Living with fibroadenomas has been my reality for the past 16 years. If you’re like me, for the longest time I had no idea what fibroadenomas were or why I was getting them. I was told it was “normal” and that most women get them. So I left it at that. But as the years went on, the number of fibroadenomas increased. It was when I was diagnosed with a phyllodes tumor that I started to pay attention. I’ve discovered that when a fibroadenoma is removed, most often nothing grows back in its place, but sometimes, rarely actually, a phyllodes tumor will appear.

70% of women currently have fibrocystic breasts and many medical professionals have deemed this a “normal” state of breast health. Just because something is common doesn’t it make it normal. I believe it’s a symptom of an imbalance and of a deficiency in our soils and in our bodies. It’s our body trying to communicate to us that there’s an imbalance and to ignore this because we’ve been told it’s “normal” or “ it’s nothing to worry about”, does our body a great disservice. When I first started paying attention to these signs, I had 3 fibroadenomas. This number then jumped to 12 simply because I wasn’t correcting my hormone imbalance and nourishing my body with the nutrients it was missing. Everything is linked and one small nutrient deficiency can cause a multitude of problems.

What Are Fibroadenomas

The breasts are glandular organs composed of lobules and ducts which are surrounded by fatty, glandular and fibrous tissue. Fibroadenomas are common benign breast lumps and usually develop from the lobule (milk producing glands). The breast ducts and surrounding tissue grow over the lobule creating a lump. Essentially, fibroadenomas consist of fibrous and glandular connective tissue that have grown more rapidly. They are usually round in size, may feel rubbery or like a small pea or marble and move easily under the skin. Once I understood what exactly fibroadenomas were they became much less worrisome.

They can grow anywhere from 2-10 cm, even bigger at times. Yowza! The first fibroadenoma I had surgically removed was just under 4cm and the phyllodes tumor that is now it’s in place is now just under 10cm. You’re thinking that’s huge! It surprisingly feels much smaller.

Update: My ultrasound results came in (April 13, 2018) and the tumor has shrunk from 9.8cm to 7.5cm!

Fibroadenomas and Hormones

Fibroadenomas may be sensitive to hormone fluctuation and may increase in size during a monthly menstrual cycle, pregnancy and breastfeeding. Birth control can also affect the size of the fibroadenomas. I was off and on birth control for years and didn’t know how much this was impacting my breast health. Hormone imbalances are more common when there is a nutrient deficiency such as iodine, which is an anti-estrogenic mineral, and when our blood sugar and stress levels are poorly managed. If your fibroadenomas are quite small, it’s quite hard to recognize if they fluctuate monthly. You would have to get an ultrasound during and after your monthly cycle. It might be worth noting what time of the month you do get your ultrasounds and compare the previous results accordingly.

Safety In Numbers

When multiple fibroadenomas are present, this is often an indicator that they are benign and they can often be found in both breasts. Phew! In my experience, surgery was never the answer. Until the root cause is identified and examined such as nutrient deficiencies and hormone imbalances, fibroadenomas will recur and in number.

*If you have fibroadenomas, I highly recommend ALL the Tools below.

Tools

Books

Renegade Beauty This book is filled with so much incredible information on how to take care of your self naturally. One of my favorites.
Women’s bodies, Women’s Wisdom I've gained such a tremendous understanding of how my body works from this book. It will answer pretty much all your questions on women's health.
Woman Code A book that will teach and empower you about hormonal health. You'll see this recommended throughout the site. Don't hesitate to pick it up.

Articles

If you have fibroadenomas I highly recommend both articles.

This article is a tremendous resource if you have any questions with regards to breast health, especially benign issues like fibroadenomas or other diagnoses. Dr. Steven Halls is a Canadian radiologist with extensive experience in breast care. This is probably one of the few resources that truly answered ALL my questions and didn't scare the shit out of me. Let's face it, we've all self-diagnosed on Google and more often than not, wish we hadn't entered our symptoms on Webmd. What most of us are looking for are answers and an understanding of our diagnosis and what we can do. To be empowered when we talk to our healthcare practitioner and to make decisions together.
Another great article from the same site.