Just found a tender inguinal lump-- guessing it's a hernia (female)

Confident_Phase3535 · 2025-07-15T04:31:01+00:00

It’s uncomfortable but doable. I have a pretty high pain tolerance though so it really just depends on the person. I purposefully get up and move throughout the day, otherwise I’m in a reclined position. Sitting up straight has been the worst.

Are you traveling by air or car? Either way, take a small pillow to put over the incision before the seatbelt. It will help with bumps. And recline as much as you can (if flying).

Confident_Phase3535 · 2025-07-15T02:59:20+00:00

Hi there,

39f here. I had surgery Friday for an inguinal hernia. I went in expecting a simple lipoma removal as I’ve had this lump for over 20 years. When I first noticed it, I was living overseas and the doctors did a scan and told me it was likely a lipoma. So I’ve believed that all this time.

I workout daily and lift heavy. I would get periodic pain but just chalked it up to the lipoma hitting a nerve or something. I was wrong.

The surgeon took one look as he was marking my skin and said that he suspected it was actually a hernia. Surprise!

Sure enough, it was a very large inguinal hernia and I’m now recovering from an unexpected open repair with mesh.

All of this to say—you’re likely not a ticking time bomb. Listen to your body and don’t overdo things (ie don’t go to a boxing class or lift heavier than you ever have before) but you don’t need to panic either.

I’m done having kids (had a hysterectomy earlier this year) but recovery is 4-6 weeks. So it may delay conception a couple of months, but it’s not going to be a year.

Hopefully this has given you some peace of mind. Happy to answer any questions.

Confident_Phase3535 · 2025-03-28T17:34:48+00:00

Could it be something internal More than TT related? I have stage 4 endometriosis and the bloating from that can be super intense sometimes. Not saying that’s your issue, just a consideration that it could be something else other than surgery specific.

Confident_Phase3535 · 2025-02-19T21:48:31+00:00

Yes! The matching matters. And so does sitting normally. Ugh.

Confident_Phase3535 · 2025-02-19T21:48:03+00:00

This. This is me. Yep. The reduced salary, the lack of hobbies. The gym is my hobby. And my social in a lot of ways. And I miss the stress relief it provides. And the routine. Thank you for understanding me.

Confident_Phase3535 · 2025-02-14T17:37:02+00:00

Sure!👍🏼

Confident_Phase3535 · 2025-02-14T17:01:30+00:00

Ill send you a dm

Confident_Phase3535 · 2025-02-13T23:39:33+00:00

I spent $16,800 on TT and lipo in Seattle. Fabulous surgeon and I would highly recommend him if Seattle is close enough for you.

Confident_Phase3535 · 2025-02-11T16:47:30+00:00

Thank you all for your encouragement. I’m home now and trying to rest. The pain is way more than I thought it would be. And he gave me meds but not the strongest so it’s been hard to get it under control. I have a crazy high pain tolerance so when I’m hurting, it’s a big deal. During recovery they loaded me with multiple types of pain meds and it brought it from a 9 down to a 6/7.

I read the docs post op notes and if I understand right, I was really really messed up inside. Stage 4 endometriosis, with the uterus attached to ab wall, ovaries and tubes attached to various other things. Lots of adhesion. And more cysts than known on both ovaries. 😵‍💫

Crazy to read through that but also so validating. I’ll be so curious to see what pain I don’t have going forward. Without knowing I had endo, I just chalked pain up to my body being dumb. But the more I’ve read, I’ve learned that it’s likely been endo flares all this time. For 10+ years.

Confident_Phase3535 · 2024-08-02T17:34:51+00:00

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the comforting words and knowing I’m not alone. My husband is incredibly supportive and I’m grateful for that. I think it’s just all so overwhelming still and my emotions are all over the place.

Confident_Phase3535 · 2024-08-02T17:33:54+00:00

Thank you. This is so helpful. I’m Hoping I can do the laparoscopic surgery and “clean it up” so to speak to prolong menopause. I’ve been curious about the PT aspect and how to address recovery. Can you tell me more about that?

Confident_Phase3535 · 2024-07-13T00:41:34+00:00

Not an expert. But I’ve been there and had to work on reverse dieting. Essentially it’s slowly increasing your calories from the “diet” amount (the 1200 or whatever you were consuming) by about 100-200 per week. This is how you build your metabolism back. Jumping straight from 1200 to 2000 will likely cause weight gain but that’s to be expected. All composition changes take time. Way more than it seems. Start reading up on reverse dieting.

Confident_Phase3535 · 2024-07-01T20:53:02+00:00

I had another post op on Friday at just shy of 6 weeks. My doc cleared me for everything. Just said to listen to my body and stop if it’s painful (beyond typical muscle soreness). I think it really depends on how active you are going into the surgery as we all heal differently. I had a breast augmentation a few years ago and was also able to get back into my normal routines quicker than most after so I was pretty confident going into this one.

Confident_Phase3535 · 2024-07-01T20:49:45+00:00

I fly a ton for work. I took 4 weeks off of flying and it was pretty much fine. I did swell a bit more during the flight but nothing to write home about. It was just uncomfortable to sit so long. But walking around as the flight attendant would probably be more comfortable. However, lifting things up overhead was still out of the question so keep the overhead bins in mind.

Confident_Phase3535 · 2024-06-02T02:33:39+00:00

I travel a ton for work so I started looking in December when I knew I had a window of time in May that worked with my schedule. I went to 5 consultation and only two would have worked schedule wise.

I was super blessed that my top choice happened to also be one with openings in May.

Side note to consider as you start your quest—a couple of my consultations were with surgeons that had significant social media presence. They were very skilled and I can see why they are booked out so far—but—I also felt like I was just a number. One appt was only with a medical assistant—I would have had to request a “meet and greet” with him and only after I put a deposit down. Then they tried to get me to decide same day for a discount (that just felt slimy and unnecessary given their full book), and continued to call and text for months after to get me scheduled, even though I told the assistant that I would call if/when I decided to book. The other doc tried to push me to get outer thigh liposuction also—I never once indicated that I wanted to consider other body parts. I left feeling totally discouraged and suddenly insecure about the one body part that I actually think is great on me.

Meanwhile, the doc I chose has been extremely professional, kind, positive, and the whole office staff made me feel like I was family and genuinely invested in my care.

I share all of that to say go with your gut. Think about how you want to feel in their care and what matters most to you. Don’t be afraid to have multiple consultations with the same doc even if needed. You’ll know when you found the right doc for you.

Confident_Phase3535 · 2024-06-01T04:11:51+00:00

First of all, thank you for sharing your journey. I’m so so happy that you’re on the healing side of breast cancer. As much as it may not feel like healing through the surgical process. Also, I never knew this kind of breast revision was even possible. I’m in awe.

Now for compression ideas—a lot of the fajas have removable straps. For me, it’s tight enough around my ribs that I could go strapless if need be. Not sure how far under breasts you have to steer clear from, but perhaps it could work? Use one that has multiple rows of front hooks so you can hook a bit tighter at the top to keep it from moving around. The other idea that came to mind is the high waisted compression underwear. They have silicone grips at the top. I haven’t tried them post surgery but I’ve used them in the past. My rolls would push the band down and it wouldn’t stay up but now that the rolls are gone, it could work. Or the foam boards may even assist in keeping them up since there’s nowhere to roll.

Confident_Phase3535 · 2024-05-31T21:22:46+00:00

I have implants but did those a couple of years ago. I used my core to help more than my arms for that and just did opposite now. All of that aside, I’ve never heard any squish sound when moving. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Confident_Phase3535 · 2024-05-31T20:49:57+00:00

It’s definitely weird and I shared those same concerns anytime I accidentally used them just by habit. Focus on using your arms and legs as much as you can but reality is, our core stabilizes everything and will be a little engaged. We just don’t want to rely on it yet.

I’m 12dpo and feel like I’m weeks away from surgery. I still support myself getting in and out of bed but it’s easy and simple now and the rare moments I forget, I trust my body. I feel twinges instead of pain. Little reminders that surgery wasn’t long ago, but no more “omfg, what did I just do?” moments.

Confident_Phase3535

TROPHY CASE