'Blood started seeping out of my belly button – then I got chilling diagnosis'

A mum has been diagnosed with an extremely rare condition after she started to from her belly button. Ceri Bruinsma, 43, was diagnosed with umbilical endometriosis - a disease where tissue from the lining of the uterus grows in the navel.

She first started experiencing the bleeding five years ago after coming off the contraceptive implant and also suffered from extreme fatigue and pain that left her unable to get out of bed. Ceri was later told by doctors that endometriosis tissue had formed in a hernia 'sack' behind her belly button - which was causing the bleeding.

But five years after her symptoms first started, Ceri is still waiting to have surgery at Women's - where surgeons will remove both the endometriosis and the hernia. The mum-of-two said: "I need a double operation - I need the endometriosis removed and I need the hernia removed.

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"I need. When I 'm having an endometriosis flare up, it's like someone has stabbed me in the back - I can't walk. But I've always struggled with really bad period pain, when I was in labour with my first baby, I didn't realise because I was so used to the pain. 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."

Ceri says she always suffered from extremely painful periods, but didn't realise how much pain she was in, as she was so used to it. After having the contraceptive implant taken out of her arm, she started noticing a clear discharge was coming out of her belly button and that she had gained a lot of weight.

Blood clots then started coming out of Ceri's belly button so she went to her doctors, who didn't seem that concerned, but eventually referred her for a CT scan. But because nothing was found on the scan, she was given the all-clear, despite still suffering from the bleeding.

Ceri, of Liverpool, Merseyside, then managed to get a referral to a gynaecologist - where she was finally diagnosed by having a MRI scan and a camera in her womb. She said: "I had to wear dressings over my belly button because it was like being on my period.

"When I would go to the doctors, they acted like it wasn't anything to worry about which I thought was . I would have clots coming out and the doctors keep giving me antibiotics."

As she is waiting for the operation, Ceri was given hormone replacement therapy injections to place her into an early menopause, to stop her symptoms. She says this left her unable to leave the house, because she was sweating that much, but luckily it stopped the bleeding from her belly button.

She now has an appointment next month, to discuss the surgery. Ceri said: "They put me on the injections - which stop your hormones. But I couldn't go out of the house, I was sweating that much, but it stopped the bleeding. It was really hard to manage with all the sweating but luckily the bleeding hasn't come back since then."

Ceri is a holistic therapist and runs a business called 'Healing Hands', and says that reflexology - an alternative therapy that applies pressure to specific reflex points - has helped her with the pain. She is also says that gentle release therapy - a technique that uses traditional Chinese meridians - has helped her and she is currently the only person in Liverpool to offer this.

Ceri has now set up an page called @‌Endopreneurs_ - which helps to support other business owners who have endometriosis. She said: "I manage the pain by doing certain things like reflexology as that can be really good to manage symptoms.

"I speak to people in the endometriosis community, my hope is to connect with other people who have the condition. I know charities are trying to help employers support people with endometriosis but when you are self-employed, you don't have sick pay or anything - you have to manage." Liverpool Women's Hospital have been contacted for a comment.