Prevention
• Feeling of fullness in the lower stom- ach area
• Enlargement of the lower abdomen • Passing urine often • Pain during sex • Lower back pain • Constipation • Complications during pregnancy and labor
• Reproductive problems, such as infer- tility, which is very rare
Prevention There are no real proven measures, but health professionals concur with the following preventive guidelines to reduce risk: • Regular, daily exercise including strength training to maintain hor- monal balance
• Eating more cruciferous vegetables • Decrease dairy products • Increase fiber consumption through fruits, nuts and vegetables
• Increase consumption of water • Eliminate or drastically reduce red meat from your diet
• Lose weight if you are overweight/ obese
• Consult with your medical provider annually or as needed
Treatment In the event that one’s fibroids have grown exponentially or the bleeding is too much to handle, there is an ever burgeoning list of treatments options. It is also important to note that the recur- rence rate is especially high. Some of the options include:
• Medications- oral contraceptives or Gn-RH agonists such as Lupron
• Noninvasive procedures- MRI focused ultrasound surgery (FUS)
• Minimally Invasive procedures- Uter- ine artery embolization which cuts off blood flow to the fibroids
• Traditional surgical procedures- Myo- mectomy which removes the fibroids surgically while leaving the uterus intact versus Hysterectomy which provides a permanent solution by removing the uterus
A 42 year old African American woman describes her life with fibroids:
I
know a lot about fibroids and have read more than I’ll ever need to at this point. I am a single, child free, healthy, physically (mara-
thoner) active individual who has NEVER had any healthy issues---but Fibroids continues to be the thorn in my flesh. I was initially diagnosed at the age of 24 on an annual visit to the gynecologist. Because I had no symptoms, my doctor said that we would just watch it. It never caused me any problems, but they were growing so quickly, I decided to have them removed via a myomectomy. At that time, 13 fibroids were removed. At age 29, they came back with a vengeance and left me in extreme pain causing sciatica down my back and legs. I had a 13 hour robotic laparoscopic surgery that was quite complicated, but they removed several more during that surgery. At 35, they reappeared and I decided to watch and wait until at 39, I bled for 40 days straight. This level of discomfort made me both depressed and miserable in both my personal and professional life. My doctor prescribed me with oral contracep- tives, and that didn’t stop the bleeding. She soon inserted an IUD and that didn’t work so at the age of 40, I had another myomectomy. So far so good, I have re- fined my diet yet again, and remain dili- gent in daily exercise and yoga. While I
FIBROIDS RANGE IN SIZE FROM SEEDLINGS, UNDETECTABLE BY THE HUMAN EYE, TO BULKY MASSES THAT CAN DISTORT AND ENLARGE THE UTERUS.
have been through this a number of times and don’t know why I keep getting fibroids, I do know (according to my doc- tors) that my optimal health has allowed me to recuperate well and continue to live my best life. I encourage other women to listen and stay in tune with your body and do all you can to live well and be well in all aspects of your life.
B. Walker Washington, DC
012016
HEARTANDSOUL.COM
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