{"id":1505,"date":"2025-07-09T11:00:31","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T10:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cigdemozkan.co\/?p=1505"},"modified":"2026-02-17T15:25:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T15:25:26","slug":"7-months-later-the-beginning-of-my-fibroid-recovery-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cigdemozkan.co\/index.php\/2025\/07\/09\/7-months-later-the-beginning-of-my-fibroid-recovery-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Months Later: The Beginning of My Fibroid Recovery Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Disclaimer:<\/i><\/b> This blog is based on my personal experience. It contains emotional reflections that may be triggering. If you’re affected by anything in this post, please reach out to your GP, doctor, or local support line or Samaritans service.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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Why I’m Finally Sharing My Story Now\u2026<\/b><\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve been sitting on this story for months, not because I was hiding, but because I genuinely didn\u2019t know how to say what needed to be said. How do you find the right words to describe pain that you carried in silence? How do you capture the weight of healing from something that nearly broke your spirit?<\/span><\/p>\n

I thought once I left the hospital, the words would come easily; I imagined I\u2019d feel empowered, relieved, or at least ready to speak. The truth is, I felt\u2026 <\/span>empty. Confused. Frozen.<\/b> What I\u2019d just gone through wasn\u2019t only physical. It was deeply emotional, spiritual even, and I was processing it all alone. I had no words for what I was feeling, no way to describe the emotional fog I was in. I was frozen. On pause. Life stood still for me.<\/span><\/p>\n

What made this experience even more intense was the isolation. Every doctor\u2019s appointment, every trip to and from the hospital, the operation table, the recovery, the healing \u2013 all of it\u2026 was <\/span>just me.<\/b><\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t a medical blog post, nor is it a step-by-step recovery guide. This is <\/span>my truth<\/b>, seven months after a major fibroid operation, finally finding the strength to begin telling my story out loud. It\u2019s not just for me, but for every woman who\u2019s felt invisible in her pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

I wanted to share my healing journey, not just through words, but alongside my YouTube video diary to truly show you how it all unfolded.<\/span><\/p>\n

So here it is\u2026 my journey, my recovery, and the raw truth behind it all.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Looks Like VS Reality<\/p><\/div>\n

What I Thought Healing Would Look Like vs. Reality<\/b><\/h2>\n

When I first heard the word \u201coperation,\u201d I had a clear picture in my mind: \u201cOkay. I\u2019ll be down for a few weeks. I\u2019ll bounce back. I\u2019ve got this.\u201d I\u2019ve always been strong; I\u2019ve always had to be. Losing my dad at a young age, made me into a fighter, someone who pushes through even when everything hurts or when times get tough. So I truly believed I could approach this in the same way. <\/span>I was wrong.<\/b><\/p>\n

The first few weeks after the operation were brutal. This wasn’t just physically, but emotionally devastating. I wasn\u2019t simply healing from a procedure; it felt like I was falling apart inside. There were moments I felt like my soul had been cracked open, moments I didn\u2019t recognise my body or my mind. There were times I cried and didn\u2019t even know why.<\/span><\/p>\n

No one tells you that healing often means re-learning how to feel safe in your own body again. During these times, I literally had to re-learn how to walk again, on my own. The complications I had during my operation were unbelievable, and they underscored a harsh truth: healing takes time \u2013 slowly, intentionally, and painfully. Especially, this operation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The harsh reality was I went through it all alone. There was no family, no hand to hold in the quiet, terrifying moments. I had to advocate for myself at every hospital visit, often with an interpreter I didn’t know. I had to hold myself when the nights were too long and the pains too loud. I had to find strength I didn\u2019t know I had. People say time heals, but time doesn\u2019t heal what you keep buried. And I buried a lot.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, as I stand here, I am profoundly thankful for my growth through this experience. Alhamdulillah.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Reclaim Your Body<\/p><\/div>\n

The Emotional Journey of Reclaiming My Body<\/b><\/h2>\n

Living with fibroids made me feel like I was trapped inside a body I no longer recognised. It felt like I was carrying a dead child. As traumatic as that sounds, it\u2019s my truth, and it created a profound sense of loss. After the operation, I was left with this empty space in my heart. Even now, I sometimes relive those moments of trying to reclaim my body.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before my operation, my body felt <\/span>foreign. Swollen. Tired. Disconnected. Yet, after the operation\u2026 it didn\u2019t magically go back to being \u201cmine.\u201d Instead, I was left with a big C-section scar, a physical reminder of the void. There was this emptiness that no one warned me about the kind that lingers in your chest and belly, reminding you that something is gone\u2026 but also that something new is beginning.<\/span><\/p>\n

As women, our bodies are powerful, sacred. When I found out I had fibroids, everything changed, my body, my energy, my confidence. I felt exhausted all the time. My body no longer felt like my own. And if your body ever feels \u201coff,\u201d please, get checked by a doctor or your local GP to get referred. An early diagnosis can change everything. (even if it’s not to do with fibroids)<\/span><\/p>\n

As someone who\u2019s always loved fitness and the gym, this physical and emotional disconnect was overwhelming. I didn\u2019t recognise myself. I avoided mirrors. I felt ashamed, even though I had nothing to be ashamed of. Writing this feels easier than saying it out loud.<\/span><\/p>\n

I still remember trying to lift myself off the bed for the first time. I still remember the fear of taking my first proper shower, worried I\u2019d pass out. I still remember lying on my side, whispering \u201cyou\u2019re okay\u201d to my own body, hoping she\u2019d believe me. Seven months later, I can honestly say I\u2019m about <\/span>5% back to myself. That might sound low, but for me, it\u2019s monumental progress. It\u2019s honesty. And it\u2019s enough for now.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Only 5%? My Recovery Timeline<\/b><\/h2>\n

Healing isn’t a straight line; it’s a winding path. Here\u2019s a glimpse into the emotional and physical landscape of my recovery, and why I say I’m only at 5%:<\/span><\/p>\n