Inguinal hernia got big quickly

See here about NPHI mesh.

http://hernia.tripod.com/meshsyst2.html. Entire FAQ is at http://www.nphernia.com/faqs2.html

They also have FAQ and all details of how mesh is held in place and what is tension free technique. During 2009 or 2008 my PCP during the yearly physical told me that I had hernia and needed to be careful – kind of watch and wait. I ignored and went as usual. But by 2014 there was a small bump and it started growing bigger. More than bump part, I was in pain during bowel movement or during walk/run and eating. Particular worse pains came when I ate in buffet dinners (too much loading) and when I ate cheesy stuff that caused indigestion. I had to be very very careful while lifting stuff even if that was a gallon milk can.

Then I learned from NPHI discussion board ( http://www.network54.com/Forum/557220/ ) that hernia can be hereditary. My father had it and died with it without ever going to surgery. My brother had it for over 20 years and never went to surgery. He was suffering bad. He went to surgery after I had mine and lamented that he should have gone 20 years before to not lose the quality years of his life. He had surgery both sides and is very happy now.

Any case after seeing all these details and choosing non-mesh repair with Dr. Tomas of Florida I decided that since this is hereditary non-mesh is not suitable to me. Since if I use non-mesh, due to weaker genes I can get a recurrence. That made me chose Dr. Goodyear of NPHI. I cancelled Dr. Tomas appointment and sent my papers to NPHI and asked for a phone interview and Dr. G called me to answer all my questions. He was very easy to talk to and very friendly.

On July 30th I went to PA, met Dr. G on July 31st 9 AM and he examined me for 15 minutes, answered all my questions (I wrote them on paper) and made me feel at ease. I was rolled in to surgery at 10:30 (All these were set up on phone first before going to PA). While Dr. G was talking to me about surgery they added some anesthesia via nasal cannula (sp?). Next thing I know was my family pushing me to wake up in post surgery area. I walked out after 1 hour observation. That was it. I slept like a baby.

Two years after surgery, no pain, nothing. Everything is good. My main worries before were two things. 1) Due to surgery what if I had some block of Urinary tract? I read on Google that some people can have this and they insert a tube through penis to pull urine out. Cannot even imagine the pain and suffering. 2) What if the mesh reacts and causes clot that can travel to lungs or brain?

Dr. G answers were these 1) why would you worry about urinary tract if you never had any such problems? This surgery would not even touch anything with urinary tract. This answer did *not* put me at ease but after surgery when they rolled me out they gave me cookies and soda. Within 5 minutes I asked nurse to walk me to bathroom. It was ONLY THEN I recognized that I asked the question to Dr G and smiled to myself. There was free flow and never any obstruction. 2) the mesh is outside the blood stream and will not cause any regular blood contact to cause clots. So the question is irrelevant.

Other minor worry was – would the mesh be rejected due to reaction from body? yes it is possible in a very small percent of people who are allergic to surgical gloves, plastic blah blah. I have never had any allergies in my life. So why bother?

What made me to choose surgery? – I was in pain and decided that either I die on surgery table or get this cured. I was not interested to live with pain on a daily basis and let not the pain control my life. During one of those indigestion episodes (after eating cheesy pizza, and mind you I never ever have indigestion since I am vegetarian and eat good fiber stuff), I had to hold my hernia before any bowel movement happened. That made me decide I go for surgery as well.

Oh BTW I went to a local surgeon with all these same questions and the guy answered OK but I was not convinced to put my man parts in his hands. May be he is good but when I asked him the mesh name, he cannot recall and was scratching his head. Another surgeon who did surgery to my colleague did not do good job and the colleague said not to go to him. All roads then pointed to PA and NPHI. I am happy I went to Dr. G

Any more questions?