I have had several hernias now surgically repaired. My worse one - the
break in the wall could be felt. When it got so the hernia kept poking
itself through that stupid hole several times a week and usually when I
was driving... In the winter that meant,  unzipping my coat, pulling off
my mitten/glove, untucking my turtleneck and undershirt and poking the
thing back in -- I KNEW it was time to have it repaired. Don't remember
having an ultrasound or anything else as it was sooooo long ago but
there must have been some way he could tell there was more than one. He
did them all at the same time. My daughter was 2 and is now 28. Guessing
the testing and surgery and all have come a long way in those years.
Duckie

Let's talk hernias....My husband has had 14 surgeries.
When he gets one, it is just very painful. Kind of like having a hot poker
stuck in your adomen. After the first couple, he can ususally tell before
the doctor can feel it...Usually if you hold your hand over the painful
part, and cough you can feel the thump....This is the way he explains it to
me...
Well he has had Mesh in about a thousand layers...He also has severe asthma
all his life and he coughs so hard, it keeps things coming apart. Last
August he got an infection in his abdomen from the mesh...In October they
took as much out as they could and then had to take out part of his colon
and small intestine as the mesh had grown into it and made small holes.
Then this spring because most of the mesh was out, he got another
hernia...Well back in with the mesh...That was April 13th..He never healed.
Spent two months in wound therapy...Guess what...On June 29th Out came all
the mesh...Just a matter of time before he he has another hernia..Actually
we are still waiting for the wound to heal again.
He never had an ultrasound...Now in August when he was in so much pain in
ER...They did a ct scan...Then in April after his discharge from the
hospital...He developed Colitis because of the antibiotics he was on. They
did another CT Scan in the er..
I am rambling here, but I feel that we are top authorities on hernias...
Rhonda, you can email me with any questions about hernias...Also Wendy may
still have my phone number...So does Beverely...
Hugs Cindy

I just saw the surgeon today, he thiks I have a hernia but he ordered an US
because it is at the intersection of two incisions and he wants to make sure
it's a hernia and not scar tissue.
Bruce

Rhonda, I'm assuming you are talking about a stomach wall type hernia.
I've had a hiatal hernia and reflux disease which was fixed when I had
my stomach stapled. (I weighed almost 400 pounds then)  After my
stomach surgery, my abdominal wall pulled apart from the stress of
being so overweight (but it also happens for other reasons, too) and
when I would sit up, or strain, or tense my stomach muscles while I
was lying down, my insides would push out through the opening and look
like a ballooned out area.  It caused a lot of pain, and also bothered
my back, since I couldn't strengthen my supporting muscles in my
stomach.

My doctor finally did the hernia repair surgery after I lost down
below 190 pounds.  It was not a fun surgery, but then what surgery is.
I had to lay at a bit of an angle for quite some time, so it didn't
stretch it out and pull the stitches.  That was hard on my back, but
it was definitely worth it to have the hernia fixed.  Just be very
sure, after your surgery, to NOT lift anything, or do any bending to
pick stuff up, or you will be right back in there having it done
again.  Let yourself heal completely.  It will be worth the extra
wait.  Good luck.
Mag