energy and less bloating and heaviness inside her body. She is expected to make a full recovery in six months.
“My surgery was life-affirming,” Chidi wrote an on Instagram post acknowledging that she had body dysmorphia before her myomectomy. “It’s given me the chance to befriend my body again and slowly work towards replacing feelings of harshness with gentleness.”
“The place that I was before I had the surgery had become my normal so I thought that’s how I was supposed to feel every day,” she told GMA. “It’s been really incredible to just slowly be reintroduced back to what my true baseline is.”
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Black women and fibroids
As many as 80% of women develop fibroids by the time they reach age 50, and Black women are more likely to develop fibroids than white women, according to the Office on Women’s Health at the U.S. Health Department
After learning this, Chidi wanted to share her story to shed more light on how common fibroids are in Black women. It is her hope that more Black women will listen to their bodies and self-advocate for themselves by asking for the testing and imaging they need if there is concern for uterine fibroids.
“The sooner that you can bring it to the table the better, in the sense that there are things that can be done sometimes to help fibroids when they are really small,” she says. “By the time I found mine, they were really large and surgery was going to be the only intervention that could help.”
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Think you have fibroids?
Think you have fibroids but are uncertain?
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Here are the symptoms you should watch out for:
- heavy bleeding between or during your periods that includes blood clots
- pain in the pelvis or lower back
- increased menstrual cramping
- increased urination
- pain during intercourse
- menstruation that lasts longer than usual
- pressure or fullness in your lower abdomen
- swelling or enlargement of the abdomen
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your gynecologist to get a pelvic exam. This test can help determine the condition, size, and shape of your uterus. You may also need a ultrasound or pelvic MRI.
If you do have fibroids, your doctor will be able to help you find the best treatment plan depending on your age, the size of your fibroids, and your overall health.
However, this doesn’t mean that you have to take what your doctor recommends at face value if you aren’t happy with the options he or she provides.
“There are more options today than ever before,” Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News chief medical correspondent and a board-certified OB-GYN says. “When women go for their treatment options, they need to ask about all options, not just the one that surgeon can do himself or herself.”
The good news is that treatment options for fibroids have greatly improved. With the right treatments/medications and lifestyle changes, you can live comfortably with fibroids and, in most cases, preserve your uterus if you wish to have children.
