Bump/Lump

Sometimes a hard lump or bump may appear beneath the skin (or sometimes completely visible on the skin). Oftentimes, it appears in the belly button, but there have been cases of little nodules in the tear ducts, along the fingernail, in the buttcrack, or even masquerading as a hernia

Inguinal Hernia & Endometriosis

| Bloomin' Uterus
Inguinal canal in female courtesy of https://www.slideshare.net/vernonpashi/surgical-anatomy-of-the-inguinal-canal

Recently, a study hit my inbox about Endometriosis mimicking an inguinal hernia. So, of course, my interest was piqued and research had to take place! Be warned, though, it’s considered VERY rare. In all the literature I’ve read, only 42 cases have been referenced as being documented inguinal Endo. But when has rarity stopped me from sharing something about Endometriosis? Yeah. Never. Here we go!

What is AN inguinal hernia?

An inguinal hernia is the most common type of hernia (about 70% of hernias are inguinal) and usually manifests as a small lump in the groin area. Both men and women can get inguinal hernias, but it’s apparently more common in men. It occurs if there’s a small hole in your abdominal cavity which allows fat or intestines to seep through, which can a lump or swelling to occur.

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Endometriosis & Perineum

| Bloomin' Uterus
A starfish on the sand
It’s the only photo I could think of that wasn’t … vulgar

Well, this was a first for me.

I’ve read numerous studies of Endometriosis developing in scar tissue after c-sections or other abdominal surgeries, but this one caught me by such surprise that I wanted to share it with you!  It’s important to any EndoWarriors who may have delivered children naturally and have complaints of pain…”down there.”  Read on!

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Silent Endometriosis

| Bloomin' Uterus
Woman holding her index finger to her lips to shhh someone

There are many usual signs and symptoms of Endometriosis.  If you suffer from this disease, you know them all too well. One of our readers, Tanya, let us know that she suffers from “Silent Endometriosis.”  What’s that?  She has an official Endometriosis diagnosis, but only some of the symptoms associated with Endometriosis.  Some people with Silent Endo don’t have any Endo symptoms (this is known as asymptomatic Endometriosis). Does that make her any less of an Endo sufferer? No, not at all.  She suffers from the same invasive disease as the rest of us.  Just in a different way.

A whole slew of questions were raised, which we’ll look into:

  1. Why do some people present with classic symptoms like crippling pain and some don’t?
  2. And, given that silent endometriosis exists, this makes me wonder if the overall incidents of endometriosis is higher than is usually quoted. How many have this disease and have no idea?
  3. Since the symptoms don’t present as normal in silent endometriosis, what are some of the other signs that people possibly facing this condition can look out for?
  4. Why do some patients who are riddled with endometriosis have no pain, and others with very little endometriosis have excruciating pain?
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Reader’s Choice : C-Sections & Endometriosis

| Bloomin' Uterus

A friend asked me to look up any connections between Endometriosis and Cesarean Sections.  So, here we go.  Lots of science in this one!  Some studies show that less than 1% of women who undergo a cesarean section end up developing incisional Endometriosis (Endometriosis in or along the c-section scar).  However, that tiny little 1% number has a staggering amount of studies involving a lot of women who suffer from this form of Endo.

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Endometriosis on your skin

| Bloomin' Uterus
Diagram of human skin

It’s about time I research more about Endometriosis being found in places other than your pelvic region.  We’ve already covered lungs, spine, and eyes, and today we’re going to delve into cases of Endometriosis and skin.  Skin? Yes, skin.  I’ve read that it’s rare, just like the other areas outside of the pelvic cavity…but, it does occur.  Some theorize it is implanted via the lymphatic orpro vascular systems; others think the cells are transplanted via surgery.

There seem to be two common categories of Endometriosis and the skin : spontaneous Endometriosis and scar Endometriosis.  Spontaneous Endo simply appears in random places on healthy skin (cutaneous or subcutaneous).  Scar Endo is found within scar tissue from prior surgeries or injuries.  It appears that surgical excision/removal of the Endometriosis lesions from the skin is the most common and effective way of handling the lesions.  Some surgeries may leave defects, which may (or may not) be repaired or rebuilt with a surgical mesh.  Some studies suggest that hormonal treatment may be too harsh for the patient for solitary lesions.

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