80.16 years
Anyone who makes it into their eighties is likely to have a few battle scars, from things that happen and the resultant surgeries. That is true of me as well, although I've been relatively lucky. On Thursday, November 17, I had surgery to repair an inguinal hernia. The hernia had been quite visible for about five years, and had reached the stage where it looked like I had a baseball under my skin. Now it's gone.
The above shot is from the day of the surgery, about five or six hours after the operation. The incision, nearly three inches long, is outside the frame and not visible. What looks like a monogram tattoo is the surgeon's initials. Mine were there too, verifying the correct location for the procedure. For the first time in years, there is no visible hernia.
In this second shot, taken five days after the surgery, the thin, dark line is the incision. Although you can't tell from the photo, the incision is sealed up with something like super glue. The thicker line, taking off at an angle, is a post-op bruise, of which there are several. The surgeon's initials can still be faintly seen, although I've been trying to wash them off.
In this third shot, also taken today, five days after the surgery, one can see more of the post-op bruising. It's not too bad, but it does also affect the scrotum, with which the hernia was involved.
It's a great relief to have this done and behind me. My recommendation to anyone needing this type of surgery would be to go for it. Advances in medical science over the past twenty years have made the recovery far quicker and easier than it was before.
Text and images Copyright © 2022 by Donald C. Traxler.
