My 87-year-old mother has had an umbilical hernia for some 30 years. It started small but has slowly grown larger, and because it never bothered her (and she really doesn't like hospitals) she never had it fixed.
But yesterday, after suffering for a week with what she thought was a stomach flu, I took her to the hospital and they diagnosed an intestinal blockage, which they think was due to a length of bowel getting stuck in the the herniated area, thus stopping the "flow".
A general surgeon took a look at her belly, and using his fingers, gently but firmly put what was "out" back "in". And the flow seems to have been restored. If Mom is lucky, there won't have been any damage to the bowel itself (from blood flow being cut off). And so if she is lucky, the only surgery she will need is to have the hernia repaired - the surgery which should have been done a long time ago.
Procrastination does not always pay. Take care of yourselves!