Sailing with a hernia

Hi,

Probably applies only to the master's category - I might have an inguinal hernia, due to see the doc for a check up this week. Has anyone gone through this before? Are my laser sailing days over! I suppose it's the usual first question any fanatic asks with any sort of injury - will I ever be able to sail again (sailing = hiking!)
Anything anyone knows about this would be much appreciated,

Thanks!
 
I'm not a doctor, so keep that in mind when you consider my comments, but I've had two inguinal hernias (one on each side) and after repair and the required healing time, I was fine. I have sailed my Laser after the repair and have noticed no problems. i don't race, I only sail recreationally. My first hernia was repaired laparoscopicly, the second by the more traditional method. The healing/recovery time was much shorter and less painful with the laparoscopic procedure.

My first hernia was repaired very soon after I discovered it. The second was repaired about six years after I first noticed it. While waiting like this is not recommended, I continued to be quite active even before the second repair, doing a few triathlons and lots of bike racing. Even before the repair I didn't limit my activities and only suffered occasional minor pain.
 
Hi Rob, Thanks for the comments. Actually glad to hear from a fellow sailor rather than a medico at this stage, and I have to say you have cheered me up immensely! Seems like you have coped pretty well, and the hopeful scenario is great news for me.
Hope you keep hernia free, happy sailing, Rich
 
Hi,

Probably applies only to the master's category - I might have an inguinal hernia, due to see the doc for a check up this week. Has anyone gone through this before? Are my laser sailing days over! I suppose it's the usual first question any fanatic asks with any sort of injury - will I ever be able to sail again (sailing = hiking!)
Anything anyone knows about this would be much appreciated,

Thanks!
Your Doc will be able to guide you this week but most people I know who had hernias fixed don't have any activity limits after fully healing from surgery.
 
Hi all,

I'm chuffed there's a thread on this! I've just been diagnosed with an inguinal hernia but am now waiting 4 weeks before seeing the specialist. The GP reckons i'm fine to crack on as I am (unless it hurts) but it's difficult to convey how much stress a breezy sail can cause when hiking.

Has anyone here continued to sail lasers in the breeze with a hernia? If so, how did you go? I just don't want to miss 4 weeks of sailing if I don't have to.

Any help or thoughts would be great.

Cheers
 
I had surgery for an umbilical hernia back in '98, once it got bad there was no question of sailing... felt like someone was pulling a coat hanger through my belly button, LOL. However, the plastic mesh used to reinforce the whole area has held up great, no problems sailing afterward, though it took a little while for the pain of surgery to go away. Felt like someone shanked me in the gut with a knife, which is what happened when ya get right down to it. :eek:

Later in life, I had a "groin pull" while lifting hundreds of metal buckets of lead solder waste which had toppled in the wagon of my big truck when I rounded a buttonhook turn at 10 m.p.h. At first, I thought this was an inguinal hernia, and I was relieved to hear that it was *only* a groin pull, LOL. Took awhile for that to heal, but I went sailing after the first week or so, just taking it easy and favoring the hiking leg *across* from the groin pull, aye? :confused:

GOOD NEWS IS: WITH THE RIGHT DOCTOR, THAT HERNIA WILL BE REPAIRED AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO DO JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU DID BEFORE... MIGHT NOT BE 100% BUT IT'LL BE CLOSE. TRY TO FIND A SPECIALIST TO DO THE SURGERY, I FOUND THE BEST ONE IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY, LOL. :rolleyes:

IF YOUR HERNIA IS NOT REALLY BAD YET, YOU CAN PROBABLY GO SAILING... JUST FAVOR THE LEG FARTHEST FROM THE HERNIA FOR HIKING PURPOSES. :cool:

Edit: Just realized this is an old post, so my answer is directed to the last sailor... the OP is probably dead or in prison by now, LOL. ;)
 

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