Hiya! If you find yourself here, I hope you’re just curious to read this post and not also finding yourself in a dark place with your health. That’s where I was a month ago, and it’s not a great place to be. So if you aren’t feeling your best and you’re still not sure why, I empathize and I’m here for you.

The Lowdown on Fibroids

In late May, I had surgery to remove a fibroid. If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s a noncancerous mass of tissue in or around your uterine lining. They’re actually quite common, and for many women, they may not even be aware they have one. If they’re not causing any trouble, there’s really nothing to worry about!

Sometimes, though, the size and/or location of a fibroid can cause significant trouble – both with symptoms and with fertility. It just so happened that the fibroid I had, which was about the size of a grape, was causing erratic (read: like, every two weeks) and extremely painful/heavy periods, a dull ongoing pelvic pain, and pretty debilitating fatigue. Not only were my symptoms a huge challenge in my daily life, but the location of the fibroid was a major concern for my fertility – it pretty much meant I couldn’t get pregnant, and if I somehow did, the was a high chance the fetus would either latch onto the fibroid tissue instead of my uterine lining, meaning the fetus wouldn’t be getting nutrients, or that I would have an ectopic pregnancy. Both are very dangerous, to the fetus and to the mother.

The Surgery

So, after about six months of kicking the can, I finally mustered up the courage to schedule the surgery. My OB/GYN, the anesthesiologist, and the nurses at the hospital were incredible and took such great care of me. The surgery itself was only about 15 minutes, although I was “under” for about an hour. The funniest part was that I insisted on walking home after the surgery while I was still totally jacked up on the anesthesia. Poor Jake tried so hard to get me to get me in the car, but we live a few blocks from the hospital and I just kept saying, “the surgery info said walking is good!” I was so happy (read: so high) on the walk home 😂

Recovery has been surprisingly positive. I was expecting much more pain during the following days, and although I definitely had some cramping for a few days, it wasn’t crazy.

A month later, I honestly feel like a whole different person; I have so much more energy, my most recent period was insanely more manageable (I couldn’t believe it! I kept thinking, is this what it’s supposed to be like?!), and I am a generally happier and nicer person. I am cautiously optimistic that the surgery, in concert with some dietary and lifestyle shifts, was a success and was a major cause of my symptoms over the past 18 months.

How I’m Addressing my Health Today

I had some spotting for a couple weeks post-surgery and wasn’t allowed to do things like lift heavy weights or have s*x for a while, but now I’m feeling better than ever. I also talked to one of my longtime best friends, who is a total hormone guru/expert, to get her advice on how to best approach the healing process and move forward to improve my health. To reduce inflammation I’ve cut dairy from my diet indefinitely, and I’m reducing my sugar, seed oil (like sunflower and sesame oil, which is high in omega-6s), and alcohol intake. On the other hand, I need to up my fruit, veggie, and water intake to ensure I’m getting enough fiber. I’ve also eliminated all endocrine disrupting ingredients from my skincare/makeup routine and our personal care products – this is something I’ve been doing for years as a Beautycounter brand advocate and just as a general “clean and green” enthusiast since I had an abnormal pap smear in 2018. Lastly, I’m prioritizing getting plenty of sleep and moving my body daily (with a focus on brisk walking and strength training).

Because estrogen is metabolized through the liver (National Library of Medicine), a healthy and detoxified liver is also vitally important to achieving hormone balance. I’ve started taking several supplements to assist in the process of moving the estrogen out of my system and also promoting the natural production of progesterone, which the body needs enough of to ovulate (progesterone is completely blocked while on the pill to prevent ovulation). These days I pretty much feel like a walking pharmacy – a women’s multivitamin, a probiotic every morning, fish oil to up my omega-3s, milk thistle and calcium d-glucarate to support liver function, and magnesium before bed to support the production of progesterone. Phew!

My Take on What Caused the Fibroid, and How it Plays into Women’s Healthcare

I say I’m cautiously optimistic about the result of the surgery because there are definitely underlying issues which caused the fibroid in the first place, and those don’t necessary just go away after the surgery. I was on hormonal birth control for 11 years – I went on the pill when I was 18 – so I didn’t even know what my body was really like on it’s own! The cause of fibroids is generally unknown, but recent studies have indicated that excess estrogen is also linked to fibroids (John’s Hopkins University). The link between excess estrogen, also called estrogen dominance, and the pill is even more established. While our natural cycle has higher and lower levels of estrogen at different points, the pill is designed to maintain high estrogen levels throughout your cycle to “fool the body into thinking it is pregnant, therefore another pregnancy cannot occur. [Because] birth control pills contain estrogen, [they] contribute to the development or worsening of estrogen dominance” (Ann Arbor Holistic Health). So, when you put together long-term use of the pill and resulting probable estrogen dominance… you get what you get.

Here’s the bottom line for you: I’m not saying this to scare you, because everyone’s situation is different and what doesn’t work for me may work perfectly fine for someone else. I do think it’s important to know what we’re putting in (and on) our bodies, and I know I didn’t ask any questions when the doctor prescribed me the pill at 18. So, with all the lessons I’ve learned over the past several years about my reproductive health, my advice is to ask questions, get second opinions, and find a doctor who supports your vision rather than ignoring your symptoms and/or telling you to mask your symptoms with medicine.

Share your thoughts in the comments below. Here’s to a healthier and happier future!