Myoma + bulging belly

I was recently told that I have a myoma (non-cancerous growth) in my uterus that's the size of an orange. I was so astonished when my doctor (gynecologist) told me this that i forgot to ask any other questions.

I have been successfully losing weight, but i still have a real belly. Do you think the myoma could be causing the bulge?

TIA for all answers.

Sun. Dec 17, 3:10pm

Yes, absolutely. I had 3 fibroids that were removed about 18 months ago and my clothes felt different around the waist after the procedure. Your doctor can tell you how large your uterus is compared to a pregnancy-sized uterus-3 months, 6 months. And that can give you some idea of what that looks like on you, especially if you've been pregnant and can remember what size you were at different points.

Sunday, December 17, 2006, 5:02 PM

I'm hardly qualified to answer this, but I think you should be able to tell by feeling your belly. I think its fairly easy to distinguish subcutaneous fat from the muscle and organs underneath. If your belly is still mostly fat, then its just a matter of continuing to lose weight (congrats on that, by the way!).

If you mean, is your myoma somehow chemically/hormonally causing the bulge? then I've no idea! Best to get in contact with your doc again, and write down a list of questions beforehand! I have to do the same thing or because I always forget all my questions once I'm in the examining room!

Sunday, December 17, 2006, 5:05 PM

Tumors, growths and fibroids should be removed due to the chance of them converting to cancerous/ malignant. I had 22 cysts on 1 ovary and and had a full hysterectomy for cancer on my cervix and never knew about the ovaries until they were removed. My doctor said that some people can feel lumps and others can't. It is the make up of your body. The uterus is different shapes so depending on the shape and how it is situated you may or may not feel it. You have hip bones that are as wide as a orange so you probably would not see it or feel it until you laid on your back and pushed on your stomach. The other thing is the uterus is very low on a woman so if you have a bulge right under your breasts to like 2 inches below your bellybutton then it is probably fat. Great job on the weight loss.

Sunday, December 17, 2006, 8:56 PM

OP here. Thanks very much for your comments.
Tthe doctor mentioned the possibility of an operation but i'm not at all enthusiastic and will avoid one if at all possible. Yes, there is a possibility that the myoma can become cancerous but if i regularly go for check-ups, the doctor should be able to catch any significant changes soon enough. (The risk of a myoma becoming cancerous is about 1 in 1,000.)
Operations also can have side effects and removing a uterus definitely has side effects (surgical menopause, etc.).

Monday, December 18, 2006, 2:39 PM

A friend of mine had the same thing - hers grew to the size of a cantlope and cause her uterus to rupture (she had to have both the myoma and uterus surgically removed), so cancer isn't the only danger to consider. It weighed several pounds and her tummy was definitely flatter as a result! Best wishes and take care no matter which course of action you decide on.

Monday, December 18, 2006, 2:56 PM

OP again.
Thanks again. Since I will only have surgery as a last resort, I guess I'll just have to make sure to have my regular gynecological checkups. And continue to lose weight - that can only help. I'm down 30 lbs. (in 10 months) and I would ideally like to lose another 15 lb.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006, 3:40 PM

Well done on your weight loss, and yes, best wishes with the path that works for you.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006, 4:05 PM

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