I was two days away from a trip abroad when I thought I had developed appendicitis. I felt a sharp pain in my lower abdomen that doubled me over, and I immediately went to the ER, where I was given an ultrasound. The good news: It wasn't appendicitis. The bad news: There was a 10-cm mass over one ovary and a 7-cm one over the other. The ER doctor said she thought they were fibroids and that I should see my ob/gyn. But I actually had already seen an ob/gyn, and she had told me not to worry.
AGONIZING MONTHLY PAIN
About two years before that ER visit, I had started to feel pain in my kidney on my left side. It would happen about a week or two before my period, and it was intense. I had an ultrasound then, and my gynecologist told me I had two small fibroids, each about 1 cm to 2 cm wide. I was assured that I didn't need to worry about them because they were so small; she would look at them again at my next annual checkup. But then the world shut down because of COVID, and like many others I went without a checkup for two years.
I pushed through pain that continued to intensify, seeing clients as a therapist and baby-planning with my partner. But my periods kept getting worse, lasting eight or nine days each month, and the symptoms multiplied. It wasn't until that ER visit in November 2021 that I found out that the fibroids had kept growing and were causing the pain.
STYMIED BY INSURANCE
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2023 من Prevention US.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2023 من Prevention US.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Take a Breather - Follow along to increase your peace.
With so much hustle and bustle packed into just a couple of short months, this time of year can feel overwhelming-but you can tame the pandemonium and focus on joy with a little bit of quiet "me time" spent meditating. "Taking a few moments to ground yourself, find your center, and reconnect with the present can make all the difference in calming the chaos," says Lindsey Benoit O'Connell, a certified meditation teacher and founder of The LAB Wellness. We asked her to write a quick guided meditation just for you.
Tomato and Feta Baked Eggs
Upgrade your morning with this flavor-packed, fuss-free meal.
BEST SNACKS for People With Diabetes
WORRIED THAT YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GET YOUR SNACK ON WHILE MANAGING DIABETES?
5 Best GLUCOSE METERS
WHETHER YOU ARE PREDIAIBETIC OR HAVE TYPE 2 OR TYPE 1 DIABETES, maintaining steady blood glucose levels is key to feeling your best.
Your Diabetes QUESTIONS, Answered
DIABETES IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CHRONIC ILLNESSES IN THE COUNTRY, with nearly 15% of adults dealing with some form of the disease.
MY DIAGNOSIS I Knew My Chest Pains Weren't Normal
ER doctors sent her home several timesuntil she nearly died.
Kitchen Mishaps 101
Expert tips for dealing with accidents and how to stay safe
HINKING DRINKING
It turns out that what we thought we knew about the health benefits of a daily tipple might have come from skunked science. Here's a fresh look, without the beer goggles.
MEET THE EXPERTS Nerding Out on Nutrition
A registered dietitian discusses how good food makes good health possible.
5 MYTHS ABOUT VAGINAS
Let's clear up a few persistent (and shameinducing) ideas about grooming, scent, and more.