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.
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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.
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 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.”
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?
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.