We are absolutely delighted to welcome Candice Bryan to our fibroids Ask the Expert Panel. With over 20 years experience in the field of sport and wellness, Ms Bryan will provide her expertise to  those who have questions on how exercise can be utilised for the prevention and management of fibroids.

Candice Bryan is the founder of Noire Wellness which seeks to improve the health and wellness of African and African Caribbean communities living in the UK.  In 2017, she launched the #FibroidSeries wellness hub providing women with informative and engaging physical activity workshops and live demonstrations as a holistic approach to managing the effects of fibroids.

She is a thought-leader and speaker on a variety of topics related to sport development, inclusive fitness and wellness diversity.  She draws her fitness experience from over 20 years working across the sector including the management of a multi-award winning disability fitness project where she supported over 120 disabled people to become qualified fitness instructors.

As a dedicated researcher in the field of sport and wellness and the current chair of Active Harrow, Candice oversees the implementation of their physical activity and sports strategy and delivery of action plans.  More recently Candice has joined the I.D Radio team as their first wellness presenter hosting weekly shows to connect with audiences across the globe inspiring desires to be well.

We’re delighted to have Ms Bryan on board and if you have any questions on fibroids and exercise please do submit them here, and for more information on Candice and Noire Welllness, please visit www.noirewellness.com or follow her on twitter @KandiceBryan

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has announced that it is has started a review on the medicine ESMYA (ulipristal acetate). This drug is used to treat fibroids and the review was initiated following four reports of serious liver injury, three of these patients had to have a liver transplant.  An initial assessment of these cases was conducted and it was determined that ESMYA was the cause of the liver damage.  A more comprehensive and in-depth review will now be carried out.

The EMA has advised that women currently on ESMYA should speak to their doctor if they have any questions or concerns.

What is ESMYA?

ESMYA is a prescription drug that was first authorised in the EU for use in patients with fibroids in 2012. It is used to treat moderate to severe symptoms of fibroids and works by stopping the hormone progesterone from stimulating the growth of fibroids and this reduces their size.  It was initially licensed to be used before surgery to shrink fibroids, but can now also be used as a stand-alone treatment. It should only be used for up to three months at a time.  The use of ESMYA can be repeated but there should be breaks between each 3-month course of treatment.

The most common side effects of ESMYA are the absence of a woman’s period and thickening of the lining of the womb. You can speak to your doctor about what all the side effects are and these will be listed in the drug leaflet which comes with ESMYA.

ESMYA must not be used  by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, have vaginal bleeding or have womb, cervical, ovarian or breast cancer. You can speak to your doctor about other restrictions or these will be listed on the drug information leaflet.

More Information

More information about the assessment can be found in the information sheet below and you can visit the EMA’s website for more information.

We’re so delighted to announce that our next fibroids Twitter chat will be with Candice Bryan on 13th December from 9pm to 10pm (UK time)

Candice Bryan is the founder of Noire Wellness which seeks to improve the health and wellness of African and African Caribbean communities living in the UK.  In 2017, she launched the #FibroidSeries wellness hub providing women with informative and engaging physical activity workshops and live demonstrations as a holistic approach to managing the effects of fibroids.

She is a thought-leader and speaker on a variety of topics related to sport development, inclusive fitness and wellness diversity.  She draws her fitness experience from over 20 years working across the sector including the management of a multi-award winning disability fitness project where she supported over 120 disabled people to become qualified fitness instructors.

As a dedicated researcher in the field of sport and wellness and the current chair of Active Harrow, Candice oversees the implementation of their physical activity and sports strategy and delivery of action plans.  More recently Candice has joined the I.D Radio team as their first wellness presenter hosting weekly shows to connect with audiences across the globe inspiring desires to be well.

This Twitter chat has been organised to allow for an in-depth discussion with Candice to highlight the great work her organisation is doing with their holistic approach to fibroids. We’ll be discussing Noire Wellness’ recent fibroids wellness hub, what she learnt from this innovative event and their future plans for supporting women with fibroids.

We’ll be putting questions to Candice and you can put your questions to her too. So if you have a burning question about fibroids or just want to get involved in the discussion then do join us on the day. To take part in the conversation please use the hashtag #FibroidsChat.

For more information on Candice and Noire Welllness, please  visit www.noirewellness.com or follow her on twitter @KandiceBryan

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation has declared 2018 as the Year of Wellness and Rejuvenation in the Caribbean. With this in mind The Lake Foundation in collaboration with Noire Wellness are exploring organising a fibroids wellness retreat and we would be grateful if you could complete the following survey.

This survey will help us understand if there is a need and interest in this type of event.  We want to determine whether this type of event would be a useful form of support for women affected by fibroids.

Any and all feedback is welcome and we would be very grateful if you could share this survey with anybody that you think would have an interest in this event.

We are delighted to announce our next fibroids Twitter chat will be on  Wednesday  29th  November 2017 from 7pm-8pm (UK time). We will be joined by special guest Imani Sorhaindo with host, our own Abi Begho, founder of The Lake Foundation.

Imani Sorhaindo is a teacher, Curriculum Manager, Life Coach and Facilitator of the Ipswich Black Sisters Fibroid and Womb-Wellness Support Group.

Imani has been working as a community development worker for the upliftment of the African community for over 28 years.

Imani has her own personal life experience of working towards shrinking fibroids, and eradicating stress and toxicity through a range of life-changing techniques and lifestyle living including breathing, meditation and energy balancing.

Over the past 13 years she has been researching the world of women’s health; particularly around fibroids and healing. The Black sister’s fibroid group which she runs in Suffolk has been running for its first year; with pleasing results. She has recently delivered a short lecture at the Black History Walks Nzingha Lectures in London.

Imani is also half-way through writing her book around the theme ‘Holistic approaches towards the elimination of fibroids. In 2018, Imani will be hosting her first Fibroids conference in the Caribbean island of Dominica.

This Twitter chat has been organised to allow for an in-depth discussion with Imani on her personal experience with fibroids, her work facilitating the Ipswich Black Sisters Fibroids and Womb-Wellness Support Group, her upcoming book on holistic approaches to fibroids and her first fibroids conference in Dominica.

We’ll be putting questions to Imani and you can put your questions to her too. So if you have a burning question about fibroids or just want to get involved in the discussion then do join us on the day. To take part in the conversation please use the hashtag #FibroidsChat.

We look forward to tweeting with you!

After their successful 12-week, pop-up wellness hub last year, which was a health and fitness club, spa lounge and workshop zone all rolled into one, Noire Wellness will be hosting a fibroids wellness hub. This will be held on Sunday 26^th November at Wiseworks and will cover a range of topics including diet, exercise and the emotional impact of fibroids.

The wellness hub aims to empower women affected by fibroids giving them the information and practical support that they need to improve their well-being.

Noire Wellness is an organisation that aims to improve the health and wellness of the African and African-Caribbean community through the offer of local wellness hubs, community consultancy services and a growing wellness business network.

You can book your place on EventBrite here and for more information about the fibroids wellness hub, please download their flyer below or email  info@noirewellness.com

You can find out more about Noire Wellness by following them on Twitter, liking their page on Facebook or signing up to their newsletter here

On 25th October the Griot Institute is organising a Fibroids Fraternitee Forum which will offer a space and place for women to increase their knowledge about fibroids. This event will feature Dr Ruth Cochran who has worked at Lewisham Hospital for over 30 years and is the most senior consultant in gynaecology and obstetrics.  She has worked with generations of women with fibroids and  will answer questions on treatment options.  This forum is an opportunity to gain information, ask questions and to explore other ways in which women might improve their health and manage their fibroids.

The event starts at 6:30pm  on 25th October and will be held at the Civic Suite in Catford (this is next to the Town Hall). Free fibroid-friendly food will be available from 6:40pm.

You can find out more about this event and book a space on EventBrite here  or email griotonline@hotmail.com

Please note that this event has been rescheduled and will now be held on 26th November as a one-day event. For more information visit EventBrite

After their successful 12-week, pop-up wellness hub last year, which was a health and fitness club, spa lounge and workshop zone all rolled into one, Noire Wellness will be hosting a fibroids wellness hub. This will run over several weeks starting from 24th September and will cover a range of topics including diet, exercise and the emotional impact of fibroids.

The wellness hub aims to empower women affected by fibroids giving them the information and practical support that they need to improve their well-being.

Noire Wellness is an organisation that aims to improve the health and wellness of the African and African-Caribbean community through the offer of local wellness hubs, community consultancy services and a growing wellness business network.

You can find out more about Noire Wellness by following them on Twitter, liking their page on Facebook or signing up to their newsletter here

More information about the fibroids wellness hub will be available soon, but if you have any questions please email info@noirewellness.com

The Griot Institute is organising a consultation event for Black women on the treatment and support for chronic fibroids.

The Fibroids Fraternitee meeting will examine questions about the kind of health care Black women want in relation to chronic fibroids.

What would a Black women-friendly service look like? What support do women want to deal with the disabling aspects of suffering from chronic fibroids?  What medical and clinical interventions have we had and how have these affected us? What lifestyle and natural approaches have we used to good effect?

For many years, Griot has run peer support forums for Black women with chronic fibroids with presentations from expert patients, clinicians and naturopaths.  They are consulting to find out what women want in their new series of monthly forums. They also want to know how younger women want to be supported and how they can access the vast knowledge of older Black women who have accumulated a vast range of knowledge on how fibroids were dealt with ‘back home’ in order to explore potential wider options for women with chronic fibroids

The event will take place at Deptford X,   9 Brookmill Road, London SE8 4HL, on Saturday 10th  June 2017 from 1pm to 5pm

Places can be booked at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fibroids-fraternitee-workshop-tickets-34292467694?aff=efbneb

This event is in collaboration with the AntiUniversity Now Festival 2017.

We’re really pleased to let you know that Candice Bryan, Founder of Noire Wellness and Yacoub Khalaf, consultant gynaecologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital will be speaking at the upcoming fibroids support group session.

Candice Bryan will be discussing fibroids and exercise whilst Yacoub Khalaf will be exploring the clinical side of fibroids.

We are  so delighted to have teamed up with TOHETI at Guy’s Hospital for this support group session. which will take place on Monday 15th May from  6:00pm – 7:30pm at the McNair Centre at Guy’s.

Anyone who has been affected by fibroids is welcome to attend and this session aims to provide women with the opportunity to share their experience, meet other women with fibroids, obtain support and hear from experts in the field.

TOHETI’s support group provides a safe, informal setting for women to ask questions and share concerns, both before and after surgery. The group is run by patients, for patients and a clinical member of staff will be present to help answer questions.

For more information and to let us know you’re coming please email events@thelakefoundation.com