Twin Sisters Share Their UFE Fibroid Treatment Journey for Fibroid Awareness

A defining hallmark of Uterine Fibroid Awareness Month, observed each year in July, is to draw attention to this highly underfunded and under-discussed condition. Simply put, healthcare professionals, legislators, and the millions of women suffering from these life-altering fibroid symptoms must join to spread fibroid awareness. Our team at Fibroid Institute Texas can confidently say that those conversations are happening more frequently each day. Women are realizing that fibroid symptoms are not simply something to endure. Furthermore, they are becoming increasingly educated on their options. An excellent example of this is the story of Yolanda and Yovonda. Twin sisters with hearts of gold and plenty of personality, Yolanda and Yovonda each had separate battles with fibroid symptoms ranging from excessive bleeding, inconsistent periods, fatigue, and bloating. When Yovonda chose Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) and experienced dramatic results, the first woman she told was her sister.

Fast-forward to today, and both could not be happier with the results. They were willing to sit down with our team at Fibroid Institute to share their stories, so that more women can feel empowered to take control and get back to living life symptom-free without resorting to life-altering surgery.

Yovonda’s Story: ‘I’d Heard Horror Stories of Hysterectomy’

No woman should be misinformed or have her quality of life taken away because of uterine fibroids. That is why Fibroid Institute was at the forefront of legislation four years ago that made Texas one of several states to recognize July as Uterine Fibroid Awareness Month. While slow at first, California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and Texas as well as Washington D.C. now recognize July as Uterine Fibroid Awareness Month. The goal is to have Uterine Fibroid Awareness Month observed at a national level, so that more women can receive support and care while also gaining a better understanding of their condition and building confidence from the outset.

Why is this such an important topic? The reality is that while Uterine Fibroid Awareness Month has made incredible inroads in terms of education, over 62% of the roughly 171 million women worldwide who suffer from fibroids still are not aware of all fibroid treatment options, including non-surgical ones, that exist.

Case in point: Yovonda. She knew fibroids were the culprit behind her symptoms. In many ways, what she was experiencing felt a lot like the pain she experienced when she was pregnant with her son years earlier: back pain, leg pain, headaches, fatigue, bloating, and pain in the uterus. Every day there was something new, and she constantly found herself searching for relief. She stayed in constant contact with her doctor, but she was initially petrified that a hysterectomy was in her future.

In many ways, she wasn’t wrong. Depending on your situation, a hysterectomy or myomectomy may be the best course of action to help relieve symptoms and pain related to your fibroids. They are also very common. In fact, more than 600,000 hysterectomies and 30,000 myomectomies are performed in the United States annually.

With that said, both are invasive and bloody operations that can require blood transfusions to achieve a successful outcome. Furthermore, many women have found out after the fact that they were candidates for less invasive options. Yovonda heard those horror stories and didn’t want to be part of those statistics.

Thankfully, Yovonda was presented with another option: UFE.

“I work remotely, so it was an everyday battle of not really knowing when I’d have a cycle,” she said. “I’d go on a trip and have to take all these extra feminine products because I just never knew. I considered hysterectomy, but that was never something I ever, ever, ever wanted to do. I didn’t want to be cut on, and I’d heard the horror stories.”

She added, “My doctor mentioned UFE. Once I read the testimonials, I was ready to get this party started!”

Yolanda’s Story: Her Fibroids Grew Back With Vengeance

There are several advantages to UFE, also known as Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE). And perhaps the most significant is that it is minimally invasive. Rather than a UFE doctor removing fibroids with numerous incisions, small particles are injected through a tiny catheter at the wrist using image-guided interventional radiology. The particles then block blood flow to the fibroids, causing them to shrink and die.

Additional advantages to the UFE procedure include the following:

• >90% improvement in fibroid symptoms
• No hospital stay
• Recovery time only 7-10 days
• No abdominal (belly) incision
• Tiny wrist puncture
• No blood loss or scarring
• Treat multiple fibroids at once
• Uterus is spared
• Covered by most medical insurance

Yovonda had such great success with her UFE procedure that she immediately told her sister and several of her friends. Yolanda had been dealing with fibroids for years and even went through what she thought was a successful ablation procedure in 2013. Sadly, her relief was short-lived. Her fibroids grew back, and the pain from the multiplying symptoms was even worse than before.

“It came back with vengeance,” she said. “I was tired of it. It was difficult for me to even get out of bed and go to work. Yovonda told me about UFE and recommended the Fibroid Institute. It was one of the best decisions.”

With Uterine Fibroid Embolization, Yolanda didn’t have to worry about her fibroids quickly growing back. While fibroids can grow back in many women, patients who have UFE enjoy a +90% success rate. To explain further, fibroids need an active blood supply to survive, grow, and even multiply. But UFE eliminates that nutrient source, thus significantly reducing the chance of fibroids returning in the future to less than 10%.

In contrast, fibroids are known to regrow after some myomectomies. The University of California San Francisco states that the younger you are and the more fibroids you have at the time of your myomectomy procedure, the more likely you are to develop fibroids again in the future. While it is difficult to determine exactly why this can happen, recurrence may occur more frequently because myomectomy focuses on removing the existing fibroids while leaving the uterus intact. It does nothing to stop new ones from forming. In addition, during myomectomy, smaller fibroids missed or left to preserve the uterus can grow into larger fibroids.

Fibroid Institute’s UFE Process Stands Out  

Putting the UFE procedure aside for a second, one of the biggest takeaways Yovonda and Yolanda had with their experience was their relationship with the UFE doctors and fibroid center team at Fibroid Institute Texas. Not only did the fibroid doctors know exactly how to perform the procedure without any complications, but the post-procedure process and recovery were also some of the smoothest and most caring experiences these sisters had ever had.

“Immediately after the procedure, the staff and doctor were extremely attentive. The doctor was calling and texting, checking on me constantly,” Yovonda said. “Each time, they stressed that, ‘If you have any issues, call us.’”

Yolanda agreed, adding, “It makes a difference when you have support, and you know they really care.”

One thing we’ve heard frequently during our campaign to raise awareness about uterine fibroids is how crucial it is for women to feel confident in their choice of fibroid doctor. Beyond the UFE procedure itself, it is about access, communication, comfort, innovation, and trust.

Patients deserve a supportive experience from start to finish. A few additional factors driving a woman’s choice in their UFE doctor include:

• Access to concierge-level medical care
• Accurate, free, and easy information about all options to make informed decisions
• Access to advanced medical technology and innovative procedures
• Care from fibroid doctors who are highly regarded—both from referring providers and excellent patient reviews

Yovonda and Yolanda felt like they received these benefits from Fibroid Institute and so many more. “Absolutely … thumbs up,” Yovonda said. “You will not regret it.”

Fibroid Institute Is Changing the Way You Think of UFE and Fibroid Treatment

The importance of Uterine Fibroid Awareness Month for women, their families, local communities, and the healthcare industry can’t be overstated. Unfortunately, many women are still either unaware they have fibroids, are hesitant to report and normalize their symptoms as part of being a woman, or do not have access to adequate information or treatment. New initiatives are emerging every day, generating more events, community support, education, and funds raised for the cause.

At Fibroid Institute, we believe it is essential to educate women through critical awareness efforts like this, while also being at the forefront of non-invasive treatment options that help fibroid patients regain their quality of life. More importantly, we want the experience to be first-class. Our team goes far beyond the standard procedure techniques, offering our patients a uniquely supportive experience so they can return to the life they love with confidence.

For instance, imagine being able to call your fibroid doctor 24/7 on their personal cell phone and having access to same-day appointments and shorter waiting times. On top of that, we simplify your UFE journey, managing everything from insurance to PCP communication and offering all patients physician-direct access before and after their procedure. With multiple locations, our fibroid centers help thousands of women avoid fibroid surgery and find relief from their fibroid symptoms. Our Dallas and Houston fibroid doctors are highly experienced UFE specialists, board-certified interventional radiologists, and experts passionate about helping women become #FibroidFree.

Request a free 10-15-minute phone screening to determine if you are eligible. If you qualify for UFE after the screening, you can schedule your on-site or telehealth consultation. Most major medical insurance providers cover the cost of UFE. Get started now with Fibroid Institute by calling Dallas fibroid clinics at 214-838-6440, Houston fibroid clinics at 713-903-3733, or complete the form below.

Prior to starting any new treatment or if you have questions regarding a medical condition, always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

Fibroid Institute Texas serves the Houston and Dallas metro areas including Universal City, Spring, Kingwood, Stafford, Conroe, Texas City, Cypress, League City, Bellaire, Addison, Carrollton, Plano, Frisco, Craig Ranch, McKinney, Allen, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Arlington, Hutchins, Irving, Duncanville, DeSoto, Cedar Hill, Lancaster, Cockrell Hill, Highland Park, University Park, Park Cities, Garland, Mesquite, Richardson, Dallas, Sherman, Houston, Sugar Land, Katy, Webster, Clear Lake, The Woodlands, and more.

*Patient names and/or photos may be changed to protect patient confidentiality.