“She was so kind and had wonderful energy. I just knew I was in good hands with her and everyone caring for me at the hospital.”

Jazmin lives with her husband in San Mateo County and enjoys listening to music, socializing, being physically active, and reading. She describes herself as both introverted and extroverted, valuing her time alone while also cherishing opportunities to connect with others. Originally from El Salvador, she moved to the U.S. on her own in 2016. By chance, she reconnected with a childhood acquaintance from her home country, and the two fell in love. She works as a house cleaner and prioritizes her health, staying active and scheduling regular medical check-ups.

Her health concerns began when her menstrual periods became unpredictable, lasting up to 15 days. She visited her primary care provider (PCP) at Samaritan House in San Mateo, where a pelvic exam, pap smear, and pelvic ultrasound were performed. Multiple polyps and a fibroid were detected. The polyps were successfully removed during a procedure and tested benign, but the fibroid mass was unreachable. After the polyps were removed, Jazmin’s periods normalized. Jazmin continued visiting her PCP regularly for check-ups, and during one of those visits, another ultrasound was performed to ensure nothing had changed. Since Jazmin was no longer symptomatic, her PCP informed her that there was no real need to remove the fibroid. Jazmin was relieved and remained vigilant about her health.

In December 2023, Jazmin had another ultrasound, which indicated the fibroid had grown to a diameter of 4 cm. The results were concerning. By February 2024, she was suffering from severe pain. “My bones felt like they were breaking, I had uncontrollable shivers, fever, and sharp pain in my uterus and throughout my back. It was horrible.” She returned to Samaritan House for help, and at the end of March, another ultrasound was performed that revealed the mass had grown to a diameter of 9.2 cm—about the size of a grapefruit.

Jazmin’s PCP determined she needed a myomectomy to remove the rapidly growing mass. Uninsured, she worried about the cost, but her PCP reassured her and referred her to our program. Jazmin qualified, and we connected her with Dr. Alexandra Neiman at Pacific Women’s OBGYN in San Francisco. Dr. Neiman and her team performed the surgery at California Pacific Medical Center.

“Out of 10, I would give Dr. Neiman a 100,” exclaimed Jazmin. “She was so kind and had wonderful energy. I just knew I was in good hands with her and everyone caring for me at the hospital.”

Since her surgery, Jazmin has noticed a dramatic improvement. Her pain is gone, her periods are lighter, and she has more energy. She also noticed that losing weight had become less challenging. Previously, she had a hard time losing weight despite an active lifestyle. Feeling stronger both physically and emotionally, she is grateful for the care she received and excited for the future.

Story and photo shared with the patient’s permission. Patient’s name was changed.