Bad sneeze pulled a muscle

Hey guys I am 7 weeks post-op severe ventral hernia repair with abd muscle repair, panniculectomy/anchor cut TT.   I have been doing very well especially with incision healing but the hernia repair is another story.

I came down with a cold last week and the hacking cough made my tummy sore then I had a very hard sneeze.  I developed a long 7-8 inch bulge like knot in middle of tummy and it hurt really bad. 

I waited 2-days than I called PS cause it was getting worse.  I was terrified that I blew my mesh and re-sprung the ventral hernia but he says it is a badly pulled muscle and we will have to watch it closely for a while. 

So now I am back on percocet and nausea meds.  I just can't seem to catch a break.  He does not want me to drive 20 hours to Ohio to visit mom and take care of some more business for her so I am flying. 

I did brace and hold myself but this proves that it can happen. 

NOTE: Always be ready for the cough or sneeze.  It can hurt you.

Carla

Oh man! So sorry this happened.
Take care.

PS. I sneezed last week in Target and almost soiled my drawers. It hurt so bad.

Oh you poor thing, I can feel your pain.  If I had just had the panniculectomy/ anchor cut TT I would not have this much recovery issues.

PS said ventral hernia was very severe not to mention the other eight hernia they repaired.  I took (1) 7.5/325 percocet every 4 hours today and the Zophran twice and its now 8 PM and I am starting to feel so much better.  He wants me to do this during the day for a few days till the muscle settles down and also put ice bag with binder on at night. 

Carla

You can add yawning to your list.  I had a face lift and two weeks later I yawned and popped an internal stitch.  One side of my face was black and blue for weeks.  It's healed and all's well.  Hope you feel better soon.

Good greif, who would have thought a yawn could do that?  Wow.  I hope you didn't have as much pain as I have had the past 2-days. 

I put ice on it and tried to ignore it cause I didn't want to ask for pain meds or act like a baby but it kept getting worse and it scared me.  I thought I blew out my mesh and ripped something or herniated again. 

Carla.

P.S.  I made the right decision to call and go in this AM to ease my mind and he told me I needed the pain meds and he wanted me to take them. 

Feel better soon Carla!

Thanks  Philly

I do feel better today.  I slept all night with ice on my tummy and this AM I woke up at Noon lol. 

My husbands says I was in more pain than I wanted to admit.  The uped dose of percocet to 7.5 with Zophran for neausa did the trick.  I have only taken 1 percocet today and I still feel better. 

The swelling is about 50% than yesterday so I am back on the right track.

Carla

Oh thank goodness, Carla, maybe he was right and it is a muscle, since the swelling is 50%  less.  I don't think I ever told you, but my recovery from ventral hernia repair took for ever.  I know this is not something you want to hear, but on the other hand, at least you will know you're not alone.  I have the feeling there were a lot of nerve issues and the pain just seemed to never want to go away.  Even now, I sometimes feel it a little.  I so don't want to ever have another hernia!!!

:0(  Jenny      Hope you feel better fast!

I am a nurse and I should know better but it is different when we are the ones on the healing end lol. You know what they say, "an nurse is her own worst pateint". 

I thought there was something wrong with me.  I could not understand why ppl on her were taking tylenol only a week post-op and I was still bent over and taking IV push pain meds lol.  The pain changes everyday and it sometimes responds to percocet and sometime it doesn't. 

The ice bag did help alot.  I am glad that someone spoke up about the healing of a ventral hernia because I did feel alone.  PS said I had the worst ventral hernia he had ever seen and he also told me I might have to take pain meds up to 6-months to deal with it.  WOW.

I have always been the bounce right back pt and taking tylenol or nothing for pain now I feel like a drug addict.  But with that said I only need the pain meds 2-3 times during the day.  I no longer need anything at night which is good. 

I do feel better even more today, just down in my back so I am in recliner with heat on that lol.  Percocet does nothing for the back issue but it only last couple days. 

Carla

Thank you for this info. I am going to have the hernia and TT this Tuesday, and if I have more pain than normal I will know why. Karen