I first found out I had fibroid tumors when I was 24, in college, and pregnant with Maxie Me. About three months in I noticed that my stomach would sometimes contract and a small, round lump would appear. The baby was too little for that to be a foot or an elbow, and upon further investigation, found out that there was more than a fetus feeding on my blood supply. It was a fibroid tumor. One of several I would have over the next decade.

What the heck is a fibroid?

Fibroids are muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus (womb). Another medical term for fibroids is “leiomyoma” (leye-oh-meye-OH-muh) or just “myoma”. Fibroids are almost always benign (not cancerous). Fibroids can grow as a single tumor, or there can be many of them in the uterus. They can be as small as an apple seed or as big as a grapefruit. In unusual cases they can become very large. [SOURCE]

In later years four more of those tumors would sprout and cause a host of problems, from premature births and heavy periods. After have 1-2-3-4 of them, I’m done with the kids part, but I still have a period, and it is HEAVY. I’m fortunate that I don’t have pain associated with the tumors, nor are they continuing to grow as quickly–most of them have calcified from starvation. I’ve done what I can to keep them from becoming too much of a problem–one of the most important is regulating my body fat which creates the hormones (estrogen) that allows the tumors to thrive. I also eat very little red meat (some studies have indicated it can be a contributor) and try to avoid all meats that contain hormones and preservatives. It more expensive in the short run, but eating organic is definitely the way to go.

Is There a Cure?

From what I know, there’s only two cures for fibroid tumors: menopause or a hysterectomy. I have absolutely no interest in having either that this point in my life. While I hate having heavy periods, I think I’d hate heat flashes, night sweats, perpetual crankiness and unexplained weight gain even more. I’m holding out for that pharm industry to come up with some magic pill that can help you skip menopause without giving you cancer or a third eye.

Yes; there are treatments, like embolization that cut off the blood supply to those blood-suckers, but it’s a surgical procedure.  Anyway, one of them dies and then another comes someplace else unless you destroy where they like to live–your uterus. The only real concern I have with these benign tumors is once every 28 days. For three days out of seven, I’m tired. And I bleed. And bleed. And bleed. No tampon or pad can hold me. Maybe a tampon and pads that fit like Huggies diapers will get me through Day Two–the worst and heaviest–without getting crimson circles on my sheets, but only if I’m lucky.

Soft Cup and How I Deal with Heavy Periods

What I have used with some success is Soft Cup. As you can see, they are one of our advertisers. There’s a reason for that. I do not pursue any ads, nor do I endorse anything personally without first trying the product and liking it. I sought out Soft Cup because I’ve used and loved their product since 1996. I practically tackled the marketing director when I met her at a natural products convention. I told her my story about my struggles with heavy periods and fibroids, and that my story wasn’t unlike many African American women. “As many as half of all women have uterine fibroids and African American women are three times more likely to develop them,” says Consuelo H. Wilkins, M.D. The most common symptom of fibroids is a period heavy enough to feed a tribe of hungry vampires. The blood flow goes in fits and starts. It’s unpredictable. Sneeze, laugh really hard, and you might be wearing your best friend’s sweater around your waist until you can change you pants.

Here’s why I love this product:

–It can be worn for up to 12 hours

–You can wear it and STILL have sex. (Yes; you can.)

–You can’t feel it while it’s in

–You can do any type of physical activity–swimming, horseback riding, running a marathon…whatever

–You can wear it overnight

–NO MENSTRUAL ODOR!!!

–Won’t cause dryness and irritation like tampons can

–No link to Toxic Shock Syndrome

I know inevitably a lot of you who haven’t heard of Soft Cup may have questions, so the good folks over there have arranged for 20 of our readers to try them for one cycle and report on how it went for them. Stay tuned–that giveaway will start soon.

And if I know my peeps, ya’ll have a ton of questions. Meet me in the comments and I’ll break it down.