My name is Patricia; I'm CANFib

My journey began at age 36 when I started to notice changes in my period that made things just a little bit harder to deal with. A few more craps and a litte stronger on the pain scale, coupled with longer bleeding and pain (especially the first two days of periods, were the things that started to get my attention.

It was my 1st sign offibroids

Woman as young as 25 are now reporting symptoms of Fibroids to their GP and Specialists.

By the age of 40, symptoms begin to appear in women that indicate fibroids

By the age of 50, up to 80% of black women and up to 70% of white women have fibroids.

there isno cure

It was a 10 year long and winding path from that point.

One of the characteristics of Fibroids is the way it convinces us to build life around the mounting symptoms and shrinking set of abilities it invents. There's a social assumption heavy periods are normal, and that's just not the case.

I found out I had Fibroids.

In spite of how common it is, Fibroids, a life changing (often decade long) medical journey is unheard of until diagnosed. The head spinning gamut of symptoms lead to more and more GYN appointments as their life changing effects progressed.

2004

There was no group to turn to, and Google searches turned up no help or hope.

One day I was standing in the grocery store line and I saw some women in each cashiers lane. I counted them and realized that at least two women were going through the same thing.

We just don't talk. So I put an ad on the right hand side of Facebook: FIBFOIDS?

1000s of women flooded in and CANFib was born.

I developed a Page and Discussion Group taking special care to attract Canadian followers (and admit only Canadian Women with Fibroids to the Private Discussions). This has allowed information pertaining to Canada flowed and demographic research could begin.

2012

As my case grew more extreme, other incredible things started to happen

CANFib became a rapidly growing, socially driven, health condition related entity geared to help women with Fibroids in Canada.

Today and every day, 1000s of us laugh, cry and cope together; 1000s of us support each other through individual journeys. And we worked together to bring some light into what was once a pretty dark room.

Weather it meant writing impact papers for Health Canada, Pushing for new medications and treatments, speaking at seminars and summit, or working on fixing our small corner of the Public health care system, there was always, and is always something that can be done to help make it better.

In 2023 CANFib became a Federally registered Non Profit Organization.

2024

CANFib Mission Statement

CANFib works officially as a Not for Profit Organization in Canada, with the underlying goal at all times to help Canadian Women with Fibroids navigate the Medical system within this country. Through education and open discussion women find out about what treatments are currently approvied by Health Canada and how she can find access to the right specialists for her unique Uterine Condition. At CANFib, Women with Fibroids find a place they can not only learn from but unpack their emotional suitcase.

Through research, collaboration and education women with Fibroids can shorten their time from diagnosis to resolve by several years, and that translates into shorter GYN wait times for other women dealing with uterine conditions as well.