Fibroids Stories
Fibroids Experience : 6 Facts
Knowing the experiences of other women with fibroid tumors would have helped me navigate my own path.
I have known a number of women who have dealt with the issue, but this was not the case when I was undergoing the removal process.
How to correctly identify fibroids.
I had to consult three physicians before finding someone who knew what was going on.
I was living in Western Massachusetts at the time and it was only the third doctor I encountered that had experience with fibroids and thus knew what was going on.
Women should have complete trust in their bodies and experiences. If you suspect something is amiss, it is likely so. Obtain a second and a third opinion.
Not all experiences of living with fibroids or removal procedures are identical. Aside from my expanding stomach, I was pain-free up until a month before surgery.
The recuperation process was more complicated and took longer than expected. They said 2 weeks, it took 6 months
Getting a second and third opinion.
I wish I had realized early that bad cramps should be looked into and periods with big chunks of blood clots were not normal.
I wish I had taken more serious the possibility that I may have fibroids too since my mother had them.
That there is nothing benign about tumors growing in the ovaries.
Fibroids are most common in women aged 30 to 40 but can occur at any age.
Fibroids occur in black women at a rate 3x higher than in white women and usually with more severe symptoms.
Fibroids can be removed but sometimes they grow back.
Red degeneration pain from fibroids is a beast!
Taking the fibroids out was not an option for me at the time they caused the greatest pain as I was pregnant.
I was told to expect the pain to continue as it could not be operated on until after the delivery.
Knowing what to expect was the best thing anyone could do for me. Learning what other women in similar conditions went through helped alot.
The cause.
To catch it on time. To be part of routine yearly exam.
Knowledge/ awareness of the condition and how it affects a woman’s life/child bearing options.
To know that one can still have a child with fibroids.
Also, that fibroids will shrink at menopause, that was my experience.