Post Fibroid Embolisation

Thanks for this thread!  Just had my UAE on Monday, it's Friday now. I know you smart ladies are weighing your options, and while this is a good one, please know that the recovery is brutal. Those are not period cramps, those are like labor pains-- for days on end. Don't be a martyr and cut back on your opiates, you will need them and thankfully they are there or this would be sheer hell.  Advice: 1) start your stool softener the day before the procedure and make sure you continue as long as you are taking pain meds. The constipation is severe and that pain competing with embolization pain is severe. 2). Wipe your calendar clean for 2 weeks, don't plan on doing anyhing except resting and mild movement around the house or yard.  I'm sleeping like 18 hours a day, I guess the meds make you sleepy.  3) have a little notebook where you record when an d how much meds  you take so you can keep your schedule. 4) have mild foods on hand already prepared like some good chicken noodle soup, bland rice dishes, oatmeal (was perfect) 5) have pantiliners, enemas, stool softeners ready. 6) make sure you have a thermometer..  Temps above 101 warrant a call to your doctor. 7) The pain comes in waves. When the cramping comes on I I use a hot water bottle and make sure my pain med is on schedule. 8). I did get intense nausea, but Zofran tablets helped that 

Hopefully you will have good nurses like I did. Rally some of your friends to text you or stop in. It is a major procedure. I'm only day 4 of my recovery and I think a hysterectomy would have been less painful-but with longer recovery. Maybe in a month I'll be glad I still have all my lady parts but right now I'm not sure this pain was worth it.  Btw my fibroid was 9 cm and I am 51 years old. So close to menopause I was tempted to wait it out!. If your symptoms are not that bad, you should consider waiting until menopause when they can shrink naturally. Unfortunately my fibroid and bleeding were too symptomatic.  If yours are not symptomatic don't be swayed to have an invasive procedure. (My grandmother had a grapefruit sized asymptomatic fibroid and did nothing). Good luck ladies, I know it's a tough decision!!  And when you are back to health appreciate it!!  Health is wealth. 

I had my UFE done about 3 weeks ago. I stayed home for one week and went back to work the following week. My experience wasn't that bad. I was given something to make me comfortable during the procedure and it worked. I didn't feel a thing. I vaguely remember what happened. I was medicated around the clock during my overnight stay. I was extremely tired and had no energy for two weeks. Despite that my recovery wasn't to bad. I stayed medicated with hydrocodone and naproxen. I also had to take some medication for nausea since pain meds make me sick. To help with the discomfort in my pelvic area I used a heating pad. I would suggest staying medicated after the procedure. Before the procedure make sure you discuss pain management. I had a good group of nurses who listened to my concerns and kept me well informed. Good luck to those who will be undergoing that procedure. For those that had a bad experience - everybody's tolerance level is different and I hope those who are in pain get better soon. Take care.

I had my procedure on 23nov2015 .Third week of recovery. just started little rids of driving and some walking but still feel tired . sometimes dizziness.

In the procedure everything happened same like Dr explained. There was no pain during procedure(lasts 1hour 45min)  then straigh after procedure pain started stayes whole day went upto 8-9(if pain on scale 0-10). I used morffine pump but dont know wether it was helping me or not.They already packed me day before with lots of painkiller. i was sick during pains and nurse gave antisick medicin and it went completly wrong.may be not for me. got breathing problem and i was paniked they need to put me on oxygen to settle me down.second day evening got discharge. Like Dr said about dischage ,pain or bleeding nothing happening to me after procedure. only few spots on second day.but little leak from bladder i think thats it.everyday need to use liners .  Its third week now and tiredness is still there ,not very active like i was before . hope back to work next week . As my job in special school need to be 100% fit physically to run around in school. waiting for first period and hope will not as horrible ,flooded as it used be.

Hi All,

I've been on this forum in a couple places, so have spoken to a couple of you, but I thought I'd give you all an update on my experience.  I had my UFE 6 days ago, and I really didn't think it was that bad.  I knew going in I would be moderately sedated, which was fine by me. General anasthesia scares the hell out of me.   I wasn't really awake through it at all, I just kind of remember hearing the doctors speaking, and thinking, "ok, here we go", and then what seemed like 10 minutes later, I could hear them closing the incision. I asked them how long it took, and they said 2 hours!  My fibroids are pretty big, so they had to inject a lot of the micro particles.   i was in post op for about half an hour then was taken to my room.  The pain was constant from the moment I got out of surgery around noon, till about 11 that night, but it wasn't debilitating.  Then suddenly around 11pm, the pain just stopped, and i only had to hit the pump twice the rest of the night.   

I was released early the next morning, still in very little pain, but a little out of it.   The next 2 days I felt pretty good.  Pain was being managed only by ibuprofen (they gave me oxycodone, which scares the hell out of me too, so i didn't even fill the script), and I slept for like 12 hours.  But this was a sense of false sense of security, because the worst of the pain finally hit me on Days 3 and 4.  So painful that it hurt to walk, or roll over in bed.  I tried to walk my dog but every step hurt, and i was so exhausted I needed to rest on a park bench.  Then by midday on Day 5, yesterday, it subsided considerably, however I was exhausted.  Today, Day 6, I'm finally feeling like myself.  I have much more energy, pain is minimal at best. Took the dog for a 45 minute walk, went to the grocery store, and will be making myself a nice swordfish dinner.  I feel a little tired, and my groin is occasionally pinging me, but otherwise, I feel the best I've felt all week.  Still not gonna push it, though.  

Thank you for starting this thread. I had the UFE procedure this past Monday as an outpatient procedure. The past couple of days I have been feeling very uncomfortable. I've bern taking the prescribed pains. My main issue at this time is that I can't seem to get warm. I'm freezing, I have the heat on under blankets. I was wondering if anyone else had this problem. My husband wants me to go to the doctor but I'm not sure if I need to. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hello Nora, I have had a few feverish nights even though I have an electric blanket but I used Hot water bottle & this seem to do the trick. I wake up sweating.

Morning all,

I couldn't agree more with you all. I had mine procedure done just Wednesday week & indeed it was a horrible experience but according to the Doctor horrible in a good way as he said "due to the pain that straight away proofs it's working". It a procedure that should be re appraised by the professionals, because you don't have an open wound it's taken likely. The after care is so poor, all the hospital is interested in is getting rid of you & then. You are on your own. To sign you off work, I was told by the Doctor Who carried out the procedure that, I will be signed on discharge yet that didn't happen. I was told to do a self cert. then go to my Gp for sick certificate(getting an appointment is like winning the lottery). I feel this is appalling as you are in so much pain & you still have to worry about such trivial things.

So far it's been 7 days of great pain, still can't stand up right myself. Go down the stairs once in 8hrs, moving around in bed seems like luxury.

But with all these pains I know something good is happening . How long more do I have to endure this pain? Not sure but if it gets rid all the heavy bleeding, long periods. Then it's worth every pain!

Good morning ladies, I had my procedure on 2-24-2016 & it was everything that the previous posters had said & more. Now to this day (4-22-2016) I thought I was totally healed but my body made realize that I'm not. Yup 2 months almost to the day I still get sudden stomach pains, fatigue, & I actually am having what I hope is supposed to be a cycle. Although its extremely heavy & clotty... I'm sure that's not a word, but the truth. I'm also feeling light headed from the recent excessive blood lost. As of today I'm still feeling 40-50% that the procedure was worth it. I'm not convinced yet. Hope this helps someone & I also hope all you ladies are feeling much better by now.