I’ve thought about posting about fibroids for a while, but never wanted to talk about it publicly. Just push through, that’s what I do. However, I’m ready now, mostly in hopes that my story can help someone else.
Pause. There is a very graphic photo of my fibroids towards the end of this post. If that’s not your cup of tea, stop sipping.
Soooo, here’s a not so summarized “summary” of what went down.
March 2019
Okay, so boom. In March 2019, I started feeling like the bottom portion of my stomach was super hard and while I had visible abs (ya girl lived in the gym), it still felt bulgy. Something just didn’t feel right. First thought…Am I pregnant? Pregnancy test said no (whew), but ya know I thought I may be in the 1% not covered in that 99% accuracy rate so I went to the doctor. An ultrasound showed I had an 11 cm fibroid (now known as JoJo). My OB said if the fibroid is not disrupting my life (heavy periods, pain, etc), don’t take the risks of getting it removed and that we would just keep an eye on it. In hindsight…terrible advice (rolls eyes at my now former OB), but anyway, aside from my stomach feeling hard and the bulge it created, making me look pregnant sometimes, I was basically asymptomatic, so I pressed on.
September 2020
Fast forward to September 2020: JoJo is now acting out! You hear me? Sis was acting a d@mn fool! I was always exhausted, and by always, I mean All. Of. The. Time. I could no longer lay on my stomach, walking for more than 10 minutes at a moderate pace had me winded, taking the stairs to my bedroom was a chore, and bending over, even to tie my shoe, was a whole job. Oh, and the best part was my period would last 14-20 days most months (thee worst). See more of my “fun” symptoms in my Now What post.
October 2020
By now, I have moved from WA to TN. My new OB told me JoJo is now too large to even measure in an regular ultrasound (yikes) so she recommended I see a fertility specialist. Fertility Specialist??? Now, I’m really worried cause this sounds like kids may be off the table, but I followed her advice.
The specialist ordered a MRI for my abdominal and pelvic regions. Lissen mane, this MRI was one the most uncomfortable things I’ve ever experienced, as it pressed firmly on JoJo the entire 90 minutes. It severely disrupted my breathing pattern and resulted in terrible imaging. So yes, it was all for nothing. A few weeks later, I had to get CT scans to determine JoJo’s size and location. The scans estimated JoJo’s size to be about 24 cm. Oh and guess what else?! JoJo had at least one lil friend in there with her. To put things in perspective, on average, a “normal” fibroid grows about 1-2 cm/year, mine had more than doubled in size in 18 months (whew chillay).
December 2020
Welp, after waiting nearly 3 months to receive clearance, I started Lupron, a monthly injection which had a horrible reputation for severe side effects, including crazy abdominal pain, mood changes and hot flashes (hello temporary menopause). The hope was that the Lupron would shrink JoJo enough so that I could possibly have a few less invasive options on the table. Many people avoid Lupon because they do not think the side effects are worth the slim chance of it actually working, but I was willing to try anything to not get a large invasive incision. In hindsight, my personal review of Lupron: Do Not Recommend. Zero Stars! My fibroid did not shrink (like at all) and those hot flashes were a beast. I legit carried a mobile fan every where I went.
March 2021
So here we are, March 2021, and my only option is an open myomectomy. I was tired of feeling how I felt, so I was ready to get it done. Before surgery, my doctor made it clear that once he got in there, he would do all he could to keep me poised as a baby making machine. However, there was a possibility of an unscheduled hysterectomy. Due to JoJo’s extra-large size, I went into surgery expecting to have a large vertical cut from my breast plate to my pelvic bone (eeek), but see God had different plans.
When I opened my eyes post-op, I was told they removed JoJo and three of her lil homies. But here’s where God said Surprise! JoJo was pedunculated, meaning instead of being in my uterine wall it was attached to it by a stalk-like growth, or a peduncle. This allowed them to do a much smaller incision than planned. Instead of from the breastplate down, they were able to remove JoJo with an incision starting underneath my belly button. Do you know how this blessing changed the entire trajectory of my recovery? Whew, wont He do it?!
Today and Everyday
JoJo was indeed 24 cm and 6.7 lbs! Yall, JoJo was a whole baby. As a matter of fact, my baby boy didn’t weigh this much at birth. God said trust me. He said, despite how you feel, trust me. In the midst of being bent over in pain, trust me. When doctors tell you birthing a baby may not be in the cards for you, trust me. When you’re bleeding three weeks a month, trust me.
I decided to share this because you never know who’s suffering in silence and I’m tired of being quiet. 1 in 3 women will develop fibroids in their lifetime but fibroids are 3 times more common in African American women (we’ll get into this in a future post).
Now I’m a Preacher’s Kid (PK) and if you know God like I know God, then know that test and testimonies usually go hand and hand. We’ve talked about the test, let’s celebrate the testimony. Less than one year post op, God blessed us with Winston, a healthy, beautiful baby boy. He reminded me that He is God and God alone and grateful I will forever be. Amen? Amen!
PS. I could not end this without shouting out my amazing home nurse and hubby who never left my side (even when Lupron had me lashing out at him for no reason at all). Thanks babe! I Love You!
That’s it. That’s All Yall.
J. Bai
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