Post Hernia Repair – Getting Back to 100% Goal

[Scarletville]

I had my right inguinal hernia repaired close to a year ago with an open mesh repair and would like some advice from the community regarding trying to get back to 100%. In March I was doing 30k steps in France and noticed if I am doing a long day like that on my feet I do get an increasing dull ache at the hernia site. Since then I’ve joined the gym again and have been doing 5 hours of intense cardio a week that’s all good, no pain, no ache. Where I want to go is back to body building but if I press around the hernia site, particularly about an inch above the incision it feels noticeably harder though there is no visible swelling. I believe a tightness in this area is the cause for the dull ache I get a bit of here and there and when walking very very long distances. I also have also triggered a bit of a feeling there carrying heavy shopping and when I tested a bench press with just the bar (20kg). I believe the stretch of the abs during the bench bench caused it where as my test with the bar on a squat was fine. My question is how reasonable is it that this tightness can still be reduced? I’m thinking of starting up a full body weight lifting programme moving slowly starting with the bars and hopefully gaining a little bit more flexibility in this area which I think is all I’d need to be able to return to lifting heavier weights again and getting rid of this dull ache which along with the scar is my final lingering reminder I ever had a hernia.

[William Bryant]

Good to hear it’s going well and this, I think, is an example of mesh success story that good intentions has a thread on, maybe add it to that too.

I haven’t had hernia surgery but have read a lot of forums where slight aches and pain on exertion carry on for a few years, which was true in my case after my (non hernia related) surgery. It used to get tight and achy, dull pain for about 3 years.

It’s still not as supple feeling at my surgery site if I press the area but gives no trouble in that there’s no pain or ache now.

[Author]

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