The year of the Fibroid

 

Most of my friends have heard me agonize, complain, and obsessively talk about my lower GI issues. Its been a huge part of my life. It has affected my work, my personal life, and caused me to be emotionally drained. It started with diarrhea and my intestines growled louder than your average stomach growl. I was bloated, I felt like you could pop my abdomen with a pin. I always felt like I needed to go poo.  I would go from bouts of diarrhea to messed up, crazy, abnormal bowel movements. I finally went to see my GI and she said it was IBS. I was diagnosed with IBS several years back after a period of constipation, firm stools,  blood, and discomfort. I did not buy that what I was going through this time was only IBS. I tried the Low FODMAP diet. At first I loosely followed it and my BM issues started to clear up but I still had crazy GI stuff going on. A LOT of discomfort. I asked my GI and my primary about girlie issues and whether or not that could affect my GI. They both basically said “maybe, but I doubt it”. I finally had a yearly examination with a doctor who ended up not being my primary. SHE listened to me. She was not sold on my theory but she felt like it was worth a shot to have it checked out. She prescribed a transvaginal ultrasound. I will let you figure that one out. Long-story short…Fibroids were discovered. They couldn’t tell how many or how large…2 doctors later and I was signed up for an MRI. The girl parts specialist was doubting that this fibroid was causing my issues, she didn’t think it was big enough. Then she read the MRI results. WOW! I am not an expert but I could clearly see that baby fibroid was sitting back on/near my rectum as well as pushing my uterus and all my other parts out of the way. yep. THIS is probably what has been the source of the nagging pain on the left side of my abdomen that I have had for close to year. Baby fibroid sits on the right pushing everything to the left. I have a good understanding of my body. I know my body and am keen to when things are going wrong. Since March I have been able to sense and feel everything going on…its weird. I can feel bubbles, pains, rumbling, you name it in my abdomen. I feel like I can almost trace my food as it leaves my body. I am ready to not notice this stuff any more. While I have no doubt that the initial signs could have been IBS, I feel the IBS was triggered by the stress baby fibroid is causing my body. I think the LowFODMAP diet helped. I have reintroduced foods back into my diet and even try wheat on occasion and while I don’t get instant diarrhea my GI tracts gets a little messed up but it did from time to time when I was on the diet. I am hoping that once baby fibroid is out and my parts are settled back in I will start to get some answers about my diet etc. I am hoping that diet will be one less thing I will have to worry so much about with my training. Don’t get me wrong. I will still work towards eating smart and healthy but I hope to be able to go back to eating healthy and not have to worry about every little thing I put in my mouth and how it might affect my GI. It tends to drive ya a little insane after awhile.

 

I laugh because lately I have had similar symptoms as to what I have been told pregnant women have: Irregular bowel movements, what I call “fireworks” in my lower abdomen that could be similar to baby movements, bloating (I look a little preggers) and indigestion. Its time for Baby Fibroid to go!

 

I want to thank all my family and friends for your support. A BIG thank you to my running friends as my GI issues was often the topic of conversations on our runs. I hope that the next time I am asked  “how are you feeling?” I don’t have to come back with some poop related story and I can truly and honestly say “I feel great”!