One of my best friends had them, smich, and it wasn't too big or scary a deal. As far as I recall, she just had to do a course of hormones, and they shrunk up and went away. She was freaked, for sure, but she hasn't had any problems since.

I have had 3 friends get fibroids and while I don't know how it was treated it turned out fine in each case. Good luck.

My mom had them in her mid-40s. She had a hysterectomy, but this was back in the 80s when that was the solution to all girly problems. They have a lot more options now, including some that are nonsurgical.

This isn't one to worry about, smich. Just get it taken care of and be well!

My good friend had them and had some sort of newer zap-like surgery a few years ago and she is fine and healthy. Good luck.

my mom had them too, and a coworker of mine has them now, so don't worry--they're very common (unless they're bleeding or are causing pain they're not really a problem i hear)

I found out about my fibroids maybe 5-6 years ago, during a routine exam -- I hadn't had any symptoms -- and after discussing options with my dr. decided to do absolutely nothing about them. They have caused no problems at all, apart from making regular gyn exams annoying because they block the dr.'s view of my cervix. If you do decide to go for treatment, there are lots of good newer non-invasive approaches, as others have noted.

The ultrasound is quite an experience in bizarro-land, though. The way they did it with me, you recline in the stirrups, and then they stick some sort of imaging wand up your hoo-hah, and then smear gloppy gel all over your belly and rub another imaging device (which looks rather like an upholstery vacuum-cleaner attachment) around in the gel, and then a bunch of doctors stand and gaze in fascination at a screen that has these grey blobby moving images on it, completely ignoring you lying there in a most embarrassing posture with glop smeared all over your abdomen.

The really fun part is you have to have this done with a completely full bladder, so the pressure of the vacuum-cleaner attachment thing right over it makes for some moments of heroism in bladder control. (As if I wasn't already about to pee myself laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole situation.)

My best friend had them, and they continued to grow. When her doctor said enough was enough, she was put on a course of medicine that pretty much gave her temporary menopause. Then the fibroids were surgically removed. She was sore afterward, but a couple of years later had her first child. Three years after that she had her second. Both were by c-section since the doctor didn't want to risk her uterus going through labor, both were big healthy kids. Even if none of that happens to you, you'll be fine. Just don't panic! ;)

Mrs. Doohickie had them after having our kids. She had already had her tubes tied and we weren't planning on any more little Doohickies, so she eventually had the hysterectomy.

I believe she had several occurrences before she actually had the surgery.

Thanks, everyone, for sharing your stories with me. I feel better already. I know that in the grand scheme of things, it's not that big a deal, but hearing those words today was a bit of a shock.

I've had fibroids for years, and the worst danger they pose is having very heavy periods every three weeks or so. I take iron, and bear with it. I'm reluctant to go the surgical route, though my mother did at about my age, because a hysterectomy is major surgery, and I'd rather not if I don't have to (and my doctor, bless her, agrees). At my stage of life, with menopause around the corner (or, say, decade) it's a bit of a race to the finish line, but I'm assuming that my fibroids will just eventually go away (or become less bothersome, at any rate) once the hormome levels drop. Fibroids are extremely common, benign, and affect me only in the sense that my periods are an inconvenient pain. I wouldn't worry too much.

smich, I just had a mass removed two weeks ago. It wasn't a fibroid but I just wanted to add my best wishes and it'llbefines to the pile.

The really fun part is you have to have this done with a completely full bladder, so the pressure of the vacuum-cleaner attachment thing right over it makes for some moments of heroism in bladder control.

Oh yeah. The trans-vag ultrasound. I have never had to drink so much water in my life and never has my bladder been so full. I damn near leapt off the table when it was over so I could run full-tilt to the bathroom, dragging my IV along with me. Fun.