Author Topic: Inguinal Hernia  (Read 39993 times)

Hummers

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Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #75 on: 17 February, 2014, 01:29:25 pm »
Didn't Martin have one on PBP 2017? He would show it to anyone unwise enough to discuss it with him  ;D

H

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #76 on: 31 March, 2014, 09:22:14 pm »
Hi, I cycled for about a year on trike and bike before having the hernia diagnosed. My memory fails me, but don't recall any probs cycling. Had a keyhole repair last April, back on the bike after 4 days, but only managed a few yards! Kept at it and was up to 100km by the end of June, didn't progress any further as a heart attack and triple bypass in early July/August put paid to my quest towards the hundred mile mark. I did manage to get back on my bike ten days after being discharged post op, and did approx 25 miler with local club a few weeks later. Winter has slowed me up more than expected, but the quest begins again.
Listen to your body, and try everything at a slow pace. The hernia repair had dropped from my mind, but still get occasional twinges, no worse than those pre op.
Nigel

simonp

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #77 on: 01 April, 2014, 04:39:20 pm »
I had a partial tear in the muscle and the repair kept me off the bike for 6 weeks. I wasn't really having much trouble on the bike, I'd noticed a slight bulge in my abdomen and some discomfort in some seating positions and when riding in trousers when the bulge pressed against the seam of my trousers.

After that I returned to cycling. This was 2004; I had the odd twinge for several months, but no issues since. I cycle far more now than immediately before the surgery, and have done minimum 4000 miles a year in every year since the surgery, so it hasn't limited me at all apart from the initial recovery period. A hernia repair is far stronger than you ever were before you herniated.


Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #78 on: 21 May, 2014, 02:29:56 pm »
Thanks one & all for the reassurance. Had repair done by open surgery just 12 days ago and can now walk a couple of miles without any sense of overdoing it. Have been strongly advised to lay off bike for a good 8 weeks which is a great shame with all the fine weather lately. Going to have a cracking 5" scar below to speedo line!

Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #79 on: 27 August, 2015, 01:40:37 pm »
I have 2 abdominal hernia - 5mm and 3mm, with a little nob of fat bulging through - It's quite visible atm as I'm currently BMI 20.1. No discomfort other than when I poke it,.do press ups or planks. Cycling doesn't make it worse. I thought they were lipoma (I have many).

Referred to a surgeon. GP undecided whether I should have it done now, whereas respiratory consultant and ultrasound person said they'd wait until it gets more painful. My feeling was rather get it booked in now when convenient, rather than find it needs doing at an inconvenient time. Hopeful that smaller hernia = shorter recovery.

Advice welcome.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #80 on: 27 August, 2015, 02:28:25 pm »
Do they hurt?
Are they troublesome when you cough a lot?
Is your coughing getting worse, better or static?

Would only interfere if coughing worsening AND hernias painful, meself...

Epigastric hernias usually only entrap fat, not guts so rarely have serious complications AIUI.

Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #81 on: 30 August, 2015, 11:26:19 am »
Don't hurt unless I poke them, and only the bottom one is tender then. No pain when coughing, and no increase in coughing. Yes, it's just entrapped fat.

Is it likely to change? If I knew it wasn't going to require surgery at a later (less convenient) time, I could live with it forever.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #82 on: 30 August, 2015, 09:04:02 pm »
I am no hernia expert but I'd probably live with these if they were mine.

Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #83 on: 15 September, 2015, 04:15:21 pm »
Saw the surgeon's helper today. Took a dim view of my "are you sure it needs doing?" question. "You are a youngish man, and it's only going to get worse. The plugs of fat are all that's between some bowel poking out and you being in A&E".

So I'll be popping along to pre-assessment in due course.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #84 on: 15 September, 2015, 04:27:20 pm »
Fair enough, I suppose.
The cynic in me thinks hammers look for nails.

Treating these is surgically simple.

I don't think I've ever seen them develop complications but I am not a surgeon.

Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #85 on: 15 September, 2015, 05:11:56 pm »
Fair enough, I suppose.
The cynic in me thinks hammers look for nails.

I'm sure you would have more relevant experience than me, but I've heard others involves express reticence about unnecessary treatment. I did make it super clear that if I didn't need it, I really didn't want it.

I got a "if it gets hot and uncomfortable, get yourself to A&E ASAP" talk.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #86 on: 15 September, 2015, 07:45:26 pm »
Fair enough, I suppose.
The cynic in me thinks hammers look for nails.

I'm sure you would have more relevant experience than me, but I've heard others involves express reticence about unnecessary treatment. I did make it super clear that if I didn't need it, I really didn't want it.

I got a "if it gets hot and uncomfortable, get yourself to A&E ASAP" talk.

What, if anything, does your GP think?

Are any of your colleagues au fait with these things.

(FWIW I think my kid brother has a couple of these that we've always ignored. I don't know if Mum noticed them; I certainly did when I changed his nappies!)

Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #87 on: 15 September, 2015, 08:08:42 pm »
In order of me seeing them

Ultrasound operator - "small, it's just fat poking through, they won't do anything"
Chest clinic consultant - "small, not painful, they won't do anything"
GP - "small, not painful, surgeon won't do anything, but to be sure, I'll refer you"

Not spoken to any of my medic mates. Colleague are all "who is going to do your teaching!?!". I have two MSc modules I convene coming up, plus 3 new PhD students starting. My HoD looked crestfallen when I left him know. As soon as word gets out I might need someone to stand in to do some teaching for me, offers to come for coffee will dry up.

Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #88 on: 30 January, 2016, 03:57:55 pm »
Was done yesterday. Lorks, I'm sore. And swollen. And gassy.

Did I mention that I'm sore? I feel like I've been punched repeatedly in the stomach, and then for fun, inflated like a balloon.

hellymedic

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Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #89 on: 30 January, 2016, 04:04:23 pm »
That might be because you have!
GWS!

Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #90 on: 30 January, 2016, 04:25:37 pm »
It is good to be able to empathise with a balloon. gws
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hellymedic

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Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #91 on: 30 January, 2016, 05:10:57 pm »
Are you calling the stickman a balloon??!!   :) ;D

Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #92 on: 31 January, 2016, 05:14:05 pm »
It's interesting how much this can vary.  I guess the position and size of the hernia can change things.  Mine had so little pain, it was barely any issue.  The most painful part of the whole process, was having the staples removed by my GP's nurse, and that was just a brief transient slight "ouch".
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #93 on: 01 February, 2016, 09:20:53 pm »
I really thought i would be fine. I trained hard in prep - did 500km+ a week for over 6 weeks. No booze since end of May. Am BMI 21.1 atm - I think I did as much as I could to get ready for it. The first night was horrific. It felt like something was tearing or bursting. Really dreadful.

Spoke to the GP today. Her feeling was that I'd been let go with quite limited pain management advice (although to be fair, when I left the ward, I was so groggy, I could barely stand, so maybe I didn't hear) . Had a chat, got more codeine, and told to take drugs differently. First advice was to take 60mg of codeine 4x a day. That was at lunchtime. The afternoon was a blur. Felt sick, then itchy, then like I might want to listen to some Spacemen3. Am saving the next dose for bedtime, as I've not managed more than 7hr sleep in total since I got home, and in no more than 2hr naps.

I have naproxen and paracetamol for when I don't fancy the big buzzy pain relief. Still feel very bloated. GP has asked that I go down for her to take a look tomorrow if I don't feel much better.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #94 on: 01 February, 2016, 09:37:17 pm »
Ex boyfriend of mine was on phone in tears, in pain the day after his hernia repair as a day case.

He was home alone (his marriage had failed between the time the op was booked and the surgery).

He was hundreds of miles away and I could do nothing to help.

Other friends strode out to buy a newspaper on the day after the op.

simonp

Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #95 on: 01 February, 2016, 11:55:25 pm »
Hmm.

I had a minor hernia repair, not done by keyhole. I fainted when going for a pee about 12h post-op and was in overnight. Nausea the next day meant I still couldn't stand much at all.

Going to the toilet to sit down for the first time after the op was not an experience I wish to repeat. I was convinced I was going to burst. I guess the GA and tramadol caused a backlog. Walking was slow and painful for about 5 days. Was pretty much back to normal after two weeks but respected advice not to cycle for 6. Was helping people off the train with their heavy suitcases without thinking at two weeks. Didn't do any damage. Repair is stronger than normal status immediately after the op, tbh.

Discomfort didn't entirely disappear for 6 months. Doing something I'd not done since the op for the first time would cause an ache. Probably pulling on adhesions.

Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #96 on: 02 February, 2016, 03:11:07 pm »
Cheers Simon - relieved to hear that I'm not along in finding it a testing experience.

Doubling the codeine dose has helped massively. After 3 hours sleep one night, and 4 the next, all broken in 1-2 hour chunks, last night I slept for 14 hrs in two 7 hour chunks.

Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #97 on: 07 February, 2016, 11:36:31 am »
.... Had a chat, got more codeine, and told to take drugs differently. First advice was to take 60mg of codeine 4x a day. ....

I don't think any of the pain killers they gave me, was as weak as codeine.  I had three different sorts, all with far more warnings on them than any pain killers that I've ever been given before!

I was actually kept in longer than a day case, because of diabetes and living alone, since they generally won't let you be left by yourself for 24 hours, if you've had a general anaesthetic.

I didn't need any pain killers lying in bed, waiting to be allowed to go, and actually had to wait too long the following day for the Doctor to write out the paperwork so they could give me the bag of painkillers, none of which was ever used!

I suspect that there are many factors which dictate how much pain you're likely to feel, and not all of them simple, hence them erring on the side of paranoia with me.
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Biggsy

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Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #98 on: 07 February, 2016, 12:12:36 pm »
The effectiveness of codeine varies an awful lot from person to person.  I'm one of the unfortunates who'd need a huge dose to do more than bugger all.  Something to do with the way the liver processes it.
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Re: Hernia Recovery
« Reply #99 on: 15 February, 2016, 12:00:53 pm »
Gosh, not me. 60mg makes the room spin a bit and feel like things are crawling all over me. Such a lightweight!

Two weeks in now. Stomach looks really lumpy (GP is really happy with progress and says it's just scar tissue), and any kind of stretching or twisting is still really uncomfortable. Don't feel confident with any kind of lifting yet - tried the pull the bin up the drive eased off before I did any damage. Exercise is basically going for walks for now. I really thought I'd be back on the bike by now. Still feel quite delicate.

On the plus side, the codeine is a massive appetite suppressant for me. I was worried I'd gain weight whilst being off the bike, esp as I'd been eating heartily what with doing 500+km a week for 6 weeks. As it is, the weight is falling off me at the rate of 1kg a week. I think it's a mix of eating lots of low calorie density foods (masses of fruit and veg) and being profoundly constipated, despite lactulose and fibogel.