Venus Williams used to fight battles on a tennis playground. But in the recent opening of the seven-time champion of the big helmet, he shared a completely different type of struggle, which did not participate rackets or competitors, but doctors and incorrectly diagnosed pain. For many years, according to Williams, her complaints about the symptoms related to the fibroids have been abolished by the people she sought help.“It became too bad and I couldn’t handle it,” she said in an exclusive interview.And its story is not just powerful – it is painfully familiar to many women, especially black women, moving to health care system, fighting conditions such as uterine fibroids.
“They told me it’s ok”
In an interview that caused important conversations in social media and health care, Venus talked about how she had fought with bloating for years, pain and fatigue, just to say it again and again that it is “normal”. She even believed for a while. After all, she was a professional athlete who pressed the discomfort.But as the symptoms deteriorated and began to interfere with her daily life – and her game – it became clear that something was wrong. The problem? Doctors still didn’t listen.After all, she was diagnosed with uterine fibroids, a condition that affects 70% of women under 50, but remains widely misunderstood and, too often, insufficiently diagnosed.
What is fibroid?
Fibromas is a heavy growth that develops into the uterus or around it. They can be as small as grapes or as big as melon, and although some women may experience any symptoms, others – like Venus – can suffer from:
- Difficult periods
- Pelvic pain
- Raised
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Pain during sex
Despite how common they are found, fibroids are often fired, especially when a person who reports about them, young, without planning pregnancy or just say it is “rigid”.
Why the fibrors fly under the radar
One of the reasons for the fibroids goes unnoticed or unclear that their symptoms intersect that many people – including doctors – to tell the “ordinary” experience. A little spasms? Everyone gets it. Bloating? Should be your cycle. Strong bleeding? It’s just hormones, huh?Wrong.Although some discomfort can be normal during menstruation, pain that breaks your life is not. No bleeding is so highly impregnated with gaskets and tampons in less than an hour or bloating that makes you look pregnant for six months. “How bad it was for me, a crazy amount of bleeding, as you couldn’t imagine … My doctors told me it was normal,” she said. “I never understood (that -anything) was wrong.”The experience of Venus emphasizes the normalization of suffering that many women tolerate, often highlighted by a woman.The history of Venus is a reminder that we need the best conversations about the health of the period, reproductive problems and pain, especially in medical spaces. Too many women say their pain is “in the head” or “only a part of a woman” who not only delays proper treatment, but also causes deep emotional disappointment and distrust in healthcare.
What you can do when suspicious fibroids
If you read this and think about whether your symptoms are more than “just a bad period”, that’s what you need to know:Track your symptoms. Write down how often you feel pain, bloating or severe bleeding.Don’t be afraid to get a second opinion. If your doctor launders you, look well who perceives your problems seriously.Ask the ultrasound. Often this is the first tool used to detect fibroids.Learn about treatment options. These include hormone therapy, minimally invasive procedures such as uterine embossing, and, in some cases, surgery.
