I’ve been really self-conscious about some scars I got from an abdominal surgery a few years ago. Before that, I was insecure of the big scar on my back from heart surgery. I did have some fun with it when I was a teenager though.

When I would wear tank tops, I would get endless questions about my scar. I would mess with people and say I got it in a bar fight. People would actually buy it even though I was 14 at the time.

These photos didn’t turn out as good as I had hoped but you get the picture. :^)

The scar I have on my back is from open heart surgery that I had when I was 5 years old. They said that because I was so young, that’s why they were able to go through my back.

I was born with a congenital heart defect called a coarctation of the aorta and wasn’t given long to live but like I’ve said before, I’m a stubborn pain in the ass and very persistent so I showed those fuckers.

I have a heart murmur, need to get check-ups every year or two, and have to do things like take antibiotics whenever I get my teeth cleaned but other than that, everything’s fine.

This scar starts on the top left of my shoulder-blade and goes halfway down my back. It didn’t occur to me to turn on the overhead light while my hubby was taking this picture. We just had a nightstand lamp on and the scar looks shadowy towards the bottom.

This is the scar left from the heart catheterization I had when I was three. It’s on the inside of my right arm, in the middle. I still remember how my mom was trying to get the stitches out but I had such a tantrum and she had to take me to the doctor so he could get the last few out.

The scars I got from my abdominal surgery 2 years ago. This is the one on my left side of my stomach. And yes, I’m white as a ghost. I stay out of the sun as much as possible or slather myself with sunblock.

 The right side of my stomach.

They’re on either side of my belly button. There are a couple more from that surgery that are on my stomach. These are the ones that make me the most self-conscious, especially in front of my husband. They’re darker in person and raised.

I don’t have a problem with my cesarean scar. Even though I was hoping for a vaginal delivery, the c-section scar is something that brought me my beautiful daughter.

I think one of the reasons the scars I have on my stomach are so difficult for me is because they botched my cesarean, apparently using a dull butter knife, and it caused what they thought at the time was 2 very painful hernias. It ended up being 5!

I had to fight a military doctor who I saw at Walter Reed because he insisted it was something else but I know my body. I dubbed him Dr. Douchebag and after a few weeks of wanting to strangle this asshole because he was trying to bully me into getting a few fibroids that I have removed.

That’s what he thought the problem was; like I was going to let anyone go near my uterus with a scalpel after what happened the first time around but I knew it wasn’t the issue. This doctor was such a jerk and while I was on the phone with him one morning, he actually told me he refused to repair the hernias I had unless I also let him remove the two fibroids.

I almost lost my shit with this barely out of med school asshole. I don’t know how I did this because I was beyond disgusted with this doctor’s behavior but I somehow remained calm instead of telling him what I really thought of him and said I don’t think this is going to work out and I would like to see another doctor.

He responded with I think that’s a good idea since you won’t listen to the advice of a professional. What is it with people having to stress that they’re “professional”? Saying you’re a professional is like going to a hair salon that’s called Classy Hair. You know it’s bullshit.

Anyway, I was finally able to go outside of the military health care system and to an excellent doctor who actually knew what he was doing.

Do you have any scars or something about your body that makes you self-conscious?