Re: on a positive note. . .

[Guest guest]

Carla count your blessings, and I think you do. The best to you. Maritza

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Carla, I'm sorry but I do not want to go thru all posts. How long has it been

since your UAE? The reason I ask, is that I am now 6 mo post and I am finding

many changes. I think bodies will not return to normal function until a year

has passed, but this could only be determined if the doctors performing these

procedures were keeping more accurate records.

I was told by Dr. Kirsch's gyn after the 3 mo post op that since I had only

gotten my period once I could just consider myself into menopause (age 47). I

refutted that since I didn't have any premenopausal symtoms prior to UAE and

wasn't having any then, either. So, I left feeling pretty let down as most

doctors can do to you, wondering why I had this procedure when I had wanted to

avoid going into an early menopause. Well, 2 mo went by sans period and then

now I have had it for 3 months. My concern is that it seems to be getting

heavier each month which terrifies me since I was so anemic before UAE and was

beginning to feel normal again. I can't say my homelife is conducive to my

recovery since my husband is light years away in understanding from yours.

Yet, I have been married so many years that I can successfully disconnect, and

I was actually feeling better, but with this last period I had the major

headache and I passed a couple of clots. So, now I have to search again for a

gyn who is familiar and not too far, since they want me to go back and see

idiot Berkowits who does the post-op for Kirsch and whom I did not like. I am

pressing to see the main gyn Dr. Hutchins, since I had my consultation with

him initially. I am mainly posting so that people can see that everything

isn't peachy rosy post UAE and that Dr. Kirsch is helpful, but the whole team

needs to get more " customer oriented, " if I may use the phrase and not just be

cooperative to drum up business.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing such a touching story, Carla. Hope more positive things come your way.

Jean

on a positive note. . .

With all the whining I've been doing about lack of sexual response, it gets pretty easy to forget or just plain not see the positive things that have been occurring over the past couple of months. I wanted to share with you something that happened this week because it meant so much to me and I couldn't begin to place a value on what it has done for my spirits and my thoughts regarding UAE.

As you know, I have 3 children. The youngest, , is 7 years old. For about 2 years now he has been told repeatedly that he cannot " hug mom too tight in the belly, " " jump on mom " (something little guys do all of the time!), or " bother mom when she's laying down. " His physical height for the past 2 years has placed his head in the range of my abdomen (from the low end 2 years ago to the high end now). His disposition is sweet, loving, caring, and generous in his sharing of hugs, kisses and loving caresses. He is a most demonstrative and loving child. (If I'm lucky, I figure I have about 2 more years before he turns into the demon seed of male standoffishness-- " mom, don't hug me in public--my friends might see you " !)

At any rate, he has learned over time that his demonstrative affection for me has " boundaries " and " limitations " and sometimes mom " just isn't available " for hugs or playful wrestling because the excruciating back pain (from the increasing size of the fibroids) and horrific migraines have sent her to bed at 6 p.m.--directly from work to bed. For my part, I was so focused on " controlling the pain " so that I could survive from one day to the next that I simply couldn't spend any energy on my son. Or, on any of my children for that matter. They all tiptoed around me and tried to help as much as possible without " bothering " me. It pains me now to consider all of the accommodations that my children made for me over time.

Well, two nights ago after returning from the gym and a most rewarding physical workout, greeted me in the kitchen by running from the living room with a tremendous burst of smiles and little-boy energy to give me a big hug. When he reached me, I bent down and swooped him in my arms and spontaneously picked him up for a huge old-fashioned bear hug. As I stood up, he wrapped his little legs around my waist and came with me! His arms tightly wrapped around my neck and his cheek turned to give me a big squeeze. As we stood there in the kitchen hugging each other, my husband walked in. The surprised look on his face caused me to pause and consider what had just occurred. And then I cried.

Okay. So I'm an unpredictable, demanding, yet sentimental and kinesthetic bitch of a woman who probably complains about everything. (My own self assessment. . .) And I WILL be much happier when/if sexual response returns to normal for me. . .But this, no, I won't be complaining about this. I picked my son up for the first time in 2 years and gave him the biggest unconditional hug that I could muster. And I did it spontaneously. Believe me--he noticed. The grin on his face and declaration of his current height and weight (48 inches and 62 pounds!) told me that he knew exactly what had just occurred. And he was beaming.

Most doctors I wouldn't give a plug nickel for and the rest I'd love to castrate (oh the fun I would have. . .). But once-in-a-while a good one comes along. . . Thank you Dr. Goodwin.

Carla Dionne

mailto:cdionne@...

For the absolute lowest price on Video/PC Games:CLICK HERE!

[Guest guest]

Re: on a positive note. . .

>Carla count your blessings, and I think you do. The best to you. Maritza

I actually sent that email to Dr. Goodwin and only cc'd the uterinefibroids

email group. He has stayed in close touch with me through all of my whining

over side effects and it was starting to bother me that I had not shared

with him some of the very special positive side effects of this procedure.

He told me that it meant a lot to him to read that email. . .then proceeded

to tell me that his conversations and email with me had actually spurred the

additional research on sexual function pre- and post-UAE that he and his

colleagues would be doing with the NIH study. In addition, some of what I

have shared with him will be published (without disclosing me,

specifically). I am so glad that I wrote that email to him.

Yes. I do count my blessings. . .more today than ever before.

carla

------------------------------------------------------------------------