10/07/2026
July is Fibroid Awareness Month, and I want to share something deeply personal with you all. I live with fibroids. I have had them since my early adulthood. For years, I kept them under control using the diet and herbs or bush medicine( as we know it in Guyana) wisdom passed down to me by our elders.
I even managed to shrink one of the largest ones. But recently, I had a scan and discovered one has grown, causing my stomach to look like I am about three months pregnant. I had a follow up gynecologist appointment this week. And I refused hysterectomy - Again.
Why I Refused a Hysterectomy. Twice."
I have been asked to have a hysterectomy twice in my life. And twice, I said no.
The first time was in 2013. After having severe pain in my tummy, a scan discovered cysts on my o***y and fibroids in my uterus - which I knew I had since my early adulthood. My GP recommended removing my ovaries. I asked one question: "What are the side effects?" The answer? Early menopause.
I said no thank you. I was too young. I was not ready to be pushed into surgical menopause, which is notoriously difficult to manage. When your ovaries are removed, your hormones do not gradually decline like they do in natural menopause. They crash. Overnight. And the symptoms can be devastating.
So I chose a different path. I changed my diet. I went back to what our bush medicine elders taught me. Who remembered Mama Fifi from Buxton, Guyana? I learned from her.
I ate to heal. And used herbs. And I shrunk the cysts and the largest fibroid I had. Without surgery. Without losing my ovaries. Without early menopause.
Fast forward to 2026. After a MRI scan in relating to my heart health back in April, picked up a large fibroid in my uterus. I did mentioned that I knew I had fibroids for many years, but they wanted to investigate further. A different hospital. A different gynaecologist. Same recommendation: hysterectomy. And once again, I said no.
This time, I have no symptoms. My periods are regular and normal. No pain. No heavy bleeding. No discomfort. Nothing. The gynaecologist examined me and ordered an MRI to check if the fibroids are near any organs that could cause future problems. If not, he will leave them alone.
I told him what I told the last one: I manage this with my diet. I have done it before and I am doing it again right now.
And it is already working. My tummy is less bloated. The tumour I could feel big and hard in my belly a month ago? I can barely feel it now. I am juicing daily. I have reduced meat significantly. I am doing a womb reset programme. And my body is responding.
Here is what I have learned through all of this:
Fibroids are not always caused by oestrogen dominance. They can also be driven by stress, trauma, and nutritional deficiency. When I look at the last six years of my life, the divorce, losing two sisters, navigating a pandemic, being homeless for five months, building a business from nothing, single parenting it makes complete sense that my body responded the way it did. The fibroid I always kept under control grew because my body was overwhelmed. Not because I failed.
I am not anti-medicine. I am not anti-surgery. If I needed it, I would have it. But I believe in giving my body the chance to heal first. I believe in listening to what it needs. I believe in the wisdom that was passed down to me by our elders.
This is my journey. This is my choice. And I share it because I know there are women out there who have been told surgery is their only option and feel like they have no say. You do have a say. You have a voice. Use it.
Always work with your medical team. Get your scans. Get your check-ups. But also know that you are allowed to ask questions. You are allowed to explore other options. You are allowed to say no.
Your body. Your womb. Your choice. 👑
I am sharing this because I know so many of you, especially my Caribbean and African sisters, are walking this same path.
Fibroids affect up to 70% of women, and the hormonal shifts of perimenopause can often make them flare up too. When I got my scan results,I did not panic. I knew exactly what to do. I am returning to what my body trusts: an 80% plant-based diet and the herbal medicines of my ancestors to shrink it again. This time for ever.
Please note: this is my personal experience and not medical advice. Always consult your GP or gynaecologist about your individual situation. Fibroids vary in size, location, and severity, and some do require medical intervention.
