Normally, in non-COVID times, the health fair season would be in full swing in the Metro Atlanta area. I would be preparing myself to connect with the hundreds of women I’d encounter as a representative of the Atlanta Fibroid Clinic. I wish I was out talking to all of you right now!
Since I am not out and about, meeting each of you and talking to you about all those things we put off, i.e. taking care of OURSELVES!, I wanted to share the #1 question I find women asking me over, and over, again: ‘What is the difference between UFE vs Hysterectomy as a treatment for uterine fibroids?’
At every health fair I talk to dozens of women who are secretly suffering, in silence, as they try to hide fibroid symptoms. Some women are literally padded up beyond diaper status trying to avoid accidents at work or while necessary running errands! And forget about exercise. That is just asking for a dreaded “accident” to happen! After all, who wants to leave a big round red stain anywhere they sit?! These conversations happen all the time.
And, at these health fairs, I would also encounter proud, slightly older, more seasoned women who have already dealt with their fibroids. The difference? They were told the only option was to have their uterus removed. These women had a hysterectomy. Our conversations would revolve around the unavoidable repercussions — the horrible symptoms of early menopause being one — that the surgery thrust upon them.
I remember attending a corporate health fair last year and meeting so many wonderful women all dedicated to their careers (like me), focused on providing the best in services to the masses in the Metro area (like me), but who had suffered from fibroids and elected to have a hysterectomy. And, while many told me they are doing quite well after their surgery, others regretted this decision. It is, after all, the removal of a part of your body!
They no longer have what allowed them to become pregnant and to give birth. Of course, many were happy about the surgery, given one, simple fact: They didn’t want any more children. The others? They wished someone had told them about UFE (Uterine Fibroid Embolization) as an option. UFE is a non-surgical treatment where you keep your uterus. For some women, that makes all the difference. To them, it lets them be a woman.
The bottom line is, despite how you decide to treat your fibroids, make sure you know all your options. You can choose to have surgery — a hysterectomy — or you can choose the non-surgical option — UFE. With UFE, there’s no hospital stay. You go home the same day. You have a band-aid and a recovery time of about a week.
And, as if I were seeing each of you in person, I want to tell what I say to almost every woman I talk to, at almost every health fair: You do not need to suffer through your period every month (and then some)! You can be symptom free with UFE!
I hope I get to talk to you soon. If not face-to-face, maybe on the phone or via video call? Or make an appointment and we can discuss your options. In the meantime, take time to take care of you!
