My Experience with Fibroids

During our journey to conception, we visited MANY fertility clinics and it was not until a few years ago that I was told of me having fibroids. It seemed as if the house of cards were stacking higher and higher BUT my faith was growing stronger and stronger and as a result, I was able to speak boldly and with such confidence against the suggested outcome of needing fertility treatments to conceive.

Did you know? Fibroids affect African American women at a higher rate than any other race/ethnicity. Although the exact cause of fibroid growth is unknown, we know that fibroids are influenced by estrogen. In my case, I would later be diagnosed with a combination of both subserosal and intramural* fibroids with varying sizes. For context purposes, I have shown fibroid classifications below:

• Small Fibroids can be less than 1 cm to 5 cm, the size of a seed to a cherry.

• Medium Fibroids range from 5 cm to 10 cm, the size of a plum to an orange.

• Large Fibroids can be 10 cm or more, ranging from the size of a grapefruit to a watermelon.

I had my fibroids removed and the recovery time was that of any typical procedure requiring anesthesia and I was out of work for about 8 weeks. During my research, I identified that hormones play a major role in fibroid growth and once removed there is no guarantee that they will not come back! Eating a balanced diet, routine exercise and drinking PLENTY of water seemed to keep the fibroids at bay for me. I encourage you to routinely get your pap-smear and speak with your Physician about the best treatment option for you.

When you have a moment, read this powerful article “Fibroids Are 3x More Likely to Affect Black Women, and Research Funding is Low by Teneile Gibson published March 15, 2021

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/health/fibroids-are-3x-more-likely-to-affect-black-women-and-research-funding-is-low/2493910/

#womenshealth #girlpower #yourock

*see post from 3/20/21 for further elaboration