This is my personal story about my own experience and should not be construed as medical advice in any way.
If you have fibroids (or know someone who does) you should read my personal story!
I’m sharing my personal story because I realize that very few women know about Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE) and not many OBGYNs recommend it for their patients who are suffering from fibroids. I want to raise awareness about UAE because I am one of the millions of women (up to 80% of women will develop fibroids) who was suffering from fibroids (at the age of 40). Fibroids are under-researched because they don’t cause problems for most women. Doctors still don’t fully understand how fibroids develop.
My fibroids symptoms were debilitating and affecting my quality of life. I experienced constant bleeding, pain and my tummy got so big it was like I was 4 months pregnant (I could only wear dresses with no restrictive waist in them)! I had to do something about the fibroids! Needless to say, I was miserable and in that physical and mental state, it was challenging for me to see a good solution to my fibroids. I didn’t like the hysterectomy option because it seemed too radical of a treatment to me. Luckily I did my own research and discovered Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE) which shrank my fibroids enough so that I no longer suffer from any fibroids symptoms. I am happy to be living pain-free again! And six years later (in 2023) I am still pain-free!!! My fibroids never returned or regrew. I consider my UAE a success.
What are fibroids?
Fibroids are defined as benign smooth muscle tumors of the uterus. My fibroids were so large that my uterus was the size of a woman who was 4 months pregnant. Fibroids are usually not a problem unless they get too large because they are benign tumors. But when they get large they can cause excessive and constant bleeding, pain, digestive and urinary problems and other issues.
How I avoided a hysterectomy
My OBGYN recommended a hysterectomy because my fibroids were so large. I was determined to fully explore alternatives to a hysterectomy because I wanted to avoid major surgery if possible. it just seemed liked there must be a way to shrink the fibroids. I tried herbal supplements and acupuncture, but they didn’t help enough. I discovered uterine artery embolization (UAE) and through my own research found a doctor in Houston who does it.
I want to emphasize that I found a doctor who did UAE on my own, I did not receive any encouragement or assistance from my OBGYN. This is important to note, because in this case I believe my doctor was not acting in my own best interests. My doctor may not have known much about UAE, or she may have been motivated to collect her fee for performing a hysterectomy rather than send me to a different doctor for treatment. Be aware that doctors can be motivated by money, just like any other human being.
Please remember that you always have to be your own health advocate, because your doctor may not always be acting in your best interests. That’s why doing your own research and consulting other doctors for second opinions is so important. I actually got second opinions from two other OBGYNs and they both recommended a hysterectomy. I was not surprised because as doctors they are trained to heal by removal.
What is a UAE?
Fibroids grow because they have a blood supply, so the UAE cuts off their blood supply by injecting a sand-like material into the uterine arteries. Before your doctor can determine if you are a good candidate for a UAE, they need an MRI to help them determine which stage of growth your fibroids are in. I actually had two MRI’s because the first one was done incorrectly. For the second MRI I went to an imaging office that my doctor doing the UAE recommended. My first MRI was done at the hospital where my OBGYN practiced. I believe my first MRI was done incorrectly due to poor staff training.
What is the recovery from UAE like?
A small incision is made for the UAE, but it didn’t bother me at all. Recovery from a UAE is extremely painful because when the blood supply is cut off from the fibroids they will start contracting. After my UAE I spent the night in the hospital for pain management. The pain when you are recovering from a UAE is severe and it was definitely the worst pain I’ve ever experienced (and I’ve had two c-sections). I was sent home with pain medication but only took it for three days. I was able to return to work six days after my UAE.
My personal warning about pain medication
Pain management is the hardest part of recovering from a UAE. I was on a morphine drip in the hospital for 24 hours, then given prescription pain medication to take at home. After one day at home I found that my pain was increasing, so I called my doctor and got a prescription for stronger pain medication. This helped me with my pain but I was very concerned about the effects the pain medication was having on both my body and my mind.
You see I didn’t just feel like I was recovering from minor surgery, I felt more like a zombie. I had no desire to do anything – not watch TV or read books or do crafts. This is highly unusual for me, to just want to lay in bed and do absolutely nothing. So I stopped taking pain medication cold turkey three days after going home. I did not stop taking the pain medication because I felt no pain, I stopped taking it because I was worried about the effects of the pain medication and I wanted to see how I would feel without medication.
I was surprised to find out that after my last dose of pain medication wore off – I had no pain!!! That’s right – I was pain-free. I didn’t feel normal, but I didn’t feel like I needed strong pain medication.
The lesson I learned from my experience is that you want to take as little pain medication as possible and that you need to be aware that pain medication can have negative mental and physical effects. I felt that as long as I was taking the pain medication, I was going to feel like I was in pain. I was never going to feel “normal” while taking the pain medication. In fact, I didn’t feel normal until about one month after my UAE. I truly believe that this was because my body was detoxing from the strong pain medication I was on.
How to find a doctor who specializes in UAE
In order to find a doctor who is experienced with UAE you first need to know what type of doctor to search for. You will find the right doctor under the category of: Vascular and Interventional Radiology. Then you have to call each office and ask them if they do UAE because many vascular and interventional radiologists don’t do UAE.
You can also schedule a free fibroid screening at USA Fibroid Centers. They have numerous locations nationwide and they offer UAE. I don’t have any personal experience with this company, but I like that they are helping raise awareness about fibroids and letting women know that there are treatment options available.
Which doctor to see in Houston, Texas
If you live near Houston, I highly recommend Dr. Syed Raza at Premeir Vein and Vascular Center with offices in Houston (near Katy) and Cypress. I was impressed with how professional his staff were and with how quickly I was able to schedule my appointments and schedule my UAE. I felt like the procedure and recovery were well explained to me and I felt very comfortable with everything. My UAE was successful thanks to Dr. Raza and his staff. I am eternally grateful to them for helping me achieve better health and avoid major surgery.
If you suffer from fibroids, I wish you the best of luck in your journey of healing! I hope that by sharing my personal story I helped you understand UAE as another treatment option that is available.
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment with your experience living with fibroids or about a time when you had to be your own health advocate.
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m currently in the process of recovering from my UAE. A process that feels to be a very slow and painful one. Like you, I too had to be my own health advocate. My OBGYN that I have no intention to ever speak to again, did not mention it. He only offered to put me on birth control or have a hysterectomy (mind you, we’re trying to get pregnant). After seeing my face in his office constantly, sobbing from the pain I had to deal with, he finally offered to perform a myomectomy. One that was not successful.
Yes, I was depressed and frustrated from the constant grief of my fibroids causing never ending pain but what pissed me off the most is that, as patients, we’re looked at as just something you can cash a check from without providing a legit solution. With genuinely caring about their well-being. This is becoming an angry rant. Sorry! Lol
Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your story, Jackie. I’m sorry that you had an experience that was similar to mine. I’m glad you were able to find the best option for you. I can definitely say that the UAE option was the best for me, here I am still pain-free and healthy after my UAE. Wishing you the best recovery and the best of health!
Thank you for your story. I’ve exhausted all efforts on my huge fibroids and I’m opting for the UAE. I actually go this week for my MRI then probably having the procedure next month. I love my OB. But, he wanted to do a hysterectomy.. I said nope I’ll suffer. Then he actually did recommend the UAE. He knew I was desperate. I’m looking forward to it. I have suffered with 20 days a month of heavy bleeding for a year now. You gave really good insight. Wish me luck !!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Karen! I’m glad I shared what happened to me. Four years after having my UAE I have no active fibroids and I have found a functional medicine doctor who understands me as a fibroid survivor. Last year I had to fire my OBGYN, because guess what – she wanted me to have a hysterectomy! She insisted my fibroids had grown back and were active even though I had no symptoms. She literally caused me to have a panic attack, and for my own peace of mind I had to get another MRI to confirm that my fibroids were all inactive (because it is possible, but rare, that the fibroids will grow back as the veins are capable of rerouting to feed them). I’m wishing you the best Karen in your journey towards being a fibroids survivor with me!
Do you ever wonder if the fibroids will come back? That’s one of my concerns with doing the UAE. I have surgery planned this month for a hysterectomy because I have 4 large fibroids and I found this is the best option for me. I was told 50% chance of them coming back with UAE.
Hi Sophia –
I’ve never heard of that “50% chance of fibroids coming back after UAE” statistic. I was more focused on the statistic that about 80% of UAEs are successful. My doctor reassured me that my fibroids can not come back after my successful UAE. I had an MRI 8 months after my UAE to confirm it was successful. All of my fibroids are “dead” (no blood flow) and my uterus has shrunk to half the size it used to be. Now if my UAE was not successful and somehow the blood vessels re-routed to continue to feed the fibroids then the fibroids would still be “active” (and have blood flow). But now I’ve confirmed my UAE was successful, I’m not worried about the fibroids coming back.
I would definitely recommend getting a 2nd and maybe 3rd opinion on if UAE is right for you. Be very wary of what OBGYN doctors may say to you about UAE for several reasons: 1) OBGYNs don’t do UAE, a Vascular and Interventional Radiologist does UAE 2) OBGYNS will often recommend a hysterectomy because it means they get to collect their fee for it, they are less likely to refer you to a radiologist and lose you as a patient for your condition.
Wishing you the best of luck Sophia, I hope I was able to help you a little by sharing my own personal experience!
-Heather
Thank you so much for your reply. You have given me so much to think about. I will look into the UAE asap. Hearing your story has opened my eyes to other options. I’m so glad to hear you are doing so much better. Thank you for sharing.
Your welcome, Sophia – I love to help people!
You’re brave and resourceful. I admire you so much for following your own intuition about what would be the best treatment for you. I agree that doctors’ interests and patients’ interests are not always aligned. And certain doctors may decide too quickly that a uterus is disposable because they’re not motivated to refer patients for consultations for other treatments. Thank you for sharing your story.
Thanks Mary – I always love to hear from you! I’m always learning, and hope to help others as I learn by experience.
I just last month had a hysterectomy due to a large fibroid of about 2 to 3 inches which was pressing on the nerves in my spine and causing excruciating pain in my lower back and down my right leg and a horrible numbness and tightness in my right toes. The fibroid was found when a lumbar spine xray was done. After an MRI and visits to two spinal surgeons, I was told that I did not need back surgery or even an epidural injection. I went home thinking, well if I do not need back surgery, then this pain is being caused by something else! It was such horrific pain… so I went to my insurance’s website and found a doctor who does robotic and minimally invasive surgery. He happened to have a 4.9 rating of 5 on healthgrades.com, so I called his office and set up an appointment. Well, he did the surgery, and since then I feel better than I have in a long time! I thank God that I found this amazing doctor, and I also am glad that I did my research and found what and who I needed to make myself well again.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Susan. I’m glad you found such a good doctor! It’s amazing how much pain fibroids can cause, and it’s different for everyone!