Bump In The Road

Remember that time I was basking in my trip to Europe and really pulling myself out of my storm season by instead focusing completely on Italy (+ one day in Paris) and what I was going to pack and what all I need to do to prepare? Oh yes, just last week? Yes, yes, I was loving every second. Until I decided to try on swimsuits and this bump, an actual bump (or bulge I guess), that I'd been ignoring for a few months, made itself impossible to avoid any longer.

I got it checked out and learned that this is an Inguinal Hernia, fairly rare in women, unless said woman has had multiple abdominal surgeries and/or pregnancies, such as myself. Surgery was immediately mentioned. I made known my trip to Europe and how I refuse to spend any time of this European vacation dealing with poor health issues, unlike the only other time I've left the US and ended up spending 3 days in an Irish hospital ward.

Back and forth we went, talking with several doctors, getting several opinions. Could it wait? Yes. Do I want to worry about aggravating it for the next 2 months and totally stress about needing emergency intervention in a non-English speaking country? No. I had a frustrating few days trying to expedite the process of getting in to see a surgeon in a small town that only has a few to choose from, followed by a few moments of sheer panic wondering if this BUMP was going to completely derail my whole trip, when finally I got the nudge to try Billings, my hometown that is 2 hours away.

Ah, Billings. Or "Langz" as those of us who were born and raised there affectionately get to call it. Okay, we make fun of it A LOT. But Langz came through for me, big time, and I got in super fast to see the same surgeon who first cut into my stomach 17 years ago to retrieve my appendix. The guy remembered my case and was fascinated to hear what happened next, the subsequent abdominal surgeries, followed by infertility caused by those surgeries, and the happy ending that is our miracle babies and my healthy, healed body. He believes he can fix this bump pretty easily and will go back in next Friday, the 28th, to do some road construction. This gives me 7 weeks to recover before Europe, and he is pretty confident I can still go to Colorado the second week of May and Vegas the last week of May. Maybe a little sore and banged up, but nothing I can't handle.

I was pretty bummed out by this bump in my road, but I am extremely grateful that we can get it taken care of quickly, that it's nothing serious, and that I will be even that much more aware of how lucky I am to get to do this trip (all 3 upcoming trips really!).

Life is pretty funny and weird. Looking forward to smooth travels ahead.