What a great list! Vanagon content and discussion of various intimate
surgical issues. Can anyone beat this surgical story? Anybody ever have
surgery performed in a Vanagon?

Cheers,
Bruce
motorbruce@hotmail.com

>From: Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
>Reply-To: Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: LVC also going in for surgery tomorrow..Maybe TMI for some
>Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2005 13:25:42 -0500
>
>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
>>
>>
>>
>>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
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