After Decades of Complications From Fibroids, Donna McCoy Found Relief

[00:00:00]My name is Donna Marie McCoy. I I was a late bloomer >> [music] >> as far as my menstrual cycle. By the time I was like 17 when it came down, it came down fully heavy. [music] My mom took me to the doctor because my flow was just too heavy. They informed her that it was normal. Come to find out the doctor said, "No, she has fibroids. She's early, you know, teenagers. They'll probably she'll probably grow out of it." 20s come, still heavy monthly, but [music] they're getting deeper. 2008 and 2009, I had a total of five blood transfusions. They gave me a myomectomy.

[00:00:35][music] I was on bed rest for 6 weeks.

[00:00:38]Within those 6 weeks, another fibroid had grown the size [music] of a grape.

[00:00:43]So, one day I noticed that my left leg started swelling.

[00:00:47]>> [music] >> My leg looked like the elephant man. I had to go directly to the hospital. They told me again, "Your blood level dropped."

[00:00:55]I don't know. I just cried.

[00:00:57]I cried. I went to a deep depression.

[00:00:58][music] They said, "We have a specialist."

[00:01:02]Ah, been through this with the other hospital. They the whole spiel, whatever.

[00:01:06]>> [music] >> Bring whoever you got.

[00:01:08]>> I first met Donna um when she was hospitalized. She not only had heavy bleeding, but had actually experienced [music] um significant blood clots. So, I worked very closely with our vascular surgeon, um and he was great to [music] review all the images she had and be like, "She needs to get that uterus out because I think it's obstructing the blood flow."

[00:01:30]>> So, in cases of extreme DVT and blood clots of the lower extremity, [music] if procedures are not done to remove the blood clots, um more than 2/3 of the patients are left with severe swelling and disability within that extremity for the rest of their life. Normally, patients with blood clots, we proceed right to clot removal and fixing the acute problem [music] with the DVT itself, but with Donna's specific multi-disciplinary issue, >> [music] >> she required uh removal of the uterus prior to clot removal. Otherwise, we [music] just removed the clot alone without taking care of the primary problem of the uterus, the clot would just recur in short order after clot removal.

[00:02:07]>> Dr. Higgins came downstairs. Said, "Listen, >> [music] >> give it to me straight. Don't pull no punches. I I want it raw."

[00:02:16]>> You know, I really try to talk to my patients again like they're my [music] my family member and and be pretty frank with them.

[00:02:23]>> She told me, "Well, we're going [music] to take care of that." And I said, "How will I feel afterwards as a woman?" Cuz that's my womanhood. She was like, >> [music] >> "You're going to be great. I'm looking at you, you're a person that you're going to be fine."

[00:02:36]>> I mean, my surgery was actually only part of her recovery. She had to work with vascular surgery [music] to regain her normal strength in her legs and monitor her blood clots. Donna no longer has anemia. She doesn't need blood transfusions. She doesn't have [music] iron transfusions.

[00:02:52]>> My health is the reason why I'm going to remain here.

[00:02:55]>> [music] >> And I love the family-orientedness here.

[00:02:59]And it's just so personalized. [music] >> I think that's probably one of the most rewarding things I do is allowing people to be heard and then offering them options. Our goal is to like meet people where they're at and always hear them and then get to [music] see them improve like Donna did, which is um pretty remarkable.