An article in the December 2008/January 2009 issue of US magazine MORE has an incredible article entitled The Endangered Uterus, by Peg Rosen.  You can check it out in print on pages 117-121, 157-158, or on-line.

Rosen talks about alternative treatments to hysterectomy and discusses, in depth, the increasing number of hysterectomies that occur every year.  It’s truly frightening, and is not a trivial issue.  There are focus sections on a variety of relevant topics including; how to stand up to your insurance company, finding the right doctor and treatment for you, when hysterectomy may be appropriate for you, and congressional initiatives.

I think my favorite excerpt is the opening question - “If someone suggested you undergo an elective procedure that could keep you out of work - and in pain - for six weeks, might leave you incontinent, deep-six your sex life, increase your risk of osteoporosis and heart disease, and possibly shorten your life span, would you do it?” (the bolded terms are my additions)  It’s difficult to put it into words how fantastically this article describes what we’re talking about - the statistics are all in there…“ninety percent of hysterectomies in this country are performed for reasons other than cancer treatments and the vast majority involve major open abdominal surgery.”

The article goes through all sorts of key issues, including the misconception that our reproductive organs are NOT simply there for reproduction and that evidence continues to grow that they do have significance beyond childbirth!  We strongly encourage you to take the time to read this article!  Rosen does a fantastic job of covering all her bases…but she misses a very important option, Focused Ultrasound.

Carla Dionne, of the National Uterine Fibroids Foundation has a fantastic quote referring to the indoctrination of women in our culture to the idea that hysterectomies are OK - she points to the fact that “what many women don’t realize is that they might have resolved their problem without such a drastic measure or without the physical complications that may result.” Carla was a fantastic resource for a Patient Advocate for Fibroid Relief, Wendy Perkins, who was eventually treated with Lupron followed by Focused Ultrasound and is now back to her life, without symptoms from her fibroids and without a hysterectomy.

There are extremely noteworthy quotes from leaders in Women’s Health, including a suggestion by Alan Decherny, MD of UCLA’s School of Medicine that ACOG coin this “the Year of Modern Fibroid Management and set it forth as a priority.”

I couldn’t agree more…

Additionally, Beth Battaglino Cahill, RN of The National Women’s Health Resource Center (NWHRC) made a call to women “to educate ourselves and start demanding (for alternatives). Just like we’ve done with everything else.“  Again, I couldn’t agree more…

Way to go MORE!

…now we just need to include Focused Ultrasound in the discussion and speak loudly and more broadly about uterine fibroids - it’s about time for fibroid relief!

~ Joy