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Let me clarify one point, as I see that I have not explained it very well. The first surgery was done laparoscopically so the mesh is on the inside. The surgeons I have met with are recommending repair with an open procedure, so they would be coming in from the outside and place the mesh on the outside of the hernia. That way there would be two layers of mesh that would be sandwiching the abdominal wall. It just doesn’t seem like this is a good idea for many reasons. Hopefully this clears that up. I think I gave the impression that they are recommending putting mesh on the right side when the left side is the side that is broken.
As far as pain goes, I had two decent years. I could certainly tell there was mesh in there but nothing that would stop me from doing anything. About a year after the original surgery, I joined a crossfit gym. It was march and April of this year when we were doing a lot of squats and deadlifts and increasing weight that my hernia got bad again. Since then, I have stopped exercising so the pain is minimal, but I have also gained about ten pounds. I have held off surgery to preserve what I could of my summer and so I could spend more time figuring this out.
In regard to research the first time, I waited too long to get diagnosed. By the time I went in, the pain was so bad I had to get surgery as soon as possible. I was diagnosed on a Friday and was in surgery on Monday morning at 5am. I trusted the surgeon who came recommended by one of the hospital’s top nurses, who is a friend of mine.