By: Jean Johnson for Fibroids1
Part One |Part Two | Part Three | Part FourCome along on the real life journey of Argelis Calderon as she undergoes a myomectomy to treat her fibroids. From a nervous beginning in the operating room to a successful recovery, take a glimpse into one woman’s fibroid removal success story.
(Editor’s note: Any treatment undertaken to combat a medical problem has varied results for different individuals. The experiences portrayed here are those of Argelis Calderon and would be different from the experiences of other myomectomy patients. A conversation with your doctor is the best way to determine the appropriate course of treatment for you.)
| Take Action |
Discuss these fibroid treatment options with your doctor:
Hysterectomy
Low-dose birth control pills
Anti-anemia drugs
Myomectomy
High-frequency ultrasound
Myolysis
Cryomyolysis
Uterine fibroid embolization
Alternative treatments including acupuncture and herbal remedies
Not all options are right for all women. Conversations with your doctor will help you to determine what method is best for you. |
It’s now six weeks out from the myomectomy, and Calderon is looking more herself these days. Her long curly hair is swept back off her face and twisted into a knot on the back of her head, and she’s studying a book on art and society for one of the classes she’s taking to complete a master’s degree in communications. Marking her place and closing the book, she takes a moment to reflect on her experience – of her discussion with the physician prior to the surgery and his explanation of her options. “He was candid about other ways to treat my problem, including the interventional radiology approach,” said Calderon. “I didn’t decide right away, but after I read about it and I talked to family and friends, I chose the traditional surgical method because I felt safest doing that. Also because I wanted the fibroid out. I think the other way it just shrinks, and mine was so large that I just wanted it gone. That and I heard that the other method can have various complications if things go wrong. I know that some specialists claim interventional radiology is better but in my case I think the surgical route was best.”
“All those things may be true about this new procedure – no problems from general anesthesia or infection – that sort of thing – but I still was not convinced. My choice was with the technique that has stood the test of time, and I’m glad I went that route,” Calderon said, looking slyly around at the bouquets that her husband kept coming week after week. “Besides, if I hadn’t been recovering all these weeks, the house wouldn’t be full of all these beautiful flowers.”
