Hidden battles: The toll of uterine fibroids

What started as constant pain in her lower abdomen eventually turned out to be non-cancerous growths in her uterus, says Windhoek resident Nphibie Moratiwa (30).

Uterine fibroids, also known as leiomyomas, often start developing in childhood and can cause pain, heavy bleeding, and fertility complications later in life.

“When I visited a health centre, I was told I had an infection and got a prescription to ease the pain, including some antibiotics, but this didn’t help,” Moratiwa says.

She remembers not being able to move because the pain of heavy periods was so bad.

“I would experience a heavy menstrual flow for five days. The situation got so bad that I was starting to feel something hard in my stomach,” she says.

The pregnancy test healthcare providers then insisted on turned out to be negative.

Moratiwa says she has endured sleepless nights and struggled to move her body due to extreme pain.

There was a time when the prescribed medication would not ease the pain, she says.

“I decided to visit the state hospital again, and after the doctor did a sonar, the fibroids in my uterus were discovered. At the time, I did not understand what it was,” she says.

SURGERY BRINGS HOPE

Moratiwa says she had surgery (a myomectomy) to remove the growths.

“After the operation, my body felt lighter again. The pain after the operation was better compared to before,” she says.

Moratiwa says the fibroids prevented her from planning to have her first child.

“After the operation my mother was shocked to see what came out, and supported me. At first, she didn’t understand fibroids either.”

Moratiwa calls for more awareness of the condition.

Outapi resident Susan Sohn (33) shares a similar experience, but says she was treated within one month of being diagnosed with uterine fibroids.

“My case was different, because I did not live with fibroids for a long time before treatment. I discovered it about a month before my surgery. I went to the doctor because I had painful periods and very painful ovulation.

“My doctor referred me for a scan, and that’s when I was told I had fibroids. I wasn’t surprised, because I had already suspected something was wrong. I used to feel small lumps when I touched my abdomen,” Sohn says.

The mother of two children says her everyday life was not too badly affected, except for pants sometimes feeling uncomfortably tight.

“I also experienced frequent urination, backaches and low energy, which I used to think was just me being lazy. I was not shocked by the diagnosis, but I did feel uncertain about the treatment. At first, I thought fibroids could be treated with medicine, but my doctor explained that surgery was the only option.”

“My doctor presented two options, uterine fibroid embolisation (UFE) and laparoscopic surgery, terms I was unfamiliar with,” she says.

The procedure itself wasn’t scary, Sohn says. In fact, the MRI beforehand was more intimidating than the procedure, she says.

“My doctor explained everything clearly together with the radiologist, who guided me through the UFE option.”

Sohn says she felt supported throughout the procedure.

“The kept me calm by explaining every step. I wish I had known how common fibroids are. At one point, I worried I may have cervical cancer, because I could feel lumps but didn’t know what they were.

“Fibroids affect women, yet many of us don’t learn about them until after diagnosis.”

Sohn says women too often ignore symptoms or are told they are exaggerating.

She advises women to seek medical care when experiencing symptoms.

Windhoek-based Dr Leonard Nambala, a general practitioner with a special interest in obstetrics and gynaecology, says uterine fibroids are common, affecting up to 80% of women by the age of 50.

“There are several types of fibroids: intramural ones grow within the uterine wall, submucosal ones beneath the inner lining of the uterus, subserosal fibroids grow on the outer wall, and pedunculated fibroids grow on a stalk.

“They could cause heavy bleeding, pain, fertility problems and pressure symptoms,” he says.

Nambala says the cause of fibroids is unknown but involves hormonal, genetic, and environmental factors.

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