Joelle’s Myomectomy Journey: Diagnosis and First Surgery

Hello, everyone! My name is Joelle, 29. After 5 years of saving and lots of prayers, 2 weeks ago my husband and I became first-time homebuyers. Although we adore our kitten, Bella, and our 3 y/o cat, Titan, we were excited to start planning on the addition of a Little Bennett to the family.

Over the past five years, I’ve struggled with what I was told was high blood pressure caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, food sensitivities, and constipation due to a lack of fiber. Earlier this year, I went in for my annual physical and women’s wellness exam. In the end, I was simply advised to take iron supplements, eat more fiber, avoid my food allergens, and start high blood pressure medication.

Despite, all the lifestyle changes I had made, I was still experiencing stomach pain and digestive issues. With moving, I found a new PCP where I went in to discuss an IBS diagnosis. Instead, after running tests, I was diagnosed with severe fibroids. In the words of the person who gave me my second sonogram yesterday, “your uterus is fibroids.” The OBGYN later shared that the average uterus weighs 50g, mine is estimated to weigh 2,000g. They equated it to being 5 months pregnant. Due to my age and the severity, the fibroids are going to continue to grow back and I will continue to need surgery until I reach menopause or decide to have a hysterectomy.

My next steps are getting an MRI and going to a hematologist for an iron infusion consultation to prepare me for my first surgery.

As many of you know, moving brings emotional, physical, and financial challenges. Facing unexpected medical bills on top of that is overwhelming, to say the least. Since my husband and I are in a new area without friends or family nearby, we are reaching out for help. We would deeply appreciate any financial support you can offer and kindly ask that you keep us in your prayers. Funds will be used for medical expenses and to cover lost wages due to my husband having to take off work for appointments, the surgery, and the recovery period.

Whether you’ve read this far, gave, or shared this with your community, Thank You. We believe that support/giving comes in many forms, and are grateful for them all.

Much Love,

Joelle and Jason