Yikes! Now it's an umbilical hernia

[MaryD]

Life is certainly exciting when you're on PD.  A persistant little bulge near my navel looked bigger this morning in the shower.  It was rubbing it gently hoping it wasn't lymphoma again, when "pop", it wasn't there any more.  I thought 'goody, it's a hernia'.  Off I headed to the clinic where it was confirmed.  It's to be surgically repaired in the next six months or so.  I'm to decrease my dwell fluid to 1500ml.

Meanwhile, they're heavily suggesting that I do APD, rather than CAPD.  I hate machines with a passion.  I must start psyching myself up.

Anyone else had hernia surgery (minor)?

[tbarrett2533]

Hello,

They Thought I had one I had a bulge near my belly button and terrible heartburn so I went in and had a ultra sound and learned that my PD soultion was just forming a pocket (bulge) there and that there was really nothing that they could do other than remove my cath and replace it in anoter location (do smaller flls 1500ml 5 exchanges, I do CAPD) and that would mean back to incenter Hemo (while I healed and waited) and as soon as they said this I said I will suffer through (its painful like a hernia) so my advice is just make sure that it is def confirmed with an ultra sound (and sorry if you did in fact say that it was confirmed via ultra sound I may have missed that)

Good luck to you and stay positve and Strong we are here for you 

[amanda100wilson]

I had an umbilical hernia repair.  It was no biggy..  I just had to decrease the amount of fluid put in for a week or two.  It also improved the look of my previously neither inny or outy belly button.

[tiredandthirsty]

i currently have an umbilical as well as an inguinal hernia.  the transplant centre does not want to do anything as long as it is not causing any issues as they don't want to do anything to the abdomen area.  no mesh, no cuts, no chops.  it sticks out pretty badly (the umbilical) and i HATE IT.  i want to get it fixed.  but they said i'll be deactivated until i recover from the surgery if they repair it.  i don't know what to do. 

[Jean]

It's always something, isn't it?

[lmunchkin]

John had this pop up almost immediately when he had his PD cath put in.  It was a hernia too.  We were told as long as it wasn't strangling anything (it wasnt) it would be ok.  It lasted till he couldnt do PD anymore.  It still stayed there until he had his BKA and they repaired the hernia then.

Doc's were right, it never bothered him or interfer with his dialysis. Just was cosmetically unappealing, I guess you could say, but no worse than looking at his beautiful "ROPE" twisting up his right arm between his wrist & elbow.  As long as it sustains your life, don't worry about it.

God Bless,
lmunchkin

[JLM]

I had a hernia taken care of last fall.  I was in the hospital 3 weeks until I healed.    In that time I was put on Hemo.  The catheter for Hemo was inserted during the surgery and the first time the catheter was used the nurse had to cut some of the stitches for it to work.  Then my BP crashed twice because they took too much fluid off.  The next time they had more problems with the catheter and my blood clogged the machine.  My BP crashed again for the same reason.  The third time it was so bad that the nurses could not even flush the catheter.  I was brought back to my room and later I was taken to the Radiology Lab and had a different catheter inserted and then went back to dialysis and this time it went OK.  I pray I never have to do Hemo again.

[MaryD]

My hernia (Fred) seems to have got bigger over the last two days.  When I poked it back in this morning it made a gurgling, swishing sound which has not happened before (too much information???), so when I did my exit site dressing this morning I shoved a criss cross of tape over the area.  Very unsettling!  It's the weekend so the clinic is closed, and my sister (a doctor) is in New Zealand for Christmas so I can't pick her brain.

It's rather fascinating watching my gloriously useful, sturdy body starting to pack it in.

[cariad]

My hernia (Fred) seems to have got bigger over the last two days.  When I poked it back in this morning it made a gurgling, swishing sound which has not happened before (too much information???), so when I did my exit site dressing this morning I shoved a criss cross of tape over the area.  Very unsettling!  It's the weekend so the clinic is closed, and my sister (a doctor) is in New Zealand for Christmas so I can't pick her brain.

It's rather fascinating watching my gloriously useful, sturdy body starting to pack it in.

Oh, Mary, we've named our hernia now? Don't get too attached, hun! It will only make the operation that much more traumatic when Fred is taken away from you....