Followup Doctor's Visit - Kinda Scary/Weird

Now bear in mind, I'm still rather lean (from contest). Suprising so, since it's been like 8 weeks since contest. My biceps still have a pronounced "split" and are vascular (and I'm NEVER vascular). Of course, this makes it appear rather large - or as the doctor said "Iy looks swollen" hahaha.

I went in for a one week follow-up yesterday and he just looks at it, fells around it and says just keep an eye on it. He said it doesn't appear to be infected. I'm going to see if I can draw out any fluid. If I can, would you suggest that I find "some place" that will test the fluid to see if there's a bacteria or low-grade infection in it? Another Ortho "surgeon" in their office took a look at my abdomin/directly above belly button. He confirmed that I have a "small" hernia and suggested to leave it alone unless it starts hurting or gets enlarged. He said that even if he'd remove it, there'd be a good chance that it'd come back!

xcel

Xcel,

I guess I can't see a reason why not to test any fluid/puss that comes out of your bi's (except not wanting to know the answer...doh!) But are you experiencing anything that leads you to think you've got an infection in there? Any low grade fever or pain or anything?

Also with regard to the hernia, I too agree, leave it alone unless it is painful. I know about umbilical hernias, and non-tension repairs (not fun) and I can say that unless it hurts you daily, don't mess with it. You just have to work around it a bit in your training.

DrG

umbilical hernias

I have to disagree with the individual who found your hernia. If you truly have an umbilical hernia, i suggest you get it repaired at your earliest convenience. If you have more contests in the near future, wait until this competition season is over. You shouldnt have any problems waiting a month or so.

When i diagnose an umiblical hernia in an adult, i will advise them to have it repaired. When diagnosed in children under 3-5 yrs of age, we usually wait to see if the hernia will spontaneously close (which will happen most of the time). This, unfortunately, does not happen in adults. The danger in waiting to fix umbilical hernias is that tissue from inside our abdominal cavities may get "stuck" in the hole that is the hernia (medical name is "incarcerated"). You will experience severe pain if that happens. Incarceration is a semi-surgical emergency. There is still blood flow to the "stuck" tissue with incarceration.

However, if the blood supply gets interrupted from prolonged incarceration, you have a condition called "strangulation". This IS a surgical emergency. Strangulation can lead to tissue death and the subsequent release of toxins in one's bloodstream. The worse scenario is when intestines get stuck in the hernia and become strangulated.

I'm not trying to scare you, but these are things to think about when dealing with an umbilical hernia. There are a few ways to repair these hernias. Usually, umibilical hernias are small. Some surgeons fix them under local anesthesia (you're sedated, but not totally unconscious). Other surgeons will have you put to sleep. Depending on the size of the hernia, we may simply close it with sutures or use a mesh screen. Be sure to discuss the pros and cons of each approach with your surgeon.

Feel free to ask further questions xcel.

drgoodbody said:

I guess I can't see a reason why not to test any fluid/puss that comes out of your bi's (except not wanting to know the answer...doh!) But are you experiencing anything that leads you to think you've got an infection in there? Any low grade fever or pain or anything?

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Thanks for the feedback - both of you!

There's NO pain, redness, fever or swelling (other than the doc say it looks swollen - but they always look that way, LOL). If I'm experiencing anything, it's being more tired these days - yawn a lot and can just about sleep anywhere. Keep in mind that I have a rather severe case of sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine every night - so tiredness can more than likely be associated with that.

I just found it a bit strange that the "doctor" didn't want to take a sample of the fluid!?!?

xcel

By the way...

Umbilical hernias are congenital by definition. This means you were born with the condition, so dont think you caused the hernia to happen. I too was born with an umbilical hernia, though mine was diagnosed and treated without an operation. This was in the early '70's (i'm 33).

Just a FYI.

Re: umbilical hernias

Lifenatty said:

There are a few ways to repair these hernias. Usually, umibilical hernias are small. Some surgeons fix them under local anesthesia (you're sedated, but not totally unconscious). Other surgeons will have you put to sleep. Depending on the size of the hernia, we may simply close it with sutures or use a mesh screen. Be sure to discuss the pros and cons of each approach with your surgeon.

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The surgeon that I consulted with told me "what type" of hernia it was (can't remember the name) and said that if he did operate on it, it would be a 12-minute, out patient, in-office, procedure.

xcel

CPAP

xcel, you have a lot of interesting medical stuff going on! Why do you need a CPAP mask? As you probably know, sleep apnea usually occurs in overweight individuals, unless it's "central" sleep apnea. Is that your situation?

Re: By the way...

Lifenatty said:

Umbilical hernias are congenital by definition. This means you were born with the condition, so dont think you caused the hernia to happen. I too was born with an umbilical hernia, though mine was diagnosed and treated without an operation. This was in the early '70's (i'm 33).

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It sounds like the same thing I have but I don't remember him referring to it as a "umbilical" hernia. He didn't say it was congential but lead me to believe it was by his desciption - nothing I did mad it happen, it would have eventually appeared/developed anyways (it appeared after an intense ab session).

xcel

Re: CPAP

Lifenatty said:

xcel, you have a lot of interesting medical stuff going on! Why do you need a CPAP mask? As you probably know, sleep apnea usually occurs in overweight individuals, unless it's "central" sleep apnea. Is that your situation?

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Yea, I'm just a bag o' bones, a real basket case - LOL

I underwent a sleep study, overnight stay in a sleep center. They had me wired up like Frakenstein. It seems like I had nearly 20 episodes of "no breathing", sign of oxygen deprevation, and never got into REM sleep! I had an oxygen machine to supplement the CPAP but when I changed Insurance providers, they took the oxygen machine away!?!

The doc was really suprised also as he stated this usually occurs only in overweight people. When I recently got down to contest weight, I thought I'd try sleeping without the CPAP (no fat in the throat area). My wife woke me up and told me to use the CPAP 'cause I quit breathing all the time - it really scares her and "she" can't sleep - LOL

xcel

xcel

I have to wear a CPAP machine also. I went thru that sleep study and they told me I that I had about 40 "occurances in the first 2 hours. I was constantly tired and fell asleep quite often when I was the least bit inactive.
Workouts were a real battle.
I got the corrective surgery before I ever got the CPAP. That had to be one of the most painful things I ever had done. I was out of work for a month and lost over 20lbs in 8 days because I couldn't eat solid foods. And since I know you've seen my photos, it had to be alot of muscle.
After I was recovered though, I gained it all back plus some.
The doc gave me the CPAP anyway after the surgery because my snoring shook the house!
Now I wear it all the time at night and don't snore at all.

god and my gf bitches about me talking in my sleep

Re: xcel

mike man said:

I was constantly tired and fell asleep quite often when I was the least bit inactive.

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Yea, like sitting in meetings at work or having to stick my head out the window while driving. I swear to god that I fell asleep standing in line once!

xcel

crackerjack414 said:

god and my gf bitches about me talking in my sleep

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I used to talk in my sleep, GF plays around with asking me questions, but since have been diagnosed with sleep apnea (I am only 83kg -6'2) and I now apparently snore ! The shit I have been told I do after a stilnox is halarious !

X-cel, I am booked into ther sleep sudy centre, did you find it comfortable enough to sleep with the machine on? I mainly get probs whilst on cycel (1g enenth)

sorry to hijack the thread like this
Winston

You will sleep like a baby when you get your CPAP! And, feel rested when you wake up. It took a while to find face apparatus that didn't bother me or leave sores. It seems like the last couple of years they've really improved the design of apparatus, compared to back in '97 when I got the machine.

Like I said - bulked up, contest lean, on gear, off gear, it doesn't change "my" apnea

xcel

ME TOO.

Like I said - bulked up, contest lean, on gear, off gear, it doesn't change "my" apnea

xcel

Me too excel, me too.

ditto.......I can fall asleep anywhere anytime...when off CPAP. I even had surgey......didn't work.

I'm another sleep apnea victim. Shit, I used to drink a pot of coffee and then fall asleep. Did the sleep study and got a CPAP too. Now I have no problems with snoring and I sleep great. My neck is 20-21", I weight 300, and my tongue is too big for my mouth. Never had my tonsils out and my nasal passages are narrow. Damn, I'm really a mess. LOL.

PB

Hernia: it's called an epigastric hernia...

I had mine fixed when I was 18......little bulge right above the navel. Mine was about the diameter of a quarter. They did the local anesthetic. I can tell you I was very alert. Also those operating rooms are cold. I had four people in there with me...two males and two females. It's not fun being nervous, naked and on your back n a cold room when you are 18. I was more worried about how big my penis looked to the women than the surgury! hahahaaha........I kept thinking, "yeah, it might not look that big right now, but just catch me on a lazy summer day! " hahaha........ I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to get it fixed. Mine never came back.

Good luck, Excel!

Re: Hernia: it's called an epigastric hernia...

JETHRO TULL said:

I had mine fixed when I was 18......little bulge right above the navel. Mine was about the diameter of a quarter. They did the local anesthetic. I can tell you I was very alert. Also those operating rooms are cold. I had four people in there with me...two males and two females. It's not fun being nervous, naked and on your back n a cold room when you are 18. I was more worried about how big my penis looked to the women than the surgury! hahahaaha........I kept thinking, "yeah, it might not look that big right now, but just catch me on a lazy summer day! " hahaha........ I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to get it fixed. Mine never came back.

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Well - you a big guy, mine's only about the size of 15 cents - LOL.

At my age I still have a small penis, so everyone should get a big laugh

It's actually starting to bother me a bit - or I'm just mentally making it bother me. After I've been eating a large meal, it seems to hurt some. Good to know that yours never came back. Surgeon told me there was a VERY good chance mine would - but never really stated why.

xcel

EXCEL....YEAH, I'VE DONE THREE POWERLIFTING MEETS OVER THE YEARS...

.......and I have had no trouble. I am no doc....but you might want to get another opinion. If I were you I'd do a search on hernias. I did.......www.hernia.com.....there are big institutes that do nothing but hernia surguries. They put mesh in there and you are ready to rock.