My goal here is to share my story about living with fibroids, and how my own journey evolved through to treatment. I would like women to be more aware of these health issues which, unfortunately, are quite common. This post is not intended to suggest which treatment or solution is best for you. You should consult with your doctor before seeking treatment options for your specific case.

July is fibroid awareness month and I want to share my experience with uterine fibroids. Sharing a personal health struggle is not easy and one I wish I never had to. But here I am sharing my personal experience with something I had never even heard about. So this is my journey of uterine fibroids. Before I begin I would like to share a little bit information on what uterine fibroids are (you can also easily google ‘uterine fibroids’ for more information)

What are fibroids: Uterine fibroids, also known as leiomyomas (lie-o-my-O-muhs) or myomas, are abnormal muscular tumors, often non cancerous, that can grow in or on the uterus. A woman can have one or multiple fibroids and they can range in size from very small to as big as a melon. Depending on the size and location on the uterus they can be asymptomatic or can cause symptoms like heavy painful bleeding periods, constipation, frequent urination, weight gain, fullness in the abdomen and lower back pain. About 50-80% of women develop fibroids by the age of 50. They are diagnosed by doing an ultrasound or by pelvic MRI. 

When and how I found out about my fibroids: I was diagnosed with fibroids at age 36. At that time I had one or two small ones and since they didn’t bother me I was told not to worry and leave them alone. So I did not research or overly concern myself with them.

Six years later, at age 42, I felt a big lump in my lower abdomen. I thought it was something to do with the bladder and, since I had recently moved back to the US, I thought I would just wait for my annual check-up. At the check-up, my primary care doctor examined my abdomen and immediately suggested I get an ultrasound of the abdomen and pelvis. The ultrasound showed that I had multiple big fibroids with the largest one measuring 6 cm. She then referred me to see a gynecologist to understand the best course of action to take. 

Recommended procedure: My gynecologist suggested that I do a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) since I was done with childbirth and still had a few more years before menopause. The main symptoms I was experiencing were a growing belly volume and anemia (low iron levels), and I didn’t have heavy menstrual bleeding or any other symptoms. My immediate reaction was that I was not keen on removing an organ (my uterus) as my symptoms were not severe or painful, so I told her I would like to wait and see how things go. 

Treatments/protocols I tried: 

I sought multiple medical opinions but they all recommended the hysterectomy procedure. But as I was not having any painful symptoms I decided to try some natural approaches first in the hopes of shrinking the fibroids. After extensive research, I tried modalities like Chinese medicine, proteolytic enzyme therapy, homeopathy, and approaches to re-balancing my sex hormones through diet and supplements. During this period I also connected with a couple of facebook groups where women of various backgrounds around the world shared their struggles with fibroids. Being a part of these groups helped me feel less isolated and also taught me about less invasive procedures that were available for shrinking fibroids.

Some of the procedures I sought consultations for were Acessa (laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation) and Uterine Artery Embolization (blocking off arteries that feed the fibroids). Due to the size of my fibroids at the time of such consultations I was not a good candidate for either of the procedures. Perhaps if I had tried a few years earlier I could have been more successful with these non-invasive approaches and retained my uterus. Over the next 2 years my fibroids just continued to grow even larger until I had no other option left than hysterectomy.

My Final solution/action :

As I mentioned above I did not experience any physical symptoms from the fibroids, but it did take a huge toll on my emotional health. I became ever conscious of them that each day I kept looking for a solution. In addition I was constantly tired due to being anemic and I was spending my days feeling lethargic. I still had about 6-8 years till menopause after which there was a chance of some shrinking, but even that was not guaranteed. Having something grow inside me was worrisome as there was risk of harming other organs and causing other health issues. So after further research I finally decided to undergo hysterectomy (removal of uterus without removing ovaries). My ovaries were in good condition and therefore it was important to retain them as this would prevent surgically-induced menopause.

After the surgery, my uterus and the fibroids were tested for cancer and there were no issues. I was, however, told that I had an additional condition called ‘ Adenomyosis’, which is when the inner lining of the uterus grows into the muscular walls of the uterus. It turns out that the treatment for adenomyosis is hysterectomy. So I needed the surgery anyway.

The takeaway of my story:

Hysterectomy was a major surgery which took me around 3 months to recover completely. It’s now been 5 months since my surgery and my energy is back to normal. Even though all that emotional pressure has been lifted I am trying to do my best to take care of my health; eating a balanced healthy diet, incorporating daily movement, supplementing with quality nutrients, utilizing the benefits of sleep and self care.

It might seem that all my efforts of approaching this situation with natural and non-surgical options were useless as I ended up having to do a hysterectomy.  Perhaps if I had tried such options when the fibroids were smaller, I might have had better success. Hence, my advice to other women is not to ignore fibroids, or for that matter anything else in your body that is not quite right.

The cause of fibroids is still not fully known but it is thought that estrogen dominance (hormonal imbalance), being overweight and vitamin D deficiency could be some contributing factors.

Since fibroids are so common in women it is my hope that my experience has given you some insight and awareness into this condition and I hope you will seek prevention and necessary health assistance in a more timely manner than I did.

Please feel free to contact me or comment below if you have any questions related to this. Also don’t forget to share this post with anyone you feel might benefit.