♀️National Women’s Health Month: Let’s Talk Fibroids
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May is National Women’s Health Month, and marks a very special health milestone for me. On May 3, 2024, I had a Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) procedure to rid myself of fibroids. This was a minimally invasive procedure that became the best health decision I’ve ever made. It saved me from a hysterectomy and completely changed how I feel in my body. Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that grow in or on the uterus. They’re actually pretty common, especially among Black women. They can often go undetected if symptoms aren’t obvious. (We'll circle back to this later.) Some women experience heavy bleeding, pain, frequent urination, or bloating. Others, like me, have none of those signs. (👈🏾the "later" I was speaking of) So how did I even find out I had fibroids? As mentioned, I didn’t have the "typical" symptoms. No heavy bleeding, no severe pain, nothing alarming. But my iron levels were dangerously low, and during a long-overdue OB/GYN visit, my doctor immediately noticed them (from pressing in my stomach area) and suggested an ultrasound to see the damage. That turned into an MRI, and next thing I knew, I was being told I had over 15 fibroids with the largest measuring 9 inches. That's a grapefruit! I was shocked. Fibroids had never even come up at any of my previous appointments. But the deeper I dug, the more I realized: this wasn’t rare. It was just rarely talked about. After doing my own research (like I always do), UFE stood out the most for me. No surgical removal, no uterus taken out, no massive scar. It’s performed by inserting a tiny catheter (mine went through my wrist) to block blood flow to the fibroids, which causes them to die off and shrink. (The scar on my wrist is so small that I couldn't locate it if you paid me. Yes, it's that small.) And Lord knows I didn’t want to be laid up for months. Not to mention, because of the placement of my fibroids, I'd have to endure a vertical cut. Absolutely not! I had already been through a C-section. I wasn’t getting cut again unless it was life or death. The recovery was manageable, but no walk in the park. I took 4 weeks off work (should’ve taken 6 in hindsight). I had pain the first week, but stayed on schedule with my meds. I was exhausted and my first two periods after the procedure took me out. But after that, no more anemia, no more sugar cravings, no more unexplained exhaustion, no more huge belly (still working on that, but it’s not the fibroids😂), and no new fibroids. 🙌🏾 A success in my eyes. There's a lot more I could share about my experience, but I'd be here all day. One of the biggest lessons I learned in all this is: We suffer in silence too often. When I finally asked around, several women in my family had fibroids too, but no one had ever brought it up. So I’m sharing now, hoping it helps someone else. Here’s what I suggest if you’re navigating fibroids or just want to be proactive with your health: 🩸 Ask your doctor about low iron and what it might signal 🧠 Start your own research (especially if you want less invasive options) 🤝 Join a support group — this UFE Facebook group helped me feel supported and informed 📆 Don't skip those annuals! (even if everything “feels fine”) Every woman’s situation is different, but knowing your options is half the battle. So ask questions. Talk to your family. And please don’t ignore your body. Here’s to more awareness, more health, and more healing. Happy National Women’s Health Month 💗 With love, Ingrid |