[TPIN] Re: Hernias

[Allegro69]

>
> Message: 9
> Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 11:07:20 -0800
> From: Lee Griffith <ldgriff at earthlink.net>
> Subject: [TPIN] Re: TPIN Digest, Vol 23, Issue 35
> To: tpin at tpin.okcu.edu

> What things do surgeons worry about? Well it is mainly intestine that
> gets trapped and is at risk for dying.

Is this what's called a strangulated hernia? My grandmother had this happen
to her and the doctor considered it an emergency where she was rushed to the
hospital in an ambulance. She had an existing hernia that she never had
repaired. She had a few 'extra' pounds and was a heavy smoker (Pall Malls of
all things). Apparently she started gagging and coughing after puffing on a
first thing in the morning ciggie, and from what the surgeon said, the
intestine popped through. He said that if left too long without surgery,
gangrene could occur. Is this so? While visiting my rheumatologist, he
discovered that I have (as he defined) a left inguinal hernia, but didn't
think it was something critical, even though he knew that I played trumpet.
Years earlier, I had the same type of hernia on my right side which happened
on the job. The doctor who checked me out, recommended that I have it
repaired ASAP, so I did. Since I was a mailman in Massachusetts and it
happened during a severely cold and snowy January, I didn't argue at all and
had it done. About three weeks later, I started gigging on a Polish polka
band with no pain or problems. I did exercise caution where I wore a hernia
belt. Whether I actually needed it or not remains to be seen, but I did feel
an extra degree of 'assurance'. To this day, I've never had any problem and
the surgeon did a nice job leaving me with a hardly visible scar. While
there was pain for a few days after, I took pain medication, but soon
stepped it down to aspirin with good results. Better I get a hernia repair
than the have hemorrhoid surgery done. Now THAT was true agony being that it
was done the 'old fashioned' way rather than how it's done today.
OUCH!!!!!!!!! 8-)