Hernia - your experiences?
Discussion
Peanut Gallery said:
Hope you are improving Hypno-Toad!
Just to say my dad really likes the strap thing, it has relieved the incessant pain, I can hear the relief in his voice.
That's very good news about your Dad and I hope things continue to improve for him. Just to say my dad really likes the strap thing, it has relieved the incessant pain, I can hear the relief in his voice.
Thank you for asking about my health, I am feeling much, much better. In fact probably the best that I have for at least the last two years. I think it is very much underestimated how having something like a hernia drains your energy levels and how on some days it can really knock you for six.
Weirdly my food requirements have altered a bit. Gone right off breakfast cereal (toast now instead.), drinking a lot more cold drinks rather than coffee and my appetite for lunch seems to have gone right down. Most of those things are probably better for me too!
5 weeks on and in effect back to normal. Upped the weight lifting during last week and can now carry 20kg around (bag of adhesive/ box of tiles) and up stairs with no problem. Scar now well healed and no discomfort at all. Still have a hard line under the scar but this goes with time apparently. To look at both sides are the same.
Noticed a slight reduction in appetite assumed it is because there is less room now everything is back in its place and normally sized.
Very pleased with the whole process.
Noticed a slight reduction in appetite assumed it is because there is less room now everything is back in its place and normally sized.
Very pleased with the whole process.
Bazsm said:
I’m booked in for my op on Tuesday 19th, but have been warned there have been some cancellations recently so fingers crossed.
I’m going through redundancy so hope I’ve managed to get it in on the firm’s PMI so a cancellation would be bad news!
Going in for the pre-op tomorrow.
How did it go? All good?I’m going through redundancy so hope I’ve managed to get it in on the firm’s PMI so a cancellation would be bad news!
Going in for the pre-op tomorrow.
I developed an Inguinal Hernia last Dec, NHS said 3/4 months wait so paid private. Had it done early in Jan this year, using the TAPP method was able to walk and drive the following day, almost zero pain just discomfort. I was told to spend time getting the right surgeon to do the Op as in one that knows what hes doing.
Good luck to those having this done.
Good luck to those having this done.
Hernia op went ahead yesterday after a 5hr wait, I was worried it would be cancelled as the op before me was a very involved one!
Went in @ 6pm and home by 10pm. Pain has been pretty low but taken Codeine & Paracetomol as I don’t believe in being brave! No bruising yet and no problem peeing so far
Went in @ 6pm and home by 10pm. Pain has been pretty low but taken Codeine & Paracetomol as I don’t believe in being brave! No bruising yet and no problem peeing so far
Bazsm said:
Day 6, moving around pretty normally and doing some house chores as well as out for some shortish walks. No pain killers today (tbh I'm not sure they've really been necessary for the last couple of days), the one thing I do have is some pretty scary bruising on my privates!
Did you have keyhole or open surgery?I got a hernia last week and and now I'm waiting for a GP referral letter so I can go private. The NHS time scale was about 4 weeks just to see a GP after her initial call this morning and then goodness knows how long for NHS surgery, if ever. In the meantime my GP suggested I buy a support (used to be called a truss didn't they, but I suppose having a truss wrapped round my waist has a whole new meaning these days
). I've ordered one from Amazon which should arrive in a couple of days. Bazsm said:
Day 6, moving around pretty normally and doing some house chores as well as out for some shortish walks. No pain killers today (tbh I'm not sure they've really been necessary for the last couple of days), the one thing I do have is some pretty scary bruising on my privates!
I was warned about that but thankfully it didn’t appear for me. uknick said:
Did you have keyhole or open surgery?
I got a hernia last week and and now I'm waiting for a GP referral letter so I can go private. The NHS time scale was about 4 weeks just to see a GP after her initial call this morning and then goodness knows how long for NHS surgery, if ever. In the meantime my GP suggested I buy a support (used to be called a truss didn't they, but I suppose having a truss wrapped round my waist has a whole new meaning these days). I've ordered one from Amazon which should arrive in a couple of days.
Hi there, I got a hernia last week and and now I'm waiting for a GP referral letter so I can go private. The NHS time scale was about 4 weeks just to see a GP after her initial call this morning and then goodness knows how long for NHS surgery, if ever. In the meantime my GP suggested I buy a support (used to be called a truss didn't they, but I suppose having a truss wrapped round my waist has a whole new meaning these days
). I've ordered one from Amazon which should arrive in a couple of days. Have a good look through this thread because there is lots of excellent advice and recommendations. My best one would be to get some “a front” boxer shorts which is what Next call them. Basically they are like small cycling shorts and helped a lot when I first got my hernia, can’t recommend them enough.
Hope you get an appointment sorted out soon.
I have my follow up consultation with my surgeon tomorrow, where I will be telling him nothing but good news from my side!
uknick said:
Did you have keyhole or open surgery?
Well I'm pretty sure it was keyhole but my consultant told me she was going to make a small cut and push the gubbins back inside and then pop a bit of mesh in to stop it happening again. Looking at the notes I was given beforehand it also mentions laparoscopic which is keyhole so I guess the mention of a small cut is what's got me confused! The bottom line is I'm feeling very good after a week so happy days
I’ll add my experience here too, if I may.
Noticed a lump on the right side of my groin a few months ago, and went to see the doctor. He poked and prodded, said “cough!” and all that stuff. Said it was a hernia, and referred me to the Runnymede Hospital, which is on the same site as St Peter’s Hospital near Chertsey. So I was an NHS patient, but it was outsourced to a private clinic.
Saw the surgeon a month or two ago, and he instantly spotted a small umbilical hernia that I didn’t realise I had. He said it would only need a single stitch, and he’d do it at the same time as the main inguinal hernia repair. He offered the choice of keyhole or open, but said I’d need to lose some belly fat quickly if I wanted the keyhole option. “You’ll have to starve yourself,” he said, so obviously I chose open!
Had my surgery on Friday (it’s now Wednesday). In at 12:30, out at about 20:00. Private room with telly and wifi.
My surgery took twice as long as expected, because neither hernia was quite what the surgeon had expected. Firstly, the inguinal hernia had not popped through the hole left when my balls descended, as most do. It had instead gone through a separate tear. And secondly the umbilical hernia was much bigger and more serious, requiring extensive reconstructive surgery to preserve the shape of my belly button. Ironically if I’d been capable of offering an opinion I’d have told him I didn’t give a s
t about what my belly button looks like, but understandably he went to the effort of doing a “nice” job in case it did matter to me.
Afterwards I had to eat and pee, to prove I was ready to go home.
After the cocktail of drugs had subsided, it did hurt quite a bit. Especially the belly, which felt tight (and still doesn’t quite allow me to stand up straight). I’ve been taking copious amounts of painkillers and laxatives (the latter so that I don’t have to push at all when pooing). Constipation has been a bit of a problem, partly due to codeine. I knew from the “Worst Toilet in Scotland” scene in Trainspotting that opiates cause constipation, and at times I’ve had to take three or four of the vile-tasting sachets they gave me to relieve it.
Oh, and my user name has become rather apt - although my willy has gone purple, not green thankfully. They didn’t warn me about that, but Mrs Oxgreen looked it up and apparently it’s common. She has also had to learn how to put my socks on for me. Should I tell her I can probably manage by myself now? Nah!!
I’ll be off work now for six weeks. I’m an HGV driver, so it’s safety critical - and I do have to climb up onto the truck’s bed and heave stuff around, so I can’t do that for a while.
The dressings come off after 10 days. I’ve booked an appointment for the nurse to do that for me because I’m far too scared to do it myself - and they’ll know what it should look like underneath and can clean it up if necessary.
Noticed a lump on the right side of my groin a few months ago, and went to see the doctor. He poked and prodded, said “cough!” and all that stuff. Said it was a hernia, and referred me to the Runnymede Hospital, which is on the same site as St Peter’s Hospital near Chertsey. So I was an NHS patient, but it was outsourced to a private clinic.
Saw the surgeon a month or two ago, and he instantly spotted a small umbilical hernia that I didn’t realise I had. He said it would only need a single stitch, and he’d do it at the same time as the main inguinal hernia repair. He offered the choice of keyhole or open, but said I’d need to lose some belly fat quickly if I wanted the keyhole option. “You’ll have to starve yourself,” he said, so obviously I chose open!
Had my surgery on Friday (it’s now Wednesday). In at 12:30, out at about 20:00. Private room with telly and wifi.
My surgery took twice as long as expected, because neither hernia was quite what the surgeon had expected. Firstly, the inguinal hernia had not popped through the hole left when my balls descended, as most do. It had instead gone through a separate tear. And secondly the umbilical hernia was much bigger and more serious, requiring extensive reconstructive surgery to preserve the shape of my belly button. Ironically if I’d been capable of offering an opinion I’d have told him I didn’t give a s
t about what my belly button looks like, but understandably he went to the effort of doing a “nice” job in case it did matter to me.Afterwards I had to eat and pee, to prove I was ready to go home.
After the cocktail of drugs had subsided, it did hurt quite a bit. Especially the belly, which felt tight (and still doesn’t quite allow me to stand up straight). I’ve been taking copious amounts of painkillers and laxatives (the latter so that I don’t have to push at all when pooing). Constipation has been a bit of a problem, partly due to codeine. I knew from the “Worst Toilet in Scotland” scene in Trainspotting that opiates cause constipation, and at times I’ve had to take three or four of the vile-tasting sachets they gave me to relieve it.
Oh, and my user name has become rather apt - although my willy has gone purple, not green thankfully. They didn’t warn me about that, but Mrs Oxgreen looked it up and apparently it’s common. She has also had to learn how to put my socks on for me. Should I tell her I can probably manage by myself now? Nah!!
I’ll be off work now for six weeks. I’m an HGV driver, so it’s safety critical - and I do have to climb up onto the truck’s bed and heave stuff around, so I can’t do that for a while.
The dressings come off after 10 days. I’ve booked an appointment for the nurse to do that for me because I’m far too scared to do it myself - and they’ll know what it should look like underneath and can clean it up if necessary.
uknick said:
If I may ask a very sensitive question, it's not about blue dangly bits!!, are you more than a stone/7kg above what would be considered normal weight?
Whenever I put my weight and height into a BMI calculator, I come out very near the top end of the green arc. So I guess that means “normal, but could be better”.However, I am stick thin apart from a lardy belly, which is where I carry most of my excess weight. It’s not a good look, and will potentially increase my risk of health issues in the future. It presumably affected my choice of treatment on this occasion.
I’d say it depends how your extra stone is distributed. If you’re not too podgy around the belly then you’ll be fine. Your surgeon will advise.
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Wednesday 27th March 18:18
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