Off the bike for the moment...

[Ron Dawg]

So, I'm sitting here watching football on a beautiful, cool late summer afternoon and getting over a double hernia operation from Tuesday of this week (laproscopic - three holes and the mesh routine). BUT I really would rather be riding. I'm sure I'm off the bike for 2-3 weeks, but just curious.  willing to relate a Anyone else have similar experience and associated recovery time? I'm 54, relatively healthy, not particularly overweight. Thanks guys.
Ron

[booger]

I had a single repair, full surgery, about 6 years ago.  Still hurts like hell.  Wish I had never had it done.

I have talked to very few people that have been satisfield with hernia repair.

[Nosmo]

Ron:

Welcome to the club!  No worries.  I had the same thing done about a year and a half ago, in January 2010.  Plus, gall bladder removed due to stones.  All with the laproscope.  Surgeon said it was best to do it all at the same time since he only needed to make a small right turn to get the gall bladder while he was in there.  Surgery took a couple of hours, I was awake at 10:30 am and up and walking (slowly) at 2:00 pm.  It took me just about a year to be fully healed, mostly because I tried too much too soon and I guess I sort of tore up the new scar tissue that needs to form over the mesh.  I had ZERO pain after the surgery and the nurses were sort of surprised that I never hit the Dilaudin (spelling?) button for the time I was in the hospital.  I never needed any pain meds at all.  I had to stay overnight due to the gall bladder removal, otherwise they would have let me go that evening.  I was riding the Wee Strom about two months after the surgery (too soon!!)and I dumped it in an intersection and a couple of guys stopped their car to help me pick it up, I just didn't have the strength at the time.  I should not have been riding and really should not have tried to lift it.  But I'm OK now and it's like it never happpened.  I have talked to many people who had the old-time "slash-and-stitch surgery" and I'm sure glad I didn't have to go that route.  If your surgeon did things right you should have no troubles.  By the way, I am now 56, so I was your age when I had it done.  I started bicycling again this summer and it doesn't bother me at all.

booger:  I'm sorry your outcome wasn't as good, but I think that's the difference in medical technology and the advances we have made with the laproscopes and tiny instruments.

Wait until you have to have cataract surgery and they overhaul your eyeballs in 45 minutes and you have 20/20 vision 24 hours later.  Now THAT'S impressive.

[Pfloydgad]

Exercise, wait, slow to start exercise.
If you have a place you can walk, do so, but start slow. A treadmill on a very low setting with NO incline is best. The exercise will increase blood flow, speed healing, and keep you loose. Sitting or laying a lot will slow that healing process.
But I have to stress, SLOW to start. If you feel any pain while walking, stop, relax, find your bearings, and start again.
I have done this twice, I was back on the bike in 2 weeks, and I was in better shape.
SLOW start and build up over a few days.
Hope this helps.
Ride safe all, and ATGATT plewase.
Greg

[booger]

Ron:

Welcome to the club!  No worries.  I had the same thing done about a year and a half ago, in January 2010.  Plus, gall bladder removed due to stones.  All with the laproscope.  Surgeon said it was best to do it all at the same time since he only needed to make a small right turn to get the gall bladder while he was in there.  Surgery took a couple of hours, I was awake at 10:30 am and up and walking (slowly) at 2:00 pm.  It took me just about a year to be fully healed, mostly because I tried too much too soon and I guess I sort of tore up the new scar tissue that needs to form over the mesh.  I had ZERO pain after the surgery and the nurses were sort of surprised that I never hit the Dilaudin (spelling?) button for the time I was in the hospital.  I never needed any pain meds at all.  I had to stay overnight due to the gall bladder removal, otherwise they would have let me go that evening.  I was riding the Wee Strom about two months after the surgery (too soon!!)and I dumped it in an intersection and a couple of guys stopped their car to help me pick it up, I just didn't have the strength at the time.  I should not have been riding and really should not have tried to lift it.  But I'm OK now and it's like it never happpened.  I have talked to many people who had the old-time "slash-and-stitch surgery" and I'm sure glad I didn't have to go that route.  If your surgeon did things right you should have no troubles.  By the way, I am now 56, so I was your age when I had it done.  I started bicycling again this summer and it doesn't bother me at all.

booger:  I'm sorry your outcome wasn't as good, but I think that's the difference in medical technology and the advances we have made with the laproscopes and tiny instruments.

Wait until you have to have cataract surgery and they overhaul your eyeballs in 45 minutes and you have 20/20 vision 24 hours later.  Now THAT'S impressive.

Wow.  My right testical had dropped so low and was so swolled that I couldn't ride for 2 months.  Interesting.  I'm 58 and was 52 when I had the surgery done.  There are 5 men on my culdesac, 4 of which have had either single or double hernia surgery. All had surgery in the 50+ age. Full operation, not lacroscopic.  All of us are miserable with the results.  I had a triple bypass 3 years ago.  I would much rather have another bypass surgery instead of another hernia procedure.

[Ron Dawg]

Thanks guys. Your results and opinions are pretty much what I've heard locally. Connie's way to big to hold off the vertical unless I'm 100%. (Had that happen twice when we first started. She's heavy.)

A lot of guys I know have gotten this done and laproscopic seems the way to go, move slow, etc. I think procedures are much improved. I've had very little pain, just soreness and swelling. But, another nice day today. Drat. ;-)

Walked (eased) by the Connie a minute ago. Yep, still there. Still on the battery maintainer, still full of Stabil(ized) gas. Guess it'll be there another couple of weeks from now. Walked around the house twice yesterday, to the mailbox (250'), around the pool a couple of times. Sore(r) today. Going back to the Dr a week from tomorrow and then back to the office. I can tell improvement each day, though. Thanks again for the feedback.
Ron

[Walker18]

Ok, my jaw just dropped reading Ron's thread.. Most of this summer I've not felt too well. Stomach soreness, not really pain in my book. Two weeks ago, my 53rd birthday, in my sternum area I started experiencing discomfort, thought I had just pulled a muscle and I would feel better in a few days. But while eating, it felt like the food was getting bottled up just below the sternum area, and took a while to go down. But the soreness didn't let up. After a week and a half, this past Friday, I came home from work and took my bp meds, and told Steph that I thought I should go to the hospital and get checked out. She knew I must be bad off, 'cause I am not fond of hospital visits, and avoid the thought of it. They treated me as a heart attack candidate, and started with a blood test, monitor leads in place, then they slapped a nitroglycerin patch on my chest, and Valium for my nerves.
The Valium was good. The nitro sucked, massive headache. Chest xray came back clean, blood work clean, my bp was dropping like a rock, 90 over 60, and my head was spinning, all because of the nitro patch. Then the Cardio doctor came in, said my heart appears fine, he wants to run another blood work or two, 6 hours apart, then I might be able to go home. A meal was sent in to me, and I ate half of it, but it felt that nothing would pass my sternum area, and my belly blew up like a balloon, with lots of pain, tried to walk it off, no good. Complained to the nurse, she would get back to me. Gastric doctor came in, said a hernia may be in my chest area, possibly a gall stone problem, so he ordered an ultra sound of my belly area. An hour later I was wheeled down to for that test, done by a nurse by the first name of, get this, Ecco! She checked out my Arterial artery, and gall bladder. Back to the room just in time for my 6 hour blood work up, and an hour after that, they gave me Maalox and 400mg of Motrin, neither helped my belly or my headache. New shift head nurse comes in, says they plan on keeping me because my bp is too low. I said "no sh?t, take off this damn nitro patch, and I'll go back to normal, just ask the cardiac doctor. She shook her head, and slid the door closed. Another hour and a half went by, then the cardiac Doc's associate came in and said that my blood tests were all normal, and my problem wasn't my heart, though a stress test is in order next week. The nurse removed the nitro patch.
He said he was ordering me to be discharged, and his office will call me Monday to schedule the test. Finally made it home Friday night. Saturday morning my Chiropractic doc, who I am close to, and consider a friend, called me and said he received my test results from the hospital!! HUH? My Chiropractor??
Any case, he told me all my testing came back clean Except for my Gall Bladder, and several stones showed up on the ultrasound. Long conversation with him gave me insight to my future possibilities. Gastric Doctor is scheduling a endoscopy and a colonoscopy..Yippie.. Been avoiding the latter, but it's time, and I'm worn out feeling like crap, so hopefully this is the road to wellness. This is a classic case of misery loves company, 'cause I don't know anyone, until just now, that's experienced this. Yeah, I'm a bit freaked out of my near future, and could use some conversational 'hand holding' support from you 'veterans' of this.
My biggest fear is Esophageal problems, I lost my Dad 10 months ago (seems like last month) to Esophageal cancer..

[roadie]

Feel your pain dudes.  I lost almost the whole summer and fifty pounds as I was battling what I discovered through all the "scopes" was Crohn's disease...Colon swelled, roids like a MF....so since I could not ride, I took the time to do the 7,500 mile maintenance on my bike.  It was my first time ripping Connie apart, but learned alot (had Harmon videos to guide me through process).  I tinkered here there for about a month, got her back together, and couple weeks after that was back in the saddle.  Its tough looking at your rig everyday and wishing for the day you can get back into the saddle.

[Conrad]

Ok, my jaw just dropped reading Ron's thread.. Most of this summer I've not felt too well. Stomach soreness, not really pain in my book. Two weeks ago, my 53rd birthday, in my sternum area I started experiencing discomfort, thought I had just pulled a muscle and I would feel better in a few days. But while eating, it felt like the food was getting bottled up just below the sternum area, and took a while to go down. But the soreness didn't let up. After a week and a half, this past Friday, I came home from work and took my bp meds, and told Steph that I thought I should go to the hospital and get checked out. She knew I must be bad off, 'cause I am not fond of hospital visits, and avoid the thought of it. They treated me as a heart attack candidate, and started with a blood test, monitor leads in place, then they slapped a nitroglycerin patch on my chest, and Valium for my nerves.
The Valium was good. The nitro sucked, massive headache. Chest xray came back clean, blood work clean, my bp was dropping like a rock, 90 over 60, and my head was spinning, all because of the nitro patch. Then the Cardio doctor came in, said my heart appears fine, he wants to run another blood work or two, 6 hours apart, then I might be able to go home. A meal was sent in to me, and I ate half of it, but it felt that nothing would pass my sternum area, and my belly blew up like a balloon, with lots of pain, tried to walk it off, no good. Complained to the nurse, she would get back to me. Gastric doctor came in, said a hernia may be in my chest area, possibly a gall stone problem, so he ordered an ultra sound of my belly area. An hour later I was wheeled down to for that test, done by a nurse by the first name of, get this, Ecco! She checked out my Arterial artery, and gall bladder. Back to the room just in time for my 6 hour blood work up, and an hour after that, they gave me Maalox and 400mg of Motrin, neither helped my belly or my headache. New shift head nurse comes in, says they plan on keeping me because my bp is too low. I said "no sh?t, take off this damn nitro patch, and I'll go back to normal, just ask the cardiac doctor. She shook her head, and slid the door closed. Another hour and a half went by, then the cardiac Doc's associate came in and said that my blood tests were all normal, and my problem wasn't my heart, though a stress test is in order next week. The nurse removed the nitro patch.
He said he was ordering me to be discharged, and his office will call me Monday to schedule the test. Finally made it home Friday night. Saturday morning my Chiropractic doc, who I am close to, and consider a friend, called me and said he received my test results from the hospital!! HUH? My Chiropractor??
Any case, he told me all my testing came back clean Except for my Gall Bladder, and several stones showed up on the ultrasound. Long conversation with him gave me insight to my future possibilities. Gastric Doctor is scheduling a endoscopy and a colonoscopy..Yippie.. Been avoiding the latter, but it's time, and I'm worn out feeling like crap, so hopefully this is the road to wellness. This is a classic case of misery loves company, 'cause I don't know anyone, until just now, that's experienced this. Yeah, I'm a bit freaked out of my near future, and could use some conversational 'hand holding' support from you 'veterans' of this.
My biggest fear is Esophageal problems, I lost my Dad 10 months ago (seems like last month) to Esophageal cancer..

I can't speak for the rest but I can 'hold your hand' about the colonoscopy. I had my one and only done year before last and it was a piece of cake. The worst part, by far, was the 'cleaning out' before hand. The procedure it self was easy. An IV, a few drips, and I was waking up asking when they were going to do it. The doc said that I had one of the cleanest colons he's ever seen and that I didn't have to come back for 10 years. That flies in the face of what my wife tells me, that I'm full of it most of the time. Must have been that 'cleaning out' that did the trick.

[Stasch]

I can't speak for the rest but I can 'hold your hand' about the colonoscopy. I had my one and only done year before last and it was a piece of cake. The worst part, by far, was the 'cleaning out' before hand. The procedure it self was easy. An IV, a few drips, and I was waking up asking when they were going to do it. The doc said that I had one of the cleanest colons he's ever seen and that I didn't have to come back for 10 years.

This mirrors my experience with my first colonoscopy a few months ago.

You won't feel or know a thing during the procedure.

Worst part is the cleaning out.  Its not painful, just inconvenient. 

I got to point where I simply could not drink another swallow of the solution and wasn't able to down the last half litre. 

[Conrad]

This mirrors my experience with my first colonoscopy a few months ago.

You won't feel or know a thing during the procedure.

Worst part is the cleaning out.  Its not painful, just inconvenient. 

I got to point where I simply could not drink another swallow of the solution and wasn't able to down the last half litre.

My doc gave me the option of pills or drinking the solution. I took the pills.

[roadie]

I WISH i had the option of the pill, I had to drink that nasty shyte too.  I woke up during the colonoscopy...doc said you wanna stay awake?  I said "hell, no! you got 10 feet of hose jammed up my tailpipe banging against the back o my head, please put me back down ASAP!!"  he laughed and down i went.

[Ron Dawg]

Ok, my jaw just dropped reading Ron's thread.. Most of this summer I've not felt too well. Stomach soreness, not really pain in my book. Two weeks ago, my 53rd birthday, in my sternum area I started experiencing discomfort, thought I had just pulled a muscle and I would feel better in a few days. But while eating, it felt like the food was getting bottled up just below the sternum area, and took a while to go down. But the soreness didn't let up. After a week and a half, this past Friday, I came home from work and took my bp meds, and told Steph that I thought I should go to the hospital and get checked out. She knew I must be bad off, 'cause I am not fond of hospital visits, and avoid the thought of it. They treated me as a heart attack candidate, and started with a blood test, monitor leads in place, then they slapped a nitroglycerin patch on my chest, and Valium for my nerves.
The Valium was good. The nitro sucked, massive headache. Chest xray came back clean, blood work clean, my bp was dropping like a rock, 90 over 60, and my head was spinning, all because of the nitro patch. Then the Cardio doctor came in, said my heart appears fine, he wants to run another blood work or two, 6 hours apart, then I might be able to go home. A meal was sent in to me, and I ate half of it, but it felt that nothing would pass my sternum area, and my belly blew up like a balloon, with lots of pain, tried to walk it off, no good. Complained to the nurse, she would get back to me. Gastric doctor came in, said a hernia may be in my chest area, possibly a gall stone problem, so he ordered an ultra sound of my belly area. An hour later I was wheeled down to for that test, done by a nurse by the first name of, get this, Ecco! She checked out my Arterial artery, and gall bladder. Back to the room just in time for my 6 hour blood work up, and an hour after that, they gave me Maalox and 400mg of Motrin, neither helped my belly or my headache. New shift head nurse comes in, says they plan on keeping me because my bp is too low. I said "no sh?t, take off this damn nitro patch, and I'll go back to normal, just ask the cardiac doctor. She shook her head, and slid the door closed. Another hour and a half went by, then the cardiac Doc's associate came in and said that my blood tests were all normal, and my problem wasn't my heart, though a stress test is in order next week. The nurse removed the nitro patch.
He said he was ordering me to be discharged, and his office will call me Monday to schedule the test. Finally made it home Friday night. Saturday morning my Chiropractic doc, who I am close to, and consider a friend, called me and said he received my test results from the hospital!! HUH? My Chiropractor??
Any case, he told me all my testing came back clean Except for my Gall Bladder, and several stones showed up on the ultrasound. Long conversation with him gave me insight to my future possibilities. Gastric Doctor is scheduling a endoscopy and a colonoscopy..Yippie.. Been avoiding the latter, but it's time, and I'm worn out feeling like crap, so hopefully this is the road to wellness. This is a classic case of misery loves company, 'cause I don't know anyone, until just now, that's experienced this. Yeah, I'm a bit freaked out of my near future, and could use some conversational 'hand holding' support from you 'veterans' of this.
My biggest fear is Esophageal problems, I lost my Dad 10 months ago (seems like last month) to Esophageal cancer..

Oh wow. That's terrible. Make 'em keep looking.  You keep posting, we'll keep "hand holding." Not a problem.


Colonoscopy was no fun a couple of years ago. I couldn't down that last half liter either. I had been warned so I stocked the bathroom with some magazines and sent the family somewhere else. Blastoff!!!  It gave a whole new meaning to the term "Riding the Porcelain Honda."
Ron

[Walker18]

Ron, I sure didn't want to 'hi-jack' your thread, but I had thought I was out alone in my experience until your timely posting..
Went for more blood work today at the VA clinic, it just happened to be my 6 month check-up from them. Gastric doctor's office
left me a message to set the appointment for the double reaming, I'll call them back after tonight's shift- I just have this stupid
fear of anesthesia, had a bad experience when I was younger, but since knee surgery in 2001, I can't seem to shake it aside. I have
to come to terms with this thing and just get it done. Oh the little things that drive you nuts..
A big thanks to you all for helping me through this situation, I'm wading in the unknown of what's really going on inside of me, and that can let the
mind race off down dark roads. Once these tests are done, the picture will be a clear one, so I've just gotta clear that damn anesthesia hurtle
and I'll know.

[Conrad]

Ron, I sure didn't want to 'hi-jack' your thread, but I had thought I was out alone in my experience until your timely posting..
Went for more blood work today at the VA clinic, it just happened to be my 6 month check-up from them. Gastric doctor's office
left me a message to set the appointment for the double reaming, I'll call them back after tonight's shift- I just have this stupid
fear of anesthesia, had a bad experience when I was younger, but since knee surgery in 2001, I can't seem to shake it aside. I have
to come to terms with this thing and just get it done. Oh the little things that drive you nuts..
A big thanks to you all for helping me through this situation, I'm wading in the unknown of what's really going on inside of me, and that can let the
mind race off down dark roads. Once these tests are done, the picture will be a clear one, so I've just gotta clear that damn anesthesia hurtle
and I'll know.

When I had my colonoscopy in '09, that was the first time that I've been 'put out' since I was 13 and broke my leg. Like you, I was a bit worried about the anesthesia too. The stuff they used on me was great. It was like a light switch and I didn't feel any after effects at all.

[Ron Dawg]

When I had my colonoscopy in '09, that was the first time that I've been 'put out' since I was 13 and broke my leg. Like you, I was a bit worried about the anesthesia too. The stuff they used on me was great. It was like a light switch and I didn't feel any after effects at all.

No problems at all. Don't sweat it. I had anesthesia when I was about 11 for an appendectomy and none until I was 52 for a colonoscopy. I don't like being out of control either. Had a talk with my wife last night about "what stupid stuff" did I say? Graciously, she said none.  Sometimes you just gotta grit your teeth and do what you have to do.

They have improved the technology tremendously. Mine was like flipping a switch both times, this time they gave me "something" to relax me before the big one and it was like they could've removed my foot and I'd have said, "No problem." You'll be okay.

Best of luck buddy.

[snarf]

I had an Abdominal hernia about 5yrs ago.  Pick something heavy up incorrectly and you will actually split the muscles in your abdomen and commence to squeeze your intestines out that little tear. It was kinda cool I had a big bubble protruding out of my stomach just above my belly button.
They made an incision, opened me up and essentially grafted in some sort of mesh to prevent the tear from opening up again.  A person does not know how much they rely on using the stomach muscle in everyday activities.  I was doing ok after the surgery until I sneezed, coughed, farted, stood up, sat down or walked.  I tried to go up my stairs to the bedroom; it took only one rung to realize that I was sleeping on the couch that night.   

Walker18, I feel your pain. My step father was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.  It spread like wild fire to the rest of his body.  He died not more than four months later.  Cancer is one mean son-of-a-bitch

[Nosmo]

It seems that I babble under anesthesia. When I was having cataract surgery the surgeon kept having to tell me to shut up, I was talking and disturbing his concentration while he was vacuuming out my old eyeball lens and installing the implant.  You're semi-awake during this, and watching the weird light show, and you know what they are doing, you just don't give a damn.

When I woke up after the hernia surgery, the nurse told me when they pulled my breathing tube I started reciting Lewis Carroll's "The Jabberwock" poem. 

Very strange what drugs to do us.

[sherob]

I had an umbilical hernia fixed back in 2003(?)... mesh put in... belly button back for the first time in 6 years.    Normal routine in a couple weeks, still tender... I was back to normal after a couple months, but I did watch what I was lifting for a while after that. 

The weird thing, was a slight popping feeling every once in a while I had... like the mesh would get caught on something when I was moving around.  This stopped after 6 months or so... strange feeling.

Unfortunately I was smacked on my ST1300 in 2005, which caused a herniated L5/S1.  I had that fixed in 2006.  I've been fighting all this year to get my back fused (L5/S1... now looks like my L4/L5 needs to be done too).  Looks like I'll finally be able to get it done the end of this year!    Sorry for that hijack, but I'm really looking forward to getting rid of the pain finally!

[Ron Dawg]

Good luck Rob.