September 4, 2024 • 24 mins
Welcome to a compelling episode of "MEternal LIVE," from the Marriot Marquee in Times Square NYC where Coach Kenya dives deep into the long-term effects of fibroids and their specific health impacts on Black women. Join us as we sit down with reality TV Star Cynthia Bailey and wellness advocate Mal Bailey, alongside leading specialists from USA Fibroid Centers.
In this insightful discussion, we'll explore:
- **Understanding Fibroids:** What are fibroids, and why do they disproportionately affect Black women?
- **Long-Term Health Implications:** How do fibroids influence overall health, from reproductive challenges to chronic pain and beyond?
- **Personal Stories:** Cynthia and Mal Bailey share their personal journeys and experiences with fibroids, shedding light on the emotional and physical toll.
- **Medical Insights:** USA Fibroid Centers provide valuable information on treatment options, management strategies, and the latest advancements in care.
- **Empowerment and Advocacy:** How can women take charge of their health, and what resources are available for those struggling with fibroids?
Tune in for a candid conversation filled with expert advice, personal stories, and actionable information that aims to empower and educate. Whether you're living with fibroids or seeking to understand the broader impacts on women's health, this episode is a crucial resource for navigating your journey with knowledge and support.
Don't miss this essential discussion on "Fibroids and Wellness." Subscribe now and be part of the conversation!
In this insightful discussion, we'll explore:
- **Understanding Fibroids:** What are fibroids, and why do they disproportionately affect Black women?
- **Long-Term Health Implications:** How do fibroids influence overall health, from reproductive challenges to chronic pain and beyond?
- **Personal Stories:** Cynthia and Mal Bailey share their personal journeys and experiences with fibroids, shedding light on the emotional and physical toll.
- **Medical Insights:** USA Fibroid Centers provide valuable information on treatment options, management strategies, and the latest advancements in care.
- **Empowerment and Advocacy:** How can women take charge of their health, and what resources are available for those struggling with fibroids?
Tune in for a candid conversation filled with expert advice, personal stories, and actionable information that aims to empower and educate. Whether you're living with fibroids or seeking to understand the broader impacts on women's health, this episode is a crucial resource for navigating your journey with knowledge and support.
Don't miss this essential discussion on "Fibroids and Wellness." Subscribe now and be part of the conversation!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome everyone to me Eternal Live. My name is Kenya
Gibson from iHeartRadio. Really excited to be up here today
with some of these folks who've already actually been on
my podcast. So Cynthia was on my podcast about this
time last year. I feel like it's been a whole year.
And I just want to say thank you again to
doctor Jon katz Nelson for your support and putting this
event on. Your team has been super supportive of the
(00:22):
Eternal platform and educating women and communities of color about
fibroid health.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
So can we just.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Clap it up again for doctor kats Nelson.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Yes, can we just clap to Cheryl Chambers and yes.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
This all come together very hard to make it happen.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
And we're also joined up here by doctor Jacob White.
And I kind of wanted to start with Mallory and
Cynthia because you're both sisters, right, and there is a
family history of you know, fibroid, right, So can you
just talk a little bit about like what that experience was, like,
how you all kind of found out what was going on,
and then what you got to in terms of like
coming to the point that you felt like you were
(01:05):
sharing some of the same symptoms.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Okay, all right, well I'm gonna take it back.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Our mother Barbara had fibroids as well, but you know
that generation. I don't think she was ever really diagnosed
with fibroids. You just suffered. And she went on to
have a hysterectomy, which set off a lot of other
different issues in her health journey after she had that
done because it was actually not necessary to have a hysterectomy,
(01:32):
but she didn't have USA fibroid centers and doctor John
and all this good information and you know, platforms and
situations like tonight where you could you can come and
learn more about fibroids. So with that said, I first
found out my found out about my fib when I
was pregnant with my now twenty four year old daughter Noel.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
And I was.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Pregnant and what I remember is my doctor telling me, oh,
you have a fibroid. And I was like, oh my,
oh god. You know, I'm you know, little dramatic. Am
I gonna die? What's happening? You know, it's a cancerous whatever.
She's like, no, girl is not, but uh, it is there.
And she just made me feel like it was no
big deal. I was like, so, I don't have to
do anything. She was like, no, it's fine. What she
didn't tell me was that this thing was going to
(02:16):
continue to grow in my body. And for me, I
only wanted one child, So you know, as as far
as me, you know, wanting more.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Children, that was not a part of my personal story.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
But I do know that it would have affected me
as my fibroid grew bigger and bigger because at the end,
when I had uffeterine fibrit embolization, it was like the
size of like a large orange for sure, and then
I had like two or three other ones that were
a little smaller. But at that point I was constantly
on the celebrity baby bump list. Everyone was always thinking
(02:51):
I was pregnant because I always had this this bump.
I was totally anemic, and actually you didn't mention that
as being one of the symptoms.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
And that was one of my biggest symptoms.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Like when I tell you, I could tell you all
the best eye spots in Atlanta, the gas station, the hospital,
and they were like, girl, why are you at the
hospital because they got their good soft crushed ice over there.
I needed to come making someone his ice like, I
was like, you would never not catch me with a
cup ice. I was very, very severely a kneemake. My
sex life sucked, it's painful. I never wore white. What else.
(03:25):
I don't like to throw the word depression around, but
I was definitely in a dark space because I was
tired all the time. My cycle would go as long
as like ten days, sometimes ten to twelve days, so
I was.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Either on my period or getting off my period.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
So anyway, long story short, again, that was just a
part of my life, in my reality. And I was
like in my early forties, once I decided well once
I found out about uterine fibronimalization, and I did not
find out this information from my gonocologists, I would go
and get my check up, and I mean that was
something that was never even checked. And finally I was like,
why am I bleeding so much? Why am I always bloated?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Why am I?
Speaker 4 (03:58):
I started asking questions, and to be honest, she wasn't
that helpful. She just was like, oh, you know, maybe
you have fibroids. You know, you should maybe look into
having a hysterectomy. And I was like, well, damn, that's extreme.
I gotta go straight to hysterected me. So then I
started doing my research and then I've heard about uf E,
which is basically a very simple procedure, like doctor Yan
(04:21):
said that basically stops the blood flowed to the to
the fibroids. And I literally went in filmed it for Housewives,
fought with them to film it because they were like, well,
we don't know if that's great TV. I was like, well,
it's happening to my life. I am a reality star.
This is like me walking in my truth. And to
be honest, everyone on the cast, except when person was
(04:43):
dealing with fibroids, they just didn't talk about it. And
now everybody's talking about it, even some of the ones
that was dealing with and then now they're talking about it.
But anyway, I'm just got the conversation is still going.
So one of the best things that I did. When
I go anywhere in the world, you guys, when I
tell you, out of all the crazy that I've done, uh.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Well, I wasn't that crazy on Real Housewives Ballana.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
But I'll just say anywhere I'll go in the world,
women come up to me and thank me for talking
about fibros because so many of us, especially African American
women are dealing are dealing with fibroids, and even the husbands.
Shout out to the men that came tonight, because what
I will say, like, when we're not happy and we're
miserable and we don't feel good and we're tired, we're
(05:26):
gonna take it out on y'all. First, you guys need
to be here getting this information and understand what your
partners are going through, because we're not just mean, We're
not just me.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
We do want to have sex with you. We do
love you, but we just don't feel like it.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
If we're dealing with fibroids, we just we you know,
you just are. We're not ourselves And these fibers, these
non cancerous tumors are inside of us and they literally
drain the life out of us. And you know, as women,
you know we do the most and it just makes
life so much harder when you just don't feel good.
So I encourage all of you tonight to please get
(05:59):
checked out. This is not something that your obgyn is
going to ask you.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
If you have you have to ask those questions.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
You have to continue to get information and that is
why although I'm on the other side of fibroids, you know,
I'm like, well, I'm on the other side of mentopause
at this point too. But anyway, I don't deal with
them anymore, but I do feel like it's important for
me to keep the conversation going.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
So that's so good. That's my story and I'm sticking
with it.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
So out of the two of you who found out
that they had fibroids first and then, what was that
support system like for you both?
Speaker 5 (06:33):
I found out I was actually three months pregnant and
I started bleeding, and I was actually in Greece, so
I made an appointment with the grease doctor. He basically
told me that I was for sure having a miscarriage,
and he told me I had fibroids, which of course
(06:54):
at the time I never heard of that. But he
said it's non cancerous, and he said that at the time,
he said, eighty five percent of black women get this
and they don't know why. So I flew home saw
my doctor in the US and she confirmed that I
did have fibroids, three fibroids, and she gave me two options,
(07:14):
hysterectomy or have them surgery. Removed. I told her hystericuly
is not an option because I'm actually I was trying
to have kids. I had so had the surgery, you know,
two years later, had another miscarriage, so pretty much battle
(07:36):
with the fibroids, trying to get pregnant all that because
I had fibroids and they kept going back very quick.
So I used to complain about you twenty four to seven,
complaining that all my periods are so heavy, heavy, heavy,
I want to I had to change like every ten minutes,
every ten minutes, and I told I was telling Cynthia
about it because she was I would miss a lot
(07:58):
of the family functions, didn't really want to be around anybody.
And she said, why don't.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
You just have a UFE. So she had it first,
she had and.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
I didn't know about uf So she made the call
to us fireboys and said, hey, you need to get
this taken care of her because it's like it really
took control of my life. So I flew to New
York and I met doctor White, when I say, amazing, amazing,
A thirty minute proceidure changed my life. Why normal bleeding?
(08:38):
So I am so thankful. I don't even know why
you took so long to do it? But I'm kay, okay,
Well I complained for two years, by the way, before
she made that call.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I know what, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Look, I'm just glad you got it done, but I
don't know what happened in that time.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
I was not trying to keep the Fiber people. I
was not, but I will say there was such a change.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
And you know, maw as a person like I literally
just stopped even inviting her to stuff because once I
got myself together, I was like, you know, back outside
and like having a good time. And I'd be like, hey, girl,
you know we're doing this, we're doing that. You want
to come And she's like, oh, I don't.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Feel like it. I'm sorry. So I was just like okay.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
So finally I did get to the point where I
was like, do you still have them? Like what's going on?
Why don't you just get it taken care of our ready?
So finally she's on the other side of it. So
we got two different versions of how it went down.
But you know, I would have led you open to
these people a lot quicker.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
So that's so good.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
So I want to get a clinical perspective for a
moment here and just kind of pivot to doctor White
and doctor katz Nelson in terms of what you see
in communities of color, right, and what do some of
those treatment plans look like, and what are some of
the misconceptions that you see when it comes to treating
the women that see you've seen so far, So.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Maybe I'll start first.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
So this interesting misconceptions. I'm still learning and I'm shocked.
We try to advance right for seven eight years with
the Fibrant Fighters, and I asked Cheryl in our marketing department,
why can't we go to congregation, to churches and try
to do that? And we tried. We get a fair effort,
(10:21):
and it didn't work. I didn't know why. I mean,
we're seeing in almost perfect English, you know, smiled accent,
what's going on and explaining, and we have thirty nine
locations in New York City alone, and we're in thirty states.
We work seven days a week, extended hours covered by insurance,
(10:42):
like telling about access to care, phenomenal care, no comparison.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Women thought that.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
They were punished by God, women thought that they've done
something wrong. It's like we were talking past each other.
And so it's not about treatments. Let's solve the first
misconception that it's not your fault. And after that, if
it's not your fault, what do we do about this
so you don't have to suffer. You didn't do anything wrong,
(11:11):
you don't need to be punished. And after that misconception
that it's normal everyone had it because it's such a
common thing, like and everyone suffers and kind of suck
it up, you know, move on and life is difficult,
so what it's and normalizing abnormal it's terrible. Another misconception
(11:37):
that it's fiber its is okay, not a big deal.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
It is big deal.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
It's a huge deal because you basically not normally wasting
your life. Two beautiful, smart, amazing women suffered so much
and they had all access to information to the best doctors.
They didn't know. Can imagine everybody else. And next misconception
(12:02):
that hysterectomy is not.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
A big deal.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
It is a big deal.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
You basically carstrate yourself and it's terrible and everything uter
is actually important part of the body, not only for
babies but also holding things together in a bottom. You
remove it, everything falls down and there's no organism, right.
The same because there's no contraction of the uterus, everything
falls down. Ninety percent of women because of the pain
(12:29):
after procedure, end up with the dependency drug dependency, and
there's a lot of other surgeries need to be done
to suspend and prevent blood and other organs to make
sure that there's no incontinence. It's a very nice word
for leaking different things. So it's not been nice. So
(12:51):
many misconceptions and another misconception that nobody knows about interventional radiologists.
Specialists that actually do that just don't treat fibrids mini
mount based way somebody else. And that's why I want
to give no some opportunity for Dr White to tell
(13:11):
his story and how easy that can be done. So
magician doctor White.
Speaker 6 (13:21):
Who, thank you, thank you, thank you. It's so great
to be here again. I love coming to these events.
It's great thing everybody, thank you all for coming out.
Just talk about the medical aspect of it. You've already
said how many women have fibroids. In addition to that,
half of that risk women don't even know what fibroids are,
and on average, it takes three to four years to
(13:44):
get their fibraid treatment. Just like Cynthia and Malie were saying.
So because of that, Jehan created USA Fibroid Centers, Hope
and Access. We bring women in and we treat them,
and we treat them with this incredible procedure called uterine
fibroid emalyization or uf E.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Very quick.
Speaker 6 (14:00):
It's done in the office, not in the hospital. We
can give a little medicine to relax. The patients don't
feel anything at all. The whole procedures done through a
tiny needle hole in the wrist or the leg, and
that's it. No cutting, no scars, no stitches. Through that
little hole. A little tube goes on the inside. The
patients don't feel that. And then we inject the fibrids
(14:21):
from the inside, cut off the blood flow to the fibroids. Okay,
it's real quick, takes twenty thirty minutes. We watch the
patient for a little bit and then they go home.
There's some cramping afterwards for a few days, and then
they feel fine after that. The fibriys shrink down dramatically.
The pictures on the ultra sounds and MRIs really really dramatic.
The fiberys they shrink down, they soften up, and all
(14:42):
those symptoms get much better. Bleeding, pain, floating, the anemia,
everything just goes way down after we've treated these fibroids.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Can I say this really quick? I think this is important.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
When I had UFB done, I had it done that
morning and the next day and we filmed it, and
the next day I had one of my cast mates
come over and check on me.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
So I had like a little half day.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
Out, but I was feeling completely fine, Like the next
day I could have actually gotten up and gone to work.
So I just want you guys to understand just how
easy and quick it is.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
And I will say my cycle, my periods.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
Went from like a good strong eight to nine ten
days to like four days. And I think I feel
like that happened in like maybe a couple of months
that I saw a change. And then after almost probably
a year, and maybe it was less. I was no
longer a kneemic, so and I was feeling better and
(15:42):
I was wearing white when I was like, my stomach
was flatter, like all of the different symptoms that I
was going going through was life changing. So you do
not have to suffer from this in silence, like you
really really don't.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Like nobody deserves to just not feel good.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
And there's if you are suffering with fibrois you are
not filling your hunt best.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
I can tell you that right now.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
And I kind of want to close out there and
just ask both you and Mallory, why do you think
as black women we are so strong, we're so stubborn
sometimes and like culturally, we don't always have these type
of conversations to advocate for ourselves.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
Well, for me, I think, you know, as a black woman,
I feel like we we kind of feel like we're
like superwomen, and we feel like it's just required to
just have to just work and just put our health
in ourselves. Second, you know, I feel like we often
(16:41):
and I'll speak for myself and if anyone can resonate,
then great. But I always felt like, you know, if
it's not hurting me, I don't really have to go
to the doctor.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
I mean it's fine. I mean I can just deal
with it or whatever.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
And I never really put myself in my health my
wellness first, And I can just tell you right now
that's bullshit. Okay, we need put our health first and
we need to start now.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
And I started late.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
I started in my late forties I'm will into my
fifties now, and health is my number one priority at
this point. I'm at every doctor's appointment, every checkup, not
on time. I'm fifteen minutes early at this point because
I understand that health is truly our wealth, and I
want to you know, as you get older, when you start,
(17:28):
you know, you know, gett a little older like me.
No matter how you take care of yourself, you're just
getting older and you just have to just do a
little bit more to feel good and to have energy
and to you know, just live your best life. I
know it looks amazing on Instagram, but I really be
over here struggling sometimes to even get up to take
(17:50):
the picture. Okay, I'm like, I gotta put some on Instagram.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
I got to do it.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
And it's just you know, for me, I'm always I
love women, and I love women, and and I want
anything that I'm going if I'm going through it, if
I'm going to get any kind of check up, I'm
going to share with you guys on Instagram, like everything
that I do because I really want. Because I was
one of those people who would like be like, oh
I didn't get my breast exam. Okay, how many years
(18:15):
has it been And you know you guilty of it
for sure, ma'am. I'm just gonna call you out anyway.
So anyway, just like you know, it just takes such
a village to just help lift each other up because
we just get caught up, we just get busy, and
we just be doing the mods and we just really
honestly put ourselves second a lot. And I would encourage
(18:36):
all of you to please make your health, no matter
what your age is, start earlier. Please start earlier than
I did, because it will give you so much more
joy and such a better quality of life to just
feel good and know that your health that you're happy
and healthy.
Speaker 5 (18:59):
For me, I'm a very private person, so I was
actually embarrassed about it, so I didn't share it. I
shared it with my sister because she's my sister, but
I didn't share it with anyone.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
So she's an Aquarius, she's like a vault.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
When I tell you, you ain't gonna know nothing that's
going on with now ahead.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
So you know, so that's it was.
Speaker 5 (19:22):
I felt uncomfortable talking about it. That's probably the reason
why most people we're from the South, we don't talk
about period sex and stuff like that. We're just private.
So I feel like a lot of people, you know,
and that you know, they just don't want to talk
about it.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Yeah, and that's true. That's true.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
That is a good point. A lot of women do
feel embarrassed to talk about it. And one of the
great things for me was being on a TV show.
We just talked about everything on Housewives. We I was like,
when we talk about everything else, man as, we'll talk
about this too, So that that is a good point.
But you don't have to be embarrassed. And you know,
it's not like, you know, it's not like fibros are
sexy and hot to talk abou Like, hey, I got fibroids.
(20:01):
I'm over here like bleeding all over the place, and
you know, I'm all bloated and I'm anemic. You know,
ain't nobody trying and talk about that. But I will
tell you just like how much time and conversation has
changed that whole narrative. Like I remember being one of the,
if not the only celebrity o TV talking about fibrous
to like now everybody know is talking about it. Like
(20:22):
at this point, I'm like, okay, well, now wait a minute,
I need y'all to stand y'all Lane.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
I'm the fibroid Lady, not over the booking everybody.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
I'm like, wait a minute, I thought I was over
here to talk about vibroids. But I really love that
people that women feel more comfortable and especially women with
a platform.
Speaker 6 (20:40):
Two.
Speaker 4 (20:40):
You know you guys are following us, and you know,
you know, inspired and motivated by us. So we should
share not only just the good stuff, we sharing everything else.
This really share you know, some of the more intimate
things that you know could help someone else get the
information and the help that they need.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Yeah, that's great.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
And when I I will say is collective conversations like
this help extend a platform and help us all to
have a platform. So you should all clap for yourselves
for coming here this evening and be willing to be
a part of this conversation. And I kind of want
to pivot over here to doctor Young katz Nelson and
just how do people get in touch with USA Fibroid Centers.
(21:21):
What would be a good next step if someone is
experiencing symptoms?
Speaker 3 (21:26):
So you can find us at usafib Earthscenters dot com.
USA Fibridcenters dot com. It's very easy. If someone suspects
that they have a problems, it's very easy to schedule
appointment online or just call. And what you will should
expect is a simple ultrasound study because it's a it's
a tumor, so we can see it. It's visible on ultrasound,
(21:49):
which is basically waves, sound waves, not extray, nothing dangerous.
It's a five to ten minute ultra sound transvaginal, trans
abdominal and we know the answer. In cases will ask
for MRI also no radiation. Very simple thing and right away,
right away, we can fix the problem. Ask insurance for approval.
(22:11):
It's all covered by insurance.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Yes, step part.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
You know, people ask a few things about treatments. Will
it work yes, will it hurt very little? And will
it cost? Covered by insurance? So if you have answers
on all this question, nobody should suffer. I will tell more.
(22:36):
There's a there was a law in Florida about five
It was a Fiber Research and Education Act Center Gibson
passed two three years ago, and that's fibrids is a
disease that basically counted by the state and in the
(22:57):
database like HIV and anything else. Because it's so dangerous
and debilitating, so it needs to be public emergency public problems,
and they cover preventive ultrasound like a wellness ultrasound without
copy and anything else. So in my opinion, every woman
(23:17):
should get ultrasound periodically because if someone has an eighty
percent chance to develop disease and the symptoms grow slowly,
it's very difficult to kind of think, oh, now it's
a problem.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Before it was just a long not a good.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
So do ultrasound and then it's very simple to connect
the dots. Now I understand why I have a bad period.
Now I understand why I have a pain. Now I
understand what I cannot function, and then learn about up
and stop suffering and enjoy the best life you can have.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Thank you, yes, thank you, and so I appreciate everyone
being up here today. You're listening to meet turn live
on iHeartRadio. I am Kenya Gibson and until next time,
thank you guys. M
Welcome everyone to me Eternal Live. My name is Kenya
Gibson from iHeartRadio. Really excited to be up here today
with some of these folks who've already actually been on
my podcast. So Cynthia was on my podcast about this
time last year. I feel like it's been a whole year.
And I just want to say thank you again to
doctor Jon katz Nelson for your support and putting this
event on. Your team has been super supportive of the
(00:22):
Eternal platform and educating women and communities of color about
fibroid health.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
So can we just.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Clap it up again for doctor kats Nelson.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Yes, can we just clap to Cheryl Chambers and yes.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
This all come together very hard to make it happen.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
And we're also joined up here by doctor Jacob White.
And I kind of wanted to start with Mallory and
Cynthia because you're both sisters, right, and there is a
family history of you know, fibroid, right, So can you
just talk a little bit about like what that experience was, like,
how you all kind of found out what was going on,
and then what you got to in terms of like
coming to the point that you felt like you were
(01:05):
sharing some of the same symptoms.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Okay, all right, well I'm gonna take it back.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Our mother Barbara had fibroids as well, but you know
that generation. I don't think she was ever really diagnosed
with fibroids. You just suffered. And she went on to
have a hysterectomy, which set off a lot of other
different issues in her health journey after she had that
done because it was actually not necessary to have a hysterectomy,
(01:32):
but she didn't have USA fibroid centers and doctor John
and all this good information and you know, platforms and
situations like tonight where you could you can come and
learn more about fibroids. So with that said, I first
found out my found out about my fib when I
was pregnant with my now twenty four year old daughter Noel.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
And I was.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Pregnant and what I remember is my doctor telling me, oh,
you have a fibroid. And I was like, oh my,
oh god. You know, I'm you know, little dramatic. Am
I gonna die? What's happening? You know, it's a cancerous whatever.
She's like, no, girl is not, but uh, it is there.
And she just made me feel like it was no
big deal. I was like, so, I don't have to
do anything. She was like, no, it's fine. What she
didn't tell me was that this thing was going to
(02:16):
continue to grow in my body. And for me, I
only wanted one child, So you know, as as far
as me, you know, wanting more.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Children, that was not a part of my personal story.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
But I do know that it would have affected me
as my fibroid grew bigger and bigger because at the end,
when I had uffeterine fibrit embolization, it was like the
size of like a large orange for sure, and then
I had like two or three other ones that were
a little smaller. But at that point I was constantly
on the celebrity baby bump list. Everyone was always thinking
(02:51):
I was pregnant because I always had this this bump.
I was totally anemic, and actually you didn't mention that
as being one of the symptoms.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
And that was one of my biggest symptoms.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Like when I tell you, I could tell you all
the best eye spots in Atlanta, the gas station, the hospital,
and they were like, girl, why are you at the
hospital because they got their good soft crushed ice over there.
I needed to come making someone his ice like, I
was like, you would never not catch me with a
cup ice. I was very, very severely a kneemake. My
sex life sucked, it's painful. I never wore white. What else.
(03:25):
I don't like to throw the word depression around, but
I was definitely in a dark space because I was
tired all the time. My cycle would go as long
as like ten days, sometimes ten to twelve days, so
I was.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Either on my period or getting off my period.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
So anyway, long story short, again, that was just a
part of my life, in my reality. And I was
like in my early forties, once I decided well once
I found out about uterine fibronimalization, and I did not
find out this information from my gonocologists, I would go
and get my check up, and I mean that was
something that was never even checked. And finally I was like,
why am I bleeding so much? Why am I always bloated?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Why am I?
Speaker 4 (03:58):
I started asking questions, and to be honest, she wasn't
that helpful. She just was like, oh, you know, maybe
you have fibroids. You know, you should maybe look into
having a hysterectomy. And I was like, well, damn, that's extreme.
I gotta go straight to hysterected me. So then I
started doing my research and then I've heard about uf E,
which is basically a very simple procedure, like doctor Yan
(04:21):
said that basically stops the blood flowed to the to
the fibroids. And I literally went in filmed it for Housewives,
fought with them to film it because they were like, well,
we don't know if that's great TV. I was like, well,
it's happening to my life. I am a reality star.
This is like me walking in my truth. And to
be honest, everyone on the cast, except when person was
(04:43):
dealing with fibroids, they just didn't talk about it. And
now everybody's talking about it, even some of the ones
that was dealing with and then now they're talking about it.
But anyway, I'm just got the conversation is still going.
So one of the best things that I did. When
I go anywhere in the world, you guys, when I
tell you, out of all the crazy that I've done, uh.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Well, I wasn't that crazy on Real Housewives Ballana.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
But I'll just say anywhere I'll go in the world,
women come up to me and thank me for talking
about fibros because so many of us, especially African American
women are dealing are dealing with fibroids, and even the husbands.
Shout out to the men that came tonight, because what
I will say, like, when we're not happy and we're
miserable and we don't feel good and we're tired, we're
(05:26):
gonna take it out on y'all. First, you guys need
to be here getting this information and understand what your
partners are going through, because we're not just mean, We're
not just me.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
We do want to have sex with you. We do
love you, but we just don't feel like it.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
If we're dealing with fibroids, we just we you know,
you just are. We're not ourselves And these fibers, these
non cancerous tumors are inside of us and they literally
drain the life out of us. And you know, as women,
you know we do the most and it just makes
life so much harder when you just don't feel good.
So I encourage all of you tonight to please get
(05:59):
checked out. This is not something that your obgyn is
going to ask you.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
If you have you have to ask those questions.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
You have to continue to get information and that is
why although I'm on the other side of fibroids, you know,
I'm like, well, I'm on the other side of mentopause
at this point too. But anyway, I don't deal with
them anymore, but I do feel like it's important for
me to keep the conversation going.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
So that's so good. That's my story and I'm sticking
with it.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
So out of the two of you who found out
that they had fibroids first and then, what was that
support system like for you both?
Speaker 5 (06:33):
I found out I was actually three months pregnant and
I started bleeding, and I was actually in Greece, so
I made an appointment with the grease doctor. He basically
told me that I was for sure having a miscarriage,
and he told me I had fibroids, which of course
(06:54):
at the time I never heard of that. But he
said it's non cancerous, and he said that at the time,
he said, eighty five percent of black women get this
and they don't know why. So I flew home saw
my doctor in the US and she confirmed that I
did have fibroids, three fibroids, and she gave me two options,
(07:14):
hysterectomy or have them surgery. Removed. I told her hystericuly
is not an option because I'm actually I was trying
to have kids. I had so had the surgery, you know,
two years later, had another miscarriage, so pretty much battle
(07:36):
with the fibroids, trying to get pregnant all that because
I had fibroids and they kept going back very quick.
So I used to complain about you twenty four to seven,
complaining that all my periods are so heavy, heavy, heavy,
I want to I had to change like every ten minutes,
every ten minutes, and I told I was telling Cynthia
about it because she was I would miss a lot
(07:58):
of the family functions, didn't really want to be around anybody.
And she said, why don't.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
You just have a UFE. So she had it first,
she had and.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
I didn't know about uf So she made the call
to us fireboys and said, hey, you need to get
this taken care of her because it's like it really
took control of my life. So I flew to New
York and I met doctor White, when I say, amazing, amazing,
A thirty minute proceidure changed my life. Why normal bleeding?
(08:38):
So I am so thankful. I don't even know why
you took so long to do it? But I'm kay, okay,
Well I complained for two years, by the way, before
she made that call.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I know what, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Look, I'm just glad you got it done, but I
don't know what happened in that time.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
I was not trying to keep the Fiber people. I
was not, but I will say there was such a change.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
And you know, maw as a person like I literally
just stopped even inviting her to stuff because once I
got myself together, I was like, you know, back outside
and like having a good time. And I'd be like, hey, girl,
you know we're doing this, we're doing that. You want
to come And she's like, oh, I don't.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Feel like it. I'm sorry. So I was just like okay.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
So finally I did get to the point where I
was like, do you still have them? Like what's going on?
Why don't you just get it taken care of our ready?
So finally she's on the other side of it. So
we got two different versions of how it went down.
But you know, I would have led you open to
these people a lot quicker.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
So that's so good.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
So I want to get a clinical perspective for a
moment here and just kind of pivot to doctor White
and doctor katz Nelson in terms of what you see
in communities of color, right, and what do some of
those treatment plans look like, and what are some of
the misconceptions that you see when it comes to treating
the women that see you've seen so far, So.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Maybe I'll start first.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
So this interesting misconceptions. I'm still learning and I'm shocked.
We try to advance right for seven eight years with
the Fibrant Fighters, and I asked Cheryl in our marketing department,
why can't we go to congregation, to churches and try
to do that? And we tried. We get a fair effort,
(10:21):
and it didn't work. I didn't know why. I mean,
we're seeing in almost perfect English, you know, smiled accent,
what's going on and explaining, and we have thirty nine
locations in New York City alone, and we're in thirty states.
We work seven days a week, extended hours covered by insurance,
(10:42):
like telling about access to care, phenomenal care, no comparison.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Women thought that.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
They were punished by God, women thought that they've done
something wrong. It's like we were talking past each other.
And so it's not about treatments. Let's solve the first
misconception that it's not your fault. And after that, if
it's not your fault, what do we do about this
so you don't have to suffer. You didn't do anything wrong,
(11:11):
you don't need to be punished. And after that misconception
that it's normal everyone had it because it's such a
common thing, like and everyone suffers and kind of suck
it up, you know, move on and life is difficult,
so what it's and normalizing abnormal it's terrible. Another misconception
(11:37):
that it's fiber its is okay, not a big deal.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
It is big deal.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
It's a huge deal because you basically not normally wasting
your life. Two beautiful, smart, amazing women suffered so much
and they had all access to information to the best doctors.
They didn't know. Can imagine everybody else. And next misconception
(12:02):
that hysterectomy is not.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
A big deal.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
It is a big deal.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
You basically carstrate yourself and it's terrible and everything uter
is actually important part of the body, not only for
babies but also holding things together in a bottom. You
remove it, everything falls down and there's no organism, right.
The same because there's no contraction of the uterus, everything
falls down. Ninety percent of women because of the pain
(12:29):
after procedure, end up with the dependency drug dependency, and
there's a lot of other surgeries need to be done
to suspend and prevent blood and other organs to make
sure that there's no incontinence. It's a very nice word
for leaking different things. So it's not been nice. So
(12:51):
many misconceptions and another misconception that nobody knows about interventional radiologists.
Specialists that actually do that just don't treat fibrids mini
mount based way somebody else. And that's why I want
to give no some opportunity for Dr White to tell
(13:11):
his story and how easy that can be done. So
magician doctor White.
Speaker 6 (13:21):
Who, thank you, thank you, thank you. It's so great
to be here again. I love coming to these events.
It's great thing everybody, thank you all for coming out.
Just talk about the medical aspect of it. You've already
said how many women have fibroids. In addition to that,
half of that risk women don't even know what fibroids are,
and on average, it takes three to four years to
(13:44):
get their fibraid treatment. Just like Cynthia and Malie were saying.
So because of that, Jehan created USA Fibroid Centers, Hope
and Access. We bring women in and we treat them,
and we treat them with this incredible procedure called uterine
fibroid emalyization or uf E.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Very quick.
Speaker 6 (14:00):
It's done in the office, not in the hospital. We
can give a little medicine to relax. The patients don't
feel anything at all. The whole procedures done through a
tiny needle hole in the wrist or the leg, and
that's it. No cutting, no scars, no stitches. Through that
little hole. A little tube goes on the inside. The
patients don't feel that. And then we inject the fibrids
(14:21):
from the inside, cut off the blood flow to the fibroids. Okay,
it's real quick, takes twenty thirty minutes. We watch the
patient for a little bit and then they go home.
There's some cramping afterwards for a few days, and then
they feel fine after that. The fibriys shrink down dramatically.
The pictures on the ultra sounds and MRIs really really dramatic.
The fiberys they shrink down, they soften up, and all
(14:42):
those symptoms get much better. Bleeding, pain, floating, the anemia,
everything just goes way down after we've treated these fibroids.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Can I say this really quick? I think this is important.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
When I had UFB done, I had it done that
morning and the next day and we filmed it, and
the next day I had one of my cast mates
come over and check on me.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
So I had like a little half day.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
Out, but I was feeling completely fine, Like the next
day I could have actually gotten up and gone to work.
So I just want you guys to understand just how
easy and quick it is.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
And I will say my cycle, my periods.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
Went from like a good strong eight to nine ten
days to like four days. And I think I feel
like that happened in like maybe a couple of months
that I saw a change. And then after almost probably
a year, and maybe it was less. I was no
longer a kneemic, so and I was feeling better and
(15:42):
I was wearing white when I was like, my stomach
was flatter, like all of the different symptoms that I
was going going through was life changing. So you do
not have to suffer from this in silence, like you
really really don't.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Like nobody deserves to just not feel good.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
And there's if you are suffering with fibrois you are
not filling your hunt best.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
I can tell you that right now.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
And I kind of want to close out there and
just ask both you and Mallory, why do you think
as black women we are so strong, we're so stubborn
sometimes and like culturally, we don't always have these type
of conversations to advocate for ourselves.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
Well, for me, I think, you know, as a black woman,
I feel like we we kind of feel like we're
like superwomen, and we feel like it's just required to
just have to just work and just put our health
in ourselves. Second, you know, I feel like we often
(16:41):
and I'll speak for myself and if anyone can resonate,
then great. But I always felt like, you know, if
it's not hurting me, I don't really have to go
to the doctor.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
I mean it's fine. I mean I can just deal
with it or whatever.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
And I never really put myself in my health my
wellness first, And I can just tell you right now
that's bullshit. Okay, we need put our health first and
we need to start now.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
And I started late.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
I started in my late forties I'm will into my
fifties now, and health is my number one priority at
this point. I'm at every doctor's appointment, every checkup, not
on time. I'm fifteen minutes early at this point because
I understand that health is truly our wealth, and I
want to you know, as you get older, when you start,
(17:28):
you know, you know, gett a little older like me.
No matter how you take care of yourself, you're just
getting older and you just have to just do a
little bit more to feel good and to have energy
and to you know, just live your best life. I
know it looks amazing on Instagram, but I really be
over here struggling sometimes to even get up to take
(17:50):
the picture. Okay, I'm like, I gotta put some on Instagram.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
I got to do it.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
And it's just you know, for me, I'm always I
love women, and I love women, and and I want
anything that I'm going if I'm going through it, if
I'm going to get any kind of check up, I'm
going to share with you guys on Instagram, like everything
that I do because I really want. Because I was
one of those people who would like be like, oh
I didn't get my breast exam. Okay, how many years
(18:15):
has it been And you know you guilty of it
for sure, ma'am. I'm just gonna call you out anyway.
So anyway, just like you know, it just takes such
a village to just help lift each other up because
we just get caught up, we just get busy, and
we just be doing the mods and we just really
honestly put ourselves second a lot. And I would encourage
(18:36):
all of you to please make your health, no matter
what your age is, start earlier. Please start earlier than
I did, because it will give you so much more
joy and such a better quality of life to just
feel good and know that your health that you're happy
and healthy.
Speaker 5 (18:59):
For me, I'm a very private person, so I was
actually embarrassed about it, so I didn't share it. I
shared it with my sister because she's my sister, but
I didn't share it with anyone.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
So she's an Aquarius, she's like a vault.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
When I tell you, you ain't gonna know nothing that's
going on with now ahead.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
So you know, so that's it was.
Speaker 5 (19:22):
I felt uncomfortable talking about it. That's probably the reason
why most people we're from the South, we don't talk
about period sex and stuff like that. We're just private.
So I feel like a lot of people, you know,
and that you know, they just don't want to talk
about it.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Yeah, and that's true. That's true.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
That is a good point. A lot of women do
feel embarrassed to talk about it. And one of the
great things for me was being on a TV show.
We just talked about everything on Housewives. We I was like,
when we talk about everything else, man as, we'll talk
about this too, So that that is a good point.
But you don't have to be embarrassed. And you know,
it's not like, you know, it's not like fibros are
sexy and hot to talk abou Like, hey, I got fibroids.
(20:01):
I'm over here like bleeding all over the place, and
you know, I'm all bloated and I'm anemic. You know,
ain't nobody trying and talk about that. But I will
tell you just like how much time and conversation has
changed that whole narrative. Like I remember being one of the,
if not the only celebrity o TV talking about fibrous
to like now everybody know is talking about it. Like
(20:22):
at this point, I'm like, okay, well, now wait a minute,
I need y'all to stand y'all Lane.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
I'm the fibroid Lady, not over the booking everybody.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
I'm like, wait a minute, I thought I was over
here to talk about vibroids. But I really love that
people that women feel more comfortable and especially women with
a platform.
Speaker 6 (20:40):
Two.
Speaker 4 (20:40):
You know you guys are following us, and you know,
you know, inspired and motivated by us. So we should
share not only just the good stuff, we sharing everything else.
This really share you know, some of the more intimate
things that you know could help someone else get the
information and the help that they need.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Yeah, that's great.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
And when I I will say is collective conversations like
this help extend a platform and help us all to
have a platform. So you should all clap for yourselves
for coming here this evening and be willing to be
a part of this conversation. And I kind of want
to pivot over here to doctor Young katz Nelson and
just how do people get in touch with USA Fibroid Centers.
(21:21):
What would be a good next step if someone is
experiencing symptoms?
Speaker 3 (21:26):
So you can find us at usafib Earthscenters dot com.
USA Fibridcenters dot com. It's very easy. If someone suspects
that they have a problems, it's very easy to schedule
appointment online or just call. And what you will should
expect is a simple ultrasound study because it's a it's
a tumor, so we can see it. It's visible on ultrasound,
(21:49):
which is basically waves, sound waves, not extray, nothing dangerous.
It's a five to ten minute ultra sound transvaginal, trans
abdominal and we know the answer. In cases will ask
for MRI also no radiation. Very simple thing and right away,
right away, we can fix the problem. Ask insurance for approval.
(22:11):
It's all covered by insurance.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Yes, step part.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
You know, people ask a few things about treatments. Will
it work yes, will it hurt very little? And will
it cost? Covered by insurance? So if you have answers
on all this question, nobody should suffer. I will tell more.
(22:36):
There's a there was a law in Florida about five
It was a Fiber Research and Education Act Center Gibson
passed two three years ago, and that's fibrids is a
disease that basically counted by the state and in the
(22:57):
database like HIV and anything else. Because it's so dangerous
and debilitating, so it needs to be public emergency public problems,
and they cover preventive ultrasound like a wellness ultrasound without
copy and anything else. So in my opinion, every woman
(23:17):
should get ultrasound periodically because if someone has an eighty
percent chance to develop disease and the symptoms grow slowly,
it's very difficult to kind of think, oh, now it's
a problem.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Before it was just a long not a good.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
So do ultrasound and then it's very simple to connect
the dots. Now I understand why I have a bad period.
Now I understand why I have a pain. Now I
understand what I cannot function, and then learn about up
and stop suffering and enjoy the best life you can have.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Thank you, yes, thank you, and so I appreciate everyone
being up here today. You're listening to meet turn live
on iHeartRadio. I am Kenya Gibson and until next time,
thank you guys. M
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