The Alien

I have diastasis recti. If you have never heard of this, you are not alone. Join my club! I hadn't either until a surgeon identified it for me. This all started when I was pregnant with my two-year-old son. Basically, I have a really big lump in my stomach that has been there since I was pregnant. We have affectionately dubbed it "The Alien." I actually thought it was the fetus growing inside me, until after he was born and it was still there. I had never had a c-section before, so then I convinced myself that things were just out of place and needed time to go back to normal. When I tighten my abdominal area, this big lump rises to the surface. When I say big, I mean larger than a grapefruit but smaller than a watermelon. 

This disorder is defined as a separation of the rectus abdominis muscle into right and left halves. In terms that I can understand, my ab muscles are all stretched out and instead of being at the front of my abdomen, they have been pulled apart and are residing somewhere along the left and right outer sides of my abdomen area. Women are more susceptible to developing this condition when pregnant over the age of 35, high birth weight of child, multiple birth pregnancy, and multiple pregnancies. The only one of those that doesn't apply to me is the multiple birth pregnancy, only one at a time for me!

Supposedly, this is a "cosmetic" condition. Although there is no association with morbidity, I have to say, it is not just a cosmetic annoyance. I have some real symptoms that come along with having this condition. I have always had a sensitive stomach and that may perhaps have something do to with it. I experience everything from nausea, dizziness, abdominal pain (both moderate and extreme), among other things. It's not fun. 

Until recently, the only procedure they had for fixing this condition yielded less than stellar results and some patients were not very pleased with their outcome. Thankfully, there is a new procedure that is still fairly new that my surgeon learned about at a medical conference. It was actually developed as a better way to repair hernias, but it also just so happens to correct diastasis recti as well!

I look forward to one day not having to worry about the unfortunate symptoms that seem to constantly come up with this condition. I want a "normal" tummy free of lumps and aliens. For now I need to concentrate on not angering the alien and trying to lose weight so that recovery from the necessary surgery to fix it will be easier. That in itself is its own struggle but I am determined to figure it out.