How do I know when a hernia is really bad?

I don't know much about hernia's except what I read on these boards.  Some can be very dangerous.  Please make an appointment with your surgeon and talk to him about this.  I know you have been through a lot and don't want to face another surgery.  Maybe he can reassure you of the type that you have not becoming life threatening.
Good luck and please keep us updated.
Linda

 I had a hernia years ago.  My doctor said that large hernias aren't as dangerous as small ones because the bowel can move freely in and out of it.  I thought mine was pretty small but he wasn't impressed and didn't offer surgery.  I had it repaired when I had a tummy tuck.  Good luck on yours.  If you are concerned about becoming addicted to pain meds and its purely cosmetic, I would avoid surgery.  If you are worried about bowel strangulation, talk to your doctor again.

thanks for the info, I didnt know that large ones are better than smaller ones, that is actually better news since mine is pretty big. = from what I can feel and see it is probably about 4  inches by 4 inches and that is just what I can see and feel, it could be bigger.

I am not concerned about being addicted to pain meds.  I go to pain management and have been on narcotics for years.  I am not addicted.  I do take strong meds every day but some days I will take 4 and other days I will take only 1 at bedtime and other times I dont take anything.  I do wear a pain patch and thatis all the time.  As far as the dilaudid, I just dont want to go back to something stronger = it also makes me sleepy and it is hard for me to drive with.

 Hi, I know that you are aware of all the problems I have had/still having. I would urge you to get a second opinion, living like this is not normal or tolerable, so I think you need to take all your records and concerns/questions to a fresh set of eyes. Here's one tip: when you meet the new doc, don't offer what you think it is (even if you are right), just focus on symptoms that you have and that way he/she can come to their own conclusion. I read somewhere that if you go to a second opinion and start telling the doc what you think you might have or what another doc thinks it is, that it's human nature for them to start fitting your symptoms into that basket and possibly miss the real problem or a secondary problem. I hope you feel better, you've been through so much!

I dont need a second opinion.  At first, right after my illiostomy reversal I noticed a bulging and I asked the surgeon (my surgeons partner because he was out of town when the perforation and sepsis happened so I had to use her for the reversal also) she said it was nothing just swelling from the surgery.  I knew that wasnt the case but figured I would give it time.  Months went by and she finally sent me for a CT scan and it was negative for a hernia so there was nothing I could say.  She said if things got much worse, she could do exploratory but did really want to.

Then about 4 months later, she really messed me up.  I was going in for Kidney stone surgery and she had me go in for a CT scan to check for another obstruction before the kidney stone surgery based on something she thought she saw on a previous CT (I think she was just covering her ass because I told her I was going to my original surgeon for my 3 year anniversary and I was still having abdominal pains.  She didnt wannt me going to him and say she didnt do anything to check it out.  So, I went for the CT and she sad it didn't show anything and I could have the surgery.  What she failed to tell me or my urologist is that I had a blocked ureter - my kidney stone surgery wasnt for another 6 days.  So in that time, my Creatinine and BUN skyrocketed, I got septic and was walking around with 103.5 temperature and didnt know it.  When I finally got to the hospital fo rmy surgery, needless to say they had to cancel the surgery but they did have to put stents into the blocked ureters or they could have totally shut and my kidneys would have stopped working completely.  I thought my urologist was going to kill someone, if my surgeon had been nearby she would have killed her but they were an hour apart.

Needless to say, I went back to my original surgeon and told him what happened.  He looked at the CT scan and couldnt believe that nothing was reported to anyone.  SHe had talked to my urologist the day before the scan because they needed my Creatinine level in order to give me the dye.

So, I told him about the abdominal pains and that I had a bulge since the surgery 7 months ago and touched it and said you have a hernia without doing anything else.  He just felt that it didnt need surgery at that time since I had just been through so much - 4 surgeries in a matter of 5 months just 7 months before and almost died.  He didnt feel I was strong enough.  He said if it became an emergency he would do it but if not, I needed to get stronger and it didnt need to be done at that point
 
 I trust him completely.

 I think U need to exercise .. trust a LOT LESS  in these  doctors ...and KEEP exercising .


  I KNOW U dont want to hear that ...  but please believe  me U HAVE to take control .

OBVIOUSLY   the muscle  tone in Ur abdominal region is LACKING .


whether its gardening , walking , running , or yoga ....  do SOMETHING .  If you have to do it in a skirt for religious reasons .. do it anyway .   Being  modest  is no excuse for being irresponsible with Ur health and fitness .   

U SIGNED UP FOR ThESE  limitations -  see them THRU  when it COUNTS ..  ((((()))))) huge hugs 

I dont think exercise has anything to do with this.  First off, for health reasons I cant exercise right now and havent been able to since I have been 1 - 1/2 years post op but before that I went to the gym 4-5 days per week and did abdominal exercises, walked the treadmill, and did all the machines for a total of 1 1/2 hours per day.  It did absolutely nothing for my abdomen.  Women in there 40's and 50's especially when they are post  menopausal have a terrible time with belly fat.  I also have alot of loose skin making it look even worse and without plastic surgery, no amount of exercise is going to get rid of my excess fat or skin.

I am not sure where you got the idea that I cant exercise for religious reasons.  that is very far from the truth.  I am not irresponsible with my health and far from it - you obviously no nothing about me and havent been on these boards long enough to have read any of my prior posts with all my complications and my health problems.  So, before you tell me I am irresponsible with my health, I think you need to go back and read some past posts and learn a little bit about me first.

All I asked is if anyone knew when you can tell if a hernia is to the point that it needs to be operated on - I do know that too many abdominal exercises are dangerous for a hernia and was told not to do them.  Light ones are okay but nothing strenuous and no lifting.  I have a terrible back, knees, hips and probably every other joint so running, yoga and gardening are impossible.   Walking is the only thing I can do and that is only on a good day.  I also have chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia making most days almost impossible to get out of bed.  And this is the short list of my problems.  So please dont judge me.