I had never heard of such a thing until I had an ultrasound when pregnant with my son. And I admit, I was in that new-mama lala land: I didn't give it too much of a thought. I didn't have any problems with it during my pregnancy, only that I had to have a c-section because of it. Other than that, no big deal.
Less than a year after I had my son, I noticed this pressure in my abdomen and immediately thought that I am pregnant again. But no, my monthly visitor told me that was not to the case. Yet every month I would have this pressure and would swear that I was pregnant. But each time I was wrong.
I went to my PCP who scheduled me for an ultrasound. And there it was. No baby, just a giant, calcified, fibroid tumor. There it was again. It hadn't shrunk post-pregnancy like I was told it would. Or maybe it did. But either way, I had no idea how to deal with it.
But I'm not going to say that I don't know how I got it. After much research, I realize that, 1) It is a hereditary condition, and being African-American, am very susceptible to it; 2) It was there even before I had my son because of the flow of my monthly, and that 3) I exacerbated it by how I ate. I love chocolate. LOVE CHOCOLATE. Not too many people in the world don't. And I ate a lot of chocolate. My body craved chocolate. I would have decadent chocolate cakes. Double-chocolate chip cookies. I would take a break from work and run to the local store to get a bag of chocolates which I would then covet in my desk drawer. And it was not like I was overweight; I exercised religiously. But I loved my chocolate. I even remember one day, feeling how the chocolate was affecting my system, thinking to myself, This is not doing me any good physically. I was joking to myself when I thought that. But I couldn't have been more right.
So in my first step to concur the fibroid, I had to acknowledge the fact that while this is a hereditary condition, my eating habits were responsible for how it grew. I had read an article by a woman who said, in essence, that we should stop blaming ourselves for these fibroids and that they are a hereditary condition and that our only choice is to get a myomectomy. I agree and disagree. The fibroid can be a storehouse of guilt and anger, of strong emotions; so it is a good idea for us to get rid of that burden and stop blaming ourselves for our condition as it is so much better for our physically and mental health. However, we have to take responsibility for the actions that led to our fibroid growing. I take full responsibility for my actions. I didn't listen to my body when it told me to stop eating the chocolate, it's hurting you. And now, I'm paying for it.
I want to reiterate again that when I say taking responsibility, that we acknowledge our lifestyle and what feeds the fibroid emotionally and physically. And after that, we change it.
I have been doing much research on this; reading testimonials and naturopathic information on how to heal the fibroid holistically. I realized that I had to heal my body, to bring my hormones back into balance, and I tried to do so with herbs. I consulted with a naturopathic doctor who is well-known in the field of fibroid shrinking. She prescribed me herbs and changed my diet drastically for three months. I followed the program religiously, although I didn't eat organic vegetables like I should have, instead opting for frozen or regular veggies. And while my monthly visitor was greatly reduced almost immediately, I still had the pressure. So I consulted with her and she prescribed me some more herbs for another three months. But by the end of the second month, I was getting sick of the whole bit. My monthly hadn't changed as much from the prior three months, and the pressure was still there. So about 2.5 months into my second round of herbs, I stopped the program. But I still kept to the eating regiment of hormone-free, organic chicken and eggs, no red meat and no dairy or caffeine. I incorporated organic vegetables and fruit into my diet. And while I was feeling better, that rotten fibroid was still there. And when I got my ultrasound about a year after my first ultrasound, it showed that the fibroid had only shrunk about .4 cm, from 6.9 to 6.5.
Now I admit, I kind of started to slack a bit in my eating regiment shortly before that ultrasound. When I joined a gym, I started to eat a chocolate glazed donut on the days that I would go, so about twice a week. And I started to eat beef, once a week, although it is grass-fed beef. On the days that I worked, my breakfasts would consist of organic eggs that I brought in from home, but I would order hashbrowns at the local cafe which I have no doubt was fried in butter or margerine. So when I ate the donut (guiltily, I will add), ate the hashbrowns, I could feel it stimulate my fibroid. So when I had that ultrasound, it was like a wakeup call. I'm going to be stuck with this beast if I don't get serious about it now. Any desire to have more children will go unfulfilled until I conquer this beast within me.
The day after that ultrasound, I began having fruit and veggie smoothies for breakfast, vegetables for lunch, and a normal dinner. I basically tried to eat about a 50 - 60% raw diet. But as I did more research on my fibroid, I got a little more insight as to why it didn't shrink nearly as much as it should have on my herbal program. The calcification around the fibroid is like a protective barrier. So it seemed any herbs that I take to shrink it cannot penetrate it. So while I had started taking enzymes of serrapeptase and nattokinase, they would do no good with that calcified barrier. This was something that I was not told by the naturopath that I consulted with. And I have a feeling that many ladies who suffer from a calcified fibroid and lament over why it is not shrinking despite their many efforts, have not been told that tidbit of information either.
After more research, I ordered transdermal non-calcium magnesium oil, and have been rubbing it on my abdomen and the bottom of my feet. Since I have started doing this while still taking my enzymes as well as red clover blossom and pau d'arco and exercising like a fiend, in just a month, I have noticed that the hump on the left side of my abdomen, that is present when I lay down with a full bladder, has decreased. I can lay on my stomach and sleep, and not have to get up to go to the bathroom two or three times in the middle of the night.
Another thing that I did, as I mentioned in this outset, is focus on emotional and mental health. I was introduced by a good friend to a technique called Emotional Freedom Tapping (you can find a how-to video of this online). By doing this tapping technique it releases stress and tension, those strong negative emotions that hide within the fibroid. I had a lot of stress and tension to release, a lot of forgiving and letting go. If you are battling a fibroid, this is great arsenal to add to your fight. Peace of mind is a beautiful thing, and there a quite a few testimonials from women who have said that by doing this, they were able to shrink their fibroids drastically.
Finally, I have decided to take on a liquid fast, and am so far just finishing day one. This will help to detox my body and allow my body the energy it needs to fight my fibroid. This first day hasn't been that hard, and I hope I am able to continue on for at least three days.
Like the title of this article states, I am mad at my fibroid. But I'm not mad at my uterus, so I have no desire to have it yanked out. I need to make peace with my body, as it is beautiful and the only one I will have. One woman referred to fibroids as a monster, and indeed they are. They cause heartache to millions of women who cannot do what they truly desire to do: Become a mother. Or it has caused them to lose their baby, to miscarry. Fibroids do not belong in our wombs.
I know this article is long, but my experience with my fibroid cannot be summed up in two simple paragraphs. And while I am in no way a medical expert, I am speaking from my own experience; and sometimes, that is more powerful than a degree. But if this article helps someone, anyone, emotionally; or if it motivates them to put up their own fight against this intruder, then I am glad.
--Billie
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. – Ian McLaren
