Sheila of DeKalb, Illinois
Like many women with fibroids, Sheila, 52, endured hers as long as she could. Throughout her late 30s and much of her 40s, she tolerated the gradual increase in bleeding during her menstrual cycle and painful cramping until those symptoms drove her to the breaking point.
“During my cycle, I would put on adult protective underwear in the morning. By 2 p.m., I would be soaked to my waist in blood,” explains Sheila, an instructor in career planning at a local university. “As for the pain, I often felt like my insides were falling out.”
Sheila tried drug therapy, exercised, and saw a number of specialists to no avail. Depressed by her ongoing battle with the fibroids, she was prescribed medication to keep her spirits up. Her doctors told her that a hysterectomy would take care of her problem. “They said they could just ‘snatch it out’ and that would be that, but a little voice inside me said, ‘No,’” recalls Sheila, who suffered a spinal cord injury in 1981 and uses a wheelchair. “It was a control issue for me. I have had 10 to 15 surgeries in my life. So I think twice about any abdominal surgery and being cut open.”
Seeking a less invasive procedure and another opinion, Sheila made an appointment with a Northwestern-affiliated gynecologist. Informing her of the uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) procedure, the physician referred Sheila to Dr. Vogelzang. Sheila underwent UFE in 2002. Due to her disability, she spent two nights in the hospital – rather than the typical one-night stay – to ensure that she was thoroughly stabilized and able to function independently before going home. She returned to work a week later.
“I felt a difference right away and was euphoric!” says Sheila. “My pain was gone and the bleeding subsided by about 70 percent after a couple of months.”
Sheila credits UFE with giving her peace of mind and an alternative to a hysterectomy. “I am very thankful and grateful that I didn’t have to have a more invasive surgical procedure,” says Sheila, who lives alone. “With my career demands and academic responsibilities, my biggest concern was that I would be able to take care of myself and maintain my independence. With UFE I could do everything I did before and with little downtime.”
Recently Sheila has experienced some heavy bleeding and may have a reoccurrence of fibroids. So happy with the results of UFE, Sheila has no qualms about undergoing the procedure again, if need be.
“UFE has given me a sense of relief,” says Sheila. “I know I can always back and revisit the treatment if needed. Moreover, I can continue to enjoy my life without sacrificing my goals and lifestyle.”