Author Topic: Inguinal Hernia  (Read 39983 times)

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #125 on: 13 September, 2018, 06:50:03 pm »
Probably best go private ASAP unless you're happy to resemble a Viz character.

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #126 on: 13 September, 2018, 06:53:05 pm »
I assume that was aimed at both of us?

I have already mentioned to my line manager that I might be using the company scheme. Being paying tax on it for 23 years so might as well try to get something back.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #127 on: 13 September, 2018, 07:04:52 pm »
I was replying to LWaB as this was today's post but the same does apply to you.

Seems the NHS is playing games to avoid definitive surgery for anything non life-threatening.

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #128 on: 14 September, 2018, 02:31:42 am »
I have no doubt that you will get a hernia repair on the NHS BUT you have no idea who will do the surgery and have no options to check them out.

privately you can find someon who specialises in hernias, takes an interest in them and enjoys them.


Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #129 on: 14 September, 2018, 07:47:58 am »
It's not the eight weeks off the bike which would be the trouble ----
Two weeks for me.  I went private 18 months ago because the NHS wait was 9 months, but with surgeon's holidays etc I still waited 3 months.  My surgeon was a racing cyclist so understood my concerns.  Apart from the op I cycled to every appointment with him, a 20 mile round trip.  Discomfort - I was almost pain free the following day and took advice to go for a walk every day in the couple of weeks before I was allowed to ride.

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #130 on: 14 September, 2018, 08:12:04 am »
Good to know that, tatanb. NHS criteria’s for an op was it had to be a double and “much worse than mine” was what I was told (by the consultant I saw privately).  I’m more than 2 years on with mine and the discomfort is still very slight and hasn’t increased.

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #131 on: 31 October, 2018, 07:01:15 pm »
Saw the consultant this evening. Going private. Keyhole. Six weeks of no running or cycling, but some of that will be over Christmas as I should be having it done in early December. Both he and the practice nurse with whom this all started have commented about my thinness, which is apparently a help. What six weeks of not being very active will do to that is another question.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #132 on: 31 October, 2018, 07:13:37 pm »
It WILL be Christmas; There WILL be CAKE and pudding and turkey and trimmings.

There WILL be surgery, with pre-operative fasting and possible post-op nausea and lack of appetite. There is also the body's response to injury/surgery, which might result in muscle loss, though a hernia is not usually a major insult.

You are unlikely to get significantly fatter so long as you don't PIG for months.

Take it easy, enjoy your food but don't bust a gut - it's no fun anyway-, concentrate on sensible recovery and hope all goes well for your return to cycling.

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #133 on: 31 October, 2018, 07:33:05 pm »
Thanks, Helly.

"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

simonp

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #134 on: 12 November, 2018, 02:18:38 pm »
Saw the consultant this evening. Going private. Keyhole. Six weeks of no running or cycling, but some of that will be over Christmas as I should be having it done in early December. Both he and the practice nurse with whom this all started have commented about my thinness, which is apparently a help. What six weeks of not being very active will do to that is another question.

I had a similar comment about lack of subcutaneous fat from my surgeon. Having less to slice through to get to the repair site probably makes life easier.


Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #135 on: 08 January, 2019, 11:51:55 am »
Had the pre-op check yesterday. I know up thread I said it would be done before Christmas but the surgeon was obviously unaware of his calendar.
The only slight issue is that my pulse is lower than the guidelines consider to be ideal at around 50 bpm. The nurse added a comment to say this appeared to be because I was ‘so fit’.  :smug:
The op is next Tuesday evening.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #136 on: 08 January, 2019, 03:30:28 pm »
Am I allowed to join in this thread? Apparently mine is special. Spigelian. Meeting the surgeon Monday - Private doesn't cover it for pretty spurious reasons. I was tempted to just pay up - it's selfishness in scheduling (see PBP fitness, above) but can't really justify the dosh (see: selfishness).

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #137 on: 08 January, 2019, 06:26:56 pm »
Having Googled Spigelian that sounds a bit more serious than us chaps and our design flaw.
Hope it all goes well, whenever you manage to get it done.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #138 on: 15 January, 2019, 02:17:42 pm »
The op is next Tuesday evening.
No it’s not. Got a phone call at 11.30 this morning to say they would probably want me in early so I would be a day case and not take up a bed overnight. Then another call at 12.30 to say they couldn’t even do that. Postponed and no idea of when they might be able to rearrange.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #139 on: 15 January, 2019, 03:18:43 pm »
Rats! What a PITA (or belly)!

Hope they reschedule you promptly!

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #140 on: 18 January, 2019, 04:05:33 pm »
Having Googled Spigelian that sounds a bit more serious than us chaps and our design flaw.

The surgeon said he didn't want to operate as I'm too fat. That, and it's not unstable enough -it doesn't always pop out on coughing demand. Nor is it terribly clear what's going on, some doubt as to whether it's inguinal, spigelian (as per ultrasound) or possibly at C-section scar site, so laproscopic wouldn't be an option.
(I'm not denying my weight- but it's all thighs & backside, and when I look at some men I know who've had theirs done they must have BMIs up there with mine)

So he says he'll see me again in 'the summer'. No lifting anything for 6 months? really? I'm back at the GP next week for suggestions.

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #141 on: 21 January, 2019, 08:38:13 pm »
Went to an urgent care facility last Wednesday because of some pain in the groin area that was coming and going. They sent me for an ultrasound session, which revealed a small inguinal hernia, no bowel protruding, just fatty tissue. It actually took the ultrasound technician a while to find it. Saw a doctor this morning (actually a physician's assistant, but that's close enough), who told me she would refer me to a surgeon in the next day or two. I was told that it would probably be a laporoscopic procedure, which would be a vast improvement over my last surgery. Meanwhile I've been told that I can engage in whatever physical activity I want, as long as there's no pain.

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #142 on: 12 February, 2019, 10:33:33 pm »
Well. ‘tis done. I am lying in my hospital bed feeling a bit sore in places but otherwise fine. MrsC has just gone home for the night.
I am rather expecting to be more sore in the morning but the whole process has been very well organised.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #143 on: 12 February, 2019, 10:34:35 pm »
Wishing you good healing and minimal discomfort!

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #144 on: 14 February, 2019, 07:45:34 pm »
Mine was done last Wednesday (6 February), post-op visit scheduled for next week. A day or two of discomfort, and I will start bicycling to work again Saturday. Driving to work is not fun.

My share of the cost of this episode comes to just short of US$ 2500, or just short of GBP 2000. I don't think I want to know how much my insurance company is paying out as their share.

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #145 on: 26 March, 2019, 06:21:38 pm »
I was told six weeks off the bike (and running and heavy lifting). MrsC would probably have killed me if I'd not followed that advice.
So, tomorrow, I am back on the bike for the first time since November 20th (various reasons, but mostly due to the hernia).
I will report back, if...
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #146 on: 27 March, 2019, 07:22:37 pm »
...I survive.

Which I did. Enjoyed the ride. The only after effects were tired legs. A bit of commuter racing immediately after four months off the bike may not have been the best reintroduction.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #147 on: 28 March, 2019, 03:32:20 pm »
In another corner of the internet we had an OETKB' club.
Old enough to know better...

Any Sensible Person knows you should take it easy at first.

But how often are we sensible?

Glad your ride went OK!

Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #148 on: 11 July, 2019, 08:58:06 am »
I was wrong. Ive got 2  >:(
Still in denial a bit despite confirmation from doc. Now begins the glacial process of treatment.  Will look into my private healthcare options. If I'm to be off the bike* id rather it was in jan/feb time.

Doc reckons day surgery, but possibly a general rather than local.  Seems they put some mesh or chicken wire or something in to stop things falling through in future.   
*The 8 week layoff as advised to Skungo is very alarming.

Around 2.5 yrs since diagnosis, and its bothering me a little more recently. I have a bit of a cough which doesnt help, I try to press on it when coughing to stop it bulging out. I'd say from being only slightly noticable, its become a faint ache at times. I cant really see any pattern to it, although I use a walking stick if I'm walking a lot (held on my right) to protect my "bad" l.leg. The tension across my body seems to trigger it a bit.

bludger

  • Randonneur and bargain hunter
Re: Inguinal Hernia
« Reply #149 on: 11 July, 2019, 09:09:42 am »
Around 2.5 yrs since diagnosis, and its bothering me a little more recently. I have a bit of a cough which doesnt help, I try to press on it when coughing to stop it bulging out. I'd say from being only slightly noticable, its become a faint ache at times. I cant really see any pattern to it, although I use a walking stick if I'm walking a lot (held on my right) to protect my "bad" l.leg. The tension across my body seems to trigger it a bit.

I would urge you to go back to your GP and demand an operation as soon as you can. If you have to, exaggerate the frequency and intensity of the pain, because it WILL get worse, and when they do finally give you the OK for an operation there will be a 3 month wait at the least.

I made the dreadful mistake of doing as my GP said and 'leaving it', this had the effect of:

Ending a career strand for me (this was when I was 18... I'm that bit older and wiser now to have taken their word as the end of the line but what can you do).

Left me with the infrequent bulging, pain, etc.

The thing finally started to really hurt when I was 25 and out for a walk with my family. We had to call me a taxi and cut the holiday short. It was only then that the NHS gave me a referral for an operation, for which I waited 3 months, and in that time I put a huge amount of weight on because I could no longer row, lift weights, and I began to become depressed.

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