Thread: Got a damn hernia

Originally Posted by Riverdragon

Inguinal hernia to be exact.

I've had one before, so I know what to expect after surgery. Bad thing is, now I am afraid to keep lifting heavy until after surgery and recovery.

I'm thinking now may be a good time to do some low weight/heavy rep workouts with some cardio to lose some body fat. I will be having surgery around the end of November. Any one else had one?

Never had one, but I wish you a speedy recovery. Don't do anything to make it worse. Nothing wrong with some lighter lifting for now.

I havn't yet ... but you take care and take it easy too. Good luck on your surgery Riverdragon. I know everything will go just fine.

It's an outpatient surgery which lasts just a couple of hours. The worst part is the recovery. When you get up and try to walk around it feels like someone has stabbed you in the stomach. After 1-2 weeks you're back to normal as far as walking around and everyday stuff.

Originally Posted by Riverdragon

Inguinal hernia to be exact.

I've had one before, so I know what to expect after surgery. Bad thing is, now I am afraid to keep lifting heavy until after surgery and recovery.

I'm thinking now may be a good time to do some low weight/heavy rep workouts with some cardio to lose some body fat. I will be having surgery around the end of November. Any one else had one?

do you train abs regulary?

I usually train abs once a week. The hernia comes from a weak spot on the stomach tissue that separates the intestines from the groin area. It runs in my family I am told.

Originally Posted by Riverdragon

I usually train abs once a week. The hernia comes from a weak spot on the stomach tissue that separates the intestines from the groin area. It runs in my family I am told.

oh, based on this it sounded as if weak abs are the reason:

Inguinal Hernia
A hernia is a condition in which part of the intestine bulges through a weak area in muscles in the abdomen. An inguinal hernia occurs in the groin (the area between the abdomen and thigh). It is called "inguinal" because the intestines push through a weak spot in the inguinal canal, which is a triangle-shaped opening between layers of abdominal muscle near the groin. Obesity, pregnancy, heavy lifting, and straining to pass stool can cause the intestine to push against the inguinal canal.

Originally Posted by Robert DiMaggio

...Inguinal Hernia
A hernia is a condition in which part of the intestine bulges through a weak area in muscles in the abdomen. An inguinal hernia occurs in the groin (the area between the abdomen and thigh). It is called "inguinal" because the intestines push through a weak spot in the inguinal canal, which is a triangle-shaped opening between layers of abdominal muscle near the groin. Obesity, pregnancy, heavy lifting, and straining to pass stool can cause the intestine to push against the inguinal canal.

OUCH...That's gut to be painful. I wish you a speedy recovery from surgery. Stay positive and keep a bright outlook and you will be back to hardcore lifting before ya know it.

On a related note did anyone read the Casey Viator interview from a few years back in Musclemag international where he said on a leg day he had a hernia and his intestines bulged out..solution duct tape wrapped around his mid section..one tough SOB. The duct tape was just a temp solution until he could get to the hospital. I tell you what, if my intestines almost busted through my guts doing squats I would probably go into shock and have the weight crush me into the floor.

Originally Posted by Riverdragon

Inguinal hernia to be exact.

I've had one before, so I know what to expect after surgery. Bad thing is, now I am afraid to keep lifting heavy until after surgery and recovery.

I'm thinking now may be a good time to do some low weight/heavy rep workouts with some cardio to lose some body fat. I will be having surgery around the end of November. Any one else had one?

Bummer!! I just had surgery on June 7th. I had two hernias on my left side. I had an open surgery. The pain wasn't too bad (I had a "pain pump" in my side for about three days").

I was back in the gym 9 days after surgery. I started with about 50% of what I normally did on my first week back then 70% the following week and finally worked my way back to my normal weights after about 2 months. (I didn't do any squats or deadlifts for 5-6 weeks) Everything else came back pretty quick.

It took me about 12 weeks to feel comfortable sprinting.

Good luck....

Good timing on this thead. In the new issue of Muscular Development in an interview with Lee Priest and Kris Dim [page 175], this exchange takes place:

MD: I never heard about you having any injuries, Kris. Like what?

KD: The only major thing is a hernia, but that's hereditary. I was born with a hernia and so were both my sons. Weight training made mine worse. I had surgery once and they put mesh over it, but I re-tore it and ripped through that. I am actually scheduled to have it repaired again next week.

MD: Yikes, at least you should be all healed up in plenty of time to train for the GNC and Olympia, right?

KD: Oh yeah, hernia repairs are a very minor surgery. You can start light training again in a week and by a month or so, you're pretty much back to normal. You just have to be careful with certain movements that put a lot of pressure on abdominal wall and the groin, that's all.

LP: Ouch, this is hurting me just listening to it. I don't want to hear about any kind of pain near the groin, thank you.

Hope that helps!

yeah I imagine it will take some time before I will feel comfortable doing squats again.

i injured myself on the job but i enjoy working out and staying in shape. i am worried that this might happen again. does anyone know what excercises i should shy away from? i'm a tall guy so i don't do many squats more lunges than anything else.
And yes, anyone thats out there and hasn't had a hernia, this sucks!

how did it happen?

i'm a iron worker so i lift anywhere from 5,000 lbs. to 10'000 lbs of metal a day. it was bound to happen

I have had 5 hernia's, and 5 operations. 2 inguinals, 1 incarsarated, 1 ambillical, and 1 ventral. I think I'm qualified to know how much they suck. The last one was approx. 1 yr ago. Now I'm back in the gym slowly lifting more and more, getting my abs in shape.

Originally Posted by rugger26

I have had 5 hernia's, and 5 operations. 2 inguinals, 1 incarsarated, 1 ambillical, and 1 ventral. I think I'm qualified to know how much they suck. The last one was approx. 1 yr ago. Now I'm back in the gym slowly lifting more and more, getting my abs in shape.

Wow. I actually feel sorry for you.

Well Riverdragon.. i hope everything goes ok with you and you recover safley.
I have a question though that this seems to be a good thread for... sometimes... usually if i drink alot of water and/or i eat alot of cereal (honey bunches of oats)(which i dont really eat anymore).. the middle region of my abdominal area on my left side pops out a few inches..as if it inflates. Its really wierd because its not like my whole stomach popping out or getting bigger.. its just one section.. about 4 inches below my ribs.. and ONLY on my left side. After about an hour it will "deflate" and go back down to normal where its even with my right side... but this worries me because I've never heard of this happening to anyone and someone told me it could be a hernia. What are your oppinions?

Don't feel sorry for me. I am tougher because of the adversity!