KZN businesswoman, Thulile Diane Mgoza-Zulu, 47, the wife of a popular Doctor Musa Zulu, struggled to fall pregnant for 20 years.
She had done everything, including traditional and Western treatment, but nothing helped.
“I was in my 20s when I met husband. From the onset he was clear that he wants a family with me. In 2010 we got married. We were still young and the idea of starting a family was exciting,” she said.
Struggled to conceive for 20 years
But all that excitement turned into tears when she repeatedly failed to conceive.
“I was desperate to have kids. Years went by and I couldn’t conceive. I asked myself a lot of questions but I couldn’t find answers. My frustration was growing everyday. Mainly because I was eating healthy, doing exercises and I was not on contraception.
“I knew something was terribly wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. And I was consulting traditional and Western doctors, but they couldn’t find the problem. My marriage was no longer enjoyable, I actually fell into depression,” she said.
Eventually fell pregnant after fibroids treatment
Her fibroids were only detected in 2015, and that is when she treated them.
“In 2019 I had my first pregnancy. I was blessed with twins, and I named them Ayabonga and Abongile. In 2022 I had my second pregnancy, and I named her Nandipha,” she said.
“When I look back, I can see that I had fibroids as early as 1997. But I didn’t treat them because I was just ignorant, I just didn’t know it was fibroids. All the signs were there.
“For example, my periods were heavy, and I’d have them two to three times a month. I was always constipated. My stomach was always bloated, but it never crossed my mind that this could be fibroids,” she continued.
Educate and help women about fibroids
Her experience led her to establish Thuli’s Foundation.
“The purpose of this foundation is to educate and help women about fibroids. I want to encourage and teach women the importance of regular check-ups,” she said.