Founder

Welcome!

Thank you for taking a moment to view this very special nonprofit! We are recently established and working towards obtaining 501(c)3 status.

This post will take more than a moment to read but it does give the history about how this organization came to be and what we hope to offer in the future. It's gritty, raw and detailed. You are warned. Why? Part of what Black Feather Blessings, Inc aims to do is break the stigma surrounding this very common health condition. More posts to come on that....

Black Feather Blessings, Inc, is committed to giving hope, support, and relief to help ease the painful burden of living with uterine fibroids.

Relief comes in the form of education, information and, eventually, financial assistance. Right now, it's more about getting the word out that we exist, that we are doing our best to help and begin to grow.

Relief is the one word that sticks out to me because when I was going through this all I wanted was relief…but relief can also be emotional, spiritual, mental, financial and that’s why this cause is so important to me. Relief should be available for everyone. Unfortunately, for many, it is not. Treatment for Uterine Fibroids is still considered elective, unless otherwise dictated by a doctor as necessary, so insurance may still deny coverage to women. When we are granted the opportunity to help ourselves live a better life, it shouldn’t be denied due to cost.

It is a mainly silent process from pre-diagnosis to diagnosis to the procedure itself. It is a sensitive subject that is rarely spoken of. Who wants to hear about the uterus? Who even knows how a uterus works? Its size? Where it is? Who can relate to the pain unless they’ve been through it already? We want women to know their questions, fears, and symptoms are real and that there is help available. Uterine Fibroids are considered a silent illness. There is no cut, no obvious signs.

The main concerns women seem to express when it comes to seeking treatment is believing there is only one option, money and/or support during recovery.

My Story

My struggle with ‘becoming a woman’ started out as just that-a struggle. It’s likely no more uncommon than the majority of other women.

My symptoms were a nightmare-heavy bleeding, sleeping with 2 towels on my bed for the first 3 days. I missed at least 3 days of school every month (Quick math: 30 days per school year from 6th grade till 12th grade: 210 days in my school career). There were at least 3 occasions where my mom was notified of my absences and I was threatened with suspension unless I got a doctor’s note. There was no explaining that we couldn’t afford a doctor so my mom bullied the school until they stopped bothering us. The pain was so bad that I could not get out of bed. I would vomit and scream into a pillow until I passed out. A bathtub with near boiling water was my best friend. My family was not wealthy. My mom was a single mother raising 2 children, working several jobs simultaneously and doctor visits were too expensive. This started at age 11. It was age 16 that my mom asked if I wanted to go on birth control to help control my symptoms but knowing how expensive, I declined.

Eventually, when I was on my own and had my own health insurance, I did get on birth control. It was a life changer! My symptoms remained tolerable, manageable and better up until my 30’s, when things changed again. I spent an entire summer feeling ill when I was 30 and was told it was indigestion but I wasn’t convinced. A friend of mine mentioned ovarian cysts could cause the symptoms I was feeling. I was skeptical. The symptoms were severe-cramping and nausea daily that forced me to sit and not eat.

One night, I awoke abruptly and sat straight up in bed with the worst pain I had ever felt in the lower right side of my abdomen. I began to sweat and an intense wave of nausea took over. I thought my appendix had burst and my husband drove me to the emergency clinic where I walked in, hunched over. After normal bloodwork and an uncomfortable transvaginal ultrasound, it was suggested I had ovarian cysts that can present themselves this way, particularly when they rupture.

Things began to slowly change after that night. I noticed I would experience breakthrough bleeding every so often. My periods were also becoming less tolerable each month. I put it out of my mind, however, I did take the step to get on a birth control that would only give me 4 periods a year and it was, again, a lifesaver. I felt like I could do so much more with my life and the symptoms decreased considerably, however, occasional breakthrough bleeding still occurred but I was just happy to be able to enjoy life pain free again!

Several years later, I began to experience cramping outside of the ovulation window. At that time, I was back in school and just did not have the time to devote to any new symptoms. Suck it up. Keep going. Then the bleeding became more frequent but was still light. After graduation, the bleeding became a little darker and unpredictable. The pain came back.

Two years before my diagnosis, my symptoms were at their worst. I tried switching birth control (and, of course, they want you to wait several months to see if symptoms subside). The symptoms did not subside. I brought up to my primary that I had a history of ovarian cysts and she wondered if that could be my issue and set me up with a gynaecological specialist.

My appointment was set up at a nearby Urgent Care who had access to the oh so wonderful transvaginal ultrasound (hello, old friend). This time, though, I was in a quiet, dimly lit room with just the technician. We sat there in that wonderful awkward silence as she slid the probe into my vagina, wiggling this way and that. I could feel her stopping in certain places, lingering and pressing buttons. I knew better than to ask and then…I didn’t have to, “Sorry for the lingering. I’m just counting fibroids”....oh my god. She was going to offer this up to me? I pressed, “how many do you see?” “Well, there are a couple large ones but there are many small ones…just everywhere”. I wanted to cry. That was my answer. That’s what had been going on all these years. I wanted to hug her. Such relief. After my appointment, I was still feeling stunned by her words. I went out to my car, knowing full well what needed to happen next and, for me, that was surgery. I felt scared but as I was about to get into my car, I looked down and there was a large black feather right outside my door. For me, feathers are a blessing, a sign that things are going to be okay. I smiled and began to cry as I bent down to pick it up.

I made the best decision for myself and I could not have asked for a more textbook procedure from start to finish.

After my diagnosis, I had also joined a group on Facebook for women with uterine fibroids.

The stories I read from all of these women really hit me hard. Some of them struggled with the decision for treatment for a variety of reasons (cost, inability to conceive afterward, general anxiety about surgery), some struggled to find a doctor who would even approve them even though it was very obvious they needed to have something done. I felt humbled, blessed and frustrated. I wanted everyone to have the same textbook experience I did. Why was it so difficult? Why is it a man can just snip snip get a vasectomy while a woman is put through the ringer when she knows what she wants and needs?

This is where Black Feather Blessings, Inc was conceived. Maybe help can be provided to these women who are trying so hard to advocate for themselves, whether it’s drawing attention to what they need or helping them network to find someone to help them during recovery..just something.

It breaks my heart to see women struggling to get this done for themselves so they can come out on the other side feeling more amazing than they have ever felt in their entire lives.

We are currently looking for organizations or individuals to assist us so that we may continue this important work. In return, your name will be featured on all mailings and displayed during any events Black Feather Blessings, Inc participates in. Please contact me if further information is required.

If you struggle with fibroids, or know someone who is, we may be able to help!

We are still working towards obtaining 501(c)3 status. Every little bit helps. Thank you for your support!