Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2005 11:41:17 -0700
Reply-To: Jeffrey Schwaia <jeff@VANAGONPARTS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jeffrey Schwaia <jeff@VANAGONPARTS.COM>
Subject: Re: LVC also going in for surgery tomorrow..Maybe TMI for some
In-Reply-To: <6.2.3.4.2.20050801124417.027cee20@pop.ipa.net>
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Yeah. This thread is much better than the John Wallace thread. Much
better....
Anyone ever heard of pmail?
Jeff
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
Of Max Wellhouse
Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 11:26 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: LVC also going in for surgery tomorrow..Maybe TMI for some
Yeah, I had laproscopic inguinal hernia surgery on the right side
just 12 days ago and I'm pretty much back to 50% at this point. Make
sure the surgeon does the mesh for reinforcement. This is my second
time for this area and the first mesh job wasn't done real well
according to my current surgeon(it was done in 1994 with an incision).
I can tell you this. Whether they prepare/tell/warn you about it or
not, I had major" bruising" in the genital area about 48 hours after
the surgery and with all that fluid heading there and feeling light
headed, I was thinking major blood loss and headed straight for the
ER. Bubba and twins turned several dark shades of purple and got
REAL tender and tingly(NOT in a good sense!). After two exams by the
ER RN and the ER Doc, they concluded that this was pretty normal for
a 48 hr. post op. hernia. WOULD'VE BEEN GREAT TO HAVE KNOWN TO
EXPECT THAT AHEAD OF TIME!!! Maybe saved me a $300 ER trip!!?? It's
better now a week later, but since I lift for a living, I won't be
back to work for another 2 weeks. During that time I can gradually
get back in to shape.
Other things to do:
1. The Percocet they give you for the pain meds in combination, the
lack of physical activity after the surgery, and the anesthesia all
combine to turn anything you eat into concrete!. Still, eat as much
fiber rich foods as you can take(trust me you won't have much of an
appetite either) and drink drink drink!!
2. When your urine flow begins to return, that's a good sign, but I
got a hint from a friend that went through hell after his incision
surgery last April. When that first bowel movement tries to come,
rather than risk putting real pressure down there forcing things,
make sure you find a huge beach towel and wrap it around your entire
mid section as tight as you can. Then as you bear down, the load is
spread over a much wider area and there's less stress on the
incision/ laproscopic holes.. He spent 2 1/2 hours working on the
first one, I spent like 10 minutes. The fiber does make a
difference. Eating whole cans of cut green beans isn't much of a
meal, but it will pay dividends down the road. That "first one" took
me almost 72 hours to "happen".
3. Light-headedness is common when you get up too fast and the
musculature down there will really complain when you change from one
position to another; especlally if you've been in that position for a
long time ie sleeping or sitting in front of the computer for long
periods. AVOID EXPLOSIVE MOVEMENTS. I mean sneezing, coughing,
clearing your throat, hiccups, hard blowing of the nose,hard bowel
movements, and forced farting.
4. Surgery was at 8AM, but I didn't leave the recovery room til
almost 5. After the ride home, I hurled all the 7 up and crakcers
they'd tried to feed me. YOur belly will be distended and stiff for
a while; mine still is: I weaned my self gradually from the
Percocet where at 72 hours I rotated to, Ibuprofin and tapered from there.
5. Even early on afte the surgery, it's important to get up and walk
for 5 minutes, and then gradually extend the time you walk. I did 30
minutes the day after the surgery, but I took it real slow and didn't
stray far from the house.
6. The lap surgery overall has been much better than the incision I
had in 94. I was 8 weeks getting back to work then and had numbness
and ED problems even afte that. Eventually it all got back to normal
though. Hopelfully, you'll come through it bette than I did. At
least now you know what to expect, but everyone reacts differently.
7. Putting off hernia surgery is tempting fate. I wore a truss to
work for 6 weeks and I was playing with fire. My Primary care Doc
says he's seen farmers that have put off the surgery and their small
intestine was working its way into the scrotum to the point that it
was hanging down half way down to the knee. Once it becomes
strangulated, you have about 6 hours to live.
Good luck and I hope your Doc is doing the lapro.
Max
>also FWIW, tomorrow i am going in for hernia surgery.. not sure how i will
>feel after that.. definatley not looking fwd to it but its something ive
put
>off way too long..
>
>
>chris
>
>
>
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