Talking to Your Gynecologist

Francesca and Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell in conversation

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Francesca and Dr Veronica Gillispie-Bell talk about heavy periods due to uterine fibroids

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Dr Gillispie-Bell
BOARD-CERTIFIED OB/GYN UTERINE FIBROID SPECIALIST

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL:

Hi, I'm Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell…

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL:

…and I know you're coming in today to talk about your fibroids.

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Francesca

DIAGNOSED WITH HEAVY PERIODS DUE TO UTERINE FIBROIDS

FRANCESCA:

Yes. I'm Francesca, and it is a pleasure to meet you, Dr. G.

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL:

So let me just start with, how did you find out that you had fibroids?

FRANCESCA:

I was having heavy menstrual bleeding. So I got in touch with my gynecologist at the time and he made the diagnosis.

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How many tampons?

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL:

When I'm tryin' to understand from my patients how heavy their periods are, I ask them, "How many tampons do you use?”

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How many pads?

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL:

“How many pads do you use?”

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every hour on the hour

FRANCESCA:

In my cycles, I was using pads, like, every hour on the hour.

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planning my activities around my period

FRANCESCA:

It was so bad that I was bleedin' through my clothes, havin' to just, like, prepare a extra bag to put all of my feminine products in. I was always planning my activities around my period.

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL:

Opening up about the severity of your symptoms to your doctor is so important.

FRANCESCA

This one time—I'm a nurse. And I was doing patient care. I just felt just, like— was, like…

FRANCESCA

…equate it to Niagara Falls.

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL:

Wow.

FRANCESCA:

There was a lotta embarrassment with that.

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I needed to take action.

FRANCESCA:

I said, "I needed to take action.” So that's what I did. I found another doctor. They recommended a hysterectomy.

So I'm like, "I don't think that's right. There's got to be other avenues.”

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL:

There are so many options that are available other than a hysterectomy.

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non-surgical options

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL:

So many other surgical options, but also now nonsurgical options for treating heavy menstrual bleeding associated with fibroids.

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goals of treatment

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL:

I think as a provider it's really important for me to listen to my patients, understand what their goals of treatment are, understand what their desires are for future fertility or for uterine conservation.

FRANCESCA:

Yes. That is very important.

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL:

So as Black women, we tend to suffer more in our reproductive years with that heavy menstrual bleeding. Growin' up we don't talk about our periods—

FRANCESCA:

We don't, no.

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL:

And so that really does make us normalize our heavy menstrual bleeding.

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advocate for other women

FRANCESCA:

What made me want to advocate for other women that have fibroids is my experience bein' not taken seriously. I just tell them, "Be your own best advocate.”

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Ask questions.

FRANCESCA:

Ask questions. Most definitely have that openness with your gynecologist.

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL:

And what's most important, is that you have a relationship that you can talk to your provider, that you can ask questions…

FRANCESCA:

Yes.

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL:

…that you get good answers. And thank you for doin' that.

FRANCESCA:

It's my pleasure.

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Knowledge is power.

FRANCESCA:

Knowledge is power. And it makes you better equipped to find that specific treatment that is tailored specifically for you.

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Talk to your gynecologist about any symptoms you experience.