Local 10’s Jacey Birch battling a ‘BOGO’ health issue — and ‘in a lot of pain’
Not a great start to the summer for Jacey Birch.
The WPLG Local 10 reporter shared a prickly health problem on social media Wednesday along with a picture of her bottom half in a hospital bed. Birch’s legs are encased in green compression garments, her feet in blue patient-issued slippers.
So what’s wrong? The longtime anchor turned in-house animal advocate revealed she is laid up, with not one but two hernias.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a hernia occurs when part of an organ (usually the intestine) protrudes through the wall of the cavity containing it. The result is usually a bulge and discomfort. Commonly affected areas are the abdomen and groin but Birch did not specify where her issue was located.
Birch goes on to write that she already knew she had a “large” hernia, which was being repaired surgically. In the operating room, doctors found another one.
At least Birch managed to keep her sense of humor about the double whammy, telling followers that newsroom colleague Eric Yutzy joked that she had a two-for-one BOGO.
Doesn’t sound like there will be too many grocery trips to Publix, though, at least in the short term.
“I’m in a lot of pain,” Birch admitted. “Pretty much bedridden and I can’t lift ANYTHING!”
Her post also included shoutouts to the “incredible” medical team at Holy Cross in Fort Lauderdale, as well as other folks in her circle like Local 10 legend Neki Mohan who pushed her pal to get a diagnosis.
Birch, who was born in Miami and grew up in Deerfield Beach, added a note of advice to others: Listen to your body. Because the hernia had been living in her body a “long time” before she did anything about it.
“I appreciate all my friends and family checking in on me,” the 49-year-old TV personality concluded. “But I just want to tell everyone to check their health and be proactive.”
Needless to say, Birch will be taking a few sick days, so don’t look for her on the air for a bit longer.
