Ceri Bruinsma suffered from bleeding from her belly button for years before was eventually diagnosed with a terrifying rare condition and she’s now waiting to have surgery
A mum from Liverpool has been diagnosed with a rare medical condition after experiencing bleeding from her belly button – a symptom that puzzled doctors for years.
Ceri Bruinsma’s symptoms began five years ago after she had her contraceptive implant removed. Alongside the bleeding, she experienced intense fatigue and severe pain that sometimes left her unable to get out of bed.
Ceri, a mother of two, said she had always experienced extremely painful periods, but didn’t realise how abnormal the pain was because she had grown used to it. After removing her contraceptive implant, she began noticing discharge from her navel, unexplained weight gain and, eventually, blood clots.
Her initial visit to the doctor didn’t raise alarm, and a CT scan came back clear. But after persistent symptoms, she was referred to a gynaecologist. Further investigation, including an MRI scan and a camera inserted into her womb, finally led to the correct diagnosis.
“At one point I had to wear dressings over my belly button because it was like being on my period,” she explained. “The doctors acted like it wasn’t anything to worry about, even though I was having clots and kept being prescribed antibiotics.”
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Now 43, she was eventually told that her horrifying symptoms were caused by umbilical endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus begins to grow in the navel.
Doctors later discovered that endometriosis tissue had formed within a hernia sack behind her belly button, which was the cause of the unusual bleeding. Despite the diagnosis, Ceri is still awaiting surgery at Liverpool Women’s Hospital to remove both the endometriosis and the hernia. The operation requires two surgeons, and the delay has prolonged her suffering.
“When I’m having an endometriosis flare-up, it’s like someone has stabbed me in the back – I can’t walk,” she said. “When I had cramps and blood coming out of my belly button, it felt worse than labour. I couldn’t even walk, it was awful.”
While waiting for surgery, Ceri was prescribed hormone replacement therapy injections that induced early menopause to manage her symptoms. Though they stopped the bleeding, the side effects were difficult to handle. “I couldn’t leave the house, I was sweating that much,” she said.
Ceri, a holistic therapist and founder of ‘Healing Hands,’ says alternative therapies such as reflexology and gentle release therapy have helped her manage the pain. She is currently the only practitioner offering the latter in Liverpool, which is based on Chinese meridian therapy.
She has also launched an Instagram page, @Endopreneurs_, to support other business owners living with endometriosis. “When you’re self-employed, there’s no sick pay – you just have to find ways to manage,” she said. “I hope to connect with others in the community and raise awareness.”
Liverpool Women’s Hospital has been contacted for comment.
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