ok, who has had or does have a HERNIA?

[happynewyear]

I'm off to a surgeon to see if I have a hernia in a couple of weeks.

Could I have one? I have a pain in my left side in the abdomen area which appeared after having surgery in November of last year but it is a lot better than it was (pain 1st appeared in January about 10 weeks after the surgery). I can lift heavy objects (well up to 50 lbs.) without experiencing any pain. It does throb a bit at times admittedly.

However, when you press on where the pain is it does hurt and there is a lump. I've been being told its an adhesion.

Does anyone have experience with this type of thing.

Crippers! I really DO NOT want to go under the knife AGAIN! Yikes!

:dem:

[lazarus]

1. hmm

I had a hernia. Big lump, lots of sharp, excruciating pain.

Sadly, the surgery may have messed me up more than the hernia did, I've had lots of nerve problems, etc., ever since.

[happynewyear]

2. hmmmm ....

Well the lump is about the size of a big marble. However, the excruciating pain part went away. It was a real killer for about 1 month and became less after that.

The pain was shooting down my left leg and I could barely get out of bed or in/out of the car. This aspect is now gone. It is livable but it is still there no doubt. I can go out and walk around, shop, etc. with no pain now, just don't press on the area. There is no noticeable lump (you can feel it when you press on the region but cannot see anything). I've been for 4 opinions now and wow, I'm so sick of this crap!

I'll explore my options VERY CAREFULLY with this surgeon. I am in no condition to have more surgery and I feel lucky that the severe pain part did go away.

Thanks for your insight.

I really needed to hear this (I mean it seriously)! :D

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. If it was fixed with mesh it may not have prolapsed

and scar tissue can form around the mesh...how big is the lump? Can you reduce the lump when lying down? If it did reprolapse then you must fix it as portions of bowel and mesentary can get caught in there and then it becomes a mess and even life threatening.

If it is scar tissue and is only painful when you stretch or strain, then they can give you a series of injections that kill the sensory nerves that got trapped in the scar tissue.

I am assuming it was an inguinal hernia, not abdominal.

[happynewyear]

4. they are calling it a possible incisional hernia

or an adhesion - ?

Hard to know. Nothing is visible to the eye. When you press the area you can feel this lump. It was very sore for a very long time.

It is better now but it has been very slow process. It has been 9 months now since I had abdominal female surgery for a huge fibroid tumor (benign thank god). What a nightmare this has been.

I hate to complain about anything. I was even beginning to wonder, what IF they left something inside of me? I heard Bernie Ward talking about the 2 foot sponge they accidentally left inside of him and this got me really worrying again.

However, Bernie Ward said he was really sick and in SEVERE pain. Yikes again!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. Incisional hernias are quite common and are easy to fix

Once the abdominal wall has been cut, it is easy to get a hernia in the area where the muscles are cut since the scar tissue isn't as strong as the original muscle tissue. It is best to get it repaired and AVOID lifting wherever possible. Again, if the sensory nerves are causing the pain, those can be dulled by injections that will kill the nerves. Good luck but based on the size you are describing it does indeed sound like a small hernia rather than adhesions.

[happynewyear]

6. thanks nothingshocksme!

I hope the repair won't be horrible if deemed necessary. Admittedly, I've been have a lot of trouble with my digestive system after eating - very sluggish processing food it seems.

Drat! Oh well ....

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. You may want to take stool softeners

Straining to go to the bathroom can also aggravate your problems.

The surgery itself for ONLY the hernia is not all that severe..again..do avoid lifting..especially if you need additional repair..once you have healed from the surgery (6 - 8 weeks) talk to your doc about gentle abdominal strengthening exercises.

Good luck and keep us posted. Be well :D

[bearfan454]

8. That's for sure nsmam

I had a hernia on the right side in 1985. The muscle ripped and the intestine squished through. I could push it back but if too much squishes through and it strangulates, you need surgery real quick. The stool softeners help a lot. Oh and you're out of action in the sack for at least 2 or 3 weeks.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

9. Hey there!

How's your mom doing with posting? I defended her from being misinterpreted the other day ;-)

[Zech Marquis]

12. hey, the AF quack didn't mention THAT to me

then again, they don't exactly make you feel TOO comfortable in miltary hospitals, unless you're a GI. Dependents, ha! Be quiet and take your medicine :evilgrin:

actually the hospital at Yokota was cool, we could watch recent movies on tv, cute Japanese nurses brught me meals in meal, yeah...but he first few hours after my operation, I have to admit, I just felt like SHIT! Those painkillers sent me to dreamleand, and was I totally out of it for the first day!

[fofer]

10. Sounds like it might be a hernia

I actually had two at once, one on each side, back in '87 or so. As operations go it's not too bad, and I'm sure with technological advances things have only improved. With me there was minimal scarring and minimal down time, so try not to worry too much! You're going the right thing getting it looked at. Best of luck and hope you feel better. :-)

[Zech Marquis]

11. me

got it while weight lifting back in my junior year of school--springtime thankfully, had the operation in mid August. It wasn't serious, but quite uncomfortable. But no problems since, and thankfully it wasn;t the type you'd have on your back. The guy in my ward had BOTH at once (he was some Army guy, me an Air Force kid)

and YES, I do remember seeing that slight lump. It felt better after I would lay down, but trying to run fast or lift heavy stuff was painful! I know it sounds awful, but get your hernia taken care of NOW, don't put it off and end up being hunched over.