Entertainment
Why I removed my womb after getting married – Nse Ikpe-Etim
Multi-award winning Nigerian actress, Nse Ikpe-Etim has revealed she had to remove her womb to save her life after she was diagnosed with Adenomyosis.
The gifted Nollywood actress brought this revelation to light while speaking at an event tagged “Conversation with Nse” in Lekki, Lagos.
Adenomyosis is a gynecologic medical condition in which the inner lining of the uterus (the endometrium) breaks through the muscle wall of the uterus (the myometrium).
The cause remains unknown, but the disease usually resolves after menopause while removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) is likely the only cure for it.
Ikpe-Etim told the audience that she was diagnosed with the disease three years ago and that she cried when the doctor said she would have to remove her uterus to live a normal life.
“I was told I couldn’t have kids. And so, I had to have a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) to make me have a life again and to stop going through what I was going through. And I’m literally telling women and men, it really doesn’t matter if you can’t bear children. What really matters is what you would do for the world, for the universe,” she said.
“When I was first told by the doctor that I would have to remove my womb to live a normal life, tears dropped and then my husband squeezed my hand.
“It was reassuring that there was someone there and it was telling me that this is reality, my reality. The ordeal made me fall into depression.
“I didn’t think there was any point anymore because my society taught me that I have to be a mother to be appreciated and every time I went online, I would have one troll or two say ‘you never born? But I’m thankful that that didn’t break me.”
The award-winning movie star, who came into prominence in 2008 for her role in ‘Reloaded’, also took to her Instagram account to say that “a few days ago, I found myself in the hospital surrounded by doctors and nurses who stopped at nothing to give me the best care.”
“The care that goes into what they do is simply phenomenal. I kept crying because I didn’t know how to give my worry to them but I know that’s their job so I should let go,” she wrote.
“A point comes when you ask yourself “I do take care of myself so why do I fall ill? The body never has the right answers. But I do know that we need to learn to listen to our bodies and understand how our bodies functions. When you feel unwell, don’t ignore it because you have work or things that will stop when you drop. That’s the key to a healthy living.
“To my friends and family who made me laugh during this period, thank you. To the staff of First Cardiologist Consultants Ikoyi and Eura Care, thank you.”
