I remember it like it was yesterday; actually it was February 15, 2018 when my battle with fibroids came to a STANDSTILL. It was time for my scheduled ultrasound (US) and I was expecting to hear that the 2 fibroids I had were gone or at least decreased in size, but to my surprise the US revealed 4 large fibroids that could interfere with my fertility. I was in disbelief, I had been maintaining a vegetarian diet, going to acupuncture, taking herbs, buying and eating organic foods, and the only thing I wasn’t doing consistently was exercising. But geeesh give me a break, wasn’t that enough? At that appointment mentioned above, the physician assistant entered the room with my US results and says, “If the doctor saw this she would want to do surgery immediately, when would you like to schedule surgery?” If I could describe how I felt in one word it would be DEFEATED. I am fully aware of all the things to do e.g. use sanitary napkins with organic cotton, increase fruit & veggie intake, decrease stress levels, remove stressors, have regular bowel movements, eat organic foods, increase vitamin D, decrease dairy and don’t consume meat with significant amounts of growth hormones amongst the long laundry list of things NOT to do when attempting to treat fibroids holistically. So when surgery was proposed, my emotions were all over the place, I felt like a failure, but I was reassured by a friend that if I had not done all those things, I would have perhaps needed surgery earlier and my fibroids could have possibly been larger.
Now surgery is a quick fix and can relieve sign and symptoms of fibroids, but surgery won’t help if I don’t know what causes my fibroids to grow. So the deeper issue and question is what is the biochemical reaction that caused my fibroids and what makes them continue to grow? Is it dietary? An emotional stagnation? Estrogen dominance? Or just plain ole genetics? I mean my great grandmother, my grandmother and my mother had fibroids that resulted in hysterectomies, so what does that mean for me? And what would my story entail? Would my story involve pregnancies, healthy babies, multiple child births or even avoiding a hysterectomy. Because of my strong genetic disposition, this is my second bout with fibroids, and I wanted to get to the bottom of it. After the initial discussion about my US results, I wanted to discuss my situation and options further with my physician. With the doctor answering my questions and addressing my concerns, I dared to try something different, things I have never tried before, but things holistic counselors and women of other cultures have used to treat women, just like me.
The way the stars align themselves and the people that one encounters in life and their purpose is simply a Godsend. I met a Holistic counselor that defied odds for herself despite what the doctor said and she is a mother now helping other women conceive. This holistic counselor goes by the name of Cathyann Ellision and she suggested intense yoni steaming as well as emotional self-care to begin my new journey. A new adventure was on the horizon that would lead me to vaginal detox pearls and yoni steaming. Although I had read information and heard about those techniques before, it never occurred to me that they might work for me. While using the detox pearls the first night I had a dream that I was holding the fibroids in my hand and Cathyanns interpretation was that I had the situation in control and that the universe was directing me towards MY healing. I remember while attempting my first yoni steam ~ 3 years ago at JEJU spa, a Korean lady told me that she healed herself from fibroids by steaming everyday and my first thought was I’m not driving 50 miles everyday just to steam my vagina. So here I am years later, in the very place that old soul was guiding me and where Cathyann led me on a path of change….. another resource for healing. This is first of many blogs about me steaming and the healing and releasing of my fibroids, so please stay tuned.
I charge you as a BOLD and BEAUTIFUL woman to DARE to change your treatments if what you have been doing isn’t working anymore e.g change your herbs, try acupuncture, change you sanitary products, seek counseling, try detox pearls, castor oil packs and etc. In order to track progress please keep a journal to document your treatment (my journal is affectionately called , My Healing Journal), the quality of period, they kind of blood released during your cycle, symptoms before and after menstrual cycle, and US every 6 months to track growth or lack there of. This had not been an easy journey with my fertility and motherhood hanging in the balance, but I encourage you to be BOLD enough to try something different and new for your HEALING. Most importantly remember that when live gives you lemons, take charge of that shit and make LEMONADE.
I love, love, love your article and after we make the fibroids submit i will gladly sit by your side and drink the hell out of some lemonade………..
Hey Sheveland,
Have you heard about or tried red raspberry leaf tea ? A doula once told me it is good for uterine health and works to shrink fibroids.