Porsha Williams is sharing the emotional and physical toll of the medical condition that ultimately ended her ability to carry another child.
In an essay for Glamour published Sept. 18, the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star said she had a hysterectomy after doctors found an extensive number of uterine fibroids. Surgeons discovered 21 growths, including one roughly the size of a cantaloupe.
Williams, 45, has been dealing with fibroids since her first pregnancy at age 30. She learned about the condition on the very day she discovered she was expecting.
“The fibroid outgrew that pregnancy, and I ended up having a miscarriage at four months,” she wrote.
About a year later, Williams had a myomectomy to remove the fibroid. But the painful growths eventually came back during her pregnancy with her daughter, Pilar Jhena McKinley.
Her second pregnancy, however, had a very different ending.
“She outgrew the large one that returned, fighting through it, which is why she’s my rainbow baby,” Williams said of Pilar. “During my last month of pregnancy, I was on bed rest while the fibroids degenerated. It was painful, but I was so thankful my little miracle baby pushed through.”
After Pilar was born in March 2019, Williams chose fibroid embolization in an effort to protect her fertility. At first, the treatment eased several of her symptoms, including unusually heavy periods, headaches and lower back pain.
Several years later, those problems began to resurface. Williams noticed heavier menstrual bleeding, recurring headaches, exhaustion and more frequent urination, though she did not initially realize fibroids could be responsible.
A consultation with a fertility specialist led to an ultrasound and MRI. The scans showed more than 15 sizable fibroids, as well as endometriosis and another condition involving the lining of her uterus.
Williams asked if she could undergo another embolization, but her doctor advised that a hysterectomy was necessary. She ultimately had a partial hysterectomy, which removed her uterus while preserving her ovaries.
The diagnosis and surgery were particularly difficult because Williams had long pictured herself raising a much bigger family.
“I always wanted four kids,” she said. “I have three siblings and always pictured a big family of my own.”
RELATED: At Least Six Injured in Shooting After Gathering in Sanford
After Pilar’s arrival, Williams had seriously considered expanding her family. She felt she was in a position—with the emotional support and financial means—to welcome another baby.
Being told that pregnancy was no longer possible reopened the grief she had carried since her earlier miscarriage.
“Waking up and grieving the dream of more kids felt close to that same level of devastation,” she said. “I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, since I do have Pilar, but privately I grieved the possibility of another child.”
Despite the emotional loss, the surgery brought a striking improvement to Williams’ overall health. In hindsight, she recognized that the fibroids had likely played a role in her migraines, iron deficiency and other long-standing symptoms.
“I didn’t have a choice about the hysterectomy, but it saved my life,” Williams said. “My quality of life has improved 100% since.”
The experience has also deepened the reality star’s appreciation for Pilar, who is now 7 years old.
“Now I take snapshots of every single moment with my daughter,” Williams said. “I’m even more present, more grateful, because when I look at her, I see a true miracle.”
She continued, “I’ve always called her my lifesaver, since she gave me my purpose, and now that feels even more true. I really was chosen to be her mom.”
Williams said she did not learn until after Pilar’s birth how disproportionately fibroids affect Black women. She now hopes speaking publicly about her experience will encourage other women to ask questions, advocate for themselves and talk more openly about reproductive health.
“I’m not ashamed anymore, and I want to use every platform I have,” she said.
Williams is considering starting a foundation to help women who cannot afford the appointments and procedures associated with fibroid treatment.
“There’s life after a hysterectomy, after a miscarriage, after any of the hard things we go through as women,” Williams said, “and there’s real power in community.”
