I’ve got another hernia.
I’ve suspected (and feared) this since I had my first hernia repair surgery last year. Unfortunately, my suspicions have been confirmed.
It pops out just like my other hernia did. It sometimes goes away or can be pushed back in. It’s on the opposite side of my body, in an identical mirror image location.
According to the internet (so it must be true) 25% of men get hernias.
I’m just unlucky that I fell into this 25% – not once, but twice.
I’ve dealt with this by first pretending it didn’t t exist. It only popped out occasionally and when I pushed it back in, it tended to say there. I told myself, “Maybe it’s not a hernia…maybe it’s just that I’m so lean that I can see my intestines when I have a full stomach.”
Then, over a period of months, it was popping out more frequently. It got larger. It became clear to me it was a hernia.
Now, whenever I walk around, I’m constantly reaching down to push it back in. It pops out at seemingly random times. It’s not visible to anyone, nor can I tell when it has popped out unless I see it or touch it.
So I push it back in ~ 20 times a day. And I check to see if it’s popped out probably 100 times a day.
Which is why I decided to go see my surgeon. I know it’s a hernia. I know it is getting worse. I know there’s no fix for this other than surgery. The sooner I have surgery, the sooner I can start recovering.
I remember after my last surgery how relieved I was to no longer have to push my intestines back in with my fingers and check for this all the time.
It’ll be the same this time too. Once I get past the pain and recovery stage, I’ll be glad I did this.
My hernia makes me think of that Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome character, Master Blaster. Master Blaster was a midget intellectual who rode on the shoulders of a giant who was mentally deficient. Together they formed one being.
That’s me and my hernia.
As for which one is mentally deficient – it depends on what day it is,
Assuming the surgeon confirms my diagnosis and there are no complications, I’ll have surgery later this month. Then I’ll spend all of September and October recovering and trying to get back into peak condition.
I am not happy about this. But I am resigned to it.