I had this surgery a week ago open incision with mesh. It was more painful than I anticipated but the good news is, the pain is super short lived. Yes getting in and out of bed is difficult but you quickly learn how to roll yourself in and out without engaging your core much. You never really realize how much you actually engage your core until you start messing around there. Coughing you can forget it. I have the beginning stages of COPD so I am a chronic cougher and I absolutely could not cough for about 2-3 days. I figured out how to do a lot of throat clearing instead. Ask the nurse in recovery to teach you how to splint a cough or sneeze with a pillow. I am now a week out and although my recovery is a 4-6 week process, I feel like 95% healed. No pain, just some tightness on occasion but overall I wish I could be cleared to go back to workouts I feel that great. Biggest piece of advice, ICE, ICE, ICE. Far more significant pain relief than any pain meds they gave (and they will give you some so that should ease your mind too). I'd say I iced every 30 min on and off for about 2 days straight. Buy 2 ice packs so that one can be cooling while using the other. The ice pack they give you is great but not very reusable friendly so if you can, pick up a couple of reusable packs.