Tomorrow is Friday, March 8th. Also celebrated asInternational Women’s Day, a day that marks the significant contributions of women over the years. As we reflect on historical figures and accomplishments that make us proud women and set milestones for a prosperous future, health is one of the most important factors when it comes to achieving success in all aspects of life.
In my Rose & Thorns of 2018, I declared that “2019 will be the year to get my health right.” It’s now time for some real girl talk and share the details of 2018’s thorn. This past week I have been recovering from laparoscopic surgery to remove a uterine fibroid tumor. After having lunch with my girlfriend, Amy, the week before surgery, she reminded me that I could take this experience to educate and help other women. I came across this post on Instagram recently, and it gave me another shove to share.
What are fibroids?
I’ll turn to the medical experts from the Mayo Clinic to explain uterine fibroids. Fibroid tumors are the most common and benign growths of the female reproductive tract. They appear on the muscular wall of the uterus and range in size from microscopic to masses that fill the entire abdominal cavity. They can affect women of all ages, but women of childbearing age are at a higher risk for developing fibroids. In most cases, there is more than one fibroid in the uterus consisting of dense fibrous tissue, being nourished and sustained by the uterine arteries.
In women who have symptoms, the most common symptoms of uterine fibroids include:
- Heavy or excessive menstrual bleeding
- Prolonged menstrual periods—seven days or more of bleeding
- Pelvic pressure or pain
- Frequent urination
- Difficulty emptying your bladder
- Constipation
- Backache or leg pain
My Experience
My fibroid was discovered during the pelvic exam portion of my annual women’s wellness visit to the Ob/Gyn in October 2018. I was immediately sent to ultrasound to confirm these suspicions. After the results were reviewed, the office called a few days later to follow-up with my OB/Gyn to consult on next steps. Her next available appointment was nearly a month later! I went ahead and made appointment to speak to fibroid specialist in the practice a few weeks later.
My appointment with the surgeon brought up so many questions that I hadn’t honestly previously considered.
- Do I want to have kids? 🤷
- Do I want to have them within a year post-surgery? 🤔
- Did these fibroids flare up because I quit the pill a year ago? ♀️
- If I have a propensity to produce fibroids, how will I prevent them after surgery?
The surgeon reviewed the ultrasound with me and confirmed that it was a monster sized fibroid that could fill up half of a 2L bottle. We discussed treatment options – both surgical and non-surgical and we set forth a plan to schedule a biopsy in the beginning of the New Year and then decide on a final plan. My biopsy came back clear of cancer! Phew. But then came the baby talk and treatment options to consider. I was starting to feel like my uterus was trying to boss me around. I could go through with surgery and undergo a myomectomy to remove the fibroids while still preserving my uterus and the chance to have children. Or if I didn’t plan on having kids and understand that my body produces these fibroids, I could have a hysterectomy and never have to face this issue again. Remember when Lena Dunham shared her hysterectomy story at 31 years old? The surgeon explained to me that given the size and position of my fibroids, that were compromising my other organs so I may start noticing problems with my colon and body functions. I set a date for surgery – February 27th. It was after the Austin Half Marathon weekend and far enough away from Jenna + Sam’s wedding in St. Croix to be fully recovered.
I honestly wasn’t even convinced I needed surgery until I started experiencing symptoms that were as a result of the fibroids. I was one of the few that had no complaints at my annual visit to the gyno when this all came to light. I experienced normal periods throughout my transition off of the pill. Now that I think about it, I did have a little belly bulge that I simply blamed on diet since it obviously wasn’t responding to my 4-6x a week workouts – spinning, kickboxing, or running. I also blamed any frequent urination on the 2-3 liters of water a day. But then in a 3 week time span, I ended up in the ER twice for treatment of urinary retention. What a nightmare. By the second trip to the ER, I was ultimately convinced that my fibroids had to be to blame and wanted nothing more than to have surgery ASAP. Although both the ER doctors, gyno, and urologist couldn’t give me a cause for this condition nor would they confirm my suspicions, I did find PubMed evidence that it was a possibility. This setback also made me ultimately decide not to run the Austin Half 😥but I went as a last hoorah before surgery and to be an athletic supporter for my running buddies!
My laparoscopic procedure was 3-hours long and required an overnight hospital stay. I started walking upon hours in my hospital room and proved to be on the mend rather quickly with minimal pain. I am so grateful for all of love received from friends and family. My biggest objective now is ensuring to fully recover and take the necessary measures to hopefully minimize the growth of new fibroids. More on that on future posts, I’m currently reading Dr. Jolene Brighten’s Beyond the Pill: A 30-Day Program to Balance Your Hormones, Reclaim Your Body, and Reverse the Dangerous Side Effects of the Birth Control Pill. Thanks for joining me on this journey and I hope you’ve gained some knowledge. Cheers to putting your best self forward this year.
