Introduction to Fibroids
Every month, Venus Williams experienced grueling symptoms with her periods. As her menstrual cramps intensified and the nausea heightened, she often found herself “hugging the toilet, waiting for this to pass.” As she grappled with the discomfort, doctors often dismissed her period symptoms as “normal.”
“It just got too bad, and I couldn’t handle it,” the seven-time tennis Grand Slam champion said in an exclusive TODAY interview aired July 3. “(I started) taking something a lot stronger that was prescription, which is not ideal because it’s hard to train on that or be in your right mind.”
Understanding Fibroids and Their Impact
While Williams, now 45, knew she had fibroids, doctors never shared how large they were or explained they were related to her intense pain, nausea and persistent anemia from heavy periods. For years, she suffered through it all while trying to maintain her status as an elite tennis player. She’s sharing her story for the first time to raise awareness of fibroids.
“I’m sharing now because I was outraged that I didn’t know this was possible. I didn’t know what was wrong with me,” she said. “No one should have to go through this.”
Worrisome Symptoms Being Dismissed
As an adolescent, Williams experienced heavy bleeding during her periods.
“As bad as things were for me, crazy amounts of bleeding like you couldn’t imagine, lots of pain where you have to take prescription painkillers … my doctors told me it was normal,” she said. “I never realized (anything) was wrong.”
Throughout her career, her excessive bleeding and pain impacted her. When she went for anti-doping tests, they often flagged Williams as being anemic. At first, she attributed it to her Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune condition characterized by dry eyes and mouth along with muscle pain, fatigue and trouble swallowing, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“I thought maybe it was autoimmune anemia,” she said. “It was what I was dealing with inside, which was fibroids and something else I had never heard of, which is adenomyosis.”
Fibroids, noncancerous growths that invade the uterus, are incredibly common — impacting 70% of white women and 80% of Black women before they turn 50. Fibroids cause extreme menstrual cramps, heavy periods, GI issues and bloating. Adenomyosis occurs when tissue like the lining of the uterus invades the uterine walls and causes pain, heavy bleeding and irregular periods.
The Struggle with Fibroids
Williams bled so much during her periods that she often wore layers. That way, if it seeped through one set of clothes, people might not notice. Sometimes, she woke to see blood on her sheets. Her cramps were so intense that she often threw up or couldn’t peel herself off the ground.
During training at Wimbledon in 2016, the pain was all-consuming, and she became so sick she couldn’t eat. She took pills to ease the cramping, but on an empty stomach it made her feel “so out of it.”
“We had a doubles final to play next, and I was just lying on the floor in the locker room, like, ‘It’s gonna pass. It’s gonna pass,’” she recalled. “Thank God Serena got the doctor, and they gave me something. And I was able to get up and eat and start playing — bad luck for the opponents.”
This marked a decline in her health, where it seemed like every month, the pain, bleeding and nausea became more intense and tougher to manage. Still, her doctors never connected her symptoms to fibroids.
“I didn’t know my issues were (because of) fibroids, but I was always going to play, even if it was a nightmare performance,” Williams said. “I did not wave the white flag. It is not a thing for me.”
Finding the Right Treatment
She tried pain pills and patches along with a medication to stop the bleeding. Still, her symptoms intensified. Eventually, she had to undergo iron infusions because her anemia became so severe. When she was around 37, her doctor told her that her symptoms were “part of aging” without mentioning the fibroids. While doctors monitored her fibroids with ultrasounds, they never shared information about them with Williams.
“I didn’t know that they were really big,” Williams said. “I didn’t know that they were growing and growing and growing.”
Another doctor joked that her symptoms were “natural birth control.”
“I had no idea what that meant. No one explained it to me,” she said. “Looking back, that’s not funny at all to take away someone’s opportunity to have a child or create a family if they want to. It’s not a joke.”
A New Chapter
Over the years, doctors mentioned that a hysterectomy could help, but Williams was unsure she wanted to pursue such a dramatic procedure.
“I’m a career girl. I was trying to play tennis,” she said. “I wasn’t trying to have too many kids, but like you never want those choices taken away — the feeling of that is really a nightmare.”
Living with fibroids influenced Williams’ ability to perform at her best.
“Fibroids impacted my career,” she said. “I never had enough energy most times to play a real match the way I wanted to, and, of course, it affected my results.”
You Don’t Have to Live Like This
While scrolling on social media last summer, Williams saw a post about fibroids that said “you don’t have to live like this.” It was the first time she realized her experience wasn’t the norm for women.
“I got so excited,” she says. “I just dived into the research all that weekend.”
Then she saw an ad about a center that offered treatment for fibroids, and she was intrigued.
“I thought, ‘This is great,’ but I want to go to a place where I feel like I can get expert care,” she said. “I started researching places.”
After a few sleepless nights, she found NYU Langone Health Center for Fibroid Care led by Dr. Taraneh Shirazian.
“It looked very comprehensive,” Williams said. “This was a real center with real doctors that had treatments that covered everything from nutrition to fertility to intervention, all sorts of things you would need.”
Shirazian said that Williams’ story is all too common.
“Women do not get the care that they need for fibroid disease. To me, that’s the part that we should all be thinking about. World-class athlete, superstar. Has access to every doctor, every facility, every option,” she said. “She went to so many other people before she got care.”
The Road to Recovery
Shirazian recommended a myomectomy, a procedure that removes the fibroids from the uterus. When she first suggested it to Williams, though, Williams balked at the idea.
“When she came to see me, she told me, ‘I’ve seen a dozen other doctors. No one has recommended surgery. Why are you recommending surgery?” Shirazian recalled. “I said, ‘Well, because I know it will make you better.’”
After being dismissed for so long, Williams was still wary.
“I thought, ‘Is she telling me what I want to hear, or are those other people right?’” she said. “The procedure I would need was more invasive than I had imagined and I just remember thinking, ‘Wow, so scared.’”
Ultimately, she decided to undergo the myomectomy, and Shirazian removed the fibroids and the adenomyosis in Williams’ uterus without taking out her uterus. Since then, Williams’ quality of life has improved. She no longer needs to carry stashes of pain killers and tampons, for example.
Conclusion
By sharing her story, she hopes that she helps others receive better care.
“Hopefully someone will see this interview and say, ‘I can get help. I don’t have to live this way,’” Williams said. “I’m very passionate about this at this point in time because I know that other people can live better than what I lived.”
FAQs
Q: What are fibroids?
A: Fibroids are noncancerous growths that invade the uterus, causing extreme menstrual cramps, heavy periods, GI issues, and bloating.
Q: How common are fibroids?
A: Fibroids are incredibly common, impacting 70% of white women and 80% of Black women before they turn 50.
Q: What is adenomyosis?
A: Adenomyosis occurs when tissue like the lining of the uterus invades the uterine walls, causing pain, heavy bleeding, and irregular periods.
Q: How did Venus Williams’ experience with fibroids impact her career?
A: Living with fibroids influenced Williams’ ability to perform at her best, impacting her energy levels and overall results.
Q: What treatment did Venus Williams undergo to address her fibroids?
A: Williams underwent a myomectomy, a procedure that removes the fibroids from the uterus, which was performed by Dr. Taraneh Shirazian at NYU Langone Health Center for Fibroid Care.
