I am not sexually active, and am in perimenopause but have always has regular periods, not particularly painful or unusually heavy. This month, I did not get my period, but my abdomen near my left ovary is swollen and tender, and I've felt a constant pressure pain on that side along with pain in my lower back and sciatica so I went to the doctor. she ordered a transvaginal sonogram which indicates a fibroid in my uterus. they did not tell me its size, and referred me to a gynecologist for treatment. My question is this - how big must it be to cause symptoms like I have, and how long would it take to get that way? I had a pelvic exam and pap smear 16 months ago which was all normal. wouldn't the doctor have felt something unusual in my uterus then? How large does it need to be to be felt during a pelvic exam?