How One Woman’s Refusal to Accept the Knife Changed Her Life
At 34, Lucinda Mulaudzi had learned to live with something that was slowly taking everything from her — her energy, her confidence, her ability to show up fully for the people she loved. A 12-day menstrual cycle. Chronic fatigue. Pain she couldn’t explain. For years, it had simply become her normal.
When she was finally diagnosed with a large uterine fibroid, her gynaecologist recommended surgery. Lucinda’s response was immediate: no.
“I don’t want to get cut. I don’t want no knife, no scalpel, no nothing inside of me.”
Every scar on her body holds meaning. A surgical scar didn’t feel right. She asked for another option, and when her gynae pushed back, she pushed harder. “But I’m not everyone.”
She researched. She prayed. And she found Dr. Yusuf Parak, Interventional Radiologist at Morton & Partners, who introduced her to Uterine Fibroid Embolisation — a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure that blocks the blood supply to fibroids, causing them to shrink and break down naturally. No incisions. Typically just one night in hospital.
She was terrified going in. Self-doubt had built for weeks. “I didn’t feel worth the help, worth the life-changing experience.” But the care she received — from the ward staff, from her anaesthesiologist, and from Dr. Parak, who came to check on her before the procedure even began — gave her the peace of mind she needed.
Nearly a year on, the difference is hard to miss.
“Today I feel lighter, I feel good, I’m more confident, and I started loving myself the minute I felt like my step is changing. I walk faster. I’m looking in the mirror and I don’t see this big lump hanging in front of my stomach. I used to call it a tube. The tube is gone. I feel absolutely amazing.”
Her advice to any woman facing a similar diagnosis is simple: run your options, and don’t let self-doubt be the reason you settle. “I would hold another’s hand saying, ‘You got this and you’ll get through it.’”
If you are living with fibroids and want to explore whether UFE is right for you, our Interventional Radiology team is here to help.