Staying silent was not an option for Suja John after uterine fibroids caused her to suffer intense pain and bleeding while working as a nurse.
“I was in the bathroom and couldn’t leave because I was covered in blood,” says Suja, who has been a certified registered nurse anesthetist for 13 years. “That’s when I realized this is not a normal situation.”
Menstrual issues like hers are rarely discussed openly, even though uterine fibroids affect around 40% of women.
“Many women experience problems with their periods, pain, and bleeding and just live in silence,” says Courtney Walters, MD, obstetrician-gynecologist on the medical staff at Methodist Southlake Medical Center.
While many women live with fibroids without major issues, others endure severe pain and heavy bleeding, significantly impacting their quality of life. Suja found herself unable to stay silent as she transitioned from nurse to patient.
“I was really scared because I’ve never had an experience like that before,” she says. “I immediately left work and drove to Methodist Southlake.”
DIFFICULT DECISION
The team at Methodist Southlake quickly found a short-term solution by using hormone medications to stop the bleeding. Soon after, Suja’s doctor confirmed her diagnosis and revealed the seriousness of her situation.
“When I first heard Suja’s story, I felt sorry for her,” Dr. Walters says. “In these circumstances, all treatment options should definitely be discussed.”
Fibroids are usually benign tumors that form in the uterine wall and can range in size from 1 millimeter to 8 inches in diameter. For fibroids like Suja’s, a hysterectomy was deemed the best treatment and the only viable solution.
But removing her uterus meant giving up fertility, and that’s always a very personal — and often painful — decision.
“I always thought I would have a family and kids of my own,” Suja says. “I pretty quickly came to the decision to have surgery because this is not the way I want to live.”
Suja always had her family beside her, both for her surgery and during the recovery period.
MINIMALLY INVASIVE
Many women who struggle with severe fibroids try multiple medications and other treatments before turning to a hysterectomy, which may ultimately be the best solution, Dr. Walters says.
“Dr. Walters made a good point when she said that your uterus is meant to carry life,” Suja says, “and the way that my uterus was it probably would never happen.”
Dr. Walters performed a robotic hysterectomy to remove Suja’s uterus. This minimally invasive approach gives surgeons a 3D perspective and unparalleled precision through the use of small instruments they control.
“I did this so she had minimal downtime and less interference in her normal activities,” Dr. Walters says.
With just four small incisions on her abdomen, Suja’s recovery time was only a few weeks long and relief soon followed.
“Once the pain subsided, I realized how much better I felt physically inside,” Suja says. “I had more energy and felt like myself again.”
Suja compared the emotions after her surgery to how she felt after losing her father.
EMOTIONAL RECOVERY
Although she felt better physically, the surgery took an emotional toll on Suja, who compared it to the loss of her father.
“With my dad, I felt like I didn’t get to make the choice or have my goodbye. He was just taken away,” Suja says. “The surgery felt like another thing in my life that got pulled away from me.”
Coming to terms with those emotions and her new role as a recovering patient wasn’t easy for Suja, who is usually on the other side of things.
“I’m used to being the person who tells patients, ‘Everything’s going to be fine,’” Suja says. “You don’t realize how much those words mean to people until you’re on the other side of it. They took great care of me.”
She’s grateful for all of the care and guidance she’s received and is now focused on sharing her positive outlook with others.
“Everything happens for a reason, and when you make a decision, you have to look at it in the most positive way,” Suja says. “Whatever life gives you, just make the best of that situation. That’s how I live my life.”
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