Your story is so much like mine. I’m a black woman, 46, with big fibroids that, on occasion make me look pregnant. Ironically, it’s when my weight is at it’s lowest that these things are most prominent. Someone asked me once when I was due; I told them I wasn’t pregnant nd they insisted that I was – even touched my belly and said “So what is that?” I said to her – skinny little thing that she was “That’s what happens when you’re 42. How old are you?” “40″ she replied “Just wait – two years – it’ll happen to you too”, and walked away.

The pics you took at the beginning of your juice fast are exactly what I look like. I also had a gynecologist tell me that if I dodn’t have them removed I’d bleed to death in two years – this is after I to;d him that my periods had basically returned to normal heaviness after being (occasionally) nuts. Still haven’t beld to death last I checked.

Coping with the depression and the body image issues is the most difficult thing for me; I miss wearing my cute little clothes – was shopping in the junior dept my whole life – now it’s Ms and ‘ladies’. Hate that!

Some online research led me to discover that taking calcium supplements can help with heavy bleeding and clotting; there’s also an OTC treatment they use in the UK call transexamic acid that can also control bleeding. Not sure you can get it from a pharmacist over here. I’m sticking with the calcium for the time being.

I’m intrigued by the juice fast – I’ve noticed too that my fibroids give me less trouble when I eat smaller amounts of food – but I get SO hungry it’s really hard to balance.

As for you staying on track – it’s hard to alter your diet so radically – please don’t beat up on yourself. You’re doing beautifully! I wish I had your willpower. I’m trying alternate fasting, but it’s still really hard to deal with chocolate and dairy cravings.

Thanks again for all the inspiration and the comfort. It’s good to know that there are more women who deal with these things and find ways to cope.