Cynthia Bailey, Toya Johnson, Shay Johnson: Fibroid Nightmares & Hope
Cynthia Bailey, Toya Johnson, Shay Johnson: Fibroid Nightmares & Hope
“I almost lost my life,” admitted Love & Hip Hop: Miami alum Shay Johnson, recalling how heavy bleeding went unchecked for months. “I thought I was just stressed, working too much. I was drinking, not eating right, and ignoring my body. Then I collapsed. Doctors found fibroids the size of grapefruits, and I needed a blood transfusion.”
Now Johnson says she’s cut back on alcohol, overhauled her diet, and prioritizes sleep. “I can’t keep living like I’m invincible. I’ve got a daughter now. My career’s growing — I have to be here for her, and that starts with me taking care of me.”
Her path to motherhood was paved with pain and heartbreak. After undergoing a myomectomy – the surgical removal of fibroids – she revealed:
“They didn’t tell me I could never conceive vaginally because of the surgery —I cried on social media because I wanted that womanly experience. But I got my beautiful baby—and I want one more.”
Transforming her struggle into purpose, Shay now champions women’s health through her own wellness brand, The Healthy Hand,
Fibroids affect 26 million American women, disproportionately impacting Black women. The Fibroid Fighters Foundation, created by Dr. Yan Katsnelson, works to end the epidemic of unnecessary hysterectomies and educate women about minimally invasive treatments like UFE. Every ten minutes in the U.S., twelve hysterectomies are performed—and shockingly, nine of them are unnecessary.
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Reality stars Cynthia Bailey, Toya Johnson and Shay Johnson joined an awareness event in New York at the Fibroid Fighters Foundation’s Your Health in Full Bloom event—a gathering created to amplify stories like theirs and introduce women, especially Black women, to treatments beyond hysterectomy. Their efforts are part of a broader push to destigmatize fibroids and ensure women know all their options—not just the most invasive ones
“I found out about fibroids when I was pregnant with my daughter, Noelle,” Cynthia Bailey recalled. “They just kept growing and growing. I had super heavy periods, bloating—I was always on the celebrity baby bump list for a child I wasn’t pregnant with. I had a bunch of fibroid babies inside of me, and lipo can’t help that.”
Bailey eventually underwent UFE, a procedure that shrinks fibroids without surgery. “Please make sure you always ask for UFE first,” she urged. “A hysterectomy should always be the last resort.”
Beyond advocating for women’s health, Bailey is stepping into powerful new roles. Fresh off season 16 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, she’s filming a short drama titled Diamondwhere she plays a mother battling heroin addiction—her most challenging acting role yet. “I wanted to do something where I completely lose myself in a character,” she said.
And yes, even queens have bad habits “I don’t drink enough water, I’m a late-night eater, and I have tons of supplements I don’t take as regularly as I should,” she admitted with a laugh.
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Toya Johnson: “If You Want That Flat Stomach, Get UFE”
Toya Johnson knows the pain fibroids bring. “I had them twice. I got a myomectomy and later did UFE. My stomach would bloat like I was four months pregnant—and liposuction doesn’t fix that,” she explained.
Johnson uses her platform to educate women who, like her, once didn’t know what was happening to their bodies. “Walk, work out, stay active—but most importantly, take care of yourself. If you have fibroids, get that UFE if you can.”
As for what’s next? “I have a new book coming out called ‘Forties Kicking My Ass,’” she revealed. “When you hit 40, life changes—your vision changes, your energy changes. But it’s all about growth, opening up, and being vulnerable.”
The reality star, now married, shared her secret to a happy relationship: “Date the person you’re with. Be friends. Communicate. A person can’t read your mind—you have to walk communication, not just talk it.”
Her “bad habit”? “Always wanting to be right. We’re not always right, but who wants to hear that?” she joked.
Shay Johnson: From Pain to Purpose
“I never even heard of fibroids until I had them,” said Shay Johnson, who has become one of the loudest voices in fibroid awareness. “That’s ridiculous. This should have been talked about in our families, our communities, on social media. Women deserve to know their options.”
Johnson’s first surgery, a myomectomy, allowed her to conceive her daughter—but left her devastated when she learned she could never give birth vaginally.
Now single and focused on her wellness brand, The Healthy Hand, Johnson is filming new episodes of Love & Hip Hop and raising her daughter to be a boss. “She just launched her own elderberry gummy line—I want to teach her business ethics young so she can take over when I’m gone.”
Johnson confessed to a strange quirk: “Because I’m anemic, I brush my teeth ten times a day with baking soda. It’s horrible, but I can’t stop!”
Cara Maria Sorbello: Fighting Fibroids and Winning Challenges
MTV’s The Challenge champion Cara Maria Sorbello faced her own fibroid nightmare—one the size of a grapefruit. “When I found out it was 16 centimeters, I thought surgery was my only option. I didn’t have insurance, I didn’t know where to turn. They even wanted to put me on a menopause-inducing hormone, Lupron. I was terrified.”
Then Fibroid Fighters stepped in. “They answered every question, didn’t rush me, and gave me hope—even about having kids someday,” she said. After undergoing UFE, she was back in the gym within a week. “With surgery, you have to have a C-section. With embolization, you can give birth naturally. The recovery is night and day.”
Sorbello is now competing on The Challenge: Vets vs. New Threats and hinted at a new Fox project premiering this fall. But she admits to one bad habit: “I’m highly addicted to sugar. Fudge brownies are my crack,” she laughed.
Dr. Yan Katsnelson’s vision for Fibroid Fighters combines cutting-edge medical technology with patient-centered care. He aims to educate women on non-surgical options and reduce the link between fibroids and more serious health risks, including infertility and cardiovascular disease. With his foundation, he seeks to empower women to make informed decisions, improve outcomes, and prevent unnecessary hysterectomies.
The evening concluded with an intimate concert featuring Tweet and fellow R&B powerhouse LaTocha of Xscape, leaving attendees inspired by both music and advocacy. As Dr. Katsnelson reminded the crowd, “Knowledge is power, and awareness is the first step toward better health for every woman.”
You can check out the whole conversation with Shay, Cynthia, Toya and Cara Maria in the video below
Article by Jazmyn Summers. You can hear Jazmyn every morning on “Jazmyn in the Morning “on Sirius XM Channel 362 Grown Folk Jamz . Subscribe to Jazmyn Summers’ YouTube. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
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Cynthia Bailey, Toya Johnson, Shay Johnson: Fibroid Nightmares & Hope was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
