Medical advice for me?

Yuck, I think I'm getting a hernia. Nothing serious yet, no pooching out or anything but I feel something strange and unstable "down there" when I cough. So I'm going to the doctor tomorrow but I'm wondering what to expect. Anybody know anything? I'm pretty sure you always have to have surgery to correct a hernia, right? What's it like? How long can I expect to be down because of it? How long do I have to stay in the hospital? When can I start coughing again without bad things happening?

I've never had surgery before so I'm kinda scared.

unstable as in "big jim and the twins"? Tenderness? Swelling? Lump?

But right next door. No real pain or tenderness either. I think there may be some swelling but not much. I feel icky movement when I cough, it's hard to describe, but I know there's something going on down there. If I put my fingers on the spot I can definitely feel something intestiny, but nothing's actually coming out as far as I can tell. It doesn't hurt but it's definitely icky. I don't feel, like, a hole or anything there, but something's moving that's not supposed to be. Quite disgusting.

Oh I hope I hope I hope I hope it doesn't require surgery!

At any moment say lifting something? A sharp pain when the muscle may have seperated?

Definitely no heavy lifting or anything like that (although I had just bought a new pair of pants that are way too tight for me! Could that do it?). A couple of days ago I simply coughed and felt something very subtle and odd.

Last night I had a really bad allergy attack and was sneezing a lot. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING subtle about that, let me tell you! Sneezing is defintely bad news.

it could be a hernia but it woulda took some heavy-duty sneezing. I would bet in any case its not surgical. Probably gonna be one of those rest and heat kind of deals. I've torn the muscles between my ribs, love that football, and it hurt for months. You may just have a muscle pull or spasm down there.

Who knows, I may end up needing surgery but at least tonight before I go to the doctor I won't be so scared. Thanks! The sneezing didn't cause it. I noticed it before the sneezing attack. The sneezing was just when I could REALLY feel it. There was really nothing that happened that could have caused it. If it's a hernia then it just kinda appeared. Is that ever possible? It's right next to the crease where my thigh joins my abdomen, but low, right next door to the boys, like I said. If it eventually goes away by itself that would be great.

wish I coulda offered more but my wife is at work, she's the doctor.

They can become very dangerous ..in a hurry.. I am glad you have an appointment.

Even if you need surgery, it's a breeze now that they use laproscopy.. Two of my sons had them repaired when they were babies,and back then they made incisions.. Even with that..it's not a huge operation..probably day surgery...

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http://www.mindspring.com/~videosur/inherdia.html
Your doctor will want to know when you experience pain with your hernia, how severe the pain is and how it is limiting or affecting your lifestyle. Other complications that are resulting from the hernia, such as nausea will also be evaluated. In advanced cases, hernias may be causing serious intestinal and digestive problems; your doctor will want to fully evaluate your situation before making a recommendation for treatment.

Just as a bulge can form in a worn tire, a hernia may form in the weakened abdominal wall. At the weakened spot, a hernia sac or bulging of the abdominal lining may fill with intestine or fat. If the bulge flattens out when you lie down or push against it, you have a reducible hernia. Although you're not in any immediate danger, your hernia should still be evaluated for surgery.

If the hernia becomes trapped or incarcerated, you won't be able to flatten the bulge. In this case, you have a non-reducible hernia, which is often painful. Surgery is usually recommended in these cases. If the intestine is tightly trapped or strangulated, it eventually loses its blood supply and dies. A strangulated intestine can also block digestion and cause severe pain. In these cases, surgery is almost always recommended immediately to relieve the blockage and repair the hernia.


Having A Medical Evalution
During your medical evaluation, your doctor will conduct a physical exam to help evaluate what type of inguinal hernia you have. This also will determine whether your surgery can be done laparoscopically or will have to be done using traditional methods.
The wall of your abdomen contains several areas of possible weakness. These areas include nural spaces and thin tissue, such as the umbilical ring around the navel and internal ring in the groin. These weak areas may give way to a hernia.

There are many different kinds of inguinal hernias. These are diagnosed and described depending on the area they affect.

The Types of Inguinal Hernias Include:


Incisional hernias occur at the site of previous abdominal surgical incisions.
Umbilical hernias occur in the umbilical ring, a weak spot around the navel.
Direct inguinal hernias occur near the internal ring, a weak spot in the groin.
Femoral hernias occur in the area of weakness just below the groin.
Indirect inguinal hernias occurs at the internal ring, a weak spot in the groin.
Recurrent hernias occur at the previous hernia site.
Bilateral hernias that occur on both sides.

and

All About Inguinal Hernias: Symptoms and Causes
Inguinal hernias are protrusions of soft tissue, such as a portion of the intestine, through a weak spot in a muscle, usually in the abdominal wall. Inguinal hernias occur where the abdomen meets the thigh in the groin region.
Anyone can have an inguinal hernia. Men, women and even children of all ages experience hernias. Hernias are weaknesses or tears in the wall of the abdomen; sometimes they are referred to as ruptures. They typically occur two ways: first, by wear and tear over time (acquired hernias) and secondly from a weakness in the abdominal wall that is present at birth (congenital hernias).

Although many people "live" with hernias for years before they even know it or they become a problem, over time they often get worse due to physical stress or aging. Children's hernias usually are congenital and are present from the time they're born.

Hernias produce different symptoms or feelings. Sometimes you'll notice a protrusion in your groin area between the pubis and the top of the leg or feel pain when you strain during urination or a bowel movement or when you lift a heavy object. The pain can be sharp and immediate. Other times you'll just feel a dull aching sensation, a vague feeling of fullness, nausea or constipation; these feelings typically get worse toward the end of the day or after standing for long periods of time and may disappear when you lie down. And, while persons certainly can live for years with hernias, without treatment they will not disappear.

If the hernia can be pushed back into the abdominal cavity, it is referred to as a reducible hernia, which while not an immediate health threat, will require surgery to disappear. If it cannot be pushed back, it is nonreducible. This is a condition that may lead to dangerous complications such as the obstruction of the flow of the intestinal contents or intestinal blood supply (strangulation), leading to tissue death. Intestinal obstruction produces nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain and usually requires immediate surgery. A strangulated hernia is very painful and requires immediate surgery.

Over 70% of all hernias occur in the groin area between the pubis and the top of the leg known as the inguinal region of the abdomen, that's why they are called Inguinal Hernias. Here, an abnormal opening occurs in the large sac containing the internal organs, causing some of the organs to protrude. When an abnormal opening or defect occurs on both sides of the groin, it is called a bilateral inguinal hernia. While most hernias are easily treated, in about one in ten people, even after treatment they may return and need to be repaired again. These are called recurrent inguinal hernias. Recurrent hernias are not an indication of your surgeon's ability, but indicate poor tissue healing or trauma to the site of the repair.


Who's Likely to Have This Type of Problem?
Every year, more than half a million American men, almost one in twenty, will have a hernia that needs surgery. And while the number of women who have problematic inguinal hernias is much less, they are on the rise. Typically men are about 10 times more likely to get an inguinal hernia than women.

What Causes Hernias?
Hernias are caused by congenital (defects at birth) or age-related weaknesses in the abdominal walls. In males, they are caused by an improper closure of the abdominal cavity during the body's development in the womb. They can also be caused by an increase in pressure within the abdominal cavity due to heavy lifting, straining, violent coughing, obesity or pregnancy.

Aren't they for after your operation? Do you think I could really get away with wearing a truss for awhile? Do they make them in leather? Could I buy a sexy one somewhere d'ya think?