[WilliamT]

As I head back home today, I thought I would add how the rest of my post-op time in Seoul progressed:

Days 1 and 2
More uncomfortable/painful than the day of surgery. Spent most of the time in bed. Could walk halfway down the hotel hallway before feeling the need to lie down again.

Day 3
Felt ready to get moving. Tried the hotel treadmill at 1km/hr, but found this a bit fast. Then tried walking outside, and eventually made it to a restaurant 1.5km away. Despite barely being able to cross intersections before the lights changed, I was pleased with the progress, until….I got stuck in a super painful position trying to get into bed. Getting in and out of bed is a definite challenge in the first few days, so I wish I had practiced a safe technique pre-op so that I was in the habit of being careful.
Total distance walked for the day was 5km

Day 4
After the previous night’s incident, I was feeling more pain with movement. Couldn’t walk for very long without sitting down.
Total distance walked was 3km

Day 5
Set out on a mission to see some tourist sites. It took 3 attempts before making it to the subway, however, once out and underway in the tourist areas, I managed to just keep walking for nearly 7 hours.
Total distance walked was 20km!!!

Day 6
Walking pace and stride were improving, and I was better able to handle all the subway staircases. There were frequent tugging/ripping pains, so I needed to sit down periodically (but could usually resume walking after 30-60 seconds of rest). I visited Dr Kang for a follow-up ultrasound, and everything looks good.
Total distance walked was 13km

Day 7
Similar to day 6 with improving pace of movement, but still the need for periodic breaks. Covered most of the remaining tourist sites that I wanted to see. Seoul is quite an impressive city, and am glad I had the time and strength to play tourist for these few days.
Total walking for the day is 13km

Day 8
Flying home! While I could have comfortably flown home 1-2 days prior, I was grateful to have the buffer, and it ended up giving me ample time to enjoy the city.

[WilliamT]

Hi William Bryant,
Yes, Dr Kang uses both IV sedation and local anesthetic. My records don’t specify which ones, but I can ask if it matters.

Hi Watchful,
Completely understand the impact of excess abdominal fat, and I knew I needed to drop some pounds regardless, which is why I immediately started aggressive efforts. I still found it odd that a stricter standard was being applied this time, as my broad frame and muscle % hadn’t changed. Funny thing was when soon after my assessment, I was seen by an ER physician and a nurse for a different matter, and they were both baffled when I told them of my prescribed weight loss. The young physician, who was not familiar with Shouldice, said “I don’t get it, you’re not that heavy, and you don’t look that overweight. Do they only treat skinny people?”

I’m very sorry to hear that you became alert during your surgery. I know that administering anesthesia is a tricky balancing act, but if intraoperative awareness is frequently noted in Shouldice reviews, then perhaps they should at least look to improve their monitoring protocols and/or monitoring equipment. Because of my alertness during my first surgery, it wouldn’t surprise me if I have some level of PTSD that was making me increasingly anxious ahead of this recent one. I must reiterate that it was a tremendous relief that I felt nothing throughout the procedure with Dr. Kang.

In regards to skin sensations after my first surgery, now that you mention paresthesia, I recall that also was present for some time. However, the numbness was more persistent, and covered a larger area of around 2” x 4”. I’m only on day 3 after my Kang repair, and so far I am not feeling either symptom. The incision area is neat, slightly tender, and has a bit of swelling.

[WilliamT]

Sorry, I didn’t describe this accurately; the discomfort from walking and standing is more of an inflamed and abrasive-type feeling.
Tugging hasn’t happened much with walking, and when it did, it was mostly on stairs and walking down steep declining slopes.
Tugging was mainly around movements that involve either excessive stretching/extension, or compression of the repair area. The only time it was scary is when I got “stuck’ in what was essentially a single-leg squat while trying to get into bed. Fortunately I had my follow-up with Dr. Kang scheduled for a few days later, and the incident doesn’t appear to have set me back.
The tugging sensation feels the same as after the Shouldice repair, but it is less frequent and resolving more quickly this time. It may even be gone now, as gentle stretching, crouching/squatting, and bending are all no problem as of today.

[WilliamT]

Yes, the progress feels great! Today I’m very tempted do a strength workout, but I’ll hold off for another week.