I hope that the fibroid gets smaller with menopause

After my son was born, so about eleven years ago, my gynecologist found a fibroid during a routine check-up. I don't have any symptoms. But I have always had particularly long and heavy periods. That might have something to do with the fibroid, but we’re not sure.

When my gynecologist found the fibroid, he asked me if I wanted to have it removed. But it hadn't really been bothering me. And nobody could say whether it was causing my heavy periods. At first I thought that there was no need to have it removed.

But later I did start to think a bit more about it, especially about what would happen if the fibroid grew bigger. I wasn't sure what the side effects and consequences could be. After a while I then decided that I did want to have it taken out, but by that stage it was too big to have it removed by minimally invasive surgery. I didn't want to have more invasive surgery where my belly would be cut open because of the possible side effects.

Two years ago I was then prescribed medication that was supposed to make the fibroid smaller. I took the tablets for three months. The fibroid did shrink, to about 4 centimeters in diameter.

But unfortunately it started to grow again after I stopped taking the medication. I still don't want to have an operation though because I don't have any symptoms. The fibroid now has a diameter of around eight centimeters. I go for regular check-ups where they also look to see whether the fibroid has got bigger. My hope now is that it will get permanently smaller after the menopause.