My Boo knock my cellphone down the hard floor, and my poor cell gave up. The plip top got loosen. My cell isn't one of those luxury cell out here this days . But I love my cell the way it is. So, we end up going down to Verizon store last night , hoping that my warranty is still good. Well, it end up that the warranty just run out, but they went ahead and wave it and replace my cell. (It was nice of them to do that)

Uterine fibroids (leiomyomas, myomas) are among the most common tumors in women. These growths aren't associated with cancer, and they occur more frequently in black women than in white women. As many as half of all women have fibroids, but most are unaware of them. Your doctor may discover them incidentally during a pelvic exam or prenatal ultrasound. One-third to one-half of women with fibroids develop symptoms, most frequently during their late 30s or 40s.

If you're like most women with fibroids, they aren't causing you any problems. Fibroids that cause no symptoms may require only "watchful waiting" — you and your doctor monitoring your condition through regular pelvic examinations.

Watchful waiting might be a good option if you're nearing menopause. The reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone appear to stimulate fibroid growth. During menopause, your ovaries stop producing these hormones and fibroids shrink.

You may decide to take action if signs and symptoms such as heavy bleeding, pelvic discomfort and pressure on neighboring organs intrude on your life.
Signs and symptoms of troublesome fibroids

* You find yourself planning your work, recreation and travel around your menstrual period.
* You have anemia from chronic blood loss.
* Your enlarged abdomen forces you to discard a substantial part of your wardrobe.
* You take frequent trips to the bathroom to urinate.
* You have backaches or constipation.
* Your sex life suffers because you're exhausted from anemia, feel self-conscious or have pain with intercourse.

Occasionally, fibroids might affect fertility by blocking fallopian tubes or preventing a fertilized egg from implanting in your uterus. If fibroids interfere with conception, you and your doctor might decide to take action.

A generation ago, doctors almost uniformly recommended a hysterectomy — removal of the uterus — for treatment of uterine fibroids. This operation remains the only proven permanent solution for this condition. Nearly 600,000 women have a hysterectomy each year in the United States, and more than one-third of these operations are performed to treat fibroids. But hysterectomy is major surgery. It ends your ability to bear children, and if you have your ovaries removed along with your uterus, you will develop symptoms of menopause and face the question of whether to take hormone therapy.

Today, several other treatments are available to reduce the size of uterine fibroids, relieving the troublesome symptoms for most women. Because fibroids aren't cancerous and usually grow slowly, you have time to gather information before making a decision. Your plans for childbearing, how close you are to menopause and your feelings about surgery may play a role in determining your options.

A normal, nonpregnant uterus is about the size of your fist and resembles an upside-down pear. From its upper end extend the fallopian tubes. Tucked just below each fallopian tube is an ovary. The ovaries are a pair of almond-sized glands that produce eggs and the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. The fallopian tubes capture eggs released from the ovaries, provide a site for sperm to penetrate the egg and guide the fertilized egg into the uterus for implantation.

The uterus tapers into a narrow base called the cervix, which merges with the vagina. The uterus has three layers.
Three layers of the uterus
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Illustration of arterial supply to the uterus Arterial supply to the uterus
Illustration showing uterus, rectum and bladder Relationship of uterus, rectum and bladder

* Serosa. The outermost layer consists of a membrane called the serosa. This thin layer merges with connective tissue (ligaments) that suspends the uterus in your pelvis.
* Myometrium. This middle layer is a thick wall made of smooth muscle cells.
* Endometrium. This layer of cells forms the inner lining, which includes glands with structures called receptors that receive chemical signals. Another name for this lining layer is the mucosa.

The uterus has a rich blood supply. Two uterine arteries provide the primary source. They arise from a branch of the aorta — the main blood vessel of the body — and send branches into the uterus as they run along the sides of the organ. Their branches penetrate the uterine layers, providing oxygen-rich blood to the myometrium and endometrium. The ovarian arteries, which come directly from the aorta, also send branches to the fallopian tubes and to the uterus, where their vessels meet those of the uterine artery.

In front of the uterus is the urinary bladder. Just behind it is the rectum. Ureters, the tubes that carry urine from your kidneys, approach from behind, bypass the uterus on either side, then enter the bladder.

Hearing the words "fibroid tumors" from your doctor could prompt a variety of reactions. The word "tumor" might spark fear of cancer. You might worry that you'll be unable to bear children. On the other hand, you could be relieved to know the reason for your prolonged, heavy menstrual bleeding. If fibroids led to your mother's hysterectomy — surgical removal of the uterus — you might believe that's your destiny, too.

Don't jump to conclusions. Fibroids are noncancerous tumors that grow slowly and usually require no treatment. Even if they cause symptoms, you still have a variety of treatment options.

So take time to gather information about your condition and all the treatments available to you. Discuss your options with your doctor. Consider seeking opinions from doctors in specialties such as obstetrics and gynecology, women's health, and interventional radiology. Talk with other women who have faced fibroids. Gathering several opinions can give you a balanced understanding of your options.

Before you reach a decision, it's important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the various treatments. This guide presents information about several options. You'll watch a Mayo Clinic specialist in obstetrics and gynecology answer frequently asked questions about uterine fibroids, and see a list of questions to go over with your own doctor. You'll read about five women who chose different treatments.

It takes about an hour or more to use this guide. You don't have to do it in one sitting, but review it all before making a decision. That way, you'll be better informed and know what to expect.