No symptom of my fibroid has been or is more upsetting to me than the massive loss of blood I suffered as a result.  In the last four years blood has caused me to change my entire lifestyle in preparation for its unwanted appearance 7-14 days a month, in the least ideal of circumstances.  It began by systematically destroying all my favorite panties, trousers, sheets and pajamas, leaking out of the largest tampons on the market in barely an hour, and over the thickest pads I could comfortably walk in, and onto my office chair (which thankfully was black), forcing me to make up excuses to leave work early, my coat wrapped around my waist, so nobody would notice the stain as I walked out the door.

Blood caused me to purchase enough pairs of black pants to make my friends believe I was reliving my gothic phase from the eighties, as it continued to wreak havoc on my wardrobe and love life.  If a potential boyfriend invited me to his place for a drink, I would find myself having a panic attack over whether or not his bathroom would have a garbage can (I found out that most bachelors do not), and if it did, whether there was any discreet way to dispose of my increasingly embarrassing shame without the guy obviously noticing it later.  Blood drained me of all my energy during the day, as my hemoglobin and hematocrit levels began bottoming out, and blood robbed me of my sleep, as I had to get up to change my tampon and pad every hour throughout the night at the beginning of each monthly cycle.

One day, blood finally caused me to wake up and realize it was time to act, as I became so anemic I nearly fainted during an easy hike through LA’s Runyan Canyon on a sunny March afternoon.  I didn’t know at the time, that blood (or rather the loss of it) was again the culprit, as I thought I was merely dehydrated, and just needed a bottle of water and to rest.  Later, I realized how thirsty I had been in recent months, never seeming to be able to drink enough water throughout the day, and getting up throughout the night to refill a large 8 oz glass next to my bed.  Tests would confirm my severe anemia, and a trip to the OB/GYN would confirm the fibroid had grown, and it was time to act, to stop this blood from its determined method of escape, once and for all.

The first step was to take care of the immediate situation, which was to restore the blood that had been lost.  My hemoglobin was so low, I was in danger of heart failure.  At the suggestion of my OB/GYN, I went to Cedars Sinai for a blood transfusion.  This was a much more difficult process than it should have been, and neither my primary care doctor nor my OB/GYN were the least bit helpful in guiding me through the process.  I was feeling crappy, run-down and scared, and I should not have had to make fifty phone calls, and get sent to five different rooms in Cedars, just to get transfused.

Ultimately, I ended up having MR Guided Focused Ultrasound to treat my fibroid, and to help stop the bleeding (more on that in subsequent blogs), but I can honestly say I tried just about everything out there in between to control my heavy periods, and I am sure that most of you who have fibroids will be able to relate.  These are a few things that helped me or at least that worked for a time, and I welcome comments from anybody who wants to offer additional advice for dealing with heavy menstrual flow from fibroids:

1).  Playtex Ultra Tampons. They are the biggest ones out there, but sadly, many drug stores don’t even carry them!  I always wear a small maxi pad as well, just in case of additional overlflow/accidents.

2).  Only wear black underwear and pants on the days right before and during your cycle, and keep an extra pair of underwear and pants in a bag with you, just in case of accidents. It seems simple enough, but there were so many times I convinced myself I would be okay to wear jeans just this once, and ended up sorry that I did.

3).  Birth Control Pills. I tried various brands like Loestrin to help reduce my flow, some of which helped for a time, but remember there are side effects to deal with for most women (weight gain, mood swings, spotting, loss of sexual appetite, etc.).

4).  Acupuncture and Chinese herbs.  Twice a month visits to the acupuncturist and daily doses of herbs helped shorten my cycle and decrease the pain from cramping.

5).  Eat iron-rich foods, such as beans, Life cereal, and red meat.  Know which foods are iron inhibitors (red wine, coffee, spinach, fiber), as this will affect when you eat the iron rich foods and what you eat them with.  This really did help to increase my hemoglobin, and even though I am not a big fan of red meat, I now force myself to eat a burger or a steak at least once a week.

6).  Take iron supplements. These are hard on the tummy, so take a slow release form, such as Slow FE, and be sure to also take lots of fiber (but not at the same time as you take the iron, as it will inhibit your body’s absorption of the iron).

I hope this was helpful, and remember, when you are feeling fatigued, embarrassed or hopeless from heavy blood loss, you are not alone!

Erin