Fibroids are painful and can cause a host of health challenges for the women that are living with them, but what happens when they are literally weighing you down? That was the case for Erica Chidi, founder of women’s health platform LOOM and co-host of the Goop podcast, who recently opened up about having 23 fibroids in her uterus, which were equivalent to the weight of a second-trimester pregnancy, removed.
Chidi, a 35-year-old doula, began experiencing persistent bloating, cramps, heavy menstrual bleeding, and exhaustion around six years ago.
Despite being up-to-date on her yearly checkups, her doctor suggested that she receive a transvaginal ultrasound after she pointed to a large, hard lump in her stomach.
A transvaginal ultrasound is as an imaging procedure used to look at the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and the bladder, according to the National Cancer Institute.
You May Also Like
RELATED: Why Are Black Women Twice as Likely To Get a Hysterectomy?
The road to finding the right treatment
The ultrasound found 10 uterine fibroids, with the largest being the size of a grapefruit.
“I was really shocked by how many were found. My uterus was stretched to about 10 weeks of pregnancy … which is why I was having so much bloating and also explaining the bleeding,” Chidi said in a “Good Morning America” interview.
In 2019, Chidi underwent an endometrial ablation, a minimally invasive procedure designed to treat heavy menstrual bleeding.
She was able to find some relief after the procedure, however, her symptoms returned two years later.
You May Also Like
This time doctors found 23 fibroids, which according to GMA is the equivalent of a 6-month pregnancy.
Due to the fibroid growth, Chidi opted for a myomectomy (a surgical procedure that removes uterine fibroids without removing the uterus), according to the Mayo Clinic.
Chidi successfully underwent the three-hour procedure in April and is feeling better than she has in years. Since her surgery, Chidi has had more
