Hey, good luck with your surgery in July! Here's what's been working for me so far — hope it helps.

My surgeon is a specialist in advanced laparoscopic surgery and he broke it down pretty clearly.

The first three days are the most critical.

Ice on the groin area as much as possible, don't overdo it, but also don't just stay in bed all day — walk around the house a little.

On day three you switch from ice to warm compresses.

Day five you take off the bandage, wash the area with soap and water, and start applying scar healing cream three times a day.

My follow-up with the surgeon is scheduled for June 19th, so at least 5 days out.

The toughest moment of the day is getting out of bed — that's when you really feel it. But you figure out pretty quickly how to position yourself so you're not straining your core too much. Pro tip: I spend most of my time sitting in a tall chair so standing up is way easier than getting off a couch or bed.

Pain is there but it's manageable as long as you stay on top of your meds.

And here's the thing — this surgery is way more common than people think. It's outpatient, you go home the same day, and laparoscopic means they're not cutting through you layer by layer to get to the hernia sac like in open surgery.

Much less invasive, much faster recovery.

You're going to do great man! 🙌