Originally Posted by
FBOATSB
Interesting subject to me presently. Last Thanksgiving, doing some admittedly heavy yardwork, I suffered a classic stumble, over compensating attempt not to fall, then fall. Wound up with a badly pulled right groin and inguinal hernia. The groin healed pretty quick but this hernia, not so much. Did not really effect lifting things but by the end of a shift of ladder work and stretching overhead pulling on wrenches it felt like my belly was about to burst open. Pretty (expletive deleted) painful.
I got a referral to a specialist and after the exam he predicted that I could go five years until a surgical repair would be required. Provided I don't do anything stupid in the meantime, of course.
I think my inguinal canal is fairly stable now with no pain and I wear a prescribed hernia belt for anything remotely strenuous. However if I get any groin pain I immediately stop and reassess what I'm doing wrong. All this has had no adverse effect on my cycling by the way.
Hopefully by the time I need the repair they will have some new tech available besides stitching a piece of window screen in my groin. I already have enough titanium and cadaver bone in me.
The sooner it's done, the smaller the cut and the sooner you get back to normal. Cannot understand why your doc said 5 years. Mine was large enough (I'd lifted my wife's mobility scooter regularly in and out of the car) but it was done within a year at the latest. I was treading on eggshells until it was done, but, like others here, it never impinged on my cycling. I was walking around the ward immediately after the op. The surgeon did a great job.