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A modern woman’s approach to fibroid management

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Sheveland Beard

Womb Trauma…Is it Real?

December 11, 2022 by Sheveland Beard Leave a Comment

Reference: When the Women were Drummers-Layne Redmond

Have you ever felt something so strong that you felt it in your soul or the pit of your stomach? A feeling felt deep down in your uterus, whether it was disappointment, shame, guilt and the list goes on? How have you processed those feelings, or did you just say that happened so long ago?
Trauma can be anything/ event that was stressful, frightening or even distressing that left a long-lasting effect on you and your body. Trauma is interesting in the fact that it can affect us mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Although our wombs are one of the most fascinating things on earth, it’s one of the most neglected parts of ourselves. It is not acknowledged for the powerful vessel that it is.
A lot of sources state that after childbirth the womb isn’t needed, so if you have fibroids simply have a hysterectomy, but that merely isn’t true. Many healthcare professional state that aren’t aware of the origin of fibroids or why women of color are disproportionally diagnosed and suffer the most from this condition. Besides being genetically predisposed to fibroids, trauma comes to mind as a contributing factor. Women of color have been subjected to generational trauma and other forms of suppression since slavery. From cotton fields, to share cropping, to Jim Crowe, to reproductive rights or lack thereof to presented day discrimination, we were made to feel less than instead of greater than. The feelings of women were suppressed, endured and not properly processed and as a result, passed on from generation to generation.

“All the eggs a woman will every carry form in her ovaries while she is a four-month-old fetus in the womb of her mother. This means our cellular life as an egg begins in the womb of our grandmother.
Each of us spent five months in our grandmother’s womb and she in turn formed within the womb of her grandmother.
We vibrate to the rhythms of our mother’s blood before she herself is born, and this pulse is the thread of blood that runs all the way back through the grandmothers to the first mother.” 

—Layne Redmond

In additional to generational trauma, women have experiences individual traumatic included but not limited to:

◦ Molestation
◦ Rape
◦ Abusive relationship e.g., verbal, emotional, physical
◦ Low self esteem
◦ Miscarriages
◦ Abortion
◦ Traumatic Birthing Experience
◦ Lack of self-love
◦ Sexual partners allowed in your sacred space

The list can go on, but again how have you process those things? A lot of times women have the mentality that it will be ok, not knowing that the unprocessed feelings could manifest in our wombs presents as cysts, fibroids or PCOS ( polycystic ovary syndrome) because our wombs are our emotional safe. Have you ever laid hands on your uterus and talked to her? Queen Afua mentions in her book Sacred Woman that you should lay your hands on yourself and talk to your uterus and release things that don’t serve you. She suggested journaling, asking your uterus to reveal what trauma she is holding so it can be release.
As a woman of color if we don’t do the work to heal ourselves future generations won’t heal either and the cycle never ends. The cycle of fibroids, infertility, PCOS, cysts, unwanted facial hair etc. continues to affect younger generations.

To heal from womb trauma:
◦ Prepare your mind for the process as much as you can
◦ Journal about things that have affected you, even write letters to people that hurt you. If the person is still living give it to them, if they have transitioned or no longer in your life burn it
◦ Talk to your uterus, ask her to release things that no longer serve you, ask for forgiveness for people you allowed to have access to her that did not deserve it, ask to release past relationships, generational hurt/pain, tell her it’s not her fault about that miscarriage or asking for forgiveness for an abortion
◦ Massage your uterus and connect, because She is a part of you, she makes you, YOU. Love on yourself because our womb houses our emotions, sexuality and energy.
Women have had to endure so much, let’s heal from our trauma and start with the true essence of what makes us women, our uterus, our womb, our portal, our sacred space. To heal our womb of trauma, to protect and equip future generations to come.

Reference: Sacred Woman: A Guide to Healing the Feminine Body, Mind and Spirit. Author Queen Afua

Filed Under: Blog

Welcome to Fibroidology 2.0

December 11, 2022 by Sheveland Beard Leave a Comment

Welcome to Fibroidology 2.0…

Welcome back to Fibroidolgy, a safe space to learn about and discuss fibroids, the management and treatment of fibroids and my personal journey. During my hiatus, I have gotten engaged, married, had a baby and another fibroid surgery, but you will learn more about all of this as you continue to follow Fibroidolgy: a modern’s woman approach to the management of Fibroids. In addition to life changes, I have tried several treatments, herbs, dietary changes to prevent my second surgery, but unfortunately, I purchased what I would like to refer to as snake oil. It is still my personal belief that fibroids can be managed via managing stress, dietary restrictions, exercise, steaming, womb healing, journaling and wholeness of mind, body and spirit. With that being said, I also understand the frustration that accompanies fibroids: the heavy bleeding, several menstrual cycles every month, infertility, painful sex, a bloated or pregnant appearance or embarrassing moments that involve bleeding through your clothes or your sheets at night. So why surgery would be your first option? Healing fibroids naturally is hard work, but it is worth it. Every day and every meal present itself with the options if this is good for my body or detrimental to my body. I am feeding myself life or death? And how is my body being affect by what I eat, think and/or say? In the words of Queen Afua, the more things you eat that bleed, the more you will bleed.
Again, welcome back to Fibroidology where you can search for archived material, see more blog postings, sign up for a newsletter, donate feminine products to local homeless shelters via my wish list, have a steaming consultation and other services.

Filed Under: Blog

Anemia: What Does That Really Mean?

August 16, 2018 by Sheveland Beard Leave a Comment

As a child, I recall seeing a lot of women in my family eating “dirt”, “ chalk” and or eating ice. One vivid memory involves my mom, a spoon and  box of Argo starch and the  laundry room was their common meeting ground where she would take maybe a tablespoon or two every now and then. Being the curious child that I was, I was inclined to taste the Argo starch too, and I coughed, chocked and gasped for air with disgust. How could anyone like the taste of that? Although it was a norm for me to see my family members eat those types of things, unbeknownst to me, it was a medical condition that was not diagnosed. The women of my family were experiencing PICA as a result anemia. PICA can be defined as an abnormal desire to substances not normally eaten e.g. chalk, dirt, hair, ice,  ashes and much more. Whereas anemia is classified as a condition marked by a deficiency of red blood cells (RBC) or of hemoglobin (Hb) in the blood, so what does that really mean? What does having fibroids have to do with anemia?

Scientific chatter can be boring, but try to image this because it’s important. The body is composed of many cells and RBCs happens to be one of them.  Each RBC contains several Hb molecules that houses iron that transports oxygen into the body and carbon dioxide out of the body. Why is that important? Because besides, the O2 and CO2 exchange with Hb, iron is essential to produce new cells, hormones, neurotransmitters and amino acids. Therefore a deficit in iron can lease to anemia.

Most women that suffer from fibroids, experience anemia and if anemia worsens then PICA can develop. Women plagued with fibroids experience heaving bleeding and sometimes hemorrhaging that leads to anemia.  Bleeding heavily every month or for months at a time doesn’t allow the body  to replenish what was lost. My personal experiences with heavy cycles caused  anemia and resulted in heart palpitations, weakness, shortness of breath and light-headedness with position changes. With those signs and symptoms many medical doctors will prescribe iron supplements that resulted in dark stool, constipation, stomach pain and more. I eventually found Floradix, a plant based iron  that work well for my symptoms of anemia, without causing constipation. Although supplements provided me a jump start,  what if I was able to combat my anemia with the foods that I ate.

To combat anemia with the foods, certain things in your diet should be avoided and certain things need to be increase. The main culprits that inhibited my iron absorption included:

  • Coffee
  • Black/green tea
  • Almonds
  • Spinach

The above mentions were stables in my diet and I believed that they were truly helping me, well except for the coffee. LOL! However some of the foods that I really never ate before assisted in combating anemia and they include:

  • Figs
  • Elderberry
  • Hemp seeds
  • Sea Moss
  • Dandelion

Now growing up in the country I was exposed to southern cuisine e.g grits, eggs, mac n cheese, fried chicken, collard, salmon croquettes, catfish stew,  beets and the list goes on. My grandmother nor my mother for that matter served dandelion tea, it was Lipton’s, water, kool aid or nothing at all. Nor did they know anything about hemp seeds or sea moss, in the words of my grandmother, “You need a  colorful plate and that’s a balance meal”. My grandmothers’ philosophy still applies but takes the time to research foods that increase iron absorption and incorporate things into you diet that you have never tried before. Dare to be different, try different foods, teas, etc, and take over your health. The healing starts with you and and the foods that you choose to ingest.. Let the healing begin.

Filed Under: Resources

MY STORY & MY STRUGGLE WITH FIBROIDS: KATHRYN BAILEY

August 2, 2018 by Sheveland Beard Leave a Comment

Fibroid Awareness is Month has passed in the state of Georgia, but sharing your story can provide hope for other women as they fight their fibroids in silence. Featuring Kathryn Bailey and her story -remember no story is the same, every journey is different.

When I was 16 years old, I learned my mother had fibroid tumors growing in her uterus. She had been living with them for years (and all that entails) but by this time they had grown to the size of a 6-month old fetus. So at the age of 46, she opted to have a hysterectomy.

Fast forward 13 years (2010), and I received my own diagnosis of fibroid tumors. I know that fibroid tumors can increase the pain and bleeding during your menstrual cycle. However I have always had really bad cramps and heavy bleeding so I had no reason to believe that I had fibroid tumors. The OBGYN who diagnosed me told me that they were small and as long as they don’t bother me we wouldn’t worry about them.

In 2013 was told by my new OBGYN that my fibroids had grown and that I might want to consider surgery. I told her that they weren’t bothering me and I would just wait until they did. Well about a month later I noticed that I had to urinate often throughout the day and even more so at night. I would wake up 4 times during the night just to use the bathroom. I thought maybe I was drinking too many liquids at night so I tried to limit them before bed time. Nothing seemed to help. I was so exhausted that I began to wonder what could be causing and then it finally hit me. My fibroids were pressing on my bladder. I went to see my OBGYN and told her about the frequent urination and we decided that the fibroids had to go. There were several sonograms and MRIs to determine the approximate size and location of my fibroids. The results from these tests showed two fibroids (one baseball size and one golf ball size) on the outside of my uterus (subserosal). My OBGYN opted for a laproscopic myomectomy that would take 2 hr to complete, followed by an overnight stay at the hospital.

Once they began surgery, my OBGYN found that the sonogram and MRI did not tell the whole story. Instead of only two fibroids there was another massive fibroid (my OBGYN called it a “monster”) on the back side of my uterus that the sonogram and MRI missed. She guessed it was between 10 and 12 inches long as she was not able to measure it during surgery. My 2 hr surgery turned into 5 hr and I was in the hospital for 4 days. During the surgery I lost a lot of blood and my OBGYN was concerned that I was bleeding internally. She ordered another MRI to make sure that I wasn’t bleeding because if I was, she was going to do a hysterectomy. Thankfully, the MRI showed not internal bleeding as I was devastated at the thought of never being able to have children. Although I wasn’t bleeding, my blood count was still really low. I have never been so aware of my own heartbeat before. It felt like my heart was working overtime to circulate the blood through my body and with each heartbeat I had a pounding headache. I felt like I was dying. I was given a blood transfusion (I needed two bags of blood) after which I felt much better. After I was released from the hospital my recovery was pretty smooth and I returned to work after 3 weeks.

Three months after surgery, I had another sonogram done and two small fibroids were found. Over the past 4 years, my OBGYN has monitored their growth but for the most part, they have not gotten much bigger. In addition to exercising more throughout the week, my OBGYN suggested decreasing my dairy intake, with these changes I have avoided surgery and maintained a healthy lifestyle.

 

 

Filed Under: Resources

Fibroid Awareness Month Centerstage: Dedra Williams

July 10, 2018 by Sheveland Beard Leave a Comment

In honor of Fibroids Awareness Month, Fibroidolgy presents to you different women, with different stories, with different personal experiences with fibroids. Please allow me to introduce Dedra Williams as shares her story to empower us all. Peace and Blessings.
My relationship with fibroids begin in January 2011 when I was diagnosed with multiple fibroids after a routine annual pelvic exam and pap smear. I was in my late twenties and completely shocked at the idea that I had something growing in me that was not only impacting my quality of life due to heavy periods and anemia but was also potentially impacting my future hopes of motherhood. Having received the prognosis from by physician was truly awake up call. Previous to my life with fibroids…I had just assumed I would be like all the other women in my family and bear children like all those before me. I remember my doctor calling me and saying, “Look I recommend surgery immediately, how do you feel about a hysterectomy!!” When I look back now, I maybe should have gotten a second opinion or gotten another doctor, but I trusted this doctor and had been seeing him for years….my answer to him was emphatically, “NO, I am single with no children…but I desire children, so I will spare no expense to safeguard my fertility.” Being ignorant of the fibroid epidemic my research regarding the matter was not the best….I saw so many conflicting theories on treatments and causes. Fast forward a month after that phone conversation and I elected to have a myomectomy that would require an actual abdominal incision due to the size of my fibroids. As I made plans for my surgery the doctor made it clear this procedure may or may not work….I could still have issues with fertility and the fibroids could also come back.
I am not a gambling woman but I took a chance and had the surgery and I am glad I did. On February 1, 2011, fourteen fibroid tumors were removed from my uterine lining…the largest of which was about the size of a grapefruit. My recovery was challenging and with the help of family and friends my six weeks of recovering went fast.  My quality of life improved tremendously; I begin utilizing some of the natural remedies for fibroids as a precaution against them returning. Exercised more and consciously decided against allowing stressful people and things to disrupt my livelihood. I must admit the after effects of surgery created more mental/emotional issues for me than physical. I constantly worried about whether the surgery was worth it, had I made the right decision? Would my fertility still be impacted? How would my future spouse feel about this? I worried so much that eventually I did develop issues with anxiety.
In 2012 I met the love of my life. In 2014 I married him and in 2015 we welcomed a beautiful daughter via C-Section. My pregnancy was textbook perfect although I had 2 small fibroids that had returned. They did not grow nor impact my pregnancy at all. Although I very much wanted to labor…my new doctor and I elected to do a planned C-Section. The C. Section went well, although the recovery was challenging, but I am grateful for the healthy baby that I have been blessed with.
 My battle against fibroids is a continuous every day fight….there is not a day I don’t think about them. I recently underwent a small medical procedure to removed a uterine polyp as a precaution as my husband and I plan for baby #2, but I can’t help but think about my journey so far and wonder what this turbulent relationship with fibroids has to offer me? What will be the end game? Who knew that all those years ago when I decided to have surgery that I was making decision for a family I didn’t even know I would have yet, or  that I would join a legion of women who have this same battle every day. Women I have known for years that have quietly fought this ongoing battle and I had no clue. There is a beauty in the bond we share now as we fight together.  I even found out that the reason for my mother’s hysterectomy was due to fibroids, but she had had the surgery when I was so young and I never knew the reason. So many of us bear this cross that attacks the very thing that makes us a woman, it has definitely made me a more faithful woman and I pray daily for each woman like me and each family that is impacted. -Haggai 2:9

Filed Under: Resources

Don’t Stand In The Sun…You Will Get Black

May 9, 2018 by Sheveland Beard Leave a Comment

One thing I recall from my childhood is that I was darker than everyone else, darker than everyone at my school, in my after school program and amongst other places .I also noticed that not too many people were happy with how they looked or appreciated the color of their skin. With that in mind, I noticed that people took bleach baths, used bleaching cream, avoided drinking coffee and avoided being in the sun at all cost…because of fear of getting darker. Being dark skinned wasn’t something that I was particularly proud of and didn’t recognize it’s power until adulthood. It seemed like my cousins and friends that were lighter had special privileges, so if my family /associates treated darker skin people that way, how was I suppose to feel about myself? Of course I was in the sun during long summers in Tifton, GA and when participating in extra curricular activities throughout my life e.g. band, cross-country, but I was never a sun worshiper by any means. It takes my mom to tell you that I am the only person that moved to Florida and got lighter…LOL because I never went outside nor did I ever enjoy the sun.

While at an annual physical my physician tested my vitamin D levels and they were extremely low in which I was prescribed vitamin D. To my surprise I had signs and symptoms of vitamin D decency and didn’t even know it. Signs and symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency include but not limited to:

  • Getting sick often
  • Never feeling rested
  • Bone and back pain
  • Depression
  • Impaired wound healing
  • Bone loss
  • Hair loss
  • Muscle Pain

Geesh if I would have known all that could happen I would have stood in the sun every second, minute, hour and so on. Although I was taking vitamin D3 supplements, I still didn’t understand the importance of being in the actual sun. From my understanding since I wasn’t close to the equator, I wasn’t absorbing a lot of vitamin D from the sun anyway right? WRONG! I couldn’t be more wrong, I recently heard a M3P featuring Gessie Thompson, Dr. Amsu and Dr. Amun and they discussed the importance of the sun, and never did they mention the sun making you black, but it actually aided in healing. The Doctors(s) mentioned that the sun was the best source of vitamin D and emits 3 rays to include UVA (harmful), UVB and UVC. UVB and UVC are the most important rays and the closer you are to the equator the more UVB and UVC you receive.   It was also mentioned that Vitamin D is important when dealing with inflammatory issues and is a very powerful antitumor agent that inhibits human uterine fibroid cells. Many diseases processes develop secondary to inflammation, and guess what? Fibroids do too. It has been statically proven that women with low vitamin D levels are at higher risk for developing fibroids when compared to women with higher vitamin D levels. My physician recommended that my vitamin D blood levels remain >than 50 ng/mL in an effort to shrink my fibroids naturally, hence the importance of the sun and diet. Vitamin D has been known to enhance the minerals in your body and increase your vitality. Please keep in mind that you don’t get vitamin D from the sun but from the actual rays from the sun via melanin in your body, so isn’t my HUE or your HUE and Melanin beautiful?

 Different hues exist and are beautiful in their own right, but it turns out that the darker the skin, the more it’s protected against skin cancer but the less able it is to absorb UVB rays. (one reason why African American women may suffer from fibroids more than women with lighter hues). If you’re fairer skin, you would need only a few minutes in the sun without sunscreen, but if you’re of darker hue more time would be required to be in the sun to received the same amounts of vitamin D. Vitamin D we received from the sun and various foods helps protect against but not limited to the following:

  • Osteoporosis
  • Heart disease
  • Cancers of the breast, prostate and colon
  • Protecting against depression
  • Insomnia
  • Fibroids
  • Overactive immune system.

So if you are of darker hue, appreciate the kiss from the sun that you have, suppress the childhood memories that try to remind you that your hue is not beautiful, and stand in the sun for longer periods of time and absorb that vitamin D, so that you can have a healthy body and dissolve your fibroids naturally.

 

Filed Under: Resources

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These are a few daily tips to implement into your LIFEstyle to shrink your fibroids!#fibroids #fibroidsawareness #womenhealth #healthylifestyle #naturalhealing

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Affirmations help overcome negative thoughts/feelings. I’m your quiet time or first thing in the morning Use this affirmation to release negative things/thoughts/feelings from your womb! #fibroidsawareness#fibroids #wombhealing#wombwellnessadvocate

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