My Fibroids journey….

Farmer’s market treat…

“Mrs. C, the results of your ultra sound did not show a baby, but there are three very small fibroids in the wall of your uterus.”

Whew…this was the news I received from my doctor a year ago. For the first time ever my cycle was irregular and I had extreme breast tenderness, so I was convinced I was pregnant. This news was disappointing to say the least.

I had never heard of fibroids before, but I did know that babies grow in the uterus. What did all of this mean? I wanted to have another baby!

I was standing in the hallway at work trying to regroup. Trying to get my mind in a different gear: fibroid gear instead of baby gear.

I had a lot of questions and she had no answers; this was not her area of specialty she said. This did not sit well: I need information!

But won’t God look out for His babies?

About five minutes earlier a close friend of mine had decided to stop by my desk unexpectedly. She was waiting there after I got off the phone and God said to share the news with her. Come to find out she had battled with this issue twice, to the point of two surgeries, so she was able to give me the information I needed; pointing me to a specialist.

True to form, I went into research overdrive. Reading up on everything I could find about uterine fibroids; thoroughly grossed out by the pictures I was seeing.

At my new doctor’s appointment, a very fatherly doctor informed my husband and I that we had nothing to worry about. There were three small fibroids; two about the size of an M&M and one about the size of a small grape.

I asked him if there was anything I could do to prevent more from forming and the current ones from getting bigger. He said there was nothing for me to do and to pretty much go home and come back when they get bigger.

That did not sit well with me. This was a dis-ease of the body and something (s) had to be contributing.

There were women dealing with incessant bleeding, anemia as a result of excess blood loss, debilitating cramps, infertility, forced hysterectomies, and a ‘pregnant’ look because of large fibroids. There were so many silent sufferers around me dealing with many of the above symptoms and fibroids the size of grape fruits and golf balls.

Here I was with none of the above, but on the edge of paranoia with my two M&M’s and a grape. But such is my nature.

To make a long story short, I went the naturopathic route. After much research I found a naturopathic doctor, Dr. Akilah El. My encounter with her was actually the catalyst that prompted my obedience to God to start this blog in the first place…but let’s save that for another post.

She placed me on a three month herbal regimen that was specific for me. No red meat, no caffeine, hormone free poultry, limit processed foods, 70% raw foods: fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and tons of water.

I love the colorful selections…food is our medicine

I took it a step further for myself. African American women are five times more prone to getting uterine fibroids. The one thing we do is perm our hair. So today marks one year since my last perm…..no more permed hair for me ( a whole other post 🙂 )

Nine months ago, after a fast, I gave up meat. I never ate pork, hardly ate red meat, didn’t like turkey, but I did love the ‘yard’ bird. I still eat fish. I juice or have some sort of smoothie almost everyday and I can honestly say, I have never felt better.

I celebrate my birthday today. As I reflect on the past year, I smile at my acquired appreciation for the juices of beets, kale and celery. A new appreciation for a green smoothie to sip on my way to work, a snack of chilled pomegranate seeds and my weekly jaunts to the Farmer’s Market.

Farmer’s Market goodies…

more Farmer’s Market goodies…

My kitchen has become my Farm-acy. I love my trusted Breville Juicer, Magic Bullet and the new Ninja Blender my husband just bought me for Christmas. Not to mention the green smoothie book my boss gave me as a birthday present!

All my symptoms have gone and I can’t wait for my check up in three months 😉

my trusted Ava always stays close to the juicer hoping for stray apples 🙂

I’ve learned to buy seasonally and prepare prepare prepare…

Buy and eat seasonally for the best prices…

I realize that we can be spiritually ‘top heavy’…..well versed and studied in the Word, but the health and well being of our physical temple never benefits from this same investment and effort. Spiritual healthiness and physical healthiness do go hand in hand. We can do so much more for God when we are healthy and balanced.

In the midst of the year, through all these changes, God told me He was changing my taste buds. Just as I was acquiring new tastes for foods that really caused my body to heal and flourish, He was also giving me more of a taste for Him so that my spirit could flourish even more.

So on this birthday, I offer you a toast to good health 🙂

Happy New Year, and this year, may you go aggressively after what God has for you!

Blessings

JC

Cheers to good health…may you prosper as your soul prospers.

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