Fighting Fibroids, Finding Her Voice: Alicia’s Journey to Advocacy and Healing

Alicia Suggs, a college professor and insurance administration director from Brooklyn, first discovered she had fibroids at age 28 after unusually heavy periods disrupted her daily life. “I remember bleeding through my tampon while on a date,” she recalls. “That had never happened to me before.” The abnormal bleeding continued for months until she mentioned it during a routine pap smear.

Her gynecologist suspected a fibroid. Alicia had heard of benign breast tumors—she had undergone surgery for them before—but not uterine fibroids. “I had a friend who said she had one the size of a baseball, but I didn’t understand what it meant,” she says.

As she entered her 30s, Alicia’s symptoms intensified. Cramping grew severe, and she was constantly running to the bathroom, only to pass a few drops. Constipation and poor sleep followed. “It takes a toll on your body. I was lethargic from losing so much blood. I was at work and couldn’t even function,” she recalls. “I had to buy bigger clothes to hide my extended belly. It really messes with your quality of life.”

Her search for answers led her to Mount Sinai and Charles Ascher-Walsh, MD, a national leader in the treatment of fibroids. In 2018, he performed a laparoscopic myomectomy—a surgery that is minimally invasive, meaning it was performed through small incisions. The procedure removed five fibroids, including one inside her uterus. “That explained all the cramping. It was like I was trying to deliver a tumor every month,” Alicia says.

The two-hour robotic procedure was successful. Alicia appreciated how thorough and supportive Dr. Ascher-Walsh was—he didn’t just rely on imaging but carefully examined her uterus to detect smaller fibroids.

Because fibroids often return within five to ten years, and Alicia was high risk due to family history and a hormonal imbalance, she and her doctor continued to monitor her condition. Eventually, her belly began protruding again—so much that she appeared 12 weeks pregnant. She suspected the fibroids were back.

At the same time, she was undergoing fertility preservation. During egg retrieval at age 37, a fibroid blocked access to one ovary and had to be punctured during the procedure. “I felt so defeated,” she remembers.

By spring 2025, Alicia returned to Mount Sinai for another surgery. Dr. Ascher-Walsh gave her a choice: another laparoscopic procedure or an open myomectomy, which involves a larger incision to fully access the uterus. “He told me he could go in laparoscopically again, but there was a chance we’d miss some,” she says. “I told him I wanted them all out.”

“Alicia’s decision to proceed with an open surgery was important,” says Dr. Charles Ascher-Walsh. “Although a laparoscopic approach can offer a slightly quicker recovery, it would have meant leaving some fibroids behind and increasing the chance of another procedure in the future. There is certainly an important place for laparoscopic myomectomies—I’ve been performing them since 2005—but in some cases, the more invasive approach can lessen future risk, since each subsequent procedure carries greater complexity.”

They expected to find nine or ten fibroids. Instead, he removed twenty-nine, including one the size of a grapefruit. “My mouth dropped,” Alicia says. “My uterus weighed 840 grams, over two pounds. The average uterus is 50 to 60 grams.”

Throughout both procedures, Alicia says, Dr. Ascher-Walsh’s support made the difficult process easier. “He has the most amazing bedside manner. I called him a year and a half before I even scheduled the second surgery, and he always took the time to answer my questions.” She also invited him to speak on a panel she organized on fertility and fibroids. “He’s just that kind of doctor. He gives hope when other doctors only offer hysterectomy as the answer.”

Now in recovery, Alicia takes supplements like vitamin D and green tea extract daily to help slow the return of fibroids—two steps recommended by Dr. Ascher-Walsh. An avid traveler and weightlifter, she also monitors her diet and overall wellness. “I feel better, lighter, and healthier now,” she says.

Her experience has fueled a commitment to advocate for others. “I’ve become super proactive, not just with my wellness, but in sharing my story,” she says. “For so long, women didn’t talk about these things. We were ashamed, or worried people would think we couldn’t have kids.” She’s learned that fibroids are more common than many realize, especially in Black women, and that open dialogue can be life-changing.

Her advocacy has extended into the community. In summer 2025, she attended a gala for The White Dress Project, a nonprofit that raises awareness of fibroids and promotes policy change. “It was powerful being in a room of women who had gone through the same thing. We were all there to make change.”

Alicia’s message to others navigating fibroids is clear. “Women, we are often last in taking care of ourselves, especially if we have a family and other responsibilities,” she says. “But this journey has made me more self-aware about my health.” And for those unsure where to start: “Do your research. Speak up. Get second opinions. Share your story. You never know who needs to hear it or who might be able to help.”