In church, a woman shared that she had been pregnant for 18 months. She was, however, unable to give birth. Her family had allegedly bewitched her, and as a result, her baby could not come out. She claimed to be pregnant based on scans she took throughout the early stages of her pregnancy. Everyone could tell she was pregnant by the size of her stomach.
Many women have fibroids and are utterly unaware of them. This is due to their failure to seek medical care.
Women are undeniably important in all realms of human endeavors. Unfortunately, they suffer many illnesses that prevent them from fulfilling their natural roles as mothers.
High blood pressure, cancers of cervix and breast are some of the common diseases that plague women. However, fibroid, a tumor of the muscle fibers of the womb is a disease that affects women of all ages, particularly those above 20 years. The tumor is associated with female hormones in the body. Research, on the other hand, has been unable to pinpoint its cause. In Ghana, fibroids are common. They account for almost 40% of major gynecological operations in Accra.
Fibroids Facts
- They are the most common tumor of the reproductive tract.
- The exact cause is unknown.
- Fibroids are not cancers.
- In addition, 50-70 percent of women have them.
- Only about half of women with fibroids experience symptoms.
- Lastly, they are found during a routine pelvic exam.
What are the symptoms of uterine fibroids?
- Heavy menses.
Some women wear adult diapers, while others sit on bowls to bleed into them. Other people need blood transfusions after each period.
- Back pain.
- Frequent urination.
- Pain during intercourse. In some, sex is impossible.
- Difficulty getting pregnant.
Treatment
Fibroids are mostly treated surgically. There are, however, medications that can be given to people who are unable to undergo surgery due to their condition. For instance, people who bleed profusely.
Abigail’s Story
Abigail, a trader at Takoradi Market Circle, said she had her fibroids removed six years ago and hasn’t experienced any growth since.
She explained how she used to suffer, saying she was diagnosed with fibroids before the operation and opted not to do anything about it because she was done with childbirth.
Her doctor had advised her at the time that the fibroid was small and that she could ignore it. However, after three years, she began to experience excruciating stomach pains.
The pains were so severe that her doctor suggested she gets a scan. The fibroids had degenerated to the point that it was almost the size of a watermelon.
Before the symptoms got severe, she said her stomach had grown big. She always blamed it on a Caesarean section during her last child’s delivery. She had no idea that the fibroids were to blame for her big stomach.
