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FKA Twigs Has a Powerful Message About Healing and Regaining Confidence

Kells McPhillips

May 11, 2018

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Photo: Instgram/@fkatwigs

Female celebs speaking unabashedly about their mental and physical health has become a powerful force in modern-day feminism, and it's also given much-needed attention to women's pain, which is often undermined and overlooked: Take for example Selena Gomez, who has talked about battling lupus; Kristen Bell, who has spoken about her struggle with anxiety and depression; and Padma Lakshmi and Lena Dunham, who have publicized their experience with endometriosis. And, thankfully the list keeps growing.

Singer-songwriter FKA Twigs recently joined the ranks of women getting real about their personal obstacles by opening up to her 1.2 million Instagram followers about the laparoscopic surgery she underwent to remove six fibroid tumors. "I had surgery in December, and I was so scared. Despite lots of love from friends and family, I felt really alone, and my confidence as a woman was knocked," she writes in the caption.

According to UCLA Health, fibroids are the most common type of tumor found in the female reproductive system. But, don't panic: Though an estimated 20 to 50 percent of women in the reproductive period of their lives will develop one or more fibroids, 99 percent of the cases are noncancerous.

dear friends, I am a very private person as u all know and I have gone back and forth in my mind whether to share that this year I have been recovering from laparoscopic surgery to remove 6 fibroid tumours from my uterus. the tumours were pretty huge, the size of 2 cooking apples ? ?, 3 kiwis ? ? ? and a couple of ??. a fruit bowl of pain everyday. the nurse said that the weight and size was like being 6 months pregnant. I tried to be brave but it was excruciating at times and to be honest I started to doubt if my body would ever feel the same again. I had surgery in December and I was so scared, despite lots of love from friends and family I felt really alone and my confidence as a woman was knocked. but... today whilst dancing with Kelly at the choreography house I felt like my strong self again for the first time in a while and it was magical. thank you precious body for healing, thank you for reminding me to be kind to myself, you are a wonderful thing, now go create and be other once again <3 I know that a lot of women suffer from fibroid tumours and I just wanted to say after my experience that you are amazing warriors and that you are not alone. you can get through this. and with this I let go of the pain... love always twigs ?

A post shared by FKA twigs (@fkatwigs) on May 8, 2018 at 10:29pm PDT

Despite fibroids usually not posing a direct health threat, they can be painful if left untreated. As the artist puts it, "The tumors were pretty huge, the size of two cooking apples, three kiwis, and a couple of [strawberries]. A fruit bowl of pain every day. The nurse said that the weight and size was like being six months pregnant."

FKA Twigs admits she was worried her body wouldn't recover after surgery, but she has healed and regained her confidence. Her Instagram video shows her pole dancing, looking (and, more importantly, feeling) stronger than ever. "Today while dancing with Kelly at The Choreography House, I felt like my strong self again for the first time in a while, and it was magical," she writes. "Thank you, precious body for healing, think you for reminding me to be kind to myself. You are a wonderful thing."

Twigs' message? Self-care and self-love are of the upmost importance—and a great way to help yourself heal from whatever obstacle you're working to overcome.

Here's how Mandy Moore practices self-care and the one hack that will boost your self-love routine.