19 replies to this topic

[slowcoach]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone has run with a hernia before? If they had it fixed or just left it? What is better, etc or can more damage be done?

Also, If people had the surgery, how did it affect their running and how long was it before they returned to the track / road?

Hope someone can please give me advice,

SC

[AzzaTas]

hi slowcoach,
          I have had a hernia now for about a year, and everytime i go to the doctor, they tell me not to worry about it, stay fit etc. However, when im running i sometimes get a slight discomfort, or when im sitting down for ages i get discomfort also.
I am on a waiting list for the surgery, however, in tasmania its about 7 years long unless its serious, so im doing weights and everything to try and get rid of it so i can build myself up to be stronger.
the doctor told me that if (when) i get the surgery done,i cant run for 6 weeks then after that its jogging, so i'm guessing we'll lose 3 months of hard training, and 3 months getting back 2 our best!

let me know what happens,
cheers azza

[slowaz]

There was another long standing thread about this. I had one (iguinal?? =groin) done many years ago and it has given me no trouble whatsoever with my new found running craze.  I have one on the other side but it goves me no trouble/ pain although it does get a bit puffy from time to time. There was a stage earlier this year when it hurt for a week or two and I started thinking I might need to get it done, but it has gone back to normal.  

Slowcoach, it would not hurt to get the doctor to check it out like AzzaTaz has done. It might not be a problem and you can keep running with monor discomfort. Then again with the one I had done (even though it was years ago), the surgeon could not get me in quick enough as he was worried I could do myself some damage if I let it go.

[Just a battler]

Hey,
I had key hole surgey.
Was up and about in 2 weeks, no probs watsoever. It actually came up better than before.
If it causes you pain then get it checked out.
But an op is a safe option and quick recovery

[THE LONE RUNNER]

you can run with a hernia,but you must keep an eye on it,if your intestines get caught up in it, it can become painful and gangrene can set in.  so get it looked at by a doctor. keyhole surgery is the best. i was back walking 2 days after operation,and jogging within a week.back to full steam in a month.  i dont lift tv sets any more.

[AzzaTas]

cool, so it only takes a month!
How long did u have to wait for surgery? i would love mine in late feb next yr so im right by july for the Gold coast half.

[slowaz]

Amazing how far things have progressed. When I had my op (1992), I was not allowed to even go to work (office job) for a month after the operation. What the Lone Runner said was the reason why the doctor was so keen to get me in for the first one ie change of my intestines getting caught up coming through the tear with the muscles squeezing down on them.

[THE LONE RUNNER]

i had to wait a min of 5 weeks,but i booked in for 12 weeks so i could fit in 2 marathons before  the end of the year.  non private,all went well.

[slowcoach]

Thanks guys!! A big help! It seems I am getting one thing after another! My doc has me getting an ultrasound today and is worried about the intestine thing. So, according to her, I will most likely have the surgery. Not sure how long the waiting list is but hopefully it is a day surgery thing and I will be out in no time!! If not, I think I will go private!!..... just for the food!
Thanks and I will keep you posted!

[climax]

From what started out as a slight pain in my lower abdomen muscles a little over 12 months ago, after each race I completed this year, including 4 halfs and a full mara, the pain gradually got worse. Earlier this week, the pain really intensified and my glands became swolen so it was time to visit the Doc. Diagnosis? Hernia.
I have had the Toowoomba marathon as a major goal this year, and sinse it is on next Sunday, my initial thought was " Great, all this training and this bloody thing 'pops' up (or should I say out) 10 days before the race - I will have to wait another year now!"
But after reading the previous posts, I am somewhat relieved that I can proceed with my plans and do the marathon. I am having an ultrasound in 2 days time to verify the extent of the hernia, but being the stubborn person I am, I am convinced to do this one last race even if they say the word "operation".

Slowcoach, what was the outcome in your case? Did you have the operation and if so, were you back running soon after?

I also read somewhere that keyhole surgery has risks involved, when the surgeon is only relying on a small scope to see.

Also, anyone else that has continued to run without surgery, did/has it gradually got worse?


Cheers, Brendon.

Edited by climax, 13 October 2007 - 10:00 AM.

[SumDamGuy]

 slowcoach, on Sep 12 2006, 11:28 AM, said:

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone has run with a hernia before? If they had it fixed or just left it? What is better, etc or can more damage be done?

Also, If people had the surgery, how did it affect their running and how long was it before they returned to the track / road?

Hope someone can please give me advice,

SC

I  had an umbiliical hernia  but that was quite a few years ago..I was off work for 4 wweeks because of it but after that I was pretty much told to do what I want.I would suggest you get it fixed cause it can eventually lead to other problems

[Filkore]

Just for curiosity sakes, I know a little about hernias as a result of some reading as I thought I may have had one several months back.  I did go and see a GP and he thought I had nothing to worry apart from a groin strain which has taken ages to heal with physio etc.

If it is not personal, I would like to ask what symptoms are really like to help educate myself and others on this health problem.  The medical jargon I read is not always that clear or is wishi-washi.

My intents are not to high-jack this thread but to assist others.  

Good luck with the recovery for those who are suffering.

Edited by Filkore, 17 October 2007 - 07:08 PM.

[hamrunner]

Hi Slowcoach and Filkore

I had double hernia operation by keyhole back in September, and was advised to hold off all strenuous activity for 4-6 weeks. Though it was hard to stop running, I did stick to the advice, then eased back into running, stretches and some light weight training. In November I had a checkup with the surgeon, and he advised that the larger of the two hernias hadn't taken satisfactorily, but still might heal up OK given more time. So I have a further checkup in March 08.

The doc tells me this failure may not have anything to do with my exercise routine, there are some other reasons why the repair may not go AOK. Meantime I'm running up to 10km in training for a run at Rotorua next March (same week as my checkup). So I hope it is going to work out all right.

Filkore asked about the symptoms of hernia. From my experience, I only realised I had one when I went on a weight reduction programme to get rid of a bit of flab around my middle. After dropping 8-9kg, I had a bulge on one side of my groin. The bulge felt like a balloon - when pressed, it popped out again as if filled with air. That's what made me think it might be a hernia - this was confirmed by a visit to my GP.

Hope that's some help.

[FlashDuck]

Hi Guys -

After a bad trot of health with a couple of surgeries along the way, I am (just) back to running regularly, albeit slowly and over short distances.

I have now been diagnosed with an Epigastric hernia, which, atypically, hurts a lot when it's active.   I feel that over the next week I will need to make the decision about whether watchful waiting, or surgical intervention is warranted immediately.  

When the pain flares up there seems to be contest, however after three years on the sidelines I am most reluctant to opt for a month or two off running, again.  

Has anyone experienced this kind of hernia, and offer advice?

[angelfire4xx]

There's a story about an ironman triathlete (running, biking, swimming) with a small hernia at http://www.herniabible.com/roy.html
He controlled the hernia with Pilates exercises and wearing a support while he trained for the next Ironman. It took about three months for the hernia to disappear. It's an amazing story - he kept a diary while he was training.  

[Iano]

thought I'd add a few thoughts ... was diagnosed with an indirect inguinal hernia in Feb and seemed to read nothing but horror stories re: getting it fixed surgically. Was curious as to whether this was the norm (eg. some people were quoting medical studies as though surgeons were deliberately hiding the potential ill effects to perform surgery!) or whether it was just the usual practice that people who've had a problem are more likely to vent publicly about it.

So - anyways I've been a runner on and off for 10-15 years along with stuff like weights, squash, tennis etc. Got a bit serious about running in June 2009 and about 9 months later found a large swelling in the groin, which was diagnosed as a hernia (by a very experienced doc!) after a single cough. Didn't have private health cover so went on the Medicare waiting list - in the meantime, stopped weights but kept on running 2-3 times a week.

Initially had no problems and was not even aware of the hernia whilst running - setting some new PBs in the meantime in a Half Marathon and the City to Surf. After a while though started to feel it as pressure in the groin area - not enough to hinder me physically but certainly distracting - and I think stopping me really stretching out and going full pelt. After a while it got a bit painful on occasion too - this generally depended on what my digestive system was up to, ie. if there was pressure nearby, I'd likely get a bit of pain (won't go into more detail than that, you can figure it out!) ... lying down always resolved it but standing up, gravity would bring back the problem immediately.

Have had some stomach cramps, dehydration as well - unsure whether this is related (eg. because of hunching over to protect the injury) or due to other factors such as work stress or overly acidic diet. But does tend to take up a lot of mental activity!

Anyways after a month or two of this got (really) sick of it and decided to pay for surgery myself - three separate prepaid costs (theatre booking, anaesthetist, surgeon) which I think will add up to about $3,000 all up. Pricey and annoying given I've paid Medicare for 15 years and taken little back, but the NSW Health waiting list looked like it was going to stretch to at least 12-18 months.

That was last Saturday morning (day surgery, out in the early afternoon) and so far (Weds morning as I type) it seems to be going well. Am walking around, not too much pain on the site itself but rather other areas such as my side and lower back as a result of me being in abnormal positions, either to rest for a long period or protect the wound! Apparently all going well I should be able to do some gentle exercise (eg. stationary bike) within 2 weeks, back to full capacity in 6-8 weeks. Will be a bit nervous of course but am very happy at this stage to not feel like my intestines are trying to escape my body!!

Will try and remember to post an update when back on form but as I said, feeling ok so far - I got a few horror stories from people when diagnosed ("you'll be in agonising pain for 6 weeks") so thought I would present a happier side ... so far. Suspect that if you're on this site, you are likely a lot fitter than some of the people with the bad stories, and think this probably helps recovery. Fingers crossed and good luck to anyone else undergoing the same experience!!

[maryclaire]

 slowaz, on Sep 12 2006, 06:58 PM, said:

Amazing how far things have progressed.

I was thinking the same thing - only from the date of your post to today!

I have had an epi gastric hernia for 20 years.  It appeared between pregnancies 1 & 2.  It was mildly bothersome - and only was really painful in the beginning.  In fact, I had 5 subsequent pregnancies and it didnt bother me at all.

About 4 weeks prior to the melbourne Marathon (10/10/10) I noticed it was getting bigger and slightly tender again.  I began to worry about growths/lumps/tunours (remember - it was 20 years since a Dr had looked at it!) so showed it to my GP.  he immediately reiterated the original diagnosis.  However as it had now started to grow (as I am told all hernias will eventually do), it was time to consider having it removed.

Knowing the operation would require some rest, I scheduled it for 3 days post-marathon.  It was a very simple day procedure.  Only a mild general anaesthetic was used (I think I was only under for about 20 mins) and I was able to go home within 3 hours.  I walked 2 blocks to a cafe in the same afternoon with only mild tugging at the site.  I was walking several kms withn 5 days.  the Surgeon knew I was keen to run again (at the time I was planning to run NY marathon within 4 weeks).  He told me there was no reason relating to the hernia that i would not be able to run the NY marathon.  He asked me to refrain from running for 5-7 days, after which I could resume gentle jogging.

As it turned out, I was laid low with shin splints for a month after the marathon so did not push the running hence can't comment on what it's like to run after the operation.

I now have a nice little scar just above my belly button.  it still looks like there is a hernia as the Surgeon inserted something that looks like a lady's wide-brimmed sunhat under the skin to hold the muscles together.  It will eventually dissolve.  he said this is a new product and his first choice for athlets like myself (!).

[Yakie]

 Iano, on 24 November 2010 - 11:28 AM, said:

thought I'd add a few thoughts ... was diagnosed with an indirect inguinal hernia in Feb and seemed to read nothing but horror stories re: getting it fixed surgically. Was curious as to whether this was the norm (eg. some people were quoting medical studies as though surgeons were deliberately hiding the potential ill effects to perform surgery!) or whether it was just the usual practice that people who've had a problem are more likely to vent publicly about it.

So - anyways I've been a runner on and off for 10-15 years along with stuff like weights, squash, tennis etc. Got a bit serious about running in June 2009 and about 9 months later found a large swelling in the groin, which was diagnosed as a hernia (by a very experienced doc!) after a single cough. Didn't have private health cover so went on the Medicare waiting list - in the meantime, stopped weights but kept on running 2-3 times a week.

Initially had no problems and was not even aware of the hernia whilst running - setting some new PBs in the meantime in a Half Marathon and the City to Surf. After a while though started to feel it as pressure in the groin area - not enough to hinder me physically but certainly distracting - and I think stopping me really stretching out and going full pelt. After a while it got a bit painful on occasion too - this generally depended on what my digestive system was up to, ie. if there was pressure nearby, I'd likely get a bit of pain (won't go into more detail than that, you can figure it out!) ... lying down always resolved it but standing up, gravity would bring back the problem immediately.

Have had some stomach cramps, dehydration as well - unsure whether this is related (eg. because of hunching over to protect the injury) or due to other factors such as work stress or overly acidic diet. But does tend to take up a lot of mental activity!

Anyways after a month or two of this got (really) sick of it and decided to pay for surgery myself - three separate prepaid costs (theatre booking, anaesthetist, surgeon) which I think will add up to about $3,000 all up. Pricey and annoying given I've paid Medicare for 15 years and taken little back, but the NSW Health waiting list looked like it was going to stretch to at least 12-18 months.

That was last Saturday morning (day surgery, out in the early afternoon) and so far (Weds morning as I type) it seems to be going well. Am walking around, not too much pain on the site itself but rather other areas such as my side and lower back as a result of me being in abnormal positions, either to rest for a long period or protect the wound! Apparently all going well I should be able to do some gentle exercise (eg. stationary bike) within 2 weeks, back to full capacity in 6-8 weeks. Will be a bit nervous of course but am very happy at this stage to not feel like my intestines are trying to escape my body!!

Will try and remember to post an update when back on form but as I said, feeling ok so far - I got a few horror stories from people when diagnosed ("you'll be in agonising pain for 6 weeks") so thought I would present a happier side ... so far. Suspect that if you're on this site, you are likely a lot fitter than some of the people with the bad stories, and think this probably helps recovery. Fingers crossed and good luck to anyone else undergoing the same experience!!


Hey Iano,

I was just wondering how you got along post surgery?? How is your running,etc?

Cheers,
Jake

[BLUEBOY]

reading this thread it sounds like i may have a hernia, discomfort in lower ab region getting out of bed, and doing oblique twists. mainly on the right side, no real lump as such. i have a Doctors appointment for later in the week.

i have the Boston marathon coming up in April 2012, i guess i will have to see if i train through it, or go for surgery.

what would the recovery time be after  surgery ? thats if i would be able to book in the surgery. i have private health cover.

[Morgso]

Just had an inguinal hernia repaired last Wednesday. If this was supposed to be key hole surgery they used the keys from the gates of Mordor. Enough of the whinge, question to those who have had this before, how long did it take to make a return to the track and were there any things to watch out for?