Alene's story

Fibroids commonly grow in the uterus and can often appear after starting your period and right up until perimenopause. Some can grow quite slowly and others quite quickly, depending on a whole range of factors including genetics, diet, hormone levels etc. Thankfully benign (non-cancerous), these can vary in number and size, and many women can have a single fibroid or more than one. However, in extreme cases, some fibroids grow large enough to fill the pelvis or stomach area.

Gathering options and opinions

Having being given a diagnosis, Alene was told that the fibroids probably wouldn’t be a problem and that even if they grew, there was nothing that needed to be done at this point.

“Going through life, month after month, thinking that you are having a normal period and being given a wide range of contraceptives did nothing to help the issue, and in fact, just masked it. Having had pain in my back, legs, nausea, headaches, fatigue, and “lightning” pain in my pelvis for such a long time, I knew it wasn’t right. And on more than one occasion, I bled through clothes.”

In 2011, when she was 26, Alene felt confident and compelled to push for further investigations.

“In the interim, my GP prescribed a course of tranexamic and mefenamic acid to control the amount of bleeding and pain, but these didn’t work - there was no improvement at all.”

She continued on and utilised her company private healthcare benefit package, seeking advice and possible treatment. Having had new scans, including CT and MRI, these clearly demonstrated growth of her fibroids from 3cm to 5cm, which coincided with worsening symptoms. Alene then saw two consultants who offered her either an open or laparoscopic surgery, both of which had long recovery periods and carried more significant risk.

Building a community

It was only when she was scanning Instagram and joining a fibroid support group that Alene saw Mr Osama Naji’s name pop up. A consultant gynaecologist, he was being recommended online for his expertise with fibroids. On booking and then attending her first appointment, Alene was immediately put at ease, and knew that he was the specialist who would be able to help.

“He was so sympathetic and understanding of my symptoms. He explained what fibroids were so clearly and how some affect certain parts of the body and why, and whether removal would be the best path for some of them, and how it would cause more problems for others.”

Discussing how minimally invasive, more modern robotic surgery could be used to improve her situation rather than the more traditional open surgery, this would also enable a shorter recovery time and reduce internal scarring – vital if Alene wanted to try to conceive in the future.

“Mr Naji also saw from one of the scans that one of the larger fibroids had attached to my bladder, causing pain and the frequency of passing urine to skyrocket. Life had become quite debilitating.”

In July 2024, Alene had a robotic myomectomy using the da Vinci Xi Surgical System at The Princess Grace Hospital.

Recovering and recuperating after robotic surgery

Alene was able to return to work two weeks after surgery, and amazingly, go on holiday a week after that. Since her surgery, her symptoms and quality of life have significantly improved, and she no longer experiences back pain, bladder issues or bloating, and her pelvic pain has also reduced. Mr Naji also inserted a Mirena coil during the procedure to try and manage her symptoms.

Alene is still beyond happy that she found Mr Naji at the right time:

“I didn’t realise you could have multiple referrals when I looked into my private insurance policy - as many as you want in fact. It’s essential that you find the best fit of consultant for you so that you feel listened to, supported and ultimately, that you can converse openly with someone and show vulnerability. When it comes to women’s health in particular, trust is a big thing. Mr Naji was that person to trust.”

And her lasting advice?

“You need to advocate for yourself if you feel something isn’t right – no matter what you’ve been told. You know your body and you shouldn’t have to continue in pain. It’s important we all make the most of life – and thanks to this surgery, I now can.”

We wish Alene continued wellness and thank her for highlighting her story in the run up to Fibroid Awareness Month. If you’re looking for dedicated women’s health services, you’ll find all the information you need here, as well as a range of conditions and consultants to help.