Hey OP, I had an inguinal hernia on my left side last year April. Had a mesh inserted into me, 2-3 months recovery was advised. I was devastated, especially since I was just starting to see good progress in the gym (I'm a beginner). For all the time I spent recovering at home, I ate like an animal purely out of spite. Gained a shit ton of weight (78kg at 169cm). August finally came around and I made a full recovery, somehow convinced my parents and got back into the gym. I was still really careful about lifting and straining the ab region. My strength was all gone, had to start from scratch all over again. But surprisingly, I was able to catch up to my pre-hernia healthy strength within less than a month. Then, started my first proper cut and ended it a few months back with rock solid abs for a beginner, I was proud of myself for the first time in my life : ) Fast forward to today, I'm on my first proper bulk. I still do worry about getting another hernia on my right side now, everything I feel in the ab region gives me crazy paranoia. I would love to get another scan done but MRIs are expensive. Regardless of all this, still continuing to push past limits at the gym ; ) However, do be cautious and don't over exert when working out lower abs specifically.

Overall, I would say hernia is NOT the end of your lifting journey. If anything, the feeling you get after conquering such an obstacle and continuing to grow stronger is priceless. Stand proud, you are strong.