Woo hoo! I have another "medical procedure" in my future....

At the NMCOA Mini Meet in Stillman Valley IL, September 27, 2008, I didn't eat lunch and spent the entire late morning/early afternoon walking around and chatting. Late that afternoon, I suddenly had an excruciating pain right above my belly button; that area of my skin was tender and a "bump" of sorts was visible. I chalked it up to no lunch and too much walking around. So, I sat in my '87 MC LS/CL and grabbed a snack and a mint. The pain subsided within 15 minutes ... and I forgot about the incident.

That is ... I forgot about it until Wednesday night, February 18. I had just finished watching "That '70s Show" and was reading through one of my forums, when that SAME excruciating pain returned. I knew then that I had chalked the pain up to the wrong thing last September. This time, however, the pain did NOT go away within 15 minutes; it stayed for about an hour. The next day, I called my primary doc and scheduled an appointment for Friday ... during which I was diagnosed with an "Incisional Hernia". Wonderful. I meet with the surgeon (the same one who removed my gallbladder in 2005) in mid-March, right before I head to St Louis for the ValveReplacement Reunion ... and, depending on what the surgeon says, will schedule surgery for this spring sometime.

This, however, should be a "piece of cake", compared to my other surgeries ... uh, "medical procedures". I don't think I've had a "medical procedure free" year since 2002....



Cort | 35swm | "Mr Monte Carlo"."Mr Road Trip" | pig valve.pacemaker ...MidW Event = 04/04/09
WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"Everything is temporary anyway" ... Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians ... 'Circle'

 

No medication, but some techniques on how to minimize the pain, etc.


LOL! Depending on how "rich" is defined in this case, the hernia attacked the WRONG person this time ... he he.


OK ... sorry I didn't get back sooner. After my STL trip the weekend of March 14, I was way too tired to start catching up. Still am, somewhat, so not quite sure what that is about....

Anyway ... back to the "medical procedure" ... according to the surgeon, my incisional hernia isn't a big deal...thank goodness, I think.... Before that appointment, I read online that hernias can lead to bigger internal issues...so, given all my wonderful "medical procedure" history, I was a bit "concerned" ... and don't want the hernia to force me to have other surgeries. But, the surgeon doesn't believe the hole is big enough to cause such damage and believes that surgery isn't warranted at this time.... So, for now, I'm not having the surgery done.

I may change my mind or plan to have it done later this year ... we'll see. The pain the last time (when it lasted over an hour) was not kind ... and scared the crap out of me.... If it "attacks" me again, at least I know what it is ... and have some techniques to make it stop quicker than it did the last time....

*shrugs*

While I certainly appreciate the thoughts/prayers, I am sorry I mentioned this because I know many others have more issues than "just a hernia". Last time I had a medical issue, I didn't say a word until the medical procedure was over ... and then people were concerned that I hadn't told anyone. So, I feel kinda foolish for this thread; hindsite 20/20, I probably should've kept my mouth shut until AFTER the appointment with the surgeon....

*rolls eyes*



Cort | 35swm | "Mr Monte Carlo"."Mr Road Trip" | pig valve.pacemaker ...Chitown #2 = 07/25/09
WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"I'd try to run, but I don't think I can" ... Waylon Jennings ... 'Ain't Living Long Like This