ABC anchor Linsey Davis has spoken out about her private experience with a painful health condition.
The 47-year-old news anchor recalled being diagnosed with uterine fibroids, which are non-cancerous tumors that grow on the uterus, during an interview with People Monday.
Some symptoms of the condition can include heavy menstrual bleeding or painful periods, longer or more frequent periods, or pelvic pressure or pain, according to the Mayo Clinic. While uterine fibroids aren’t usually dangerous, they can cause pain and lead to complications, like anemia, which is a drop in red blood cells.
Davis learned she had uterine fibroids 13 years ago, with her OG-GYN at the time telling her the case was mild and that she shouldn’t experience much pain. While her doctor also warned her she may not be able to have children, she successfully gave birth to her and her husband Paul Roberts’ son, Ayden, in 2014.
“During my pregnancy, they said that the fibroid was growing along with the fetus but it should be okay because at a certain point, the baby wins out. And that's what happened,” she told People. “I had my son and didn't have any concerns.”
However, six years after welcoming her son, Davis began to experience symptoms, including “really drastically bad periods that would last for maybe two weeks,” with “very intense bleeding.”
From there, her gynecologist referred her to a fibroids specialist, who urged her to get a myomectomy, an operation to remove uterine fibroids. While she found relief in getting the six fibroids removed, she began experiencing symptoms once again a year and a half ago.
“I started feeling a little knot protruding from the left side of my lower abdomen,” she said, noting her doctor thought her pain was from a hernia. However, this time around, she had 13 fibroids detected.
She was given multiple treatment options, including undergoing a hysterectomy to remove the uterus, which is what she ultimately decided to do.
“I don't wanna have any more kids at this point, which to me would be the only reason why I would've tried to do another method to preserve my uterus,” she explained. “But at this point, I just don't think that I need it. And the doctor seems to agree.”
Davis said she has the hysterectomy scheduled for August 15, and she’s excited “to be able to live [her] life” without worry about heavy bleeding or bloating due to uterine fibroids.
Now, the Emmy Award-winning correspondent plans to raise awareness about fibroids. She’s also recognizing how common it is for women to be impacted by the condition.
“Before now, I just normalized it and endured and persisted with a lot of discomfort,” she explained. “If I had known earlier what I was dealing with and known other people's stories, I wouldn't have felt like I was suffering silently or embarrassed about what I was going through. So I think that it just feels good to be able to talk with other people who say things like, oh, I had that too, and this is how I dealt with it, and this is what I recommend.”
According to a study published by the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, more than 80 percent of black women and 70 percent of white women will have uterine fibroids by age 50. However, only 20 to 50 percent of all women with the condition experience symptoms.
Although fibroids don't interfere with getting pregnant, some of them can cause infertility and pregnancy loss, according to the Mayo Clinic. Fibroids can also raise the risk for pregnancy complications, like placental abruptions, fetal growth restriction, and preterm delivery.
