01/07/2021
JULY IS UTERINE FIBROIDS AWARENESS MONTH! 🗣📣
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(And, you know I've got a book stack for that! 😌🤓📚)
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Uterine fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) tumors made of smooth muscle cells and fibrous, connective tissue, which can develop inside or outside of the uterus. They can range from the size of a pea (1-5 cm) to the size of a melon (more than 10 cm). Fibroids can cause a myriad of symptoms, such as: heavy, prolonged menstrual bleeding, fatigue and anemia (due to the extreme blood loss), cramping, pain in the lower back, abdomen, and/or pelvic area, bloating, constipation, frequent urination, and incontinence. Fibroids can also complicate fertility and pregnancy. Symptoms vary from woman to woman, and treatment options (open surgery, non-invasive procedures, holistic/alternative methods) can vary as well depending on symptom severity, location, type, and number of tumors, and personal choice.
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So, just how common are fibroids? Well, 70 to 80 percent of women will develop fibroids in their lifetime. When it comes to Black women, however, fibroids are disproportionately prevalent. Black women tend to develop fibroids earlier, have larger, multiple growths, get diagnosed later, and suffer more severe symptoms that often lead to medical interventions (blood transfusions, surgeries, etc.).
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Sisters, our wombs are the seat of creation. They are also reservoirs that hold our emotional and spiritual experiences... the good, the bad, and everything in between. Fibroids are physical manifestations of how/when we've been wounded and who/what wounded us. In order to heal the physical, we have to be willing to recall, acknowledge, name, and release the pain. We also have to get more people talking about this subject. I hope this month will get more of us sharing our stories, listening to the stories of others, learning from each other's healing journeys, and educating as many folks as possible- especially young girls, the men in our lives, and our children.
