By Ruth Oketunde, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Mrs Isiken Reuben, a petty trader who lives at Giri, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory had to close her shop because she was tagged a “ritualist’ by members of her community.This is due to the frequent bleeding and unexpected dripping of blood down her legs most times when attending to customers.

She said her condition was due to the uterine fibroid issues she had been battling for 16 years.

Aside from the derogatory names she was labeled with, the petty trader also had to face the high cost of living owing to the cost of drugs, frequent medical check-up, and purchase of sanitary items, among others.

This situation is not exclusive to Reuben alone. It is the same with so many women in various communities and states in Nigeria, although the difference is the financial capability of these women to manage it.

Those who are financially capable opt for myomectomy (a surgical procedure) to remove it, while others continue to manage with drugs and sanitary pads.

Experts say that common signs and symptoms of uterine fibroids include; heavy menstrual bleeding, menstrual periods lasting more than a week, pelvic pressure or pain, frequent urination, difficulty emptying the bladder, constipation, backache or leg pains, infertility, and other debilitating morbidities.

With all these, most women have continued to suffer unpleasant routines and are unable to perform their daily tasks.

To some, they have been given the award of ‘taking excuses’ at their workplaces, due to their inability to always show up at work whenever the bleeding starts.

While others say they can not wear regular clothings because of their protruding stomach.

Fertility experts also believe that while some women with fibroids do not face fertility issues and could get pregnant, certain fibroids could hinder others from getting pregnant.

For Dorcas Oluyole, who has been living with fibroid for three years, the situation had really had a psychological effect on her as she had been depressed and had been living in fear since she was diagnosed.

‘I cannot explain how I felt the day I was diagnosed with fibroid as I am still surprised at how I got it.

“The scary part is that I am still a young girl, not even married and I am being diagnosed with fibroid.

“For the past three years, I have had to restrain myself from going about my daily activities the way I usually do, for fear of blood dripping down my legs.

“This has really taken a toll on my self-esteem and my confidence,” Oluyole said with teary eyes.

According to WebMD, an online health journal, uterine fibroids, also called leiomyomas or myomas by doctors, are muscular tumors that can grow on a woman’s uterus.

Some are so small, others are big and they usually appear in women of childbearing age, generally between 30-40 years old, but they can show up at any age.

Fibroids may cause very mild symptoms, no symptoms at all, or symptoms that are severe. The most common symptoms of uterine fibroids include; heavy, prolonged, or painful periods, pain in the lower abdomen or back, painful sex, frequent urination or discomfort in the rectum.

Most women who are diagnosed with single or multiple uterine fibroids in Nigeria, have continued to suffer in silence.

Some due to the myths and misconceptions surrounding fibroids, while others delay treatment and surgery due to its high cost.

However, a foundation, the Daniel Onoja Foundation (DOF), has taken it on itself to make a difference by dedicating its resources toward ameliorating the plight of some of these women in Abuja.

Mr Daniel Onoja, DOF Founder, sometime in June this year, embarked on a medical outreach for the less privileged who could not afford the cost of a myomectomy (fibroid surgery).

The surgery which took place at the Kubwa General Hospital in the nation’s capital, had over 200 women registered to be beneficiaries.

After undergoing a selection process, which was void of religious or ethnic bias, 15 women were shortlisted for the surgery which was scheduled to last for three days.

Onoja said that his foundation decided to pay for the surgeries of the women who could not afford the cost of the procedure.”The project we embarked on is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3), which focuses on good health and wellbeing.

“This is because a healthy nation is a wealthy nation and the healthier the people, the wealthier they become, which in turn is a great determinant for national development.

“So we decided to take this medical outreach to the Kubwa General Hospital where we reached out to the less privileged who could not afford their medical bills.

“We also focused on paying for the surgeries of 15 women who were selected for a myomectomy, out of the 200 women who registered.

“The number of women shortlisted for the selection is a clear indication of the humongous humanitarian need in our community, especially as it relates to the health needs of people.

“Fibroid and its effects come with stigma and great psychological impacts and so we decided to give back to humanity, the little way we can.

“The principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence are the fundamentals of humanitarian action, human suffering must be addressed wherever it is found.

“This should be with particular attention to the most vulnerable in our society,” he said.

 

Project Impact on some of the beneficiaries

Beneficiaries have continued to attest that their confidence and self-esteem has greatly improved after the surgery.

Mrs Isiken Reuben, said she could now go out confidently and her business has improved significantly.

One of the beneficiaries, who preferred anonymity, said ”I was super excited when I was called that I will be a beneficiary, infact two weeks before then, I heard that one Organisation was sponsoring free fibroid surgery at Maitama General Hospital, but when I got there, I was not selected. It really weighed me down because I have suffered for too long with this fibroid issue.

”But God has a way of doing things, two weeks later, my friend sent me a flier for the Daniel Onoja Foundation medical intervention that will take place in Kubwa, and God did it for me.

”I was selected and since after the surgery, I can go out without wearing maternity dresses because my stomach was really big and I can also go out without thinking of having extra sanitary pads in my bag.

Another beneficiary, Mrs Nneka Eze, who had been suffering from the ailment for the past six years, said she could not come out of her house without being scared of neighbours staring at her.

“For the past six year, I looked pregnant because of my protruding stomach, people used to ask me when I was due to give birth.

“This fibroid really affected me psychologically, I was not free to go out at all but all thanks to Daniel Onoja Foundation, I am free today,” she said.

The Daniel Onja Foundation was able to take care of 15 women out of the over 200 that registered for the surgery as a way of reducing the burden of the ailment on the less privileged. The number is just from one particular hospital.

The number recorded from such a small hospital indicates that a lot still needs to be done to save women, especially the most vulnerable, in the society in catering for their health needs.(NAN)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

**If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)