*** OFFICIAL INGUINAL HERNIA RECOVERY Thread ***

[Soldier24]

Just had my inguinal hernia confirmed and am having surgery on 1/23/13. I am nervous about recovery time and being 100% becuse I am a police officer and my safety is based on my fitness. Thanks for all the info. I may pm you.

Think positive man! Honestly, hernia procedures are very common and recoverable. You'll be back to physical activity in 4-6 weeks. My coach told me he had a client do a bodybuilding show 12 weeks after a hernia surgery! You'll be fine!

I'm on my second week of recovery and it sucks not being the gym, but i'm using the time to catch up on some other things in my life and enjoying time off from work.

[varilight]

Sorta off topic, I've been diagnosed with an inguinal hernia and surgery is approx 2 months away minimum.
Are there any ways in which I can maintain fitness/strength/size till then? Or is it pretty much impossible as I'm meant to to avoid weights.

[Ramborage]

I have surgery Friday Feb 8 for a double Inguinal hernia. Doctor told me three days and I'm back to work... Yeah right. The one on my right side gets HUGE and painful. I did not even know I had one on the left side until he pointed it out to me, and now I feel a dull ache every now and then. I'm pretty much in the mindset now that yeah I will be off from working out for a few weeks, to a few months but that's fine. I plan on using that time to learn more about nutrition and finding my maintance so I don't gain the weight back while sitting all day and not working out. I do however have the last 10-15 pounds left to lose before summer. Unfortuntely I don't have much mass so I'm going to be a scrawny guy on the beach, but better than my morbidly obese self I was two years ago. Anyways not looking forward to the pain, but my work told me to take at least two weeks off from work so I'm looking forward to just sitting around playing video games and taking it easy for a while and reassessing things in my life. I'd rather go through this now and be back on my feet before summer because I love mountain biking and running and last summer I was running with the hernias and didn't know it. I remembered the bulge thinking it was some kind of muscle strain, LOL Wish me luck, I have no tolerance to pain and pain meds make me sick.

[Soldier24]

Sorta off topic, I've been diagnosed with an inguinal hernia and surgery is approx 2 months away minimum.
Are there any ways in which I can maintain fitness/strength/size till then? Or is it pretty much impossible as I'm meant to to avoid weights.

Two months!? I scheduled mine for the following week!

I'd say it's your own personal choice knowing that there is a risk of the hernia becoming strangulated which means it will cut off blood flow to your intestines. This is considered life threatening. The chances of this happening are extrememly low, but the risk is there. Also, continuing to work out can make the hernia more painful and larger.

I'd personally take the middle of the road approach and do body weight exercises and low intensity cardio to stay in shape until your surgery. That's what I did. I really think you'd be fine as long as your not powerlifting and straining yourself. If it starts to bother you, lay off it. Simple as that!

Hope I helped.

[Soldier24]

I have surgery Friday Feb 8 for a double Inguinal hernia. Doctor told me three days and I'm back to work... Yeah right. The one on my right side gets HUGE and painful. I did not even know I had one on the left side until he pointed it out to me, and now I feel a dull ache every now and then. I'm pretty much in the mindset now that yeah I will be off from working out for a few weeks, to a few months but that's fine. I plan on using that time to learn more about nutrition and finding my maintance so I don't gain the weight back while sitting all day and not working out. I do however have the last 10-15 pounds left to lose before summer. Unfortuntely I don't have much mass so I'm going to be a scrawny guy on the beach, but better than my morbidly obese self I was two years ago. Anyways not looking forward to the pain, but my work told me to take at least two weeks off from work so I'm looking forward to just sitting around playing video games and taking it easy for a while and reassessing things in my life. I'd rather go through this now and be back on my feet before summer because I love mountain biking and running and last summer I was running with the hernias and didn't know it. I remembered the bulge thinking it was some kind of muscle strain, LOL Wish me luck, I have no tolerance to pain and pain meds make me sick.

Good luck my man. I'm going on my third week off from work and it's absolutely wonderful LOL

The first couple of days are the worst, but everything gets easier after that! Enjoy your time off! You have the right attitude!

[China505]

This thread is dedicated to hernias, hernia recovery, hernia survivors, success stories.

I am here for any MISCer or BB.com member if you need motivation help, advice, encouragement, words of wisdom, hints, tips, tricks, or just a fellow friend who truly knows what you are going through. Please, I welcome you to PM me. If need-be, I will give you my phone number and we can talk it through.

What is an inguinal hernia?

An inguinal hernia is a protrusion of abdominal-cavity contents through the inguinal canal and in most cases this is the intestines breaking out of the intestinal wall forcing its way either out bulging in the lower abdomen or pushed towards the ball sack (may not have bump showing).

Are the common?

They are very common (lifetime risk 27% for men, 3% for women), and their repair is one of the most frequently performed surgical operations (about 600,000/yr in US). The possibility for hernias through the inguinal canal in males is much greater because they have a larger opening and therefore a much weaker wall for the intestines to protrude through.

How does this happen?

Causes range anywhere from lifting heavy objects to something as simple as a harsh cough. In weight lifting, a hernia may occur if too much weight is being used or if improper form is being exercised while lifting.


ShoulderBrah's Story:

I was doing my usual 4 sets of 245 lbs for 8 reps with squats on leg day. I was never shown correct squat form and thus found myself leaning too much forward, my chest caved, the weight was too heavy, and instead of bailing the weight off, I forced the squat up and racked the weight. I did not notice anything out of the ordinary at all. I went on to do leg presses. The following days/weeks, I noticed a moderate pain in my lower abdomen region and my groin area. I had it checked out by 2 doctors and both confirmed that I had a inguinal hernia. You can find correct squat form here: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...#post649409553

What should I expect during recovery?

Days 1-5:
I sat/laid in a couch recliner 100% day/night sleep/eat/watch TV. Never left the couch.
When cough/sneeze, brace surgical area by holding with hand while sneeze.
When walking to bathroom, be careful, hunch over and waddle.
When taking a crap, DO NOT try to poop, just sit there until your body forces it out on its own (might take up to 30 minutes).
When taking a pee, do not force pee out. Let it flow on its own.
Go to walmart and buy tighty whities. This supports ball sack.
Your ball sack will swell up with fluid. This will cause discomfort.
I put a small pillow/blanket under balls to prop them up while sitting/sleeping in recliner.

Days 5-7:
Slowly began to walk around (waddle). It is good to walk and straighten body out so stretch surgical area to get blood flowing. I went to the mall and walked for 2 hours.
Continue wearing tighty whities to support ball sack. Sack is still filled with fluid.

Week Two:
I stopped taking the pain meds after 7 days because they made me nauseous and sick feeling.
I started slowly jogging. This is recommended for blood flow.
I continued to sleep in the couch recliner.
Continue wearing tighty whities.

Week Three:
I began sleeping in a bed. It was uncomfortable to lay straight.
Continue wearing tighty whities.

Week Four:
I got brave and went to the gym. I lifted 10 lb dumbbells for curls/bench/tricep overhead.
This was SOOO important for ego. The first 4 weeks is depressing. You will think lifting is all over and you are crippled for the rest of your life.

Month Two:
I tried to get into a 4 day split routine. This built my confidence and got me excited. TAKE IT SLOW!!! Even if you think the weight is easy, I started with 10 lb weights and went up 5 lbs every week working my way up to my normal lifts. I returned to normal lifts after 12 weeks. This time frame will vary.


What type of time frame will I be expecting for surgery and recovery?

June 16, 2010: Caused Inguinal Hernia
July 10, 2010: Doctor Felt Hernia and Scheduled Surgery Date
Aug 10, 2010: Inguinal Hernia Surgery (Out Patient)
Sep 13, 2010: Started lifting 10 lb weight for all exercises and started "Full Body" routine
Sep 20, 2010: Started lifting 100 lbs on most exercises and got back into 4 day split
Oct 25, 2010: PR on DB Inline Bench, 100 lb DB's
Nov 16, 2010: PR on Flat BB Bench, 275 lb maxed out

At this point in time, I was fully recovered for upper body exercises.

What should I eat?

Increase your protein intake tremendously.
Take your multi-vitamin and pain meds.
Eat as clean as you can.
Eat at maintenance since recovery is sitting 24 hours/day.


Things to Expect during recovery:

Doctor and Surgeon told me that the surgical area will heal 99% after 6-8 weeks. After this time, it will be as healed as it ever will be.

However, the first year, a good amount of scar tissue forms. This actually is a benefit because it causes the mesh to become stronger.

The first two weeks, my surgical area felt numbed and tingly.


What is the pain/discomfort I feel after running/lifting?
Running causes blood to flow and stretching of the surgical area. This is a good thing. You will experience discomfort for a day or two.

Lifting weights... if you feel pain or discomfort in surgical area while working out in gym, STOP!!!!! Stop immediately and go home and rest.

If you want to know what to exercise or what to stay away from in the gym, just don't do any exercises that will cause your abs to tense up. Examples include, leg extensions, leg curls, squats, deadlifts, leg press, situps, crunches, standing curls, standing shoulder press, power cleans, etc.

I slowly got back into deads and squats after my 6 month mark. Here is a video MUST WATCH for squats: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...#post649409553

DO NOT DO ANY CRUNCHES OR AB EXERCISES!!! I would probably wait about a full year for the area to heal and the scar tissue to solidify the abs and mesh.

If you feel no pain/discomfort during your workout, but feel dull ache/discomfort the follow day/week:

This was normal for me. There were SEVERAL occasions when I had to go back to the doctor and surgeon to have them check out the area and do the hernia check again to make sure I did not re injure it. This was mostly a confidence/head game that I had to overcome. I still to this day have a bad day or a bad week to where discomfort bothers me, but it surely goes away after a couple of days or a week.

I was so paranoid about re-injuring it. The doctor assured me that my surgical area will be ready before I am mentally ready. Remember the area is 99% healed after 6-8 weeks? This still doesn't mean that you should start off lifting your 315x8 bench press in week 9!!! Start off small and work your way up slowly. Be careful not to put any pressure on your abs/midsection.


Getting back into Squats/Deadlifts!

If you are sitting at 6 months, you probably feel like you may be ready to get back into these two exercises. In my case, I was fine. I started squating and deadlifting the bar. This was humiliating but entirely necessary. I slowly worked my way up. I has been exactly 8 months for me now and I have finally reached the point of deadlifting 315x8 just as I used to before my injury. There are times that I feel pressure in my abs and I stop... or sometimes I'll just do 225x8. These are just examples of my experiences.

I started squating again. Watch this video series: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...#post649409553

I began squatting at 6 months with bar and then at 7 months 135 lbs, and now at 8 months, I can squat 185x5 with no issues. I am still working slow not rushing because I know it is not worth going through this again. I don't want to get another hernia.


Motivation/Encouragement:

I know that this is one of the toughest things you may have ever gone through. It is humiliating, demoralizing, humbling, painful, makes you angry, impatient, etc. Healthy lifters in the gym that have never faced a hernia have NO CLUE how lucky/fortunate they are!!!

I am here for any MISCer or BB.com member if you need motivation help, advice, encouragement, words of wisdom, hints, tips, tricks, or just a fellow friend who truly knows what you are going through. Please, I welcome you to PM me. If need-be, I will give you my phone number and we can talk it through.

This thread is dedicated to hernias, hernia recovery, hernia survivors, success stories.

Thanks for posting this and congrats on the 1000lb club.

Just got diagnosed with the double inguinal hernia, one on each side, looking at surgery in the next 2 weeks.

[fulloffat]

Okay guys its been about 10 months I think since my surgery for a left side hernia. Talked to the doctor about this and the only advice they've gave me is ice and anti inflamatorys, but the scar tissue around the mess still gets pretty painful at times. Last night it really flared up while I was setting down eating supper and typing on the computer. It seems like everytime I move a certain way to "upset" the scar tissue and staples (that dont feel like they have dissolved yet) it flares up for at least a week.

Any of you guys experiencing anything like this after having this much time to heal? and if so what are some things to help deal with it?

My surgeon said that the dissolvable staples/tacks can take 10-12 months before they're gone. Is it surgery for an abdominal surgery you had.
Yea, I don't know what the deal is with that but the issues I have had are similar off and on. Tightness in the region, twist a certain way, but I hadn't been told about the scar tissue so that is probably what is giving me the most grief. I saw my surgeon over it in November and much of what she said you repeated here. My general doctor said the same thing and would go away over time. I went two months without a issue and then it can flare up for a period.

[stronguy91]

i might have a hernia coming...did an intense ab workout after neglecting abs for about a week so i'm naturally more sore than usual...but i tried to squat and i felt a pain above my pubic area, kinda dull but enough to where i knew i should stop....tried to squat again and the pain was still there but not as bad as the first time i tried squatting....gonna wait it out for a couple of weeks, hopefully it's just a nasty strain that will heal...i squatted my bodyweight and just a plate and i felt no pain...it's when i put 2 plates(still my warm up) that i began to feel this dull ache and stopped for safety reasons...i'm hoping it's just a bad strain after heavy ab work, last thing i need is hernia surgery

[Ramborage]

You'll know right away if it's a hernia because it will bulge out and then retract back in when you lay flat and relax. That's if it's an inguinal hernia.

[lapzod]

I have surgery Friday Feb 8 for a double Inguinal hernia. Doctor told me three days and I'm back to work... Yeah right. The one on my right side gets HUGE and painful. I did not even know I had one on the left side until he pointed it out to me, and now I feel a dull ache every now and then. I'm pretty much in the mindset now that yeah I will be off from working out for a few weeks, to a few months but that's fine.

I had one on my right side, when I went in to check it they told me I had one of the left as well.
I had the op back on November 14th.

I took two weeks off work, and laid around doing nothing. I couldn't sit up for a day, or stand for another day after that. On the 3rd day I could shuffle around my room at the hospital. I've got no idea what surgery they did on me (living in a foreign country, person translating keeps telling me "hernia surgery" thanks brah) but I was out for a while. A week and a half I could walk around with very little pain, but if I stood too long it would start to ache.

6 weeks after, I started running on a treadmill, and was fine, and I threw in a few cheeky curls as well. I stopped running about 2 weeks later, because I found it was a little sore. The pain seems to come and go all the time. Not a huge pain or anything, but "something" I'm planning on starting running again next week.

I decided to give myself 3 months before I got back to the gym proper. I'm just paranoid about it. When I start back I'm skipping deads and squats. I know a lot of people go for it, but...

The first couple of days i thought I would never move again, looking back on it now it's kind of funny how worried I was.

[stronguy91]

i might have a hernia coming...did an intense ab workout after neglecting abs for about a week so i'm naturally more sore than usual...but i tried to squat and i felt a pain above my pubic area, kinda dull but enough to where i knew i should stop....tried to squat again and the pain was still there but not as bad as the first time i tried squatting....gonna wait it out for a couple of weeks, hopefully it's just a nasty strain that will heal...i squatted my bodyweight and just a plate and i felt no pain...it's when i put 2 plates(still my warm up) that i began to feel this dull ache and stopped for safety reasons...i'm hoping it's just a bad strain after heavy ab work, last thing i need is hernia surgery

my pain is getting better...still feel a slight pressure on my lower abdomen area but almost good...i am led to believe that if one get's a hernia they would feel it during lifting correct?

[Ramborage]

my pain is getting better...still feel a slight pressure on my lower abdomen area but almost good...i am led to believe that if one get's a hernia they would feel it during lifting correct?

Nope. I don't feel mine at all unless it swells up. And then you will actually see a physical lump in the groin area. This lump will retract when you lay down and relax.

[Soldier24]

my pain is getting better...still feel a slight pressure on my lower abdomen area but almost good...i am led to believe that if one get's a hernia they would feel it during lifting correct?

Not all the time - Mine never gave me any pain. I would have never realized I had one if I couldn't physically see it. There's also a cyclist on one of the other forums that had a hernia for five years straight and never had any pain despite his regular workouts and cycling races.
If you aren't certain it's a hernia, see a general surgeon. One three minute examination and you'll have all of the answers you're looking for. Even so, you should be able to tell if you have an inguinal hernia with a self examination. If there's a lump above your groin that you can push in while laying down than it's a hernia.

[varilight]

I've had my hernia for close to 8 years and its given me no real grief until recently.

I started lifting about 8 months ago and only recently did I start getting pain/pressure from that area and decided to get it checked out. Long story short I'm rather disappointed I'm going to be be out of action for 1-2 months after the surgery which still hasn't been scheduled.

[CSHart24]

I've had my hernia for close to 8 years and its given me no real grief until recently.

I started lifting about 8 months ago and only recently did I start getting pain/pressure from that area and decided to get it checked out. Long story short I'm rather disappointed I'm going to be be out of action for 1-2 months after the surgery which still hasn't been scheduled.

Better you get it taken care of at the beginning of the year. Come spring you can set your sites on your goals.
As for recovery time, you should be fully healed and cleared for all activities in six weeks.

[Soldier24]

I've had my hernia for close to 8 years and its given me no real grief until recently.

I started lifting about 8 months ago and only recently did I start getting pain/pressure from that area and decided to get it checked out. Long story short I'm rather disappointed I'm going to be be out of action for 1-2 months after the surgery which still hasn't been scheduled.

Stay positive man -- 6 week recovery period! It's not that bad and goes by fast!

[Osgood54]

As Soldier24 said think potive you will be back working out in no time but when recovering go WALKING it will help keep you active and help you burn calories

Think positive man! Honestly, hernia procedures are very common and recoverable. You'll be back to physical activity in 4-6 weeks. My coach told me he had a client do a bodybuilding show 12 weeks after a hernia surgery! You'll be fine!

I'm on my second week of recovery and it sucks not being the gym, but i'm using the time to catch up on some other things in my life and enjoying time off from work.

[Shaneomac0]

I've had a bump just above my left testicle for over a year now, i've been training flat out and doing heavy deadlifts, squats, training abs etc.

Decided to go to the doctors today and as soon as he saw it he knew straight away it was a hernia, he tried to push it back in and got me to cough and noticed it trying to come out straight away.

I've scheduled to see the specialist next week to talk about surgery and what not.

Even though i've been training 110% for the past year while having this hernia, actually being diagnosed with it now is making me think i should take it easy.

Also once the first 6 weeks of recovery is past, is it okay to start going back to normal training for the upper body minus deadlifts/lower body? Or does it take 4-6 months till you can train hard for the whole body?

Thinking about all the gains I've trained my butt off to achieve will be gone is already making me depressed.

[Soldier24]

I've had a bump just above my left testicle for over a year now, i've been training flat out and doing heavy deadlifts, squats, training abs etc.

Decided to go to the doctors today and as soon as he saw it he knew straight away it was a hernia, he tried to push it back in and got me to cough and noticed it trying to come out straight away.

I've scheduled to see the specialist next week to talk about surgery and what not.

Even though i've been training 110% for the past year while having this hernia, actually being diagnosed with it now is making me think i should take it easy.

Also once the first 6 weeks of recovery is past, is it okay to start going back to normal training for the upper body minus deadlifts/lower body? Or does it take 4-6 months till you can train hard for the whole body?

Thinking about all the gains I've trained my butt off to achieve will be gone is already making me depressed.

My surgeon said that in six weeks one is cleared for all normal activities and that the area is fully healed. An example he gave me was construction workers: They spend most of their days lifting extremely objects, squatting, bending, twisting, curling, pressing, you name it. He said he gets construction workers as hernia patients all the time and has to give them a full six weeks off from their workplace because as soon as they go back, they have to jump right back into the strenuous activities, which they do with no issues.

Even so, it's common sense to start slow and light to get a feel for what feels okay, but you can be certain you'll be fully healed in six weeks, i think alot of people are just paranoid and can't stand the thought of going through another six weeks, so they take way more time off than they have to.

On a positive note, I understand what you're going through, but you'll come back. When you think about it, six weeks isn't that long and you're not going to move too far backwards. Personally, I had made incredible gains initially but suffered a rib cartilage injury which had me out of the gym for almost two full years. I lost basically everything I worked for. When I finally came back a year ago, got back into shape, and was looking better than ever, I got two hernias. It's funny because six weeks seems like NOTHING to me after being out for two years. I'm just thankful it's not something serious like a muscle tear; i'd be out alot longer than six weeks.

Anyways, get it taken care of ASAP, stick to a sound diet, and don't let your mind play tricks on you. You'll be back at it in six weeks!!!

[Shaneomac0]

My surgeon said that in six weeks one is cleared for all normal activities and that the area is fully healed. An example he gave me was construction workers: They spend most of their days lifting extremely objects, squatting, bending, twisting, curling, pressing, you name it. He said he gets construction workers as hernia patients all the time and has to give them a full six weeks off from their workplace because as soon as they go back, they have to jump right back into the strenuous activities, which they do with no issues.

Even so, it's common sense to start slow and light to get a feel for what feels okay, but you can be certain you'll be fully healed in six weeks, i think alot of people are just paranoid and can't stand the thought of going through another six weeks, so they take way more time off than they have to.

On a positive note, I understand what you're going through, but you'll come back. When you think about it, six weeks isn't that long and you're not going to move too far backwards. Personally, I had made incredible gains initially but suffered a rib cartilage injury which had me out of the gym for almost two full years. I lost basically everything I worked for. When I finally came back a year ago, got back into shape, and was looking better than ever, I got two hernias. It's funny because six weeks seems like NOTHING to me after being out for two years. I'm just thankful it's not something serious like a muscle tear; i'd be out alot longer than six weeks.

Anyways, get it taken care of ASAP, stick to a sound diet, and don't let your mind play tricks on you. You'll be back at it in six weeks!!!

Thanks for the positive input man, reading that has assured me it won't be as bad as i'm making it out to be.

The doctor also said i'd have to take about 6 weeks off gym then i'd be able to get back at it (work my way back into it like you mentioned).

Waiting to speak to the specialist next week and get more info off him.

I'll update with when the surgery is scheduled and how i go with recovery.

[Ramborage]

Wish me luck. t-10 hours and I'll be getting sliced open. The past few weeks I've fallen off my diet and have gained weight already. This sucks. I did however stock up on tons of chicken, beef, veggies, all sorts of good food and got rid of all the temptations and I live by myself so I will not be eating bad at all. My only fear is the pain meds. How well they work and if they will make me puke. Obviously I don't want to puke after having hernia surgery. That would not be good. Also living on my own and only having my mom to help out for a day or two, do you guys think I will be good on my own for day three and beyond?

[Ramborage]

Well I survived!!! Waking up from the anesthesia was the worst part. I felt like I was going to throw up from my throat being so dry and being so gruggy and tired. I kept complaining from pain so they kept give me more pain meds. After a while I got dressed and was wheeled out in a wheel chair. The ride home sucked but I made my mom stop off and get me some chocolate dipped donuts. That coupled with a glass of water made me feel a whole lot better and suprisiingly I'm up and walking around very slowly. Just took a whizz for the first time and it burned, but nothing I've never experienced before. So far it's not as bad as I thought it would be.
On a side note though, the doctor told me the one on the right side was the Ingurnial the one I was born with. He told me that the one on the left side looked like it was caused from lifting weights. I don't know what to think about this but first thought that came to my head pissed me off. Kind of makes me want to throw in the towel. LOL.

[Soldier24]

Well I survived!!! Waking up from the anesthesia was the worst part. I felt like I was going to throw up from my throat being so dry and being so gruggy and tired. I kept complaining from pain so they kept give me more pain meds. After a while I got dressed and was wheeled out in a wheel chair. The ride home sucked but I made my mom stop off and get me some chocolate dipped donuts. That coupled with a glass of water made me feel a whole lot better and suprisiingly I'm up and walking around very slowly. Just took a whizz for the first time and it burned, but nothing I've never experienced before. So far it's not as bad as I thought it would be.
On a side note though, the doctor told me the one on the right side was the Ingurnial the one I was born with. He told me that the one on the left side looked like it was caused from lifting weights. I don't know what to think about this but first thought that came to my head pissed me off. Kind of makes me want to throw in the towel. LOL.

You can get a hernia in so many ways; My boss at work got one from twisting the wrong way when he was pushing in his desk chair. Throwing in the towel because you might get a hernia is not a good mindset- You might as well stop doing everything! My surgeon said it best when I asked him how to prevent getting a second hernia: He said "If you want to prevent getting a hernia, sit on your couch and do absolutely nothing for the rest of your life." I'd rather do what I love and take the risk!

Glad you are doing well man - After the first three days you should be feeling better and better.

[Ramborage]

You can get a hernia in so many ways; My boss at work got one from twisting the wrong way when he was pushing in his desk chair. Throwing in the towel because you might get a hernia is not a good mindset- You might as well stop doing everything! My surgeon said it best when I asked him how to prevent getting a second hernia: He said "If you want to prevent getting a hernia, sit on your couch and do absolutely nothing for the rest of your life." I'd rather do what I love and take the risk!

Glad you are doing well man - After the first three days you should be feeling better and better.

I'm only on day two and already did the stairs. I'm feeling some discomfort, but almost no pain. In fact the insicion area hurts worse than the mesh area. I am taking pain pills, but I had thought with all the horror stories about hernia surgery that I would be pretty much laid in a recliner for three to four days which isn't the case. I was up walking around two hours after I had gotten home from surgery, and was feeling better by the minute. The doctors told me to get up at least once an hour and walk and I have been doing just that. In fact it feels good to walk around and not sit on my ass. I'm going to call the doctor later this week and see when I can start doing some light cardio. Been thinking maybe on day four or five start walking around the block if I can then build up to the treadmill at the gym by next week and just do a slow jog, or walk up a slight incline to get my heart pace up. My weight is climbing up very fast, but I pigged out these past few days as I just gave up caring right now about body composition and want to heal. Feels good to be eating at a surplus and loading up on carbs, lol. But at some point this week I'm going to want to jump back on the bandwagon and find maintance until I can start lifting again. I'm going to see what 2500 calories does for my weight. But with all this bloat 12+ lbs it's going to be hard to tell.

Anyways yeah I don't think I'm going to throw in the towel. If I get another hernia from weights, then that might be my calling, but for now I'm going to follow the doctors orders and just play it by ear. Want to earn that summer bod to have some fun on the beach this year. First time in my life ever since I was always a fattie.

[Ramborage]

Day three, couldn't sleep last night. Have to lay on my back with my knees propped up. Stomach is bloated and looks like I'm pregnant. Can't poop. LOL. Pain pills are a must today.

[Soldier24]

Day three, couldn't sleep last night. Have to lay on my back with my knees propped up. Stomach is bloated and looks like I'm pregnant. Can't poop. LOL. Pain pills are a must today.

Side effect of the pain pills are going to be constipation -- START TAKING STOOL SOFTENERS! I ended up having to take a laxative after a week which worked too, but I'm hearing stool softeners will make things easier and more gradual. You don't want to have to strain your bowels - Everything should come out naturally.

[Ramborage]

Side effect of the pain pills are going to be constipation -- START TAKING STOOL SOFTENERS! I ended up having to take a laxative after a week which worked too, but I'm hearing stool softeners will make things easier and more gradual. You don't want to have to strain your bowels - Everything should come out naturally.

Yup. Got a prescription for those and have been taking them since yesterday. Today I ate a few salads and sandwiches on whole wheat. Forgot to add oatmeal to my protein pancake this morning, that usually helps. Still haven't been able to go though. I'm hoping I'm feeling better enough tomorrow to walk a block or two if it's nice outside. Maybe some good exercise will help. And the stomach swelling came down slightly after a nap earlier so I'm not so much worried about it anymore. Only think I'm having problems with is staying away from eating. I can't stop.

[Soldier24]

Yup. Got a prescription for those and have been taking them since yesterday. Today I ate a few salads and sandwiches on whole wheat. Forgot to add oatmeal to my protein pancake this morning, that usually helps. Still haven't been able to go though. I'm hoping I'm feeling better enough tomorrow to walk a block or two if it's nice outside. Maybe some good exercise will help. And the stomach swelling came down slightly after a nap earlier so I'm not so much worried about it anymore. Only think I'm having problems with is staying away from eating. I can't stop.

Good to hear you're doing well man! Careful with the walking -- Get as much rest as possible the first week.
As for the eating problem, I can totally relate! I was ordering pizzas and pigging out the first week because sticking to my macros was the last thing on my mind; i just wanted to feel better. The boredom doesn't help either.
My advice would be to look at old pictures of yourself when you were overweight compared to newer pictures. Ponder on how far you've come. You don't want to have to go through that journey all over again! I found that with me, I binged when I was really hungry, so by eating something small and less calorie dense every couple of hours, I thought less about food because I wasn't hungry. I'm getting back in the gym next week finally, and I'm glad I can concentrate on gaining muscle rather than having to diet for ten weeks to get back to where I was! Hopefully you can do the same! Good luck brother! Keep me updated!

[Ramborage]

Good to hear you're doing well man! Careful with the walking -- Get as much rest as possible the first week.
As for the eating problem, I can totally relate! I was ordering pizzas and pigging out the first week because sticking to my macros was the last thing on my mind; i just wanted to feel better. The boredom doesn't help either.
My advice would be to look at old pictures of yourself when you were overweight compared to newer pictures. Ponder on how far you've come. You don't want to have to go through that journey all over again! I found that with me, I binged when I was really hungry, so by eating something small and less calorie dense every couple of hours, I thought less about food because I wasn't hungry. I'm getting back in the gym next week finally, and I'm glad I can concentrate on gaining muscle rather than having to diet for ten weeks to get back to where I was! Hopefully you can do the same! Good luck brother! Keep me updated!

Yeah I know I'm going to be dieting more when I get back to the gym. I think I stopped caring sometime yesterday when I figured I only get this one time in my life where I HAVE to sit on my ass and do nothing, so yes because of the boredom I've been in full pig out mode. Good thing is I stocked my fridge with good healthy foods and can't drive anywhere, but still managed to find ways to make bad snacks out of them. Tried to do another 2 mile walk today and had a hard time. Bloated stomach and cramps while walking probably related some to my diet, but the cramps have been bad the past few days. If it wasn't for the cramps, I'd be feeling 75% better already. And finally not constipated anymore. :P

[CrossfitMaster]

Guys . . . This thread has been extremely helpful to me. Big thanks to all who have shared their stories . . .

Figured I would add my own experience here, especially since I recovered much quicker than most of the other guys say they did.

I am 55 . . . 6'0, 188# . . . been a crossfitter since 2009 . . . pretty addicted to exercise but not a big power-lifter like some of the guys here (PRs on deadlift: 325, backsquat: 265, Press: 135, Bench: 195) . . . Like to run a lot too . . .

I got a right-side inguinal hernia early last november . . . very visible but "reducable" (I could push it back in) . . . didn't happen while I was lifting but happened two days after hitting a deadlift PR so maybe it was related I dunno . . . very uncomfortable . . .knew I had to get it repaired asap or I couldn't lift again . . . And I would get kinda nauseous when it stuck out . . .

Took 5 weeks for surgery to get scheduled. Hated that period. Couldn't lift at all. Stopped going to the gym because it was pointless. . . . I ran several days a week (usually 5K or so) but it would get painful sometimes. I worried I was making it worse but I was also miserable about lack of exercise. Only gained a few pounds but felt flabby and angry . . .

Surgery Dec 11 -- open repair with mesh -- stitched and "glued" the wound -- no bandage that was cool. First few days -- pretty painful -- especially in the right nut but also near the wound. Hugely swollen. Took pain killers and used ice and walked around the house and that was about it.

Day 2 to 5 -- amazed by the size of the swelling . . . seemed to me almost like they never repaired it. If I hadn't read on here and on other hernia forums about the "healing ridge" I totally woulda freaked out . . . Then my junk turned completely dark purple almost black especially on the right side. Dick and nutsack both . . . Frickin scary. But I realized that the black-and-blue had just traveled southward . . . It cleared up in about 10 days . . . but wildly weird til then.

After about three days I started to get nuts about getting exercise, plus I knew movement was important for healing . . . so I started going for walks, mostly on an indoor track at the local Y (I live in Maine and it is way cold outside in the winter). Did two or three miles of walking almost every day for the next two weeks. I tried to walk fast and break a sweat, but I often wound up getting sore. I worried about it and called the doctor, but he told me I wouldn't wreck the repair with anything I was doing but that I might indeed get sore in the evening if I pushed too hard. Once I heard that I figured I could amp up the workouts and deal with the pain. I iced my groin almost every night and pressed on.

By about the end of the second week, I broke into a run and did 2 miles around the track at a 10 min pace (usually I run miles around 8) . . . But still no situps or any lifting at all . . . kept reading the posts on here about no heavy lifts for 6 months and no core work for 6 months and it all was just a bummer . . .

Anyway at week four my doctor told me I could basically do ANYTHING I want, including ALL normal activities, including LIFTING . . .he just said I shouldnt "be dumb" . . . I asked him if he understood who he was giving this permission too, and warned him I was likely to go too far too soon if he gave me leash. . . . he repeated that I would not damage the repair but may feel pain if I went too far . . .

So I went back to my crossfit box and started to do those things I could do. Sit ups were impossible . . . I didnt do any heavy lifts . . . I did box jumps by stepping up onto 12" instead of jumping to 24" . . . even that hurt. But I did what I could. Pull-ups were ok til I got near failure and then I would feel my gut pull. I kept getting some pain and worried that I was going too far, but I knew I hadn't done anything really crazy so I just kept on . . .

Over the next four weeks things got much better rapidly and each day I felt less pain and was able to do more. One day we had a workout heavy with K2Es (knee-to-elbow leg raises hanging on a bar) and I was amazed that I could do em no prob (sure enough I was sore that night but I got through). Then I did some bench presses . . . lighter weight then usual but felt fine. Every day more.

Anyway I am now only 9 weeks out and I feel basically fully recovered. 24-inch box-jumps are no problem -- did 60 yesterday . . . I haven't tried to PR any of my lifts yet, and I probably won't for another four weeks, but I've been getting close . . . back squatted 245, pulled 305 off the floor, NONE OF IT A PROBLEM.

So bottom line, the four weeks before and after the surgery were miserable, and the next four were impaired, but by week 8 it seems mostly in the past (except for a 4 inch scar and still a little bit of a scar tissue raised ridge underneath it). Given how good I feel at this point, I am surprised by all the guys who say no heavy lifting for 6 months.

Anyway another opinion/experience for you all to consider.