Staying the Course -- March 24, 2021

[Superbob]

Good new week, fellow Coursers. I am in hectic mode, getting ready for appointment with my cardiologist. Lots of big decisions within family. Life is way more hectic in so-called "retirement" than it ever was in my 9 to 5 working days. Cheerio. I will write more later. Let's hear from you'all, you hear?

Cheers,
Superbob

 

[Superman]

That’s because you can finally take care of all the stuff that gets put off during your working years!

 

[Superbob]

That’s because you can finally take care of all the stuff that gets put off during your working years!

Good point! Speaking of putting off, there's that incisional hernia from my 9/18/19 OHS that I've been venting about here since it first appeared in cardiac rehab 4 months post-op. It will never resolve on its own. Can live with it while you can -- 'til it gets worse, and you can't.

Today my cardiologist made a very good point: If I keep delaying until it's an emergency that could be unfortunate, because there apparently aren't any general surgeons around here who do these repairs so high up the sternum, just above the upper-abdomen (and scarily close to the heart). I have found the most skilled surgeon in this epigastric procedure, but he's across the state, 250 miles away -- a heckuva long way to drive in an emergency. So it makes sense to make an appointment for elective surgery and just git-er-done. I've messaged the surgeon's office tonight asking to set a date, most likely it'll be in June since he usually schedules three months in advance. (I had a tele-med appointment with him last November. Impressive guy.)

So it's a relief to be making a decision and moving forward. Hope after recovery I can get back to regular exercise class. And have one less thing to agonize over here.

 

[dornole]

Good thinking Superbob. Hope all goes smoothly.

 

[skeptic49]

Good luck with your procedure, Superbob. We're enjoying some nice, warmer spring weather here in the Philadelphia area with some pre=April showers to help the plants grow. I will hop on AMTRAK on Thursday to travel to Penn Station New York City to get my second Covid shot at Walgreens.

 

[tom in MO]

Everybody with a hernia that is not threatening has that decision Superbob. Some live with it a long time (you can tell because you can see the hernia through their shirt). I opted for "get 'er dun" too...both times

 

[Paleowoman]

Hope you get your appointment soon Superbob, and meanwhile relax now you've made the decision

 

[Superbob]

Everybody with a hernia that is not threatening has that decision Superbob. Some live with it a long time (you can tell because you can see the hernia through their shirt). I opted for "get 'er dun" too...both times

That's very helpful to know, thanks Tom. If you don't mind my asking, were either or both of your hernias in the upper abdomen region? I didn't even know this was a thing 'til a CR nurse examined a small mushy mass near the sternum and announced, "That
is a hernia!" It was small back then -- 14 months ago -- but is rather large now. People certainly can see it through my tee-shirt. Maybe I should wear my Superman tee all the time and tell folks it's SB's auxiliary leap-tall-buildings generator.

From everything I've read, yes. folks may go a long time without having any major pain or distress with these, but eventually complications almost always will bring the need for surgery. In my case, a part of the colon is protruding through the chest cavity -- that can't be good. And looks like I've reached your wise conclusion --better to get 'er dun BEFORE there are serious complications. Appreciate greatly the moral support you have given me.

 

[tom in MO]

That's very helpful to know, thanks Tom. If you don't mind my asking, were either or both of your hernias in the upper abdomen region? I didn't even know this was a thing 'til a CR nurse examined a small mushy mass near the sternum and announced, "That
is a hernia!" It was small back then -- 14 months ago -- but is rather large now. People certainly can see it through my tee-shirt. Maybe I should wear my Superman tee all the time and tell folks it's SB's auxiliary leap-tall-buildings generator.

From everything I've read, yes. folks may go a long time without having any major pain or distress with these, but eventually complications almost always will bring the need for surgery. In my case, a part of the colon is protruding through the chest cavity -- that can't be good. And looks like I've reached your wise conclusion --better to get 'er dun BEFORE there are serious complications. Appreciate greatly the moral support you have given me.

My first hernia was 4" above my belly button. It was repaired the old fashioned way...sewn up. My second hernia appeared above that one. It was supposed to be repaired the new way...mesh. When he opened me up he said I had a lot of little hernias across my belly that couldn't be seen now but would get worse. He put in a big mesh the "size of a dinner plate". Lots of little stiches to hold the "plate" in place. Scared my wife because the quick surgery took 2-3x longer. Not sure of where it starts, don't remember and the scars are gone, but I'd guess it was 3-4" below my sternum. That was one of the most painful surgeries I've had because of all the little stitches. I was warned that mesh repair of hernias is more painful then one would expect...it's true.

Having been carjacked, my joke was they should have used Kevlar for the mesh, then I'd be bullet-proof

 

[Superbob]

Thanks, Tom. I've read up on this and am forewarned to expect some pain. Almost surely mesh would be used to keep my wayward parts back in their place. But all in all, are you still glad that you "got 'er done," rather than just trying to live with the condition? Does the pain still recur to one degree or another? Is the gain worth whatever the pain may be? (I continue to go back and forth about just trying to live with this large hernia affecting the colon, even as today I deal with some gastric distress, almost certainly related. Will skip passing along TMI.

Carjacked -- wow! Sounds like there is a harrowing story in that -- maybe you have reported it in another forum here?

Considering all that's going on in our world, Kevlar definitely sounds more functional than mesh!