Motherhood Untold: Uterine Fibroid Awareness
I am a native San Diegan. Post high school I attended Historically Black University – Clark Atlanta University with a Bachelors in Communications. I later pursued a Masters’s in Education Management, a Post Baccalaureate Certification in Human Resources Management, and a Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Certificate.
Over the past ten years I have been in HR Training and Development which is what influenced me to pursue entrepreneurship during the pandemic – Champion Instructors Education and Training. My company solves diverse online course development to businesses who need to train staff and we create customized courses for entrepreneurs who desire to sell their subject matter expertise.
I believe what makes me unique is my advocacy around issues impacting marginalized communities. One particular initiative I am passionate about are the health disparities around diagnosing and treating uterine fibroids. Black women are two times more likely to develop uterine fibroids which are benign tumors that grow in and on the outside of the uterus (womb). Unbeknownst to me – I learned about my fibroids after experiencing painful abdominal pain on my honeymoon. After months of assessments and evaluations, I decided to keep a food and pain diary which finally led my PCP to order a vaginal ultrasound. This is where my fibroid’s journey began!
After receiving a myomectomy (invasive surgery to remove uterine fibroids) I was given the fast track to starting conception in hopes of getting ahead of any new fibroid growths as they can compromise fertility and cause miscarriages. From the onset of a fibroid diagnosis – through fertility support, I would say my husband and I experienced a roller coaster of emotions and stress. I often worried about not knowing sooner about my diagnosis of fibroids and how he may have felt about me possibly being infertile. I also struggled to understand why more women had not talked about fibroid symptoms like heavy menstrual cycles, abdominal pain, anemia, and so much more. I found my journey was very common but not openly discussed.
