*** OFFICIAL INGUINAL HERNIA RECOVERY Thread ***

[China505]

Had a bilateral meshed about 49 hours ago. I am already seeing improvements since right after the surgery.

The biggest issues i have had were coming off the anesthesia and also the massive swelling going on in my abdomen, looks like I have a massive gut but I really don't. The drugs have a massive dehydrating effect, even after 5 bags of fluid,y mouth was so dry, and sort of still is.

So far, for me the worst part was the fear of getti g surgery done in a foreign country and the first night after the surgery.

Happy to answer any questions for anybody who has this coming up, I can tell you what I did and what I would do differently with a recent perspective...2 days.

Good luck everybody

[Soldier24]

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.

I agree with you 100 percent! To the guys on here who think you have to wait six months to lift heavy -- That's absolutely ridiculous! This is THE most common surgery performed in the United States, and is extremely recoverable! Six weeks should be all it takes to get back into the gym. Ease back into your routine of course, but 6 months is nuts! Everything is healed in 4-6 weeks!

Six weeks for me will be the 26th of this month and i'm itching to get back to it. I already feel ready to go!

[Ramborage]

I agree with you 100 percent! To the guys on here who think you have to wait six months to lift heavy -- That's absolutely ridiculous! This is THE most common surgery performed in the United States, and is extremely recoverable! Six weeks should be all it takes to get back into the gym. Ease back into your routine of course, but 6 months is nuts! Everything is healed in 4-6 weeks!

Six weeks for me will be the 26th of this month and i'm itching to get back to it. I already feel ready to go!

Yeah I already feel great. 11 days post op and almost feel 100% now. I started walking slow on the treadmill on Friday, now I'm jogging at a slow pace but I can actually jog!!! I'm actually going to the gym right now to see what I can do on the treadmill. Everyday I've been doing some form of walking and keeping busy, started stretching again today and it felt great. My only fear is going to see the doctor on Thursday and getting a clean bill and have to go back to work that same day. Gonna try to persuade him into at least giving me the rest of the week off from work. He seemed to want me to go right back to work after the first week, but my company won't let me back in till I get a note signed from him. Would love another week off as this is great, but yet depressing at the same time. LOL

I have to say I feel much better now than going into surgery. I didn't know I was carrying the hernias for so long and now walking around without the pressure and cramps I was getting from it is so relieving!!!

[Soldier24]

Yeah I already feel great. 11 days post op and almost feel 100% now. I started walking slow on the treadmill on Friday, now I'm jogging at a slow pace but I can actually jog!!! I'm actually going to the gym right now to see what I can do on the treadmill. Everyday I've been doing some form of walking and keeping busy, started stretching again today and it felt great. My only fear is going to see the doctor on Thursday and getting a clean bill and have to go back to work that same day. Gonna try to persuade him into at least giving me the rest of the week off from work. He seemed to want me to go right back to work after the first week, but my company won't let me back in till I get a note signed from him. Would love another week off as this is great, but yet depressing at the same time. LOL

I have to say I feel much better now than going into surgery. I didn't know I was carrying the hernias for so long and now walking around without the pressure and cramps I was getting from it is so relieving!!!

I got my doc to give me an extra week and a half off work! Take full advantage of this! LOL!

[Ramborage]

I got my doc to give me an extra week and a half off work! Take full advantage of this! LOL!

Oh I didn't even have to say anything to my doc. He asked if I was back to work yet and I said no and gave him my disability form for work. He decided another week and a half was good for me to go back so I'm all clear. Also told me I could start resuming ALL physical activity after that as well. So I'm all clear on lifting already, he just told me to stop if it hurts. He actually recommends exercising because the pressure you put on your core will help keep the mesh in place and you'll heal even quicker. Gave me a story about how the first 21 days the mesh is just settling and can move and not cover the hole that's why they don't like you lifting for that time period. Now for some more video games and staycation here I come!!!! wooohoooo!!! BTW no more pain at all already, just maybe a little sore at times.

[Soldier24]

Oh I didn't even have to say anything to my doc. He asked if I was back to work yet and I said no and gave him my disability form for work. He decided another week and a half was good for me to go back so I'm all clear. Also told me I could start resuming ALL physical activity after that as well. So I'm all clear on lifting already, he just told me to stop if it hurts. He actually recommends exercising because the pressure you put on your core will help keep the mesh in place and you'll heal even quicker. Gave me a story about how the first 21 days the mesh is just settling and can move and not cover the hole that's why they don't like you lifting for that time period. Now for some more video games and staycation here I come!!!! wooohoooo!!! BTW no more pain at all already, just maybe a little sore at times.

Congrats buddy! Enjoy your time off from work -- Take advantage of the free time! Relax, get some work done, watch some good movies! LOL

I'll be heading back to the gym this weekend for some cardio and arms. I'm SO EXCITED! To people just starting their recovery -- six weeks go by so fast! You'll be back at it before you know it!

[Soldier24]

Hey everyone! Just had my first gym session on Sunday since my inguinal hernia surgery six weeks ago. I started with a warm up on the bike which felt fine even with resistance. Next I did the chest press machine and worked the resistance up on every set. It felt pretty good, and I really tried to concentrate on my breathing technique. This is VERY important and I see guys all the time forgetting to breathe on heavy sets which could be a cause of a hernia. I was guilty of it myself which is why I'm paying extra attention to this now. Anyways, I after doing a few high rep sets nowhere near failure, I moved onto the incline press machine and then the cable crossovers. I then did the Tbar row against the incline bench for support, and then went onto narrow grip pulldowns. On my second set, even though I was going EXTREMEMLy light, I felt some pain at the incision area so I stopped. I'm thinking that since i tend to lean back during this exercise when I pull down, its putting some pressure on the abs. The rest of the week I rested and it actually did feel irritated. TOmorrow i'm going to experiement with some exercises for arms and shoulders :-) The fact of the matter is, you have to take it slow and experiment with what works and ease back into everything. Frustrating? Yes! But, in time i'll be back at it! Diet wise, I let myself gain some fat around the waist area so I may do some dieting while I work my way back into my normal exercise routine and then begin gaining weight like I was doing before the hernia. Everybody who's going through the same thing - stay positive! Do the exercises you can do and take it easy! Time is the only solution!

[Ramborage]

Hey everyone! Just had my first gym session on Sunday since my inguinal hernia surgery six weeks ago. I started with a warm up on the bike which felt fine even with resistance. Next I did the chest press machine and worked the resistance up on every set. It felt pretty good, and I really tried to concentrate on my breathing technique. This is VERY important and I see guys all the time forgetting to breathe on heavy sets which could be a cause of a hernia. I was guilty of it myself which is why I'm paying extra attention to this now. Anyways, I after doing a few high rep sets nowhere near failure, I moved onto the incline press machine and then the cable crossovers. I then did the Tbar row against the incline bench for support, and then went onto narrow grip pulldowns. On my second set, even though I was going EXTREMEMLy light, I felt some pain at the incision area so I stopped. I'm thinking that since i tend to lean back during this exercise when I pull down, its putting some pressure on the abs. The rest of the week I rested and it actually did feel irritated. TOmorrow i'm going to experiement with some exercises for arms and shoulders :-) The fact of the matter is, you have to take it slow and experiment with what works and ease back into everything. Frustrating? Yes! But, in time i'll be back at it! Diet wise, I let myself gain some fat around the waist area so I may do some dieting while I work my way back into my normal exercise routine and then begin gaining weight like I was doing before the hernia. Everybody who's going through the same thing - stay positive! Do the exercises you can do and take it easy! Time is the only solution!

Hey man thanks for the advice. I can't wait to start lifting again. I gained some weight too. Not too much as I've been running everyday now for the past week. I've got my endurance back and no more pain, unless I lift something of course. My doctor told me after this weekend I can start lifting again, so I think I'm going to go extremely light next week and ease back into it but no heavy core exersices like deadlifts and squats. Going to have to lay off those for a few weeks/months. Anyways glad to hear your back and making progress too. Before you know it you'll be lifting heavy again.

[Ramborage]

Well 22 days post surgery and was lifting weights already. Very light of course with no core work. I did dumbbell bench with just 2 20 lbs. Yes I did very high reps, but goal was to fatigue the muscles. I know it's more of a cardio thing, but I can feel the blood going to my muscles which should help with the muscles not atrophying. Also did some lat pulldowns, cable fly's, diamond pushups (surprised I could do 3 sets of 10 lol), skullcrushers behind the head, behind the head overhead press, shoulder shrugs, and inclined bicep curls. Today was busy at the gym and didn't get on the smith mashine, or the benchpress. They were all taken. Probably a good thing too because I would have put a lot of weight on it as with dumbells it's easier to remind yourself to use less. LOL. Anyways felt pretty good through the workout. When doing shouldershrugs I think I picked up too much weight though but was ok. I did 35 on each side. So pretty much lifting 70 lbs. Before all this I was doing 75 lbs in each hand. Can't wait to start increasing the weights back to where I was before. Tomorrow is lower body day. Going to replace dead lifts with good mornings and just omit squats all together for a few weeks/ months until I feel I'm ready.

[Ramborage]

So I did lower body yesterday, I think I pushed myself a little to hard. Did leg extensions, hamstring curls on the machines at low weight high reps. Then did some good mornings with just a 50lb barbell, calf raises and all seemed to be going good. Then decided to hit my core. Planks and side planks. When I did the side plank, I felt a quick sharp pain so I stopped. I then proceeded to go over to the dumbells and do a stupid thing. I did standing side crunches with a 35lb weight on my side and didn't really feel anything until I was done. After I left the gym I have this sharp stabbing pain where my Inguinal hernia was repaired. While I know for a fact I did not break the repair, I think I did do something to it because it keeps cramping up with this sharp stabbing pain every once in a while. Wonder if I ripped it a little bit? Anyways either I'm fine, or my doctor was a bit less conservative then most and told me to go back to weights too early. Gonna lay off the rest of the week and see how I feel.

[China505]

Im 2 weeks out after my double inguinal mesh surgery. The left side is feeling great, if not for the scar, I could almost forget it happened. The right side has been giving me some sharp pain but its been slowly getting better. Ive been in the gym but Nothing serious. Doing long walks on the treadmill at an incline (boring but better than nothing), a bit of elliptical but still cant get on the bike or the rower. I also did some benchpress and overhead press with just the bar. Felt good to get moving but Im trying to be really careful, Im trying to make a full recovery and get back to Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu. Hopefully within a month or 2.

[Brokenoak]

I had laparoscopic surgery on the right side. When the pain medication wears off I feel something pinching and think I feel the mesh. I am constantly tightening up like I'm holding my pee and my stomach is tight. I have not taken a crap in four days. I hope it gets better than this. I do video work outs like insanity les mills combat and I am also taking mma classes. I got this hernia from the flu but then again I have always felt a little pressure. The doctor said it won't ever reoccur but what about the other side and what about the three new holes on my abs

[Ramborage]

I had laparoscopic surgery on the right side. When the pain medication wears off I feel something pinching and think I feel the mesh. I am constantly tightening up like I'm holding my pee and my stomach is tight. I have not taken a crap in four days. I hope it gets better than this. I do video work outs like insanity les mills combat and I am also taking mma classes. I got this hernia from the flu but then again I have always felt a little pressure. The doctor said it won't ever reoccur but what about the other side and what about the three new holes on my abs

You're not taking a crap because of the pain meds man. Stop taking them asap. They made me constipated to the point where I was feeling like my intestines were going to explode. The day I quit taking them, the day I crapped. LOL. But anyways, you'll be fine. If it makes you feel any better, you're almost done with the worst part. I say another day or two and it will be a distant memory. The first four-five days are no fun. But after that just chill out for a couple of weeks and get healed. I'm already back in the gym lifting heavy four weeks post surgery and had a double hernia repair. I still get shooting pains every once in a while, just reminds me to be careful and not do that lift so heavy. Everything else is feeling much better even pre-surgery better!!!

[China505]

4 weeks post surgery now, been doing lots of biking, eliptical and running. No real lifting yet but Im not rushing things, ill be looking to get back to weights in a few weeks. Right now just working the punching bag and jumprope, doing some agility drill stuff.

I only really feel the injury in the mornings for some reason but after I move around a bit, im good to go.

[Briank1986]

26 year old male. At time of hernia was 9% bf, benching 225, and was very fit.

About a year ago I was in the gym on the row machine and, using very bad form, reached with one hand to grab the handle and pulled it towards my body very lackadaisically. I felt a slight pull in my groin and didn't think much about it since it didn't hurt too bad. I kept working out for a few days after this occurred and my groin still felt painful. After a few more days of continuing to work out I noticed a small lump right above my right groin. After going to the doctor, he diagnosed me with an inguinal hernia and sent me to surgeon. The surgeon confirmed the hernia and recommended getting both sides fixed at same time since the chance of getting one on the other side after the first one is repaired is VERY high. I asked the surgeon if I could wait a while since I needed to change insurance plans to make surgery cheaper. He said I could wait as long as I needed too since it was a reducible hernia. I wanted until March 27th, 2013. It was difficult to complete a regular workout regimen. Running, softball, lifting all made the hernia uncomfortable. Was never in horrible pain but always uncomfortable.

Surgery Day:
I went in for double inguinal hernia surgery using the laprascopic approach at 5:30am for a 7:30am surgery. A nurse came into the pre-op and recovery room and placed an IV in my arm and asked a bunch of questions. About 30 minutes later the anesthesiologist came in and asked the same questions. The surgeon came in about 30 minutes later and allowed me to ask a few questions. He told me he would 'peak' on the other side to make sure I needed the other side hernia repair. After he left the anesthesiologist came in and gave me some feel good medicine. This didn't make me loopy but did relax me a lot. I was wheeled into the operating room and a mask was placed on my face. That is the last thing I remember.

I woke up and looked at the clock to see how long the surgery time took. This was my first indication the surgery went well, since it only took right at 2 hours. I had a pretty bad cough right when I woke up. The surgeon, who was in the room, did not like this at all and ordered the nurse to get me some lidocaine so I would stop coughing so much. This worked a bit but I still had a bad time controlling the cough, which at this point was painful but not excruciating due to the local and general anesthetic. Surgeon came over and talked to me. He said he did find the same size hernia on my left side as well so repaired it.

After 30 minutes in the post-op recovery room, they wheeled me back to my original recovery room. Here, a nurse came in and took out my IV. She asked me some questions, made me take two hydros and then gave me some phenegren (not sure how to spell this) for some light nausea. She asked me to get up and go pee, which I was able to do. This was the first look I had at my incisions and 'other stuff'. I had three incisions. One across the belly button and two other small ones directly under that one. My balls were not terribly swollen. I had a little trouble completely emptying my bladder but got enough out. She said I could go home. I rode home with my wife. Getting in and out of the car was pretty difficult. On the way home we stopped at the pharmacy. I felt very nautious while pulling into pharmacy so got out of the car and thought I was going to puke. I fought this as hard as I could since I knew throwing up would be horrible. I ended up burping like ten times.

When I got home, I took zero pain medication. I went to sleep for four hours. Woke up, peed, which was difficult. My testicles were badly swollen and black and blue. I also could not completely empty my bladder.Took some OTC Alieve and went back to bed. I was still coughing at this point and had a bad time clearing my throat a lot. This SUCKED.

Day 2:
Woke up and noticed that my neck, shoulders and upper back were extremely sore. Maybe even more than the hernia repair. I was still coughing, which was even more painful because the local anesthetic was wearing off. I went pee and the swelling was still pretty bad but a little better. I had some pretty good swelling near my belly button as well. I ate a small breakfast and drank a lot of water. Peed a lot through the day, which was still a little uncomfortable. Getting in and out of bed was very difficult but manageable.

After a nap in the afternoon, I woke up and ate a light dinner. I also took one hydro because the pain was getting pretty bad (probably a 7 on 1 to 10) and I was STILL coughing and clearing throat. My throat was sore from the tube they used during surgery. After two hours I took an ****** (5mg) and went to sleep. Let me tell you, ****** was a life saver because it got me to sleep through the coughing and clearing throat. I took a shower this day and took off bandages, leaving the sterile strips.

Day 3:
Felt better today. Pain probably a constant 2 or 3 on scale of 1 to 10. I got ballsy and decided to take my small dog to groomer. I drove myself, which was very stupid. It was very painful to drive. Turning the wheel was difficult and bumps and braking hurt pretty bad. I got home and took some OTC Alieve.

I pretty much laid around most of the day, getting up every hour or so to walk around and get something to drink. I was on couch a lot, which was more comfortable than getting in and out of bed. I was still also only sleeping on my back at this time. My neck and back were still pretty sore from surgery. I attributed this to what is called 'myalgie', which is caused as a combination of laying on a hard operating table and the anesthesia having a negative effect on muscles. My calves were also extremely sore. Maybe this was from the anesthesia too. Felt like I had ran a marathon. I took no hydros this day.

One thing of note, as of day three I had not took a deuce. Even though I didn't take a lot of pain meds, they still badly affected my system. I took stool softeners and eventually took some milk of magnesia. I also drank quite a bit of prune juice, which seemed to help.

Also, I sneezed today. Jesus! Pain about a 9 on scale of 1 to 10. Felt like I ripped something (I didn't). Don't sneeze. Ever. Again.

Day 4:
Woke up and FINALLY took a deuce. Didn't strain at all. Just let it come. I felt a lot better than day three. Way less sore. Constant pain of about 2. My family was coming over for Easter this day and I knew I needed to be around and moving. I walked around outside quite a bit and was on my feet a good deal. I was sore towards the end of the day but still managed to play some washers, but just used my upper body and didn't tighten my abs. I took no pain meds this day.

Day 5:
Felt a lot better today. Different muscles were sore, like obliques. My testicles aren't swollen anymore but are still a bit black from the residual bruising. They also itch quite a bit. I have a lot better range of motion today too. I can bend over and pick things up off the ground pretty easily but still very careful. I also worked out in the yard a little. I raked lightly and swept using a light broom. I had no pain from this. I also rode in a car and walked around Lowes a bit. Using the bathroom is more regular now, thankfully. I have a lot of soreness in my abs but it feels like its sore from a tough ab workout. I still have a tiny bit of swelling on my belly button area and feel a little backed up. I also am getting very weird 'pains' around my incision areas and in groin area. It only lasts a second and is probably from nerves.

Today is day 5. I will give additional info a little later.

All in all, the surgery sucked and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy but what I can tell you is that through all the pain, I can DEFINITELY tell that the hernia on my right side is fixed. I don't have any pain in the original hernia area, which is awesome. Once I am past the hernia recovery I know I am going to be able to work out even beter than before. Got to tay positive!!

Recommendations:
- Buy tidy whities. These are more comfortable.
- Take off work for at least a week
- By stool softener
- Buy OTC Alieve
- Buy cough medicine
- DO NOT SNEEZE. EVER. AGAIN. IN. YOUR. LIFE.
- Wear athletic shorts and tshirts
- Buy prune juice and drink it, even though it is awful. My sister is a nurse and she said to warm it up and mix some butter in it and its like ex-lax, without cramping
- Have some sandals on hand, since putting on shoes sucks

[Ramborage]

26 year old male. At time of hernia was 9% bf, benching 225, and was very fit.

About a year ago I was in the gym on the row machine and, using very bad form, reached with one hand to grab the handle and pulled it towards my body very lackadaisically. I felt a slight pull in my groin and didn't think much about it since it didn't hurt too bad. I kept working out for a few days after this occurred and my groin still felt painful. After a few more days of continuing to work out I noticed a small lump right above my right groin. After going to the doctor, he diagnosed me with an inguinal hernia and sent me to surgeon. The surgeon confirmed the hernia and recommended getting both sides fixed at same time since the chance of getting one on the other side after the first one is repaired is VERY high. I asked the surgeon if I could wait a while since I needed to change insurance plans to make surgery cheaper. He said I could wait as long as I needed too since it was a reducible hernia. I wanted until March 27th, 2013. It was difficult to complete a regular workout regimen. Running, softball, lifting all made the hernia uncomfortable. Was never in horrible pain but always uncomfortable.

Surgery Day:
I went in for double inguinal hernia surgery using the laprascopic approach at 5:30am for a 7:30am surgery. A nurse came into the pre-op and recovery room and placed an IV in my arm and asked a bunch of questions. About 30 minutes later the anesthesiologist came in and asked the same questions. The surgeon came in about 30 minutes later and allowed me to ask a few questions. He told me he would 'peak' on the other side to make sure I needed the other side hernia repair. After he left the anesthesiologist came in and gave me some feel good medicine. This didn't make me loopy but did relax me a lot. I was wheeled into the operating room and a mask was placed on my face. That is the last thing I remember.

I woke up and looked at the clock to see how long the surgery time took. This was my first indication the surgery went well, since it only took right at 2 hours. I had a pretty bad cough right when I woke up. The surgeon, who was in the room, did not like this at all and ordered the nurse to get me some lidocaine so I would stop coughing so much. This worked a bit but I still had a bad time controlling the cough, which at this point was painful but not excruciating due to the local and general anesthetic. Surgeon came over and talked to me. He said he did find the same size hernia on my left side as well so repaired it.

After 30 minutes in the post-op recovery room, they wheeled me back to my original recovery room. Here, a nurse came in and took out my IV. She asked me some questions, made me take two hydros and then gave me some phenegren (not sure how to spell this) for some light nausea. She asked me to get up and go pee, which I was able to do. This was the first look I had at my incisions and 'other stuff'. I had three incisions. One across the belly button and two other small ones directly under that one. My balls were not terribly swollen. I had a little trouble completely emptying my bladder but got enough out. She said I could go home. I rode home with my wife. Getting in and out of the car was pretty difficult. On the way home we stopped at the pharmacy. I felt very nautious while pulling into pharmacy so got out of the car and thought I was going to puke. I fought this as hard as I could since I knew throwing up would be horrible. I ended up burping like ten times.

When I got home, I took zero pain medication. I went to sleep for four hours. Woke up, peed, which was difficult. My testicles were badly swollen and black and blue. I also could not completely empty my bladder.Took some OTC Alieve and went back to bed. I was still coughing at this point and had a bad time clearing my throat a lot. This SUCKED.

Day 2:
Woke up and noticed that my neck, shoulders and upper back were extremely sore. Maybe even more than the hernia repair. I was still coughing, which was even more painful because the local anesthetic was wearing off. I went pee and the swelling was still pretty bad but a little better. I had some pretty good swelling near my belly button as well. I ate a small breakfast and drank a lot of water. Peed a lot through the day, which was still a little uncomfortable. Getting in and out of bed was very difficult but manageable.

After a nap in the afternoon, I woke up and ate a light dinner. I also took one hydro because the pain was getting pretty bad (probably a 7 on 1 to 10) and I was STILL coughing and clearing throat. My throat was sore from the tube they used during surgery. After two hours I took an ****** (5mg) and went to sleep. Let me tell you, ****** was a life saver because it got me to sleep through the coughing and clearing throat. I took a shower this day and took off bandages, leaving the sterile strips.

Day 3:
Felt better today. Pain probably a constant 2 or 3 on scale of 1 to 10. I got ballsy and decided to take my small dog to groomer. I drove myself, which was very stupid. It was very painful to drive. Turning the wheel was difficult and bumps and braking hurt pretty bad. I got home and took some OTC Alieve.

I pretty much laid around most of the day, getting up every hour or so to walk around and get something to drink. I was on couch a lot, which was more comfortable than getting in and out of bed. I was still also only sleeping on my back at this time. My neck and back were still pretty sore from surgery. I attributed this to what is called 'myalgie', which is caused as a combination of laying on a hard operating table and the anesthesia having a negative effect on muscles. My calves were also extremely sore. Maybe this was from the anesthesia too. Felt like I had ran a marathon. I took no hydros this day.

One thing of note, as of day three I had not took a deuce. Even though I didn't take a lot of pain meds, they still badly affected my system. I took stool softeners and eventually took some milk of magnesia. I also drank quite a bit of prune juice, which seemed to help.

Also, I sneezed today. Jesus! Pain about a 9 on scale of 1 to 10. Felt like I ripped something (I didn't). Don't sneeze. Ever. Again.

Day 4:
Woke up and FINALLY took a deuce. Didn't strain at all. Just let it come. I felt a lot better than day three. Way less sore. Constant pain of about 2. My family was coming over for Easter this day and I knew I needed to be around and moving. I walked around outside quite a bit and was on my feet a good deal. I was sore towards the end of the day but still managed to play some washers, but just used my upper body and didn't tighten my abs. I took no pain meds this day.

Day 5:
Felt a lot better today. Different muscles were sore, like obliques. My testicles aren't swollen anymore but are still a bit black from the residual bruising. They also itch quite a bit. I have a lot better range of motion today too. I can bend over and pick things up off the ground pretty easily but still very careful. I also worked out in the yard a little. I raked lightly and swept using a light broom. I had no pain from this. I also rode in a car and walked around Lowes a bit. Using the bathroom is more regular now, thankfully. I have a lot of soreness in my abs but it feels like its sore from a tough ab workout. I still have a tiny bit of swelling on my belly button area and feel a little backed up. I also am getting very weird 'pains' around my incision areas and in groin area. It only lasts a second and is probably from nerves.

Today is day 5. I will give additional info a little later.

All in all, the surgery sucked and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy but what I can tell you is that through all the pain, I can DEFINITELY tell that the hernia on my right side is fixed. I don't have any pain in the original hernia area, which is awesome. Once I am past the hernia recovery I know I am going to be able to work out even beter than before. Got to tay positive!!

Recommendations:
- Buy tidy whities. These are more comfortable.
- Take off work for at least a week
- By stool softener
- Buy OTC Alieve
- Buy cough medicine
- DO NOT SNEEZE. EVER. AGAIN. IN. YOUR. LIFE.
- Wear athletic shorts and tshirts
- Buy prune juice and drink it, even though it is awful. My sister is a nurse and she said to warm it up and mix some butter in it and its like ex-lax, without cramping
- Have some sandals on hand, since putting on shoes sucks

Your story sounds very similar to mine at the hospital. Except they didn't make me pee. The nurse kept asking me if I had pain, and of course I did. So every five minutes she would give me a shot through the IV. Eventually they told me to get up, get dressed and they wheeled me out to the car where my mom was waiting.

But just a heads up. I have the small bump in the groin where the hernia was. You'll probably get it too if it's not there already. I felt this after working out one day a few weeks ago and freaked out. I thought I had a reoccurrence so next time I went to the surgeon I told him about it. Turns out it's completely normal and will go away. It will feel like the hernia's back even have that tugging sensation when you walk. All it is your body will fill up that area with plasma since the intestine has been displaced in that area. He told me that it should go away but could take weeks to maybe months. And oh yeah the final checkup sucks. I was coughing for him until I was blue in the face. Not to mention seeing stars from him pushing on my nads so hard. LOL

[Briank1986]

Your story sounds very similar to mine at the hospital. Except they didn't make me pee. The nurse kept asking me if I had pain, and of course I did. So every five minutes she would give me a shot through the IV. Eventually they told me to get up, get dressed and they wheeled me out to the car where my mom was waiting.

But just a heads up. I have the small bump in the groin where the hernia was. You'll probably get it too if it's not there already. I felt this after working out one day a few weeks ago and freaked out. I thought I had a reoccurrence so next time I went to the surgeon I told him about it. Turns out it's completely normal and will go away. It will feel like the hernia's back even have that tugging sensation when you walk. All it is your body will fill up that area with plasma since the intestine has been displaced in that area. He told me that it should go away but could take weeks to maybe months. And oh yeah the final checkup sucks. I was coughing for him until I was blue in the face. Not to mention seeing stars from him pushing on my nads so hard. LOL

Thanks for the heads up. Based on how 'flat' everything is down there right now I would definitely be freaked out by a new lump down there, especially if it had the same feel as hernia. And the final checkup sounds lovely.

Today is day 5/6:
The difference in days 4/5 and 5/6 aren't very different. I feel like I have hit a proverbial wall in recovery. It is better than it was yesterday, but a lot less noticeable than it was between 3 and 4 and 4 and 5. I am sleeping on my side with a pillow between my legs. I am getting uncomfortable sleeping on my back so much. Also, the worst pain of the day, by far, comes in the morning when I wake up. I am stiff.

Also, I have the most pain (tolerable, 2 on scale of 1 to 10) in my obliques. To tell you the truth, I didn't have much pain in my left side at all even though it was repaired. Now, I have the most pain in my left side.

As far as a healing ridge, not sure what this is, as I don't really have one. I didn't even have any bruising near incision sites.

I am still gassy and bloated. I stood sideways and asked my wife to tell me what I looked like today and she told me 'you look like you need to take a $h!t". How nice of her. I hope this goes away soon, as its bathing suit season.

I found some post-inguinal hernia surgery core workouts online. The guy on there started week 3. I think this sounds about right for me. I go see my surgeon Wednesday so will ask him about this. I am anxious to get started but know I need to take it easy so they don't recur. I'll post an update sometime around day 8 or 9, as I feel like I'll need a few more days to have a real update.

I am curious about recovery workouts people around my age and fitness level did (26 yo, fit) to get back in the swing of things and when they started to ramp it up. I am also curious about different vitamins and supplements that I can take to help recovery and post workout recovery when I do start again.

[China505]

yeah man, your over the worst of it, I hit a wall with the healing about 20 days in, lasted about a week and then started improving. Im back in the gym, even did some jiu jitsu tonight, and im 6 weeks out. no problem.

[Briank1986]

Thanks for the heads up. Based on how 'flat' everything is down there right now I would definitely be freaked out by a new lump down there, especially if it had the same feel as hernia. And the final checkup sounds lovely.

Today is day 5/6:
The difference in days 4/5 and 5/6 aren't very different. I feel like I have hit a proverbial wall in recovery. It is better than it was yesterday, but a lot less noticeable than it was between 3 and 4 and 4 and 5. I am sleeping on my side with a pillow between my legs. I am getting uncomfortable sleeping on my back so much. Also, the worst pain of the day, by far, comes in the morning when I wake up. I am stiff.

Also, I have the most pain (tolerable, 2 on scale of 1 to 10) in my obliques. To tell you the truth, I didn't have much pain in my left side at all even though it was repaired. Now, I have the most pain in my left side.

As far as a healing ridge, not sure what this is, as I don't really have one. I didn't even have any bruising near incision sites.

I am still gassy and bloated. I stood sideways and asked my wife to tell me what I looked like today and she told me 'you look like you need to take a $h!t". How nice of her. I hope this goes away soon, as its bathing suit season.

I found some post-inguinal hernia surgery core workouts online. The guy on there started week 3. I think this sounds about right for me. I go see my surgeon Wednesday so will ask him about this. I am anxious to get started but know I need to take it easy so they don't recur. I'll post an update sometime around day 8 or 9, as I feel like I'll need a few more days to have a real update.

I am curious about recovery workouts people around my age and fitness level did (26 yo, fit) to get back in the swing of things and when they started to ramp it up. I am also curious about different vitamins and supplements that I can take to help recovery and post workout recovery when I do start again.

Today is Day 9 after my double hernia surgery (laprascopic):

I went to the doctor exactly 7 days after my surgery to see my surgeon. This was a veryyy brief appointment. He asked me a few questions and then proceeded to press on the mesh sites. I have been a bit sensitive (not painful, just sensitvie) in that area, so when he brought his hand up to press on the mesh sites I immediately and instictually pressed his hand away. Kind of funny.

Anyway, he pressed very hard on the mesh sites and had me cough and asked about pain. I had zero pain when coughing, although the mesh sites are a bit sore. He told me I don't need to come back and see him unless I run into issues. He told me to expect a bit of swelling here and there when I get back into working out.

The cool thing is he told me I could start jogging and lifting 20 to 30 pounds on upper body workouts. He told me to get very good at stretching, breathing properly and to work on my form, all of which will help to lessen chance of recurrence. After the end of week 3 he told me I can start ramping it up and then that I hsould be full strength by end of week 5 or so.

As of today, I am still a bit sore, especially when my bowels are full or my bladder is full. Also a little sore when waking up, but not bad. I took my sterile strips off a few days ago. The incisions are nearly healed.

I go to the gym today at lunch and am going to walk one mile at 5 incline and then job about half a mile. I'm also goin to do some very light upper body workouts and get in a good stretch. I'm curious to see how my groin responds to stretching.

All-in-all, so glad I had the surgery. Don't ever want it again, but well worth getting it fixed. Do the laprascopic approach. And go to a good surgeon.

[remind123]

Hi guys,

My name is Fred and im from Quebec, Canada. I got my surgery (right inguinal hernia) on march 27th (exactly 9 days ago).

Here's my situation..

Everything went great for the surgery except for a "syncope" or lose of conscience post-op cause of dehydration and at my 5th day.. i could do almost anything.. i could drive, go eat at the restaurant with mininal pain.. i used maybe 3 pain pills since my surgery..

But since the 6th day.. i've began to have pain beneath my incision like between the incision and my dick.
Also.. now the pain or soreness goes down all the way to my sack only on the right side where i got my surgery. To sum up, its kinda hard and swollen and very sensitive under my incision all the way to my sack and a lil bit on my leg. Its not a big pain.. i walk and do everything else, its just annoying as i feel it... i was wondering if someone experienced the same thing...

Now, i was worried because on the 7th day i guess... i try to have sex with my girl and it was bit painful.. so we stopped and i tought that i destroyed my surgery or something..

Anyway, guys, hopefully what im saying is clear lol cause im french.. hit me up with if someone knows what im talking about..

[China505]

Hi guys,

My name is Fred and im from Quebec, Canada. I got my surgery (right inguinal hernia) on march 27th (exactly 9 days ago).

Here's my situation..

Everything went great for the surgery except for a "syncope" or lose of conscience post-op cause of dehydration and at my 5th day.. i could do almost anything.. i could drive, go eat at the restaurant with mininal pain.. i used maybe 3 pain pills since my surgery..

But since the 6th day.. i've began to have pain beneath my incision like between the incision and my dick.
Also.. now the pain or soreness goes down all the way to my sack only on the right side where i got my surgery. To sum up, its kinda hard and swollen and very sensitive under my incision all the way to my sack and a lil bit on my leg. Its not a big pain.. i walk and do everything else, its just annoying as i feel it... i was wondering if someone experienced the same thing...

Now, i was worried because on the 7th day i guess... i try to have sex with my girl and it was bit painful.. so we stopped and i tought that i destroyed my surgery or something..

Anyway, guys, hopefully what im saying is clear lol cause im french.. hit me up with if someone knows what im talking about..

I had the exact same pain. It was worse in the morning when getting out of bed, or after sitting for awhile. Also wearing tighter pants (jeans) made it worse. It cleared up after a few days and hasnt been an issue since. Give it time, your still only a few days out.

[Briank1986]

Hi guys,

My name is Fred and im from Quebec, Canada. I got my surgery (right inguinal hernia) on march 27th (exactly 9 days ago).

Here's my situation..

Everything went great for the surgery except for a "syncope" or lose of conscience post-op cause of dehydration and at my 5th day.. i could do almost anything.. i could drive, go eat at the restaurant with mininal pain.. i used maybe 3 pain pills since my surgery..

But since the 6th day.. i've began to have pain beneath my incision like between the incision and my dick.
Also.. now the pain or soreness goes down all the way to my sack only on the right side where i got my surgery. To sum up, its kinda hard and swollen and very sensitive under my incision all the way to my sack and a lil bit on my leg. Its not a big pain.. i walk and do everything else, its just annoying as i feel it... i was wondering if someone experienced the same thing...

Now, i was worried because on the 7th day i guess... i try to have sex with my girl and it was bit painful.. so we stopped and i tought that i destroyed my surgery or something..

Anyway, guys, hopefully what im saying is clear lol cause im french.. hit me up with if someone knows what im talking about..

Wouldn't worry about it this soon after your surgery. I'm on day 13 and my incision sites are still barely sore. I also still have some decent soreness, especially when doing certain things, where my mesh is on both sides. My balls are also still black with pretty good bruising.

Just as an update, I lifted about 50% to 60% of my maxes yesterday on Dumbell chest press, dumbell curl, chest press machine, and flys. Also jogged a mile and a half. No issues, other than basic soreness from taking a few weeks off. I'm still going to take it easy, but felt great!!!

By the way, I also did some rehab type workouts and stretches. They have helped me a lot and I think they would be good for others to try. I can't post links yet because I ama newby but PM me and I'll send them to you.

[Ramborage]

Been getting achy pains there lately. I know this is normal for two months post surgery, but keep fearing my exercising is causing more stress on the mesh, or going to open another hernia up. I've been going at it pretty hard now with the weights and I'm stronger than I was going in, but damn me for starting ab strength training now. I've been doing decline situps with 65-70 lb dumbells and weighted back extentions.

[dpanza5]

Been getting achy pains there lately. I know this is normal for two months post surgery, but keep fearing my exercising is causing more stress on the mesh, or going to open another hernia up. I've been going at it pretty hard now with the weights and I'm stronger than I was going in, but damn me for starting ab strength training now. I've been doing decline situps with 65-70 lb dumbells and weighted back extentions.

Hi Ramborage. I want to thank you and everyone else in this thread for updating your progress. Its really helped me understand what to expect. I've been on a cut since january and about two weeks ago realized I developed a hernia. Surgery is scheduled for wednesday (open repair with mesh).

I'll obviously be upping my calories to maintenance after the surgery. I was wondering if anyone else was on a cut while this happened and how long after the surgery they stayed at maintenance. I don't want to rush anything but I am looking forward to getting back to my goals as soon as I can. Anyone else's experiences would be greatly appreciated.

[dpanza5]

Ok. Its night before and I'm definitely nervous. I want to do my part and relay my story to anyone in a similar situation. Its a small bit that I can give back from all of the information that I've learned from these forums.

I will try and keep a log of my progress for both recovering from the surgery itself and trying to get back to my cut.

First a little about me. I'm 26. Been lifting for 10 years off and on and have been on for the past three years. I started my cut at 228 pounds at around 20% body fat. After 11 weeks I was down to 210 and around 14-15% bf. That is when i noticed the hernia.

For the past two weeks I have stopped lifting. I've been walking but I don't want to strain or make the hernia worse. I have upped my calories to maintenance (or a little over) to try and minimize muscle loss. I already realize the difference in my appearence from not lifting and the caloric increase. My abs are starting to disappear. Muscles dont look as tight. All in all this is an incredibly frustrating time. Its like limbo. I cant lift and am not on the road to recovery yet. I'm extremely anxious to exercise again. I also want to make sure I heal properly with none of the horrible complications that I've read about (chronic pain, being sterile, pain during sex, etc.).

I will keep a log of my macros and fiber for anyone interested. Ive already gone grocery shopping and have loaded up on high fiber foods packed with micros. Wish me luck for tomorrow. Updates to follow.

[China505]

Ok. Its night before and I'm definitely nervous. I want to do my part and relay my story to anyone in a similar situation. Its a small bit that I can give back from all of the information that I've learned from these forums.

I will try and keep a log of my progress for both recovering from the surgery itself and trying to get back to my cut.

First a little about me. I'm 26. Been lifting for 10 years off and on and have been on for the past three years. I started my cut at 228 pounds at around 20% body fat. After 11 weeks I was down to 210 and around 14-15% bf. That is when i noticed the hernia.

For the past two weeks I have stopped lifting. I've been walking but I don't want to strain or make the hernia worse. I have upped my calories to maintenance (or a little over) to try and minimize muscle loss. I already realize the difference in my appearence from not lifting and the caloric increase. My abs are starting to disappear. Muscles dont look as tight. All in all this is an incredibly frustrating time. Its like limbo. I cant lift and am not on the road to recovery yet. I'm extremely anxious to exercise again. I also want to make sure I heal properly with none of the horrible complications that I've read about (chronic pain, being sterile, pain during sex, etc.).

I will keep a log of my macros and fiber for anyone interested. Ive already gone grocery shopping and have loaded up on high fiber foods packed with micros. Wish me luck for tomorrow. Updates to follow.

HEy man, you will be fine, I was in the same boat as you and felt the same way as you while waiting for surgery.

The best advice I can give is DONT LISTEN TO THESE CLOWNS HERE THAT SAY TO LIFT HEAVY IN 8 WEEKS!!!! these are the same people who are now saying they are feeling some pain. YOu need to let yourself heal. Pick a linear progression program and build up slowly over the course of a few months rather than trying to do 50.60,70 or more % of where you were before.

Im about 9 weeks out from my surgery now, the first 4 weeks of just doing walks really sucked, Im back in Muay Thai and BJJ classes again with a competition coming up in like 5 weeks and Im feeling great, before I had my surgery I had a 1000lb total (not elite by any means but I worked hard for it), Im back on a linear progression program and started squatting just the bar. Check your ego at the door when you get back in the gym and do it properly. Dont be the next guy to say you can go heavy really soon....then post 3 pages later saying youre hurt and you went to fast.

No offense to that guy....but dont be the next "that guy".

Just get the surgery out of the way, get through the initial recovery, then get back on your cardio, when you feel ready, start lifting, but go slow, start with the bar, add a few lbs each time, you'll be back to where you were in a few months and this whole thing will be behind you. The less rest you give yourself and the more you rush things, the longer it will take and the higher the chance of re-injury.

good luck.

[Ramborage]

I guess I was one of these clowns then. But seriously was not due to lifting. LOL. I'm still lifting heavy and have made some nice gains in the past few weeks. I listened to my doctor and did everything he said and so far I've been fine. The pain I was feeling was normal and was due to urinating frequently. Now that has stopped my pain has stopped. I've been doing heavy decline situps and this was after my doctor told me it was ok and I'm fine.

As far as your question dpanza5. You're cut will have to stall for a few weeks. Being in a slight surplus may not even hurt you. Your body is looking for energy to recover from the surgery, so make sure you eat enough good food. Walking two days after surgery if you can is a must, but take it slow at first and by the end of the first week you might even be able to do a very slow jog if it doesn't hurt. Just make sure you ask your surgeon first and make sure it's ok. I would lay off the cut for about a month post surgery, may even two. Focus more on getting back into the weights after your doctor clears you and work your way back. If he says to go heavy then that's on him. Mine said to go heavy and I'm fine.

[dpanza5]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate your advice. I just got back from the hospital. I felt fine when I woke up but DAMN standing for the first time hurt! I was very lucky to have the GF there. I'm going to update on a weekly basis for anyone who is interested and give the BB community one more lifters experience recovering! Thanks again guys. Here's to a speedy recovery for all and to lifting sooner rather than later!

[Archheretic]

Hey guys, I had surgery feb 9th, and I can now do both squats and deadlifts, but bench press with proper powerlifting form hurts, anyone having experience on this matter? I can't bench bb-style because it will **** up my shoulders.
I had an arthroscopic surgery so the scar tissue is minimal, but they said they managed to scratch me up inside (not sure how badly).

[Diddy5118]

Its awesome to have finally found a spot to hear other guys hernia stories. I would like to share mine and get some insight as well.

I'm 6 months out from my surgery. The first week was the worst week of my life. Had to get a catheter for 3 days. Then constipation. Then got a rash from medication docs had me on to help me take a piss.

I've been reading on here that it is 99% healed after 8 weeks. I haven't lifted weights in 9 months, 3 months pre-sugery and up til now. I would like to start again but i guess im paranoid about re-injury. I started running a month ago and just recently added jump roping and body weight exercise. I'm still feeling discomfort more so on the right side and in particular to the right of my bellybutton and slightly below. Just wondering if anyone else has had that?

I may be overly cautious about this, especially since a lot of you guys have started lifting again after 2-3 months, but i DO NOT want to have that surgery again.

Any insight would be awesome!

Thanks guys