For years, I knew something wasn’t quite right.
I had been living with fibroid pain and pressure for a long time. There were days when my abdomen felt uncomfortable, my stomach looked distended, and I simply didn’t feel like my body was functioning the way it should. I learned to live around the discomfort—to make adjustments, push through, and tell myself that maybe this was just something I had to deal with.
But eventually, I realized something important: just because you can live with something doesn’t mean you should have to.
I knew my body was trying to tell me something
One of the hardest parts of dealing with a chronic or recurring health issue can be knowing when to keep waiting and when to push for answers.
I’d already had fibroids for years. I had watched one grow. I had continued to experience symptoms. And yet, there is something about being told that something is “benign” that can make it easy to minimize what you’re experiencing.
Benign doesn’t mean symptom-free.
It doesn’t mean the pain isn’t real.
And it certainly doesn’t mean you have to accept feeling uncomfortable in your own body indefinitely.
My body was giving me information. I just needed to listen to it.
Finding someone who listened
After years of dealing with the pain and pressure, I finally found a surgeon who didn’t just look at my imaging or the size of my fibroids. She listened to me.
She listened when I described what I had been feeling. She looked at the bigger picture. And, importantly, she didn’t tell me that I simply needed to learn to live with it.
She recommended surgery.
After our conversation, I walked away with something I hadn’t had in a long time: a plan.
I’m now scheduled for surgery, and while there are obviously a lot of emotions that come with knowing you’re going to have an operation, there’s also a sense of relief.
Relief that someone heard me.
Relief that I trusted myself enough to keep looking for the right doctor.
And relief that I’m finally doing something about a problem that has been affecting my life for years.
Your body doesn’t need to “look sick” for something to be wrong
I think one of the biggest lessons in all of this has been learning that advocating for yourself doesn’t necessarily mean knowing exactly what is wrong.
It means recognizing when something doesn’t feel right and being willing to say so.
It means asking questions.
It means getting a second opinion when you don’t feel heard.
It means finding another doctor when the first one isn’t the right fit.
It means not allowing someone else’s definition of “normal” to override your own experience.
And sometimes, it means saying, “I know something is wrong with my body. I just need someone to help me figure out what it is.”
I’ve had enough experiences with my health over the years to know how important it is to pay attention to those little—or sometimes very loud—signals. Your body knows you better than anyone. You live in it every single day.
Listen to it.
You are allowed to advocate for yourself
I don’t know yet what the next chapter of this journey will look like. I know surgery comes with its own questions, nerves and recovery. But I also know that getting to this point feels like a victory in itself.
Not because I wanted surgery.
But because I finally found someone who listened, and I gave myself permission to listen, too.
If you’ve been experiencing pain, discomfort or symptoms that don’t feel normal for you, please don’t be afraid to speak up. You don’t have to have all the answers before you ask for help. You don’t have to convince yourself that it’s “not that bad.” And you don’t have to settle for being dismissed.
Listen to your body. Trust yourself. Ask the questions. And advocate for the care you deserve.
Sometimes, finding the right doctor starts with finally believing yourself.
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