Fibroids!

A fortnight ago, I was diagnosed with Fibroid. Yes!Fibroid. I had no idea it exists in young ladies. Well, the doc said its uncommon but it does happen.

I was really scared and angry when he told me that part of the causes is if a woman does not get pregnant early in her life. I cried and I still am crying. I can't get the thought that my father has refused to marry me off even though I am ready and already have a suitor. I could have been married 4 years ago, thereby reducing my chances. But he has refused to. I can't stop blaming him. Whenever the thought comes up, I try to suppress it by trying to remember that only Allah does everything but I'm at it again a moment later.

I decided to do some research on the subject to keep my mind off the thought.After all, Allah has not sent a disease until He created its cure. The Prophet (SAW) said,"For each disease there is a cure: and when the (right) treatment is given, the disease is cured by the Will of Allah" (Ahmad and Muslim).

I decided to share my findings with other sisters to enable us to understand more about the subject matter.

FIBROID: AN OVERVIEW
Much to my surprise, fibroids are not cancerous or precancerous. They are tumors that develop within the uterus. Fibroids are common and they occur in a good percentage of women. Fibroids are not life threatening as some women survive all their lives without a need for treatment. They are only treated if the symptom shows.
The growth of fibroids is influenced by the female hormone estrogen and usually shrink at menopause and rarely cause problems after this time. 
Fibroids are growths of the uterus, or womb. They are also called uterine leiomyomas or myomas. The uterus is made of muscle, and fibroids grow from the muscle. Fibroids can bulge from the inside or outside of the uterus. Fibroids are not cancerous or precancerous. (Source: http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~hh/Zt_uunVwSv2)

WHY DO FIBROIDS OCCUR?
It is still unknown why fibroids occur. Research has not been able to go that far yet but it is known to occur in:
^black women more than white women
^women who do not take in(get pregnant) early (miscarriage and abortion does not influence chances)
^women who start menstruating early in life;
among others. Why this is so, is still a mystery. 

SYMPTOMS
The most common symptoms of Fibroid are:

1. Heavy or long menstrual periods. Periods may last more than seven days and menstrual flow may be very heavy. Some women find they need to change sanitary napkins or tampons so often that they cannot function normally during their period. Heavy menstrual flow can sometimes lead to anemia.

2.Pressure on other organs. Large fibroids may press on organs in the pelvis.

^If fibroids press on the bladder, a woman may feel the urge to urinate frequently. She may pass only small amounts of urine and she may feel as though she has not completely emptied her bladder.

^If fibroids press on the bowel, she may feel constipated or full after eating only a small amount of food. 
^If fibroids press on one or both ureters (the tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder), they may partially block the flow of urine. A woman may not be aware of this because it often isn't painful. Over time, however, this kind of blockage can lead to kidney infections or other serious kidney damage.


3.Pain in the pelvis. The pressure of large fibroids on other organs may cause pain in the pelvis. Sometimes, if fibroids do not get the blood flow they need to sustain themselves, they degenerate or die. This may cause severe pain lasting for days or weeks. Pain may also occur if the stalk of a fibroid twists, cutting off blood supply to the fibroid. Rarely, a fibroid may become infected and cause pain. (Source: http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/fibroids/fbr_problems.html)

These symptoms may however be a result of other problems, so you may want to check it out with your doctor before reaching a conclusion.

TREATMENT
Uterine Fibroids do not always require treatment. For women who have fibroids but do not show any symptoms, watchful waiting is the only requirement and do not need treatment. For those women who show symptoms however, the medical treatment or surgical treatment can be used depending on the nature of the fibroid.
MEDICAL TREATMENT

Drug treatments 
Oral contraceptives and progestin-only pills can suppress excessive bleeding, and pain relievers such as ibuprofen may ease discomfort If the fibroid is large, your doctor may prescribe a hormone medication to shrink it and reduce bleeding. The problem with these medications is that the fibroid grows back once the drug is discon tinued. The drug can also lower bone density and, with extended use, can cause fnenopausal symp toms such as hot flashes and vaginal drynegs. 

SURGICAL OPTIONS

Myomectomy
In this procedure, the doctor removes the fibroids but leaves the uterus intact. Women who eventually plan to become pregnant may opt for a myomectomy. The proce dure may also be useful for women with multiple or large fibroids. How the treatment will be done depends on the size and number of the fibroids.

Endometrial Ablation 
This procedure destroys the lining of the uterus to halt or reduce heavy blood loss, a common symptom of fibroids. A doctor can use a range of methods, including radio waves, low-voltage electricity, laser energy, freezing or a heated loop. This outpatient surgery requires general anesthesia, but most women recover within a day. After treatment, pregnancy is usually not possible.

Uterine Artery Embolization 
Performed by interventional radiologists, this nonsurgical procedure preserves a woman's uterus and usually main tains her hormonal cycles. A catheter is inserted into each of the two uterine arteries and small partides are injected to cut off the blood flow to the fibroids, which causes them to shrink. Early results suggest that embolization provides effective short-term relief, but long-term results are undear. Because the safety for future pregnancies with emboliza tion isn't known, it is currently recommended only for women who have completed their families.

ExAblate 2000 
This device, approved by the PDA in October 2004, uses an ultrasound beam guided by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine to target and destroy fibroids. The technique may require as many. as 50 'pulses, with each one lasting about 15 seconds, and the procedure can take up to three hours to complete. ExAblate is currently not available nationwide, and many doctors still consider it an experimental treatment.

Hysterectomy 
If other treatments fail and the pain and abnormal bleed ing associated with fibroids persist, a doctor may recom mend a hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus. If the ovaries are also removed to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer when a hysterectomy is done, many women enter early menopause after the procedure, which can cause bone loss, hot flashes and vaginal dryness.
(Sources: http://www.onlinenigeria.com/fibroids.asp)

EFFECT ON FERTILITY
The effect of fibroids on fertility depends on a number of factors, such as the size, position, number of fibroids, and whether or not it changes the shape of the Uterus. A research o 23 women by Peter Kovacs, MD, PhD shows that Fibroids in general, regardless of location, were associated with a 15% reduction in pregnancy rates, a 30% reduction in live birth rates, and a 67% increase in miscarriage rates when compared with controls without fibroids. The effect was especially pronounced when submucous fibroids were analyzed (64% reduction in pregnancy rates, 69% reduction in live birth rates, and 67% increase in miscarriage rate). The effect of intramural fibroids was significant but less pronounced (22% decrease in live birth rates, 89% increase in miscarriage rates). Subserous fibroids did not affect pregnancy rates or pregnancy outcome. The analysis did not demonstrate a consistent effect on pregnancy rates and outcomes.

Myomectomy was associated with improved pregnancy outcome when submucosal myomas were evaluated. The pregnancy rate was significantly higher after myomectomy when compared with women with fibroids left in place. On the basis of a small number of cases, the removal of intramural fibroids was not associated with improved pregnancy outcome.

For more information, you might want to go through What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibroids.
I wish you good luck and Allah's help as you search for cure. I pray to Allah that this does not, in anyway, affect our fertility.