F Bomb

Now the problem has hit my door step….the F Bomb. Are you wondering did my little one repeat a bad word that she has heard from an adult? The answer is no. I am not writing about foul language, truth be told my husband and I are not regular swearers so it would really be something to write about if my daughter dropped the F Bomb especially at this age.

This F Bomb is fibroids. I never heard of fibroids until I was an adult. This is not necessarily dinner table conversation nor is it mentioned with the birds and bees. One of my younger sisters had fibroids and need which caused her to miscarry. I heard exactly what she told me over the phone but still had no idea about fibroids. At this point they were not affecting me so……out of sight out of mind. Then as time went on, more and more of my girlfriends were dealing with the issue of fibroids.

After doing a little research here is what I found out:

Fibroids are muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus the medical term for fibroids is leiomyoma. Fibroids are almost always benign, not cancerous.

Most fibroids grow in the wall of the uterus. Fibroids can grow as a single tumor, or there can be many of them in the uterus. They can be as small as an apple seed or as big as a grapefruit. In unusual cases they can become very large. Fibroids grow in the following areas:

• Submucosal; uterine cavity.
• intramural; wall of the uterus.
• Subserosal;outside of the uterus
• Pedunculated; grow on stalks that grow out from the surface of the uterus or into the cavity of the uterus.

African American women are more likely to get fibroids. Women who consume a lot of red meat and ham increase their risk, green leafy foods can decrease your risk.

At this point there is still not a known cause for fibroids but there are some suggested ideas.

While in recovery immediately after my c-section the RN presses on your uterus to make sure it is returning it’s normal size. While pressing on my uterus she mentions she can feel my fibroids. FIBROIDS….eeeerrr (screetching) what fibroids? Me in the drug induced comatose state replied, I do not have fibroids, her reply was uugh yeah you do. Shocked and amazed I was able to ignore the issue at the time and honestly hoping they would diminish after my uterus returns to its normal size. Why hadn’t my OB/GYN ever told me? I mean at this point we have been very close for the past 9 months and for the last month or so had been getting to know me very well every week. At the time the fibroids was not my main concern I had just birth a daughter that needs all my time and energy.

As time goes on Fibroids continues to make themselves more prevelant in my life. Now some of my good girlfriends and family were/are now battling fibroids for fertility and some of them were battling stubborn fibroids that had the nerve to come back after being removed. Most of the my girlfriends only option was surgical extraction in order to conceive. As I am finding out that about my sisters/girlfriends issues I start to worry about my fibroids more and more.

Sure enough at my annual I find out that my uterus is the size of a woman that is preggers. Have you already guessed the cause? Yep! Fibroids! What do I do now? Am I able to conceive? Will I need surgery? If I have surgery will they return? Is there an alternative to surgery? Will fibroid extraction leave me sterile? Did the extra estrogen from nursing from 9 months cause them to grow?….also I have not eaten red meat or pork since college, but I love green leafy foods, that darn estrogen!