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!