, thus increasing the surface area of the endometrium."
http://www.femalehealthmadesimple.com/FileTwelveFinal.html

"The plasminogen (fibrinolytic) system (Figure 1 ) comprises an inactive proenzyme, plasminogen, that can be converted to the active enzyme, plasmin, that degrades fibrin and that activates matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which in turn degrade extracellular matrix(ECM)"
"There is a clear correlation between the circadian variation in the time of onset of myocardial infarction, with the highest incidence at about 8 a.m., and the circadian rhythm of plasma PAI-1 activity, which is also highest early in the morning."
http://www.asheducationbook.org/cgi/content/full/2001/1/1

"PGE2 --> vasodilation; PGF2a --> vasoconstriction; progesterone is necessary to increase ararchidonic acid, the precursor to PGF2a. With decreased progesterone there is a decreased PGF2a/PGE2 ratio. Since vasoconstriction is promoted by PGF2a, which is less abundant due to the decrease in progesterone, vasodilation results thereby promoting AUB [Abnormal Uterine Bleeding]"
http://www.unmc.edu/Olson/PowerPoint/36 (no longer available)

4+ Weeks Post Myo

Another report on how I'm recovering -- hopefully this helps people who are considering the procedure.

I retured to work part-time one week ago. I got tired and sore by the afternoon and was sure to go home. During the rest of the week I noticed that day by day I had more stamina and less pain -- it seems that the pain picks up if my body needs a rest. I was able to work almost a full day on Friday without any problem and then my uterus where I had the incision started aching so I headed home. In contrast, my first shopping trip 8 days post-op I felt lightheaded and really tired after a couple hours out of the house. My second shopping trip 18 days post op I was out for a few hours on my own and got really tired and flushed feeling -- that's when you know you need to head home.

Saturday I took it easy, just doing light housework and cooking plus lots of knitting. Yesterday I went shopping for several hours and it was only after I tried on a bunch of different pants (after having been out for some time) that I started feeling achy. I handed over the items I was going to purchase to my partner to carry and then went home. I was feeling a little tired but I wanted to get a tree for Christmas so I drove out to do that and just had the staff carry and load it for me in to the car. I took a rest when I got home and finished stringing popcorn for the tree and then after making dinner I decorated the tree and vacuumed downstairs (I had my partner bring the vacuum downstairs for me).

Every day I'm feeling more and more myself. The pain from the adhesions behind my incision in my skin seem to be breaking up a little bit and I think my skin might be adapting/growing to that situation as well. I still haven't had my period but hopefully this week. When I had my d&c for my miscarriage in July it took 50 days to get my period, I think my body tends to take it slowly and get everything back in alignment before it continues.

I had sex once so far and it wasn't bad at all -- we did it spooning, on our sides which takes all pressure off of my belly. The only reason we've only had the one go is because our sleep schedules are different so I'm tired when he's just getting interested (sound familiar anyone?).

I'm all stuck together

I try to be good and take care of myself during my recouperation from surgery and !@#$ it seems like my skin has healed by bonding itself to my fascia. A couple people have told me this will go away, another one says that she is still dealing with this leftover from surgery. I'm so upset about it because there is this pulling sensation when I move. I need to be able to move without pain, I'm a dancer. Why didn't anyone tell me this was a possiblity? I'm so bothered by it I want to hurt myself.

I'm going to have to try some serious deep tissue massage to see if we can clear it out and it is going to be painful. It's going to stay painful unless I do it though. Argh!

14+ days post op

So I had my post-op visit yesterday morning and everything was good, she said I looked great. She said removing my retained POC was very difficult because of the fibroid and that there was no way for my uterus to expel the tissue on its own based on how the fibroid was positioned filling the interior of the uterus. So my prospects for a normal vaginal delivery were probably slim to none since my uterus couldn't contract well, or at least I would have had a complicated delivery. I was sooooo uncomfortable when I was pg with the rapid fibroid growth and the pregnancy having to grow off to the side because that was the only way my uterus would move, next time should be a lot better.

My doc also said that my uterus will be enlarged for a while, shrinking back some but that it would never be the size of a normal unpregnant uterus since the fibroid made the muscle wall have to grow larger. Maybe I'll be extra fertile now though, the interior of my uterus will be one vast space with lots of room for an embryo to settle in.

She said I could remove the steri strips in the shower or bath, I just pulled them off carefully when they were dry, the adhesive was already starting to go. Uncovering the incision though made it burn more, I think this is partly due to my nerves regrowing right now --
they have to cut through some in the skin there and they may or may
not grow back completely. I had to take the 600mg ibuprofen and after an hour that wasn't helping so I took a percocet and it really helped take the edge off the pain. My father said he had that same burning sensation as he healed from his triple by-pass a few years ago. The incision looks great and I don't think that it will show that much at all in a few months.



She agreed that starting trying to conceive (TTC) again in February
sounded like a good idea and that we should try for a few months on
our own before going back for any more fertility consultations. After having way too much medical attention over the past 6 months (due mostly to the pregnancy/miscarriage) and way, way too many blood draws for my liking, now I'm in a holding pattern and it feels so strange to be told that I'm healthy and back on my own. Not that I liked being not well but you do sort of get adapted to fitting in the medical care when things go wrong. Yeah to be healthy again though!

Oh and I guess it was around 11 days post op that I started to feel
more myself and I've been less fatigued and able to do more around
the house, tidying up, cooking, light cleaning, etc.

Recap of my pre- and post-surgical treatment

The day before my surgery I did go for acupuncture. I like my acupuncturist and my body responds well to his treatment. He said that my nervous system was a bit overactive -- but that was to be expected.

I've been taking the arnica since the day of surgery, at least 2 times a day now. I took the phosphorus C the night before, and started on Traumogen (vitamins to aid healing from Thorne) the night before as well. I had no nausea from the anaesthesia, and I only threw up twice, once from the PCA meds and once from the percocet. I've been taking iron with C and Traumogen every day since my operation 2-3 times a day.

I did have some bruising around the incision as I was healing, but that's gone away now, as has most of the swelling. I hope this doesn't freak you out but I've been taking photos of my incision as I'm healing and thought you might be interested.



On day 3 you can see that my belly is very round. Two days later a lot of that swelling has gone away and the bruising showed up. The colors got pretty bright and multicolored by day 7, as bruises often do. By yesterday the bruising is gone and the swelling is mostly just above the incision.

Oh, I've been also doing some Qi Gong breathing, deep breathings to fill my lungs -- at least once a day. And you want to make sure that you stay connected to your uterus after you are out of surgery and think about sending it healing energy -- I guess some people disassociate from their wounded parts sometimes and it interferes with healing. Read this article about Qi Gong and surgery, I found it very interesting.

Medical Qigong Therapy & Surgery

Post op, stay away from cookies, candy -- simple carbs. I found that my body didn't want them anyway. Drink cranberry/pomegranate/grape juices to help prevent a bladder infection.

I also did guided imagery with the help of a CD my fibroid sister Deborah sent me in a care package. I told people about my surgery and asked them to pray for me and send healing thoughts. I also tolds people when and where I would be treated, and when to expect me home with my phone number so people could call. I felt very supported and warm for the days before and after my surgery.

You can get through this too.

Fibroids and pregnancy

Welcome to the club. I've met some women here who have successfully carried babies to term with fibroids in place, with some fibroid growth. I've also heard women report that they have had excrutiating pain from degenerating fibroids and the babies were fine but the pregnancy was rough on the mother. There are also a lot of women who have had miscarriages, which may or many not have to do with their fibroids -- myself included.

Doctors don't really know which fibroids will cause problems and which ones won't -- at least not beyond just normal clinical experience, the studies just haven't been done yet on a lot of topics. Some tiny fibroids can become really large during pregnancy. Large fibroids might experience some growth but not cause too many problems, or vice versas. I learned of one woman recently who had her fibroid removed during a c-section to deliver her baby -- the fibroids and the baby weighed the same. What you want to find out is where is/are the fibroid/s, what type are they (submucosal, intramural, subserosal)

The Babycenter.com fibroid message board has lots of posts from women who are trying to conceive with fibroids in place or post myomectomy (surgery to remove fibroids), as well as women having to deal with fibroids during their pregnancies.

Just because you have fibroids doesn't mean that you can't conceive and carry a healthy child to term, but it can make the journey a little less smooth.

I've posted a bunch of interesting articles about fibroids and fertility in the Links area of the NUFF uterinefibroids message group. Do check them out (subscription required).

Go out to the bookstore and buy: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Uterine Fibroids, and Sex, Lies and the Truth About Uterine Fibroids.

Oh, and I would seek the assistance of an RE (reproductive endocrinologist) if you have a diagnosis of uterine fibroids. They are more knowledgeable about hormone imbalances and specialize in fertility issues -- they are ob/gyns with advanced training -- and if you haven't had any luck with well-timed intercourse after a year the you should go for a consult anyway. They might try to push you for surgery and fertility drugs but it is up to you what you want to have done.

What happens when you are having a myo

I'm on bed rest one week and two days post abdominal myo and I'm feeling great. Tired but healing quickly. Since you were curious about the before and after...

Pre-op consult -- they take your blood pressure, weight, check your blood to make sure you aren't anemic and get your blood type if they don't have it on record. You meet with your doc and ask last minute questions and sign a few forms. Sometime you will get to meet with the anesthesiologist at this time but I didn't. They give you instructions on when to stop eating and drinking prior to surgery.

Day of surgery -- check in 2 hours beforehand. I brought knitting to keep my hands busy and mind calm. The hospital seems to make you keep signing forms that say the same thing (whatever). My surgery was delayed by more than an hour so we went home for an hour and I did some last minute housecleaning.

When it is your turn they take you into an area with a gurney and give you a hospital gown to change into. My partner was allowed to be with me until they were ready to take me into the operating room (my doc said -- be sure to ask yours ahead of time about this). They hook you up to an IV and the anesthesiologist asks you questions about your previous experiences with anaesthesia. You have the option of asking for an epidural with sedation if you prefer, it is up to you and the anesthesiologist. I did the general and it was fine. They take your bag and you say goodbye and then they wheel you in to a freezing cold room. They hook you up to a blood pressure cuff and the oxygen monitor (little finger cuff) and then put a blanket over you. The anesthesiologist puts a mask on your face and tells you to breathe in oxygen and the next thing you know you are waking up in recovery.

They keep taking your blood pressure alot post-op and you are groggy and have a hard time opening your eyes. You are hooked up to a PCA, where you are able to dose yourself with painkillers as needed -- don't hold back because staying on top of the pain at first will help you a lot. After about an hour they wheel you to your room. They put some pressure stocking on your legs and some cuffs that compress/decompress automatically to help prevent blood clots. My wound was covered with a bandage so I couldn't see the incision -- thankfully. I had a catheter in for not even a full day, but know that the first pee can be really difficult. The nurse gave me warm water to run over my vagina while on the toilet and that helped get things moving. I recommend drinking unsweetened grape or cranberry juice for a week afterwards to help ward off a urinary tract infection -- it helps prevent bacteria from adhering to the lining of your bladder, etc.

They will have you up and walking less than a day after surgery, take it slow and roll onto your side slightly, then drop your legs off the bed and use those side muscles to lift you up. The first few times you get up will be very awkward and painful. Stay on top of the pain meds and breathe a lot and you will do fine. The pain isn't excruciating, I ranked the worst at 5 on a scale of 1-10 but it was mostly around 3-4.

And then do as I've been advised from other post myo gals -- take it easy and don't push yourself. Even though my incision looks great I can't see my uterus and it has a lot more healing to do than my skin.

Extreme Makeover: Uterus Edition

"We converted this cramped two bedroom bungalow into a special open floor layout and removed some earlier renovations which were gettingin the way…"

So, I'm home from the hospital as of yesterday afternoon and I'm well on my way to a full recovery. I'm really tired still and reading is kind of hard, I just start falling asleep so I'm going to make this post and then you'll probably hear more from me later in the week.

My entire surgical team was comprised of women. From the two REs and the anesthesiologist to the nursing team – how very cool to know that competent women were working hard to help heal me. I wore my purple fuzzy socks of courage and even got compliments on them from the nurses. I opted for the general anesthesia and other than a sore throat on Saturday it was totally fine.

It took as long to remove the remaining tissue from my miscarriage as it did to remove my fibroid, but already my bleeding has slowed. I had been bleeding for the 4 weeks prior to my surgery and was a little anemic as a result. They didn't need to give me a transfusion and they commented on how little blood was lost – I went for an acupuncture treatment the day before and that can help lessen blood loss. One of the REs said she was a firm believer in acupuncture and wasn't surprised that it would help out.

The fibroid made it impossible to use the hysteroscope to view the retained tissue but they believe they got it all out of there. My fibroid was described as being the size of a grapefruit, and was removed via a single incision about 3 or so inches long. It was growing right up against the endometrium, but it was not engaged withthe endometrium – what a blessing. So, while they had to cut all the way through the muscle wall to get it out there was no disturbance of the interior of my uterus so I've got the most surface area possible to help catch fertilized eggs.

Over the course of the two procedures my bladder was manipulated and traumatized quite a bit. Between that and the catheter the most difficult part so far has been trying to urinate; I have to sit for along time and try to relax and let got of any part I can think of. I also had blood tinged urine but the doctors said it was as a resultof the trauma. I'm drinking cranberry juice and lots of water and am under strict orders to urinate every 2 hours. They weren't sure if my bladder was enlarged from the fibroid or now, or if I'm just one of those women who can't empty her bladder completely (it happens they say) but we sure as heck don't want me to have a bladder infection so I'm going to stay on top of it.

My incision on my swollen belly is a good 5 inches long, I imagine that it will decrease over time. The gum, the walking, the sleeping mask, ear plugs, robe, slippers, granny knickers and my own pads all came in handy. The doctors and nursing staff were amazed at how well prepared I was for the hospital – I gave the fibroid ladies all the credit. They are truly the best group of women on the web.

My myomectomy scar - Day 3


Oh, and the baby making department… my RE said that the way the fibroid was positioned that she didn't think that I would have beenable to carry to term even if we didn't have a blighted ovum and that she expected that I would have continued having miscarriages. She thinks we have a great chance now and said we could try as soon as two months from now, though I think we will wait until February is over.

My partner is exhausted; I think the emotional stress of the weekend has gotten to him. He held me in the hallway last night and hugged me and said he felt so relieved that it was all done now. Poor guy; he was nice and helped watch over me the first hours after my surgery on Friday, massaging my feet and making sure they got me situated into a good room.

So, I'm feeling all right and my abs aren't too sore – they didn't clamp me, just pushed and pulled them a bit. Other than the incision site being sore and my uterus as well in the two spots they worked the rest of my body feels fine – I'm just incredible tired.

I can't believe that I'm through with the worst of it and now I've just got to heal. No regrets on my part for delaying the surgery, I know it was the right thing for me. Thank you for your prayers on Friday – I felt like I was in a warm cloud, so relaxed and comforted the entire time.

[See also: Preparing for surgery posts]

"We can rebuild her. We have the technology.
We have the capability to make the world's first Bionic uterus.
This uterus will be that womb. Better than she was before.
Better . . . stronger . . . more fertile."

Fibroid leaving on a metal tray (sung to the tune of Leaving on an Airplane)

So my bag is packed, I'm ready to go
I'm sitting here, making another post
Already I'm looking forward to the change
So cut me and dissect me
Tell me that how much better I'll be
Help me get back on the fertility road

My fibroid is leaving on a metal tray
Don't expect to see it ever again
Oh 'Roid its time to go.

So, anyway... Friday is my big day, I've got gum and granny knickers, a maternity belt, arnice pellets, purple socks of courage etc., etc. -- all courtesy of the generous sharing of info by the fibroid ladies on the NUFF group. I'm feeling pretty relaxed and this will all be over and I'll be on my way to recovery within the next 24 hours.

I don't need to take phosphosoda or any laxative so that is good. And my doc thinks the d&C and myo should only take 2 hours. My RE will be assisted by another RE, a fellow, so I'm in good hands. I check in at the hospital at 1:30 tomorrow and the surgery is scheduled for 3:30.

Please send good thoughts and prayers if you can tomorrow.