Hernia Surgery

[JPWH 6,365]

I had my surgery today. The surgeon said there were 3 hernias and it would be a 1 to 2 hour surgery. 3 1/2 hours later he reported there were multiple hernias he repaired that did not show up in the MRI. All went well and I was sent home with a pain management pump that I will have fo 5 days. Now I have to follow orders for a timely recovery. 5 to 8 weeks is the target.

Jay

[Achto 29,432]

Glad all went well. Hope the healing process goes by fast.

[cleat 7,296]

Just do not lift or strain yourself in any way and hopefully the healing will be quick.

 

I was prescribed pain meds but so long as I was careful the pain was manageable without them.

 

I learned to roll out of bed instead of trying to sit up. Worst part of the whole ordeal was the constipation, likely a side effect of the anesthesia at the hospital.

 

[JPWH 6,365]

The pain management pump is supposed to help reduce the constipation. Also only soft foods till the first bowel movement.

 The hernia surgery I had 27 years ago took about 6 weeks to heal.

[ri702bill 9,533]

Back around 2010, I had a severe hernia on the left side. Went to the Surgeon's office for the exam & consultation.... He starts examining me on the right side, I told him it was the left..... He replied "surprize....twins!!" The severe one required the Old School surgery with the mesh immediately. Ten years later I had the one on the right done Laproscopically.

[ebinmaine 72,987]

Good luck. Heal well. 

[squonk 43,939]

Best of luck Jay! 

[Ed Kennell 42,168]

8 hours ago, cleat said:

whole ordeal was the constipation

                      A reason to avoid the pain killers if possible.

[953 nut 60,348]

             Glad to hear you are home and doing well.                  

My most vivid memory of the recuperation process is that my fifteen pound cat loved to jump up on my lap. I quickly learned to have a pillow on my lap if I was going to take a little snooze.

Heal up and get back out in the shop.            

[Ed Kennell 42,168]

55 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

My most vivid memory of the recuperation process

Mine was my first bowel movement.   I remember cinching my back brace up tight to help support the polypropylene mesh carpet that was just installed.

I must have gotten a good carpet as mine didn't unravel as many did.

[rjg854 12,249]

Best of luck to you Jay, heal up and get back at it.  You sure have been run thru the mill lately. 

[JPWH 6,365]

The 6 to 8 week mark puts me right at my retirement date of 8/29. We are planning to take a few weeks driving out to Colorado and maybe Idaho to visit family. Then a week to Panama City for my wife's beach fix. 

Then it's project catch up time!

 

[ri702bill 9,533]

2 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

polypropylene mesh carpet

aka "Blowout Patch" !! 

[My_horse 23]

Good luck in your recovery!  Went through my 3rd hernia surgery last year around this time.   3 hr surgery to remove and replace the blowout patch. Luckily this time was laparoscopic surgery. I had 3 “bullet holes” in my belly instead of a big long cut like last time. The worst thing was the constipation. Take miralax from the get go and colace. You don’t want to strain yourself trying to take a dump. 

[wh500special 2,277]

We’re nearly on the same schedule. I just had my third hernia operation on the 18th.  
 

I’d been nursing this one for a long time until it popped out on the 3rd and I had to go to the ER to get it shoved back in.  The first two docs couldn’t get it in.  The third - who ended up being my surgeon- was hellbent and he sent it home on his third attempt. He told me I was going to regret my decision not to take any of the pain meds they offered.  
 

It was…quite unpleasant 🥵.  But once it was back in I didn’t regret my choice.  They got me scheduled for the permanent fix and told me not to be as stupid as i normally tend to be in the interim. 
 

Procedure itself was a laparoscopic dream and fortunately on a Friday so I had the weekend to recoup. Prior mesh on other side was still intact so they didn’t have to mess with it, but they did find I had more than one spot to repair.  Went in at 5:30 am and was home by 1:00 pm and the hospital I used was almost an hour away.
 

Other than the bloat from being pumped up with air during the procedure this one was easier than my first two.    I wouldn’t do this as a hobby, but it wasn’t bad at all.  I will admit that I was tired after work the first two days.  
 

I think the trick with the BMs is to get started on the softeners in the leadup to

the procedure.  And adjust the diet ahead of time if you tend to eat a constipatory medley.  
 

Within two days I was already feeling good enough that I’d entered that dangerous phase where I feel like I can go back to schlepping wheel weights around but I’m not healed enough to pull it off.  Now, almost two weeks later, other than the obvious marks on my tummy where they poked me it’s like nothing even happened. 
 

Hang in there and you’ll catch me in no time at all!!!

 

Steve

Edited August 1 by wh500special