Uterine Fibroids or fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the uterus. A lot of women who have long suffered the feared uterine fibroid share their stories of misery and how the new non-invasive HIFU technology has come to their rescue with Adeola Ogunlade
Bolaji Olasoji, a mother of three is a businesswoman based in Lagos. She shared her experience after been diagnosed with Fibroid a few years ago but did not want to go through the knife;
Narrating her experience with Fibroid, she said “I normally have a heavy period and takes like seven days and very uncomfortable. I spend days at home during my cycle. I had low backache and generally in pain and ill to the extent of wanting to throw up”.
Olusoji said “I visited the hospital and I was told that I will have to go through surgery but I went to search for available options and while looking for the alternative, I stubble on HIFU treatment but then, it was not in Nigeria but they were promises that it will get to Nigeria”.
Olusoji went further to join a WhatApps Group where people with similar health condition were discussing and updates given on the arrival of the HIFU facility in Nigeria.
He said “I later realized on the group chat that the major people in the chat were largely expectant mothers and single ladies”.
Worried by this, she said “I am mother of three and a widow. I pulled out of the group and one of the administrators of the group contacted me and asked me why I left the group. I narrated my concerns and I was told that there would an opening soon. That was how I stumbled on HIFU.
Olusoji, one of the special patients that benefited from the free HIFU surgery at Nodica Centre, said Nordica adopted me as their special patients. I was able to go through the process. It’s been a wonderful experience; I did have to go through the knife.
“The beauty of this HIFU is that after the treatment, I was up and about. I had to stay at home for four days from the Doctor advise but I could do anything I wanted to do, I was not restricted. My cycle is now normal. I appreciate Nodica and HIFU”, she said.
Dr Joy Oluwatunbi, a practicing medical doctor, was diagnosed with uterine fibroid at 27 in 2013 and that brought her life to a standstill. Johnson, like many other African women, was afraid of going under the knives.
A virgin and unmarried, Johnson refused to go through any invasive surgery.
Recounting her experience with fibroid, she said, “The fibroid brought my life to a standstill. I was working in a private hospital and I had to resign. Consequently, I could not go out during my cycle, for fear of embarrassment.
“I was diagnosed with fibroid in 2013 at 27 and I had to resign from my job because the symptoms were very severe. I had figured out that if my next menstrual cycle meets me in the hospital, it would have been an emergency and I would not have the opportunity of arguing with the doctor. Moreso, during an emergency, once your life is with the doctors, you will have to allow them to take the decision they want to take for your survival”.
“I thought I may not survive”.
She said “I bleed for a whole month in 2016 and I thought that the next cycle, I may not survived, I was booked for surgery but on getting to the hospital, my PC was already 18%, so the surgeon could not go ahead with the surgery as they had to build my blood”.
Johnson added: “I did some research and got to know about HIFU to evade surgery from my travails.
She asserted that although back then, HIFU was not in Nigeria and at some point l felt that whenever HIFU is, I will go there.
“Surprisingly, in February this year, I discovered that Nordica brought HIFU to Nigeria; I felt that is it real? I later connected with Nordica where I started with the Magnetic Resonance Imaging, (MRI) and consultation. When the MRI result came out, I was a bit devastated because my test indicated that I had type Zero Fibroid, this means that the Fibroid was inside endometrial cavity and nobody wants to go there.
“After a tug of war, I was finally approved and July 5, I heard my procedure, that same day, I started Menstruation and l started moving around”.
I stood up on my feet unaided after HIFU surgery
Oluwatunbi noted that before the surgery, I was going through severe pain that I could not sit down. Some nights, I had to sit down throughout the night so l don’t bleed to death.
I went to the hospital on a Tuesday, did my ultrasound non-invasive fibroid surgery that same day and left the hospital the same day. By the following day, I was walking and I had no symptoms anymore. The body had absorbed the dead tissue. Its was an interesting experience and post HIFU, it’s been a while.”
Esther Odekhian , a middle aged woman was an expectant mother. She was diagnosed of Fibroid in 2019 after she visited her Gynecologist.
Odekhian noted that though the doctor said that the Fibroid was small but is dangerous for baby to stay.
“My doctor later asked me about my flow, but I realize within that period that I had abnormal flow and some clot and my doctor suggested that I go under the knife”.
Odekhian, was initially scared of going under the knife because of other people’ experience. She later went for the surgery to find relief when the pain was too much but was not impressive as expected, adding that I am happy I am alive. The truth is that many have died going under the knife. I had so much fear when I went under the knife.
Odekhian who was full of admiration after the surgery said “I am glad to tell as many women as possible, please if you have the fund, go to Nordica, they will help you. I went through the knife 2 times and it was 50-50 chances. I heard about the HIFU through Dr Abayomi and today the reverse is the case. Today, I have no pain”.
Earlier, in his words, the Executive Director of Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr Abayomi Ajayi said that HIFU is not a new tech; it started in 1950s when some five brothers in the US were investigating on how to use HIFU for brain disorder disease. In 2004, The United State Food and Drug Administration Control approved the use of HIFU for Fibroid and Endometriosis.
He said that over 180, 000 women have used the HIFU across the world. We started HIFU treatment on the 26th June and about 25 people have had it.
He noted that the things that go wrong with Fibroid surgery, is either breathing or anesthetist problem. HIFU takes care of all that.
Abayomi pointed out that HIFU has side effects but if you obey all the doses of HIFU, the side effect is very limited. Skin born is one of them. If your abdomen is feeling too long, you can tell us.