Chicago-area woman has 21 fibroids removed after years of symptoms: 'God gave me a second chance'
Chicago-area woman has 21 fibroids removed after years of symptoms: 'God gave me a second chance'
Hampton is urging women to pay attention to symptoms like persistent bloating, heavy bleeding, or an enlarged abdomen, emphasizing that early diagnosis can be life-changing.
CHICAGO - For years, Rachel Hampton thought she was simply losing weight.
After shedding more than 53 pounds, one thing didn't make sense: her stomach wasn't getting any smaller.
Then she fainted.
"I faint, I go to the hospital and I end up going back for a checkup," Hampton recalled. "I explained to the doctor how much weight I had lost and we were talking about my stomach and why it wasn't going down."
The backstory:
Doctors ordered an MRI, and the results were life-changing.
"The MRI showed I had severe fibroids," Hampton said.
The diagnosis stunned her.
"This is crazy, Rachel. Your entire stomach is fibroids. You have no uterine tissue left," she remembers being told.
Another specialist delivered even more devastating news, saying a hysterectomy would likely be necessary because it was difficult to distinguish her uterus from the fibroid tissue.
"I get into the car and I am hysterical," Hampton said. "My mom said, 'Oh no, not my grandbaby.'"
Determined to explore every option, Hampton sought another opinion after receiving a referral from her Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Angel Leake-Worthy. That led her to gynecologic surgeon Dr. Kanika Sood.
"You need to get them out of your body now," Hampton recalled Dr. Sood telling her.
Dig deeper:
Fibroids are noncancerous growths that develop in or around the uterus. They affect up to 70 to 80 percent of women by age 50. Black women are more likely to develop fibroids at younger ages and often experience larger tumors and more severe symptoms than other groups.
Common warning signs include heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain or pressure, frequent urination, anemia, constipation, and an enlarged abdomen.
During surgery on May 26, doctors discovered 23 fibroids. Surgeons successfully removed 21 of them, leaving behind two tiny fibroids about the size of a pin tip.
"All together I had 23 fibroids...21 were removed," Hampton said.
Looking back, Hampton believes the fibroids had been growing for years.
When asked how long she thinks they had been there, she estimated 2019 or 2020.
What's next:
More than a month after surgery, Hampton says she has already lost another 19 pounds. More importantly, her uterus was preserved, giving her hope that she may still one day become a mother.
Today, she's focused on recovery—and on encouraging other women to pay attention to their bodies.
"I am happy," Hampton said. "God gave me a second chance at life."
Her message to other women is simple: don't ignore the signs. What may seem like stubborn weight gain, bloating, or an enlarged stomach could be something much more serious. Early diagnosis and treatment can make all the difference.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX Chicago's Tia Ewing.