Fibroids Awareness Month Pt II

Fibroids Part II

Fibroids are noncancerous growths in the uterus that can range in size from a pea to as large as a melon. Although fibroids are noncancerous, they can affect fertility, surrounding organs, and quality of life. Women typically will develop fibroids between during the reproductive years, with 80% of women affected by the age of 50. For reasons that are not clear, African American women are the ones being affected the most and at earlier ages. Studies have also shown that Black women are 2-3 times more likely to undergo a hysterectomy for non-malignant conditions. My hope with sharing this information is to make women aware of minimally invasive options that will allow them to preserve their fertility and to know they aren’t alone.

Symptoms

Before sharing ways to manage, treat, and recover from fibroid suffering I wanted to share some fibroid symptoms:

• Heavy, long menstruation between or during your periods
• Intense menstrual cramping
• Pelvic and back pain
• Swelling in the pelvic area and stomach
• Constipation
• Frequent urination
• Anemia
• Pain during sex

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, I encourage you to contact your doctor to properly diagnose your symptoms. The most common way to diagnose fibroids is a pelvic exam and ultrasound. My doctor encouraged me to use birth control to stop the heavy and intermittent bleeding I experienced, but if you read my last post you know I wanted to grow our family so birth control wasn’t an option at the time. Most fibroid symptoms can be managed and won’t require surgery. I think it’s also really important to note that most women who have fibroids won’t experience negative fertility or pregnancy issues from their fibroids. If you read my fibroid story from Part I of this series, you know that I successfully delivered two healthy babies despite my fibroids. Though I’m thankful for everything my body has done for me, I have had to find ways to manage my fibroid symptoms. Here are things that’ve helped me over the years:

Symptom Management

• Over the counter pain relief medication (Acetaminophen (Tylenol), Ibuprofen (Advil), and Naproxen (Aleve) **Aleve works best for me
• Heating pad
• Drink water to stay hydrated-cramps are worse when you’re dehydrated
• Lie down and rest if you need to. For back pain lie on your side and pull your knees into your chest to relieve pressure
• Regular exercise to improve overall health, blood flow, and triggers a natural release of endorphins (a “happy” hormone that reduces pain)
• Eat a balanced diet. I found that cutting out red meat, lowering my consumption of chicken, processed foods, and sweets, and adding in more fruits, leafy greens and other veggies really helped me a lot!

Surgery Options

When you aren’t able to manage your symptoms or your fibroids are impacting fertility, surgery may be an option your doctor recommends. Below are two minimally invasive procedure options:

• Myomectomy removes your fibroids but keeps your uterus in place. A surgeon can perform a myomectomy via laparoscopy, or through hysteroscopy and fibroids are removed through your vagina and cervix. The advantage of this fibroid removal surgery is that you can still have children. However, the fibroids can regrow. **Please note that though the following surgery options are considered minimally invasive, I find through reading and listening to women share their experiences, this surgery causes a lot of pain 1-2 weeks following surgery.
• Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) A real-time x-ray called fluoroscopy helps guide the catheter inserted in your upper thigh into the uterine artery that supplies blood to your fibroid. Your doctor will then inject small embolic material into the artery. These particles block the blood flow to your fibroid, causing it to shrink. The injected embolic material remains permanently in the blood vessels at the fibroid site; therefore, the likelihood of the same fibroid returning to its normal size is rare.

Both the myomectomy and UFE come with risks & can’t 100% guarantee you a life free from fibroids. As technology is forever changing, be sure to do your own research, and get a second opionion before choosing the right option for you. Check out UCLA Health’s website to read about more ways to treat fibroids.

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