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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – About 80% of women are expected to develop fibroids – and sometimes they will never know because they have no symptoms. For those with symptoms, it can really turn their lives upside down.
For several months, I have been sharing snippets of my fibroid journey on social networks. As a multicultural News 8 reporter, several viewers have contacted me through messages and emails, also sharing their experiences and concerns. So while preparing for the surgery, I started a series of video blogs to keep track of the trip.
I have been telling other people’s stories for 10 years. For the first time, I tell mine. I am one of about 80% of women who develop fibroids. Black women are most at risk for serious symptoms.
I found out I had a fibroid about 10 years ago, but doctors never paid attention to it. And as my menstrual cycles got heavier and more painful, I attributed it to a sign of being female and getting older, not realizing that frequent urination and anemia were all related to the monsters that were pushing her to death. inside.
I finally spoke about my experience with a friend and found out that there were treatment options. Forced to defend myself, it took me a while to find a doctor to really listen to me.
I found one and ultimately went for a robotic myomectomy, where the doctors made small incisions with robot arms to remove my eight fibroids. A fibroid ended up being 10cm bigger than expected – it’s about the size of a grapefruit. And the doctor found a few more.
It is still not clear why fibroids develop, but doctors do know that heredity is often to blame. My father’s sister, Mechelle Butler, discovered one in her womb in 1978 after giving birth to my oldest cousin.
Fast forward to 1995 – she had her first surgery. But from there until 2003, the pain and excessive bleeding returned more than ever. They had returned – about a dozen of them – forcing an emergency full hysterectomy.
She’s better now. As for me, I’m getting there.
My mother also had fibroids. But her experience was not so bad, as they started causing problems right before menopause, and fibroids can shrink during this time.
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