Belly Bloat and COVID-19 Stress

This is a photo of my belly, in my new "maternity" jeans. It's bloated because of having a distended uterus caused by ever-growing fibroids.  I've been asked already if we're expecting, and we're not.

 This explains why I was never able to "flatten" my tummy with abdominal crunches...

Anyway, prior to learning I have fibroids, I always thought it looked strange when staring at it from above - whether that be in the bathtub, half sitting up in bed, or just sitting around in general.  I look at it a lot from the side in mirrors, as well.  When I tell someone I feel bloated, they almost always skinny-shame me and make the moment awkward.


Here are more images of these comfy new jeans (I plan on getting more later when I can afford to, and when it's safe to shop again:

 

I really love how the band just hugs my bloated belly (swollen uterus), but it isn't tight!  I am looking forward to eventually replacing the jeans with buttons... with these beauties 😍 

On COVID-19-induced Stress:

It's no secret that fibroids have blood vessels of their own (which is why the periods can be so damn heavy!), and it's no secret that emotional stress increases blood pressure, which in turn, increases bleeding.  Thankfully, prior to this period, it's been months since my last "outburst" in the summer of 2019.  But since this coronavirus has spread, and all the news sources, social media, and basically the entire world have been putting out warnings about it, I've been getting increasingly worried.  Believe it or not, it's not the thought of being sick that frightens me. It's the way the world as we know it is shutting down, and frankly, I'm frightened for the economic future.  My shifts are being drastically cut at work, and I dread the thought of possibly having our home put into foreclosure if we cannot afford the mortgage.  My husband is a fast food manager and right now, it's basically drive-thru only, so he is coming home early. I am happy to see him of course, but it seems soon, neither of us may be going to work for awhile.. and will need to apply for a government grant to help out.  These thoughts increase my bleeding, and I've been having my current period for about 8 days now... and was spotting lightly before that.  I've been taking my iron supplements to the best of my ability, since right now, it's not as easy to go to the doctor about symptoms.

I was ironically told by a friend, recently, that now everyone's nearly out of work, I should go ahead and have a hysterectomy.  As tempting as that it, right now, hospitals cannot really cater to non-emergencies.  It's just not safe right now to bring in potential germs where there are very sick patients, plus the staff & resources are currently focusing on this virus.  I respect that.

Thankfully, I haven't been overexerting myself recently (with my shifts so aggressively cut), so I'm mostly taking it easy at home.  The bleeding seems to be slowing down today, so that's a good sign.  And I'll take another iron supplement with lunch today.

In the meantime, it's important right now that we:

• Listen to our government officials - and heed their advice!
• Only go out for things we need, like extra food & medication.
• Practice social distancing, but in the most respectful way possible.
• Keep ourselves and our hands and surfaces we touch, clean.
• This means please do not cough or sneeze on your hands. Please use your inner elbow.
• Bow rather than hug or shake hands... it's been an alternate sign of respect for centuries.
• Reach out to loved ones and neighbors over the phone, and offer services.
• Distance ourselves from the sick and from the vulnerable.
• Keep a positive mindset and share the love 💗

Follow-up

About 2 weeks ago, I saw our family doctor about an issue with my belly button, and found out I had a small wound and weakened abdominal muscles, and that there was a minor infection (and some potential intestinal tissue exposed).

The doctor prescribed me a powder spray called Micatin, which is often used to treat "yeast" issues such as Athlete's Foot, but has also been good for improving my belly button:

Now I've done several "sprays" of Micatin into my belly button, and it's interesting.  It is shockingly cold and stings for a few seconds - the first time I thought I'd just applied liquid nitrogen!  Afterward, it sort of "hisses" and sizzles while it cleans, similar to hydrogen peroxide.

Aside from that, I'm happy to report that I'm no longer plagued by tender pain in the abdominal region, and when I look inside my belly button, it appears less swollen & pink.


I want to take a moment to remind you all to please be careful when cleaning your bellies of lint, as the tissue inside is very delicate and vulnerable to injury!  Thank you 😊

Well That's a Relief! - Sort Of...

On Monday, I wrote a post about feeling nervous regarding an upcoming doctor's visit.  I was concerned the one fibroid (of several) I have on the top-outside of my uterus, may have been poking through my belly button:

The greyish flesh is normal for me, it's the darker & shiny flesh that worries me.   As it turns out, following an abdominal exam and some questions, it seems it's a slight umbilical hernia.  Basically, I have weak ab muscles and my intestine is "peeking out".  This won't go back to normal on it's own, and sadly it's my own fault.  Last time I cleaned out belly button lint, I got a little overzealous and caused a minor injury to the flesh inside ☹


This means:

• It's not a cancerous growth after all (thank God!)
• It's not related to an advancement in my fibroids
• My belly button will always be "open" like this and I need to be very careful with it
• I cannot over exert myself with exercise or lifting heavy things
• I need to keep it clean & dry with that powder spray twice daily
• It could eventually expand and may require surgery
• Tight clothes are out of the question!
• It will always be a little tender & painful ☹

On a side note, I asked the doctor for advice on Uterine Artery Embolization, and he strongly advises against it.  Personally, I'm glad to hear it and appreciate his frankness about the possibility of blood clots that could go into the heart or brain.  So I'm not going to continue to seek that treatment if my fibroids flare up again like they did last year.

However, I am not lobbying against it if it's something that you want to do.  Like all medical procedures, it carries both risks and benefits.

Here's to the best!

Getting Very Nervous

Right now, I'm feeling incredibly nervous.  I almost feel as though my treatment is tomorrow, and I haven't even had any kind of treatment set up yet!  😓

However, for the past nearly 2 weeks, I've been noticing some strange pain in my belly button.  I cleaned it thoroughly with cotton swabs and peroxide, and then thought nothing too much of it.  It appeared to just be a bit of lint and then a couple days later, it was still hurting.  So I continued to put peroxide on a cotton ball and use medical tape to hold it in.  Then I noticed a small amount of a thick, pinkish fluid - but now it's too clean to be infected.  So it occurred to me that my fibroids may be doing some damage behind my belly button, that's pushing it's way out of my body!?


I went so far as to do research on what this may mean, and I learned about something called a Sister Mary Joseph's Nodule.  Admittedly, this left me pretty shook!


Mine isn't as far advanced yet, but when I look into my belly button, I see a small red lump which could possibly be associated with my growing fibroids, so it's worth having it checked out.

The thing that really concerns me is that, whenever I move a certain way (bending or squatting, or turning in bed) I feel a tender pain right inside my belly button.  I've taken some photos; this is the clearest one, below:

Please excuse my bloating and "5 O'clock shadow".  The greyish/white tissue is pretty normal for me, since I'm pasty.  This photo was taken upside down from above, so the darker node in what would be the upper right side, isn't normal.  That's what hurts and that is why I'm going to call the doctor for an appointment as soon as possible.


Here's to hoping it's benign, even if it is just the fibroid on top of my uterus, trying to come out into the world...