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Cynthia Bailey Opens Up About Her Health Scare

"I was a hot mess," she says of her battle with uterine fibroids.

By Kevin O'Donnell Nov 12, 2013, 4:10 PM ET

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Over the last few months, rumors have swirled that Cynthia Bailey has been expecting a baby—largely due to a noticeble bump she's been sporting. But those rumors have given way to a shocking reality: she's been struggling with uterine fibroids.

On this week's episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, she underwent a procedure to have them removed and she says the process had radically improved her life. "I feel so much better," she tells CocoaFab. "I lost my pregnant stomach and I have energy."

It's a welcome relief for the mother and wife. Though she admits she was diagnosed with fibroids after giving birth to daughter Noelle, the pain and discomfort increased only recently. "I was a hot mess every time my cycle came around," she says. "There was three weeks out of the month where that took over my life and left me with one good week, which is not enough." She goes on to reveal there were some embarassing moments: "I would be somewhere and have blood on my dress. I'm like, I can't be out and bleeding. This is crazy!"

Her health issues also affected her relationship with her husband. "I had low everything. Low sex drive, low energy. Having sex can be painful depending on where they are."

Cynthia eventually decided to take control of the issue and have surgery and she says the results have been "life changing." She also chose to have it documented on the show to raise public awareness. "As much as we love the drama, I always try to bring real life issues to the show as well," she says. "Things that other women can relate to. I wanted to deal with it and it turned out some of the other ladies on the show had the same issues."

Now, she hopes fans who have watched her struggle will take action if they're feeling similar issues. "I really want to inspire women," she says. "I'm a different person. I can't believe I had it as long as I did and got anything done. Everything has changed and it has been amazing. I'm so glad I took care of it!"

Are you inspired by Cynthia? Tell us in the comments.