I was told I had a small uterine fibroid but didn't have to worry about it. However, I had cramping, back pain, the feeling of needing to urinate, and anemia. I was given iron pills for anemia and birth control pills to decrease bleeding. Unfortunately, I was in the small percentage of people who didn't tolerate iron by mouth. (I experienced nausea and vomiting.) So, I ended up getting iron via an IV. I think the birth control pills "fed" the uterine fibroids, and I ended up getting an emergency myomectomy because the fibroids caused me to hemorrhage. The doctor thought the fibroid was much smaller than it was, but she didn't know until she operated. My advice is to take care of them and not just take pain pills. I ended up on disability because I was so weak from anemia. However, after surgery, I never had any more cramps, back pain, the bleeding was miniscule, and I was like a new person. It took three months to recover though, because I had been anemic.

I am a 39-year-old black female. I have had problems with bleeding since I was in my early 20s. Birth control helped with the heavy bleeding. I became pregnant in April of 2009, and I had a miscarriage at seven-and-a-half weeks. In September of this year, I was told that the uterine fibroids had returned, but just in the last two months, the pain has increased. I will be celebrating my one-year anniversary this month, and my husband and I are still trying to have a baby. So, I really don't want to have surgery. I am going to schedule a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) this month to determine where the uterine fibroids are and if they are blocking me from conceiving.

I am a 24-year-old Latina. In August, I was experiencing severe pain in my abdomen, so I went to the ER to get it checked out. The doctor told me that I probably had kidney stones, and they could not see them with the ultrasound. He did not want to do a CT scan because of my age, so he gave me medicine to help me pass the stones. Two weeks ago, I had to return to the ER because I was having more severe pain. This time they did an abdominal and pelvic ultrasound. The doctor said the results were inconclusive. I followed up with my doctor, and she scheduled a trans-vag ultrasound, which I did yesterday. She called last night to tell me the results had not come back yet, but she got the full report of my ER visit. She then told me that it showed a uterine fibroid that I have had since 2004! Nobody ever told me that, and I gave birth in 2006. I cannot believe that I have lived with this for four, almost five, years and no one said anything. In late 2004 early 2005, I had an ultrasound performed because I had lower abdominal pain that the doctors wrote off as a UTI, which is funny because the only symptom I had was the pain. I didn't have any urinary symptoms at all. It also showed gallstones, which they also did not tell me about in the ER.

I have uterine fibroids and have had them for years. When my OB/GYN first told me I had fibroids, we decided to take the watch-and-wait route because I didn't have any problems. Now about 10 years later, I have severe/killer cramps, backaches, and constipation. I do not want to have a hysterectomy and my doctor also feels the same. Since I am close to menopause, he suggests that I keep playing the waiting game. I don't have any heavy bleeding, probably thanks to the birth control pills that I take. I found that if I take a painkiller on the first sign of pain, it help lessens the severe cramps. I am also starting to watch my diet. I make sure to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water. Exercise also helps reduce the cramping.

Hello, I'm 30, Asian female, on December 2009 I was diagnosed multiple myoma and I just had my myomectomi surgery this year. I sensed a huge solid tumor in my abdomen accidently, cramping in each of my periods, frequent in urinating, started to constipation, bloating and vomiting after eating, pain in my lower back.

I am 46 years old & have 3 fibroids that have caused my uterus to be the size of a woman who is 6 months pregnant. My clothes no longer fit and my periods are so heavy at times that I cannot leave the house. I have to have an abdominal hysterectomy due the size, as a vaginal hysterectomy will not work, as I was told. I have had 2 C-sections and I am scared facing another major abdominal surgery, but plan to do it in 2 months. I cannot live like this anymore. My periods are 3 weeks apart & last 5-7 days. This whole thing really stinks!