Hernia surgery, well crap!

[LittleGump72]

Well I am scheduled for hernia surgery on Tuesday. Not what I want to do at all.
Not only is there a good possibility of missing muzzleloader season this year but, most importantly I am most likely gonna miss the end of my daughter's high school cross country season. Which will most likely include her being able to participate in the state meet for a second year in a row. But if she does make it to state I will probably do all I can to get there to watch her run. I haven't missed a race since she started running in 7th grade. So it will suck to miss even one.

 

[snapbang]

Sorry, been there done that. Try not to laugh, cough, sneeze. After about 3 days you can get around. But slow and easy. Dont trip or fall.

 

[earlwb]

Best of luck to you. Been there and done that too.

 

[deermanok]

X3. The surgeon that did mine said it was the biggest abdominal tear he had seen. Lucky me! But, I healed up pretty quick. You'll be good to go in no time.

 

[LittleGump72]

Thanks for your words everyone. I honestly didn't realize how common hernias are until the doctor confirmed that I had one, and then I started learning more about them.
I do have a question for those of you who have had a hernia repaired. How long ago did you have the repair done and have you had any problems since?
I appreciate any feedback.

 

[earlwb]

Mine was about 18 years ago. No problems with it. But since then I had surgery to insert a large stent into the abdominal aorta to repair a huge aneurism there. But 5 years after that the stent clotted up completely. I wound up getting a bypass graft tube inserted from my arm shoulder artery down to my legs to get blood to my legs. The surgeon said that it was a huge problem to get past all that scar tissue in the groin area. Plus getting a heart double bypass done in between too. Fun stuff getting old and not winning the genetic lottery.

 

[rangerod]

Wishing you the best. It's always exciting for parents to watch the kids compete.

 

[Whokalouie]

A week after surgery you will be able to watch your daughter run, just take it very easy.
I had hernia repair 16 years ago on one side and three years later the other side. The second was on my left side and for several years after my left testicle would hurt when I lifted something heavy. That is still unexplained.

 

[snapbang]

X3. The surgeon that did mine said it was the biggest abdominal tear he had seen

Forgive me for laughing Deerman but this is one case where mine being bigger than yours is not a good thing.

 

[newby to BP]

I've had 3 hernia surgeries already and have another one. Born with one and it was fixed when I was 5. Got another one in my 40s at work then another one 3 years ago. Obviously the last one wasn't a very good surgery . 71 years old and have had 10 surgeries in my life so no more. Hope your surgery ends up better than my last one did. Are they going to put in the mesh?

 

[LittleGump72]

Are they going to put in the mesh?

I just talked to the nurse today about what was gonna take place. She said that it would be an open surgery that way the doctor could see better to sew it up properly. I do know that the doctor doesn't think it is very big so not sure about the mesh.
I have seen him before and my family has trusted him in the past. And the fact that he has over 50 years experience, I gonna trust him.

 

[deermanok]

Thanks for your words everyone. I honestly didn't realize how common hernias are until the doctor confirmed that I had one, and then I started learning more about them.
I do have a question for those of you who have had a hernia repaired. How long ago did you have the repair done and have you had any problems since?
I appreciate any feedback.

I had my surgery about 20 years ago.
My only complaint is that every once in a while, if I turn or bend a certain way, I can feel the mesh that they used for the repair. It doesn't hurt really but it's uncomfortable.

 

[GLenn]

I had hernia surgery in June of 2021 at the ripe old age of 73. I had 3 small holes in the stomach. One right in the navel and another about 3 inches away on each side. They went in to repair one tear but found another and fixed that also. I had the mesh inserted and really don’t remember it being a big deal after. You certainly need to take it easy but watching your daughter run track shouldn’t be to bad. I haven’t had any issues with that surgery since.

 

[LittleGump72]

Again I say to you all, I appreciate the feedback and encouragement.

 

[newby to BP]

My last surgery the doctor slit me open from my nut to almost my belt.

 

[LittleGump72]

My last surgery the doctor slit me open from my nut to almost my belt.

Dang it, I didn't need to hear that! That surely took a while to heal.

 

[Delight523]

Good luck. IMO in general doctors suck, but OTH surgeons are the best of the breed. Best wishes for your recuperation.

 

[Squint]

I didn't come on to post how many operations I've had, when you're a mechanic and work physical your whole life, you wind up with quite a few. But I did have a hernia operation when I was about 76 that went well but it was on the left side and research said that if your first hernia is on the left, you'll probably get one on the right. that happened this last January at the ripe old age of 83 I got another hernia on the opposite side. First incision was only about two inches long, next one was probably 5 inches long. Both of them used mesh and I've had no troubles, no pains beyond normal healing that probably took a month. I can tell you it's better than trying to wear a belt hold the darn thing in so get it fixed. Because of family health problems and not being able to be home, I had to wait till may to get it fixed. That's why I hated that darn belt.
Squint

 

[LittleGump72]

Well surgery is done and I am back home. Sounds like everything went well. Also sounds like it was a small hernia but still got mesh put in. Other than some ache I feel pretty good, just gotta move slow. Maybe I won't miss out on watching my daughter run this weekend.

 

[MrTom]

Take it easy a few days and you'll get back in the swing of things in no time.

All this talk of hernias reminded me of when I had my gall bladder surgery. It was supposed to be a same day cut but something wasn't just right once the man with the knive got in there so it was a full cut, maybe 7". They said I'd be in the hospital a week, but I was home in 54 hours. Hate hospitals. Anyway. the day I got home things were a bit stiff as far as movement went but I pretty much stayed in bed and read. That night a thunderstorm rolled thru and lightning struck a neighbor's tree, maybe 250 feet from the bedroom window. The thunderclap that followed startled the hell out of me and I sat right up.... fast.... wrong thing to do. As soon as I got laid back down it was lights out again, but I'll never forget the feeling of being torn in half when I sat up that quickly.

Those abdominal cuts cat be fierce, even relatively small ones, but just taking things a little slower is doable. After maybe three days I'd maybe start to test the flexibility of your gut but don't go stretching things like you're in junior high phy ed class doing sit ups. Your personal pain meter will tell you when to lighten up on things.

Get well soon!