her older female friends for support.
“There was no Google. My mom would say ‘It’s nothing. It will be over soon.’ She downplayed it but she downplays anything that is kind of uncomfortable,” she adds. “I got more helpful information from girlfriends than my own doctors,” she says. “As soon as you mention it to someone going through it, it’s the topic of conversation.”
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A new beginning
Although Johnson wasn’t prepared for menopause, she considers it a chapter that marked “a whole new beginning” because it allowed her to value her health in a new way. She’s also glad she’s able to spark conversation and hopefully encourage more Black women to advocate for themselves.
“We don’t know why African American women have an increased risk of fibroids and all the complications that come from that, and so for my African American sisters, it’s important to share information about our experience,” she says. “For all women, we’ve learned to advocate for ourselves. To ask your doctor. We have the power to say ‘I don’t understand.’ Something I didn’t do when I had the hysterectomy.”
She’s even been able to see progress with her daughter Anansa Sims’ birth. “When she was giving birth, because of the baby’s heart rate they told her, they’re going to use suction to help take the baby out,” Johnson recalls in her PEOPLE interview. “And she said ‘Excuse me, you’re going to have to explain that to me.’ And she was stopping the whole process to make sure she understood. It’s a different world now.”
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“Advocating for ourselves, not only in health care, but in every part of your life, that’s a beautiful thing,” Johnson says.
The link between hysterectomies and menopause
It is important to know that a hysterectomy isn’t always necessary. The best treatment for fibroids is typically based on your age, the size and location of your fibroids and whether or not you want children. However, sometimes a hysterectomy is needed to save your life, and restore your health and quality of life.
Depending on your condition, your doctor will determine which type of hysterectomy is right for you:
- Total Hysterectomy — Removal of your uterus and your cervix, but not your ovaries. This is the most common type of hysterectomy.
- Hysterectomy with Oophorectomy — Removal of your uterus, and one or both of your ovaries.
- Hysterectomy with Salpingo-Oophorectomy — Removal of your uterus, one or both of your ovaries, and your fallopian tubes.
- Radical Hysterectomy — Removal of your uterus, cervix, the top portion of your vagina, most of the tissue that surrounds the cervix, and sometimes the pelvic lymph nodes.
- Supracervical Hysterectomy — Removal of your uterus, but not your cervix.
Getting a surgical removal of your ovaries, which produce estrogen, will cause you to go into menopause immediately. However, if your ovaries were not removed during a hysterectomy, you may temporarily experience hot flashes (medically known as vasomotor symptoms) and other menopausal symptoms, which will lessen as you heal.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to choosing the best method of treatment for fibroids, so remember to take your time and choose the option that is best for your health and meets where you are currently in your life. Your doctor is an extra source of support that can help you make an informed decision.