Uterine Fibroids: My Personal Journey
After opening up about my fibroid journey publicly on Facebook I then realized how many women who were currently experiencing fibroid complications or who have experienced complications in the past.
Mena, what are fibroids?
According to the Office of Women’s Health, uterine fibroids are noncancerous muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus. Healthline stated that 80% of women experience fibroids in their lifetime but only 20-50% have symptoms. Some fibroids are as tiny as an apple seed while others can grow to the size of a grapefruit. Some of the symptoms include heavy periods, periods lasting longer than a week, pelvic pain and pressure, frequent urination, and constipation.
How did you know that you had fibroids?
I learned that I had fibroids after my mom convinced me to go to urgent care. At that time I didn’t have a major medical health insurance plan. The only insurance I had was accidental insurance which strictly covered accidents such as, car accidents, slip and falls, etc. Preventative care like check-ups, urgent care, ER, or seeing a medical specialist were not covered. So let's just say I was trying to find every excuse NOT to go to urgent care. But having a mom who is a nurse is a gift and a curse. It’s a gift when I can ask her all of the medical questions but it’s a curse when she runs down the list of reasons for why I need to check myself into urgent care. After talking to my mom you would have thought I was going to be rushed to surgery or worse DIE. Okay I’m exaggerating but still you get the point.
February of 2020 right before COVID-19 I was out with my friend and I could feel the pain developing in my abdomen with every single step. I wasn’t new to this pain. I was already feeling symptoms over the past year but it wasn’t as often. I shrugged off the pain because it wasn’t that painful, just annoying and at that time the pain wasn’t as frequent. At that time it just flet like cramps but that particular night the pain lasted longer than usual. The only comfort I felt was being hunched over because standing straight up was unbearable.
My mom convinced me to go to urgent care because she thought it was my appendicitis.
So I checked myself into TAUC-Urgent Care ( hands down the best urgent care ). I refuse to go anywhere else. I received quality care when I was self pay and when I had insurance. I’ve never had a bad experience. The doctor ordered me for an X-ray and I politely asked why because I always thought they were strictly for bones. I was wrong. So after my X-ray the nurse came back in and pretty much said follow up with your doctor. Everything looked fine and then he mentioned fibroids. I said, fibroids with a puzzled look. I knew I had fibrous tissue in my breast but I didn’t know they were in my uterus. He said, “You didn’t know you had them.” Me, “MMmmmm no.” After that it all started to make sense. I remember my granny and my aunts having to have a hysterectomy but I never put two and two together. On top of that my momma doesn’t have fibroids so I never even thought I had them.
I was released from the urgent care with a $918 medical bill and Tramadol which is a pain killer that did absolutely nothing for my pain. Nothing helped the pain other than laying down and just waiting for the pain to go away. The doctor told me that I needed to go see my primary doctor or OBGYN so I could receive an ultrasound. Well guess what, I didn’t because I didn’t have health insurance. So what did I do? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! That was my mistake. I should have tapped more into lifestyle changes and other non-invasive solutions. I don’t know why I didn't, especially since my entire Bachelors and Masters Degree revolves around health. This is a case of me knowing better but not doing better.
Let me also say, no I do not know if lifestyle changes would have made a difference. However, I do know many health complications that we as humans experience stem from diet and lifestyle. I do not deny that not one bit. My diet and lifestyle isn’t the worst but there is absolutely room for improvement. Recently I started to notice how my fibroids will begin to throb when I’m under a lot of stress. I also started paying attention to what I eat and how it affects my fibroids. If I drink something high in sugar it’s almost instant pain. I don’t recall this happening in the past but I do understand that the fibroids are larger so that could play a part.
Fibroid Uterus Treatment?
As time progresses I have noticed that I am experiencing more and more symptoms and the pain is now a few times a month versus once every few months. Most of my discomfort comes from bulk pain which is what my surgeon describes as the pain of having larger fibroids. This year I recently started to notice the feeling of pressure on my bladder. After the MRI my surgeon pretty much confirmed that the second largest fibroid was pressing against my bladder.
It’s been one painful and frustrating journey but I am grateful to be able to have the fibroids removed with the myomectomy; however, I will be incorporating some lifestyle changes on my road to surgery and of course after. If you are feeding your body with the proper vitamins, minerals, and protein it will decrease your chance of infection and speed up the recovery time. As I write this blog I took a tape measure and wrapped it around the back to my belly button and it came to be 29 inches. I’m curious to know what my belly measurements will be before and after surgery. My goal is to work out 2-3 times a week for 45-60 minutes and decrease the amount of processed food and sugar. I will keep you posted on my progress leading up to surgery.