AG
I could not be happier with my UFE results and with Dr. John Thomas and his team. I am writing this review primarily to remind other women to self-advocate because your doctors may NOT mention UFE as an option. I heard about UFE through a friend three weeks before I was to have a hysterectomy.
My UFE results have been near miraculous. I recovered from the UFE in about 10 days and have had excellent results so far. My cramping went away, my bleeding dramatically reduced, my iron levels went back to normal according to my PC doc, my energy is better, and the pressure around my pelvis and bladder released after about 2 weeks. I recently met with Dr. Thomas for my final follow-up and my fibroids have shrunk around 30% and he expects they will continue to shrink dramatically over the next 12 months.
My story: I was diagnosed with benign fibroids at age 28. My symptoms were pretty manageable until around age 38. My bleeding, cramping, and fatigue all got worse by then and I was soon diagnosed with chronic anemia. At age 40, the MRI showed five active fibroids, three of which at 3.5cm to 6cm. The largest one happened to be pushing against my bladder...causing constant discomfort and the sensation of needing to pee. I had also started to consider getting pregnant around this time. So my OBGYN referred me to a fertility doctor, who referred me to a gynecologic surgeon for a myomectomy. UFE was NOT discussed as an option during my fertility consultation.
The gyno surgeon didn't mention UFE either. He honed in on my age and egg count, concluded my chances of getting pregnant with my eggs were slim, and advised that I get a hysterectomy since I didn't want donor eggs. He advised myomectomy was a complicated high-risk procedure that may leave a lot of scarring, bleeding, and pain whereas a hysterectomy offered a permanent solution to the fibroids. I just remember feeling utterly defeated. I didn't want to live with fibroids, I was afraid of myomectomy, and hysterectomy seemed like throwing away the baby with the bath water. I didn't want to lose my uterus entirely, even if I wasn't going to use it to have a child. I researched a ton, but I kept focusing on hysterectomy and myomectomy and didn't even look for alternatives because I figured my doctors would have told me if there was another option. After weeks of stressful reflection, I scheduled a hysterotomy for 28 August 2023.
Luckily, I shared my dilemma with a friend in early August and she told me to look into UFE. After some research, I found and scheduled a consultation with Dr. Thomas. Unfortunately, he wasn't available to see me before my scheduled hysterectomy. So I asked my surgeon to delay my surgery until I consulted with Dr. Thomas. My surgeon said he worked with Dr. Thomas and thus expedited a referral to Dr. Thomas's office. I am not sure then why UFE wasn't offered as an option, given my surgeon was familiar with the procedure. Needless to say, I canceled my hysterectomy after I consulted with Dr. Thomas and had my UFE on 29 August 2023.
The moral of the story is-- research alternatives and self-advocate. Don't trust doctors to know what is in your best interest. Insist on trying less invasive options and see if your doctor presents valid reasons for the more invasive option.
-AG
December, 2023
My UFE results have been near miraculous. I recovered from the UFE in about 10 days and have had excellent results so far. My cramping went away, my bleeding dramatically reduced, my iron levels went back to normal according to my PC doc, my energy is better, and the pressure around my pelvis and bladder released after about 2 weeks. I recently met with Dr. Thomas for my final follow-up and my fibroids have shrunk around 30% and he expects they will continue to shrink dramatically over the next 12 months.
My story: I was diagnosed with benign fibroids at age 28. My symptoms were pretty manageable until around age 38. My bleeding, cramping, and fatigue all got worse by then and I was soon diagnosed with chronic anemia. At age 40, the MRI showed five active fibroids, three of which at 3.5cm to 6cm. The largest one happened to be pushing against my bladder...causing constant discomfort and the sensation of needing to pee. I had also started to consider getting pregnant around this time. So my OBGYN referred me to a fertility doctor, who referred me to a gynecologic surgeon for a myomectomy. UFE was NOT discussed as an option during my fertility consultation.
The gyno surgeon didn't mention UFE either. He honed in on my age and egg count, concluded my chances of getting pregnant with my eggs were slim, and advised that I get a hysterectomy since I didn't want donor eggs. He advised myomectomy was a complicated high-risk procedure that may leave a lot of scarring, bleeding, and pain whereas a hysterectomy offered a permanent solution to the fibroids. I just remember feeling utterly defeated. I didn't want to live with fibroids, I was afraid of myomectomy, and hysterectomy seemed like throwing away the baby with the bath water. I didn't want to lose my uterus entirely, even if I wasn't going to use it to have a child. I researched a ton, but I kept focusing on hysterectomy and myomectomy and didn't even look for alternatives because I figured my doctors would have told me if there was another option. After weeks of stressful reflection, I scheduled a hysterotomy for 28 August 2023.
Luckily, I shared my dilemma with a friend in early August and she told me to look into UFE. After some research, I found and scheduled a consultation with Dr. Thomas. Unfortunately, he wasn't available to see me before my scheduled hysterectomy. So I asked my surgeon to delay my surgery until I consulted with Dr. Thomas. My surgeon said he worked with Dr. Thomas and thus expedited a referral to Dr. Thomas's office. I am not sure then why UFE wasn't offered as an option, given my surgeon was familiar with the procedure. Needless to say, I canceled my hysterectomy after I consulted with Dr. Thomas and had my UFE on 29 August 2023.
The moral of the story is-- research alternatives and self-advocate. Don't trust doctors to know what is in your best interest. Insist on trying less invasive options and see if your doctor presents valid reasons for the more invasive option.
-AG
December, 2023
