For months, Monique Gamboa searched for answers for a medical crisis. She was experiencing extremely heavy and painful periods that left her weak and exhausted. Despite multiple visits to the doctor, she struggled to get clear answers as her condition worsened. Eventually, an ultrasound revealed the cause: more than six benign uterine tumors — some as large as her fist — and dangerously low hemoglobin levels. Monique was diagnosed with uterine fibroids, a condition that affects a majority of women in the U.S. by age 50 but has long remained under‑researched and underestimated. Her doctor recommended surgery right away, but her body wasn’t ready. Too weak to proceed, Monique first needed blood transfusions — many of them. She received two units of blood each week for several weeks to stabilize her condition and prepare her for surgery. But even with preparation, the risk didn’t end in the operating room. “On the day of my surgery, I lost so much blood that I needed another transfusi...