It has been a long time since I have written an update. I know most of my posts of late have started this way because I write an update then I disappear for an age.
Although I have had a number of ups and downs with my fibroids since my last post, for the most part I have managed to maintain the results I have so far achieved since starting my second attempt at shrinking my fibroids back in November 2010.
It has actually been 2 years since I was told that my situation had reached a critical point and that a hysterectomy was absolutely necessary and that the procedure needed to be done as soon as possible. The way the doctor put it to me was something to the effect that she wasn’t saying I was in critical danger but the situation was “emergent” and I needed to try to qualify for emergency medicaid or something because I needed to get it done.
I have not since been back to the doctor. Yes, I know, it’s irresponsible; but I still don’t have health insurance and I still can’t pay out of pocket for the visit so it is what it is. In the meantime I am doing what I can to take care of myself and I’m feeling better at this stage than I have in at least a decade. Here’s a picture I took on September 30 while fooling around at home. This shows my stomach at the flattest it’s been since 2009 when the fibroids first grew to a size that could not be concealed.
Today my stomach is not as flat as it was on September 30th; but I can still button the jacket I’m wearing in the picture above so that’s a good thing.
Here I am today wearing the same jacket and top and testing my stomach with the same belt. I don’t know if the picture shows it but I have a little less breathing room today; however it wasn’t that long ago that I wouldn’t have been able to button this jacket around my stomach and I would have needed some type of machine to help me get a belt on in such a way to create the appearance of a waistline.
When I say I’ve had some ups and downs I mean there have been some days when the fibroids have had my stomach hard as a rock and protruding almost as much as when I went to the doctor back in 2010 and became something of a circus clown with people being brought in to look at my unbelievably large gut that one of the nurses refused to believe didn’t contain a fetus.
I should say that these occurrences of my stomach swelling up generally seem to coincide with my period. My stomach swells within the weeks leading up to my period then settles down after my period starts; but last month was not nearly as bad as this month with the swelling so I don’t know if there are other factors at play.
I have to say that I have been taking a number of herbal extracts so there is some concern that one or more of these extracts might be having an adverse effect. I am particularly concerned about the wild yam extract which is said to have the effect of estrogen when consumed. I am tempted to think that the fibroids began to act up when I started taking the wild yam extract; but I haven’t taken it consistently enough or often enough to really know. I do know that it says on the bottle that you shouldn’t take it if you have uterine fibroids because it could potentially make the problem worse given the belief that fibroids result from having too much estrogen in the body; but the fact that since my period started my stomach has eased up a bit from the swelling leaves me to believe that my period is the real culprit and not the wild yam extract. I’ll wait for my period to finish then take the extract for a week or so and see what happens.
I continue to work out regularly and endeavor to eat as well as I can manage to eat on my budget. I am doing what I can to manage the things in my life that cause me stress. It isn’t always easy and in fact these last several months have been particularly difficult . Being a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister — it can at times be tough to play the role I am forced to play in other people’s lives. It can make managing your own life nearly impossible to get a handle on. When you’re trying hard to improve your outlook in order to try to improve your life but the people around continue with the same behavior and the same attitude it can drag you down.
I haven’t for the last couple of months had the same focus and drive and will that I did back in July and August and early September; but I’ve managed to do just enough to keep things stabilized. I think I’m going to try another fast this month to sort of reset myself. Maybe I won’t try another 21 day fast. Maybe I’ll do a 7 day then follow it with another 7 day 3 weeks later. I think fasting has been very helpful to me in many ways.
I’ve certainly been at worse places physically, mentally and emotionally than where I am today and I am thankful and hopeful.
I found your blog last week and I applaud you for sharing. It really helps to read someone else’s story. I don’t feel so alone. I am severely anemic as a result of my submucosal fibroids. I have 8. A few years ago a friend told me to try to shrink them naturally. I cut out red meat and in terms of my cycle…is like night and day. I do occasionally eat red meat but never during my period or in the week or two leading up to it. I can actually leave the house with hemorrhaging so severely. At that time my doctor recommended scheduled NSAIDS so I’d take 4 advil a day for the bleeding but that won’t work now so I will probably have to have the UAE procedure. I have health insurance currently and want to do the procedure while i have it. In terms of shrinking these fibroids, i’ve tried the castor oil packs and I just read about taking black strap molasses and vitamin D. Queen Afua is a holistic wellness practitioner/instructor. I’ve read some of her books and she suggests a vegan lifestyle. Although I’m not vegan she encourages living a healthy lifestyle mind, body and spirit which I agree with. I believe she has some chapters in a few of her books about shrinking fibroids. Here are is a link to her website. http://www.queenafua.com/#!about-qawi Here is a link to a woman who says she shrank her fibroids through Queen Afua’s program. http://sistahvegan.com/2010/04/26/queen-afuas-sacred-woman-and-decolonizing-the-womb/ Good Luck. Looking forward to your next post.
Uschi, thank you for your comment. I know it’s a little late since you left the comment in December 2012 and it’s now April 2013 which means you more likely will not see my thanks, but just in case you’re still stopping by from time to time, thank you for the ideas and the links.
oops i meant i can actually leave the house without hemorrhaging so severely.
Thank you for sharing your journey. I also struggle with fibroids. I have recently come across something called serrapeptase,which apparently can ‘eat away’ the fibroids. It’s worth looking into. Good luck!
Thank you for sharing this Rose. I’ll look into it.
I found your story to be very interesting. I myself have three one right behind my bladder. I’m a nursing assistant. I had my first blood clot today. Worried have to find another doctor, my doctor left. Just really worried.