should I drive 1200 miles with a hernia ?

[dieselnutjob]

Summer holiday is booked in Italy, but last week I was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia.

 

A friend who is really good osteopath spent about half an hour yesterday having a pretty good prodding and agreed with my GP and says that it is not very advanced and therefore not an emergency, but I do feel some discomfort.

 

All the websites take about pain in the groin but what I have is a discomfort higher up about half way between belly button and hip (if you draw a diagonal line). I am getting odd sort of bubbling sensations and noises in my stomach. The osteopath says that discomfort there is consistent with an inguinal hernia.

 

I asked him whether I should drive such a long way. He said that if I sit scrunched up in a car for a long time, and then immediately try and lift something like a suitcase that this could be a bit dangerous. I can solve that one by refusing to lift anything. The kids can bloody do it. By 11 year old son is particularly strong and is always helpful. My eldest daughter is also very strong but not so helpful, but ultimately will do what I say after some complaining.

 

To have this sorted before the holiday is going to be tight, but I do have private health cover.

 

It's no good having an op then not being recovered enough to drive, but I don't want to have to call an ambulance half way there or something. That would be really really bad.

 

1200 miles there

1200 mile back

 

I've done the journey before but it's a hard two days driving.

 

if I go for an op then there is the secondary question: open or keyhole? British Hernia Centre and London Hernia Clinic give conflicting advice. NICE advice seems to be open for a first op but each has its pluses and minuses. I am a total coward about this and frankly bricking myself, though I know it's a minor op. I'm currently less nervous about open with local anaesthetic but it depends on the size of incision I suppose.

 

Opinions?

[skattrd]

I'm sorry to say it, but either way I think theres a chance your holiday may be canned.

 

If you do go and risk it as it is, it may get worse whilst your out there and you be unable to drive back. Would holiday insurance cover you out there for a pre-exisiting condition?

If you go for the op you may not be fully healed in time. Then theres a chance of secondary infection (MRSA etc) in which case you definitely won't be healed in time.

 

Touch choice .... Sorry to be the voice of gloom ....

[DSdriver]

In my opinion it shouldn't be too much of a problem, my experience is that I have had both left and right sides done, one side happened after lifting a gas range into our cottage when we moved in and then the other side went when I lifted the cooker out again about twenty years later. If you can keep pressure on it to stop it from popping out it will help and they tend to go back to normal overnight.

The actual hernias didn't stop me from doing anything I wanted but the repair operations stopped me in my tracks for about a fortnight. Notably the first one where they underdosed my pain killers by a factor of 10.

You could always try a test trip before you go on holiday to see how you feel after a long day's driving.

[Rocket88]

You might consider investing in one of those corset like back supports.

[Micrashed]

Personally I would do it.

But Im a nurse and we never follow correct medical advice given by GP's and the like.

 

Oh, NEVER apply deep heat rub to your cock, no matter how good an idea it seems at the time. Dont ask me how I know this, but its really not a good idea.

[gtd2000]

About 5 years ago my 25 stone mate had 6 months off work to lose weight due to a hernia in order to have the operation performed.

 

At this point, he's probably increased his weight by a good few stone and manages to do all sorts of stuff and still gets around fine with a hernia.....

 

I think the best advice any of us could give is that your mileage might vary...

[fotorabia]

I had a gastric hernia button right in the middle of non packs..u could push it in..and then it would pop out..for 7 years..i just had constant heartburn and have been addicted to lime juice ever since..NZ wouldnt operate..it was eventually done by me being rolled in sliced and rolled out in one day in Ft William at the once threatened excellent Belford Hospital [they dropped my right testical surgically when i was aged 11 by Dr.Campbell The Butcher]..i think I got it by hangover vomiting so hard..my stomach cramped..and as i stood up from the loo it let rip..

[stuboy]

i went into have keyhole for inguinial... and came out with half a ceasarian scare massive bruising...............

 

and effing hell it hurt

[vulgalour]

Personally, I wouldn't do it. Like Stu, I went in for 'a little incision and patch' which ended up with a long scar and massive bruising. Driving was uncomfortable and could have exacerbated the injury and the last thing you want is to have it turn into a nasty hernia while on your hols miles from home. Might be easier/more comfortable/less dangerous if the car is an auto rather than a manual as that'll put less strain on it.

[dieselnutjob]

I haven't got any lumps that I can push in. Wife reckons the slightly funny tummy is stress because it wasn't like that before going to see the doc.

 

I've not felt too good today but maybe that's due to all the prodding by the osteopath.

 

My understanding is that there is a tube that goes from underneath the stomach to my nuts and that the stomach is starting to fall into the tube. I'm not sure how that would result in a lump

 

The holiday plan is to stay in a borrowed flat, and as far as I know no one else is using it. I guess in theory if something went wrong in Italy we could stay there as long as necessary to get fixed. Italian health care seems pretty good. I would just call the boss and say I'm not coming back from holiday because I'm sick in hospital. I'm very good friends with the flat owner and I don't think he would care how long we stay there. So really the only issue is if I become too ill during the journey itself, which seems unlikely if I'm careful....

[cheguava]

i went into have keyhole for inguinial... and came out with half a ceasarian scare massive bruising...............

 

and effing hell it hurt

 

So you came, they sawed, and they conkered? Sorry....

[Negative Creep]

I can't give any advice, but thanks for the thread title, as it's cheered me up

[dieselnutjob]

if the car is an auto rather than a manual as that'll put less strain on it.

 

I have a diesel auto so that's a possibility though it's three kids in the back for long hours. I was planning to take the wife's 806 (diesel manual) as it gives room to split kids up. My left knee is dodgy which is why I drive an auto but last time the 806 was okay because it was basically 5th gear nearly all the way.

 

Maybe I should send the wife by plane. She would be dead chuffed if I did that and it would get a kid out of the back.

[gtd2000]

Well if we are bragging about lumps, I've got a blown vein on my left testical from my weight training days when I used to regularly do sit ups on a 45 degree bench using 32kg of weights on my chest as I strained up and down for a hundred or so reps...

 

Went to the doc about it - the lump was around the size of the end of my thumb at this point - and he gave me the firmest squeezing of my bollocks I've ever known - brings tears to my eyes thinking about it even now....

 

Advised me I didn't have testicular cancer...but a bulging vein..which gave a sensation like you'd been tapped on the nuts...

 

Told me they'd just have to cut it off and that would sort it out - I immediately assumed he meant my left nut... but he assured me he meant tying off the ruptured part of the vein which would just drop off and dissolve in my nuts sack.

 

Having read about all sorts of horrors with operations of that sort I decided against any intervention and simply stopped lifting heavy weights and doing silly situps.

 

What really helped matters more than anythig was that back then I used to shag about 4 times a night but now I'm lucky if it's once week - the joys of international travel!

 

So that alone, has virtually cured me

[explosive-cabbage]

Micrashed wrote:

Oh, NEVER apply deep heat rub to your cock, no matter how good an idea it seems at the time. Dont ask me how I know this, but its really not a good idea.

 

Never apply chopped up Chillies to your balls either, it does you no good whatsoever.

[HillmanImp]

And there was me wondering which Eastern manufacturer had named their car the Hernia. The New Daihatsu Hernia. TBH it would not surprise me.

 

In all honesty I would probably ask a doctor rather than a bunch of semi alcoholic, socially inept car enthusiasts. Just a thought.

[dieselnutjob]

I sent some questions to the British Hernia Centre ( hernia.org )

 

question: How big is the incision for Open Mesh treatment under local anaesthestic?

answer: The size of the incision really depends on the size of the hernia, but generally anything between 4-8 inches

 

[Rocket88]

I sent some questions to the British Hernia Centre ( hernia.org )

 

question: How big is the incision for Open Mesh treatment under local anaesthestic?

answer: The size of the incision really depends on the size of the hernia, but generally anything between 4-8 inches

 

 

If some knife wielding bastard wanted to put an eight inch gash in my gentleman's area under local anaesthetic, there'd be a fairly terse exchange of words.....................

[fotorabia]

After Dr.Cambell [not popular in Glen Coe] semi castrated me..i was looking forward to the ambulance trip back to Strontian becos it was a Range Rover..but when Willy the driver showed up..it was his Marina...and there was about half the village packed into it...i was really disappointed..i could hardly walk..and jeezus..i got the stitches out in Islay..thats when i really wept..

[pompei]

Fuggin hell, this thread has brought a tear to my eye just reading it! I thought having the snip under a local was bad enough

[dieselnutjob]

I have an appointment to see the knife man on 24/8.

 

Concerning the journey, I am at this moment half way in a hotel in Switzerland, and I feel absolutely fine. However the 806 isnt. There is a fairly load constant rotational knocking noise at motorway speeds. It's definitely road speed related , not engine speed. I suspect a wheeel bearing. The noise started the instant I drove off the Eurotunnel.

 

Current plan is to try and ignore it and get a mechanic to look in the town we are staying.

 

I got the cruise control working a few weeks ago and its brilliant, though I think I set off a speed camera in France. Bright red flash in my face. I was doing 120 and the limit was 110. Will anything happen?

[Mr Lobster]

I though I think I set off a speed camera in France. Bright red flash in my face. I was doing 120 and the limit was 110. Will anything happen?

 

No. I set off a couple and never heard a thing about it.

[Micrashed]

I have an appointment to see the knife man on 24/8.

 

Good luck.

 

The noise started the instant I drove off the Eurotunnel.

 

Sods law at work here.

 

Current plan is to try and ignore

 

Excellent plan and this is what radios are for. I think I drove about 3000 miles on a buggered bearing in the Maestro then sold the car rather than replace it.

 

I think I set off a speed camera in France. Bright red flash in my face. I was doing 120 and the limit was 110. Will anything happen?

Oh dear. The Cheese Eaters will hunt you down and send a crack team of the Resistance to find you. When they will put you in a skin diving outfit with the bottom cut out of it and bring forth a bucket of soapy frogs....

[dieselnutjob]

Currently roaming on the TIM network in Italy. £10 per 50mb. I'm sure the boss won't mind

Firefox has this cool feature that you can turn off scripting and image downloads, however the "reply" button then disappears so I can't actually post any updates with that setting....

 

So some good news.

 

I went and took off the offside front wheel last night and found three faults.

 

The tie wrap holding up the ABS connector box was snapped and the box was bouncing on the top of the gearbox end casing.

The brake flexi pipe (which is a metal spring thing wrapped around it) was rubbing on the gearbox end casing.

The R shaped clip that holds on a sort of castelated clip over the driveshaft hub nut was pretty loose.

 

Clipped the box back on with using the proper clips which are still 75% working, relocated the brake pad warning wire and flexi hose so that they don't rub, tightened up the R clip and re-installed. Cleaned hands with brillo pad and washing up liquid. Did 90mph up and down a straight bit of road overtaking several shocked Italians (including the guy in a New500 who appeared to be trying to keep up but failed).

 

Knocking noise gone.

 

Job jobbed

 

It shows the value of having some simple tools when abroad because a pair of pliars and a few spanners was all it needed.

 

I still think that the front left wheel bearing is a bit noisy. It makes a kind of faint wering noise (spelling?) but has done that for at least a year and hasn't gotten worse. Only I can hear it and only at continental motorway speeds. Could easily be the brake caliper not sliding properly as well and pressing the pad lightly onto the disc. I'm very pleased that the knocking noise has gone.

 

The 806 is interesting.

216,000 miles.

Covered in dents and lacquer failure on one door.

It generally looks like a heep of junk.

 

However it has:-

oversize injectors

no EGR valve

custom intercooler

no cat

fancy engine oil

fancy gearbox oil

engine nicely loosed up with its mileage

 

for a diesel people carrier it's pretty quick and I can give as good as I get on the Italian motorway. Sat up high I can just ignore the Audi on my tail, and I have a good view ahead so that I can see brake lights 10 cars ahead which no one else can so the compulsory tailgating is a bit safer. I just got caught out once when a van got in front of me that I couldn't see through and then anchored on. I had forgotten how important that view several cars ahead is. Italian cars only have an on/off brake pedal when they are in the fast lane and the emergency stops from 85mph can get a bit wearing. Luckily when the vans brake lights came on and it started weeving slightly I kind of guessed he was braking really hard and managed to match him...

[stuboy]

i went into have keyhole for inguinial... and came out with half a ceasarian scare massive bruising...............

 

and effing hell it hurt

 

So you came, they sawed, and they conkered? Sorry....

 

sliced diced left me in chronic pain at times dependent on cocodamols

[AeroNautiCal]

Perhaps consider asking on a hernia specific forum, as there may well be others whom have experienced something similar and could offer specific advice. (I assume that there are hernia related forums).

[idiotboy]

Perhaps consider asking on a hernia specific forum, as there may well be others whom have experienced something similar and could offer specific advice. (I assume that there are hernia related forums).

 

Or "What Hernia" magazine available from all good outlets it has a pop up supplement.

 

Seriously though, it shows how dependant we are on our health to enjoy life.

[alf892]

Perhaps consider asking on a hernia specific forum, as there may well be others whom have experienced something similar and could offer specific advice. (I assume that there are hernia related forums).

 

Or "What Hernia" magazine available from all good outlets it has a pop out supplement.

 

Seriously though, it shows how dependant we are on our health to enjoy life.

 

 

EFA

[idiotboy]

Perhaps consider asking on a hernia specific forum, as there may well be others whom have experienced something similar and could offer specific advice. (I assume that there are hernia related forums).

 

Or "What Hernia" magazine available from all good outlets it has a pop out supplement.

 

Seriously though, it shows how dependant we are on our health to enjoy life.

 

 

EFA

 

Grin

[MikeKnight]

Volksangyl once drove from my home in Teesside all the way back to Sheffield with an appendix that was about to go KABLOOM.

 

But on the plus side, it was sorted before it kabloomed and was in his local hospital for it rather than up here in a strange hospital.