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It Took A Pandemic, But I Finally Got The Healthcare I Deserve

“We have a date available for you, are you able to self-isolate?” 

If I am honest, I was not expecting the call. Although I hated having a 20-day period each month because of the fibroid (aka ‘the tenant’), it had now become my ‘norm’. But I thought of a conversation I had with a friend where she lovingly said, “I am tired of hearing you complain.” So I said yes to the operation and grabbed my Mastercard to do some online shopping to prepare for hospital and my recovery.

My journey with the baseball-sized fibroid started just after my experience with abnormal cervical cells. I noticed that I would get shooting pains during ovulation and the week before my period. Like many other black women across the country, my pain was initially dismissed by the gynaecologist that I saw, but fortunately my GP at the time paid attention to my wellbeing and referred me for a vaginal ultrasound. Six months later, I was face-to-face with a Ghanaian gynaecology surgeon discussing my options for pain management.