Wellstar Women's Health

If you’re a woman suffering from pain or discomfort due to uterine fibroids, you’re not alone. An estimated 26 million women in the U.S. have uterine fibroids — and more than 15 million will experience symptoms or health concerns.

Uterine fibroids are common, non-cancerous growths in the uterus, affecting 20 to 80% of women by age 50. Often, these benign tumors are small and do not cause issues.

However, for some women, the growths can lead to painful symptoms, including:

• Heavy or prolonged periods
• Pelvic pain or pressure
• Frequent urination
• Trouble emptying your bladder
• Constipation
• Enlargement of lower abdomen

While all women can develop uterine fibroids, Black women are disproportionately affected. Black women often have fibroids at younger ages, larger growths and more severe symptoms compared to other racial groups.

Pain doesn’t have to be part of life. Women experiencing fibroid pain can find expert care, advanced treatments and support at Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital.

Fibroid care close to home

Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital provides a minimally-invasive treatment called uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), which can help improve symptoms and quality of life. While fibroids can also be treated with surgical options like a hysterectomy, UFE offers a non-surgical solution that preserves the uterus.

During this procedure, an interventional radiologist inserts sand-like particles into the artery that supplies the fibroid, blocking its blood supply. This method prevents estrogen and other nutrients from reaching the tumor, which can cause the fibroid to shrink up to 50%.

Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital’s trained imaging team performs UFE every day, offering a wealth of expertise and experience. Providing high-quality, comprehensive fibroid care close to home can make all the difference for people with fibroid pain.

“UFE offers many women a minimally-invasive solution to treat fibroid symptoms,” said Dr. Jordan Ray, interventional radiologist with Quantum Radiology, who works with the imaging team at Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital. “When this uterine preservation therapy is compared with other treatment options, patients recover faster and experience better outcomes without the need for surgery.”

In addition to a quicker recovery time and fewer complications, women who choose UFE at Wellstar also benefit from Wellstar Fibroid Care Coordinators.

Wellstar Fibroid Care Coordinators help the process go smoothly for patients, including scheduling appointments, obtaining insurance verification and coordinating referrals. One-on-one care is provided at every step, from pre-op to surgery and through recovery.

With complete fibroid care and a supportive team at Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital, women can get back to living pain-free.

For more information and to find out if UFE is the right treatment for you, call (678) 581-5900.

Whether she’s riding motorcycles with her husband, enjoying a roller coaster with her daughter or keeping others well as a chiropractor, Kimberly Smith-Howard stays busy. 

But Kimberly still makes time to visit Wellstar Spalding Regional Hospital for her regular screenings like mammograms — and says she has made health and wellness a priority since her breast cancer diagnosis in 2006.

Kimberly, who has lived in the Griffin area since high school, had just turned 40. She saw her gynecologist for her annual checkup and got her first mammogram. It came back abnormal, and so did her Pap smear. She was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer and cervical pre-cancer.

Kimberly said maintaining a positive attitude helped her through treatment, and she was encouraged along the way by a team of experts.

“When people are going through such a bad time, and they’re not feeling well, it really means so much to have healthcare professionals who are concerned as much about your mental health as they are your physical health,” Kimberly said. “They’re not just there to do a job, get through the day and go home. They’re there to really encourage the patient and make them feel better physically and mentally.”

After chemotherapy, radiation, a lumpectomy and a hysterectomy, Kimberly has stayed healthy for 15 years. Her diagnosis renewed her focus on her own wellness, and she decided to enter the healthcare field herself. In 2011, she went back to school, earning a bachelor’s degree in health coaching and later her chiropractic degree from Life University. Now, she is working on a master’s degree in positive psychology. 

Kimberly still goes to Wellstar Spalding Regional Hospital for care.

“I’ve always had the most compassionate nurses and the most competent doctors. Everybody has always treated me really well,” she said.

That care she relies on is convenient as well, she added.

“I love being close to home. I love that I have a hospital that does such a great job that’s right at my back door,” Kimberly said.

She encourages women to make time for health screenings and seek care if something seems wrong.

“Always do your routine check-ups and take care of yourself. Know your body,” she recommends.

To schedule a mammogram, call (678) 581-5900.

When Ebony-Joy Igbinoba was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer at age 38, an interdisciplinary team of Wellstar experts stood by her side to help her face cancer with confidence.

Now she is living cancer-free, with a Wellstar care team dedicated to keeping her healthy.

Ebony-Joy started to feel ill at a church concert in spring 2019. She checked in with her primary care provider Dr. Nandini Sunkireddy, who told her that due to the anatomy of her breasts, a mammogram would give a more accurate picture of her health than a traditional exam. 

Once Ebony-Joy had gotten her mammogram, Wellstar acted quickly, calling her the same day to get additional images and then a biopsy. Ebony-Joy was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer — cancer in both breasts, which is rare, especially at her younger age.

Ebony-Joy decided to get a double mastectomy with Wellstar Breast Surgeon Dr. Laura Pearson. Then, she got chemotherapy at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital. At every step, she found a support system, including oncologists Dr. Carlos Osmon and Dr. Nagender Mankan, as well as Physician Assistant Kristen Gue. Dr. Pearson and Dr. Asaf Yalif completed her reconstruction.

Ebony-Joy said her providers are proactive, friendly and approachable. 

“I trust them with my life, and they’re fighting with me,” she said. “They’re rooting for me.”

Ebony-Joy’s care team looked out for every aspect of her well-being — even as she was being treated for breast cancer, her providers paid attention to all her health needs. She saw Dr. Kevin Stein, a Wellstar psychologist, who helped her cope with the diagnosis. 

Gynecologic Oncologist Dr. Evelyn Reynolds discovered on a CT scan that Ebony-Joy has benign uterine cysts, so she sees Dr. Reynolds for monitoring. To watch for any side effects of cancer treatment on her heart, Ebony-Joy sees Cardiologist Dr. Natasha Mamdani. Wellstar Gastroenterologist Dr. Inder Tandon and Wellstar Pulmonologist Dr. Nora Hurt also joined her care team to monitor her health.

“God has blessed me with Wellstar doctors, nurses and staff that are truly dedicated to top-notch comprehensive care,” Ebony-Joy said. “They are my superheroes.”

Ebony-Joy’s care team also knew that her diagnosis did not just affect her — they were concerned for her family’s well-being, too. Her nurse navigators referred her to resources about how to talk to children when their parent has cancer, as well as support groups and financial assistance.

“As a single mother, they knew how important it was for me to fight for my kids,” Ebony-Joy said about her Wellstar providers. “I come from an amazing family, and I am happy to add Wellstar to it as they will continue to support me for years to come.”

Ebony-Joy not only stays informed of her own health — she is looking out for her children, too. She learned that she has a gene mutation that also makes her more likely to be affected by pancreatic cancer. She also discovered that two of her great aunts and her cousin all had breast cancer. Now that she knows her family history, her children will get screened at early ages to stay healthy. 

Visit wellstar.org/cancercare to learn more about fighting cancer with Wellstar. To schedule a mammogram to check in on your breast health, call (678) 581-5900.