questions about abdominal mesh

[Cat]

You guys are all so smart, I hope someone has some info on the abdominal mesh they use following TRAM to help support abdomen as they do in hernias etc.
Mine was done in 2006 and hasn't been an issue at all. I have been able to work back to lifting some pretty good loads. The halaven I'm on seems to have weakened me, I had an ablation on the 16th and after dealing with the resulting constipation, I noticed a bulge on my stomach. My first concern was ascites (cancer of course) but with time realized it was mostly on the right and not changing in size. I'm thinking my mesh has failed me and or I have a hernia. I have not been prone to back aches but have been getting them in varying degrees the last 4 days. I see the onc this afternoon for chemo so I'll check with him but I thought I'd see if anyone knows of this and is it an easy fix. I am so tired of surgery and hospitals and treatment but I will do what I have to.
My flat stomach was the one thing I could feel good about. Now it pooches and I keep thinking I may have one of those monsters pop out like in the movies!
Any thoughts or knowledge?
Thanks, Cathy

[vlcarr]

I got a hernia after my DIEP. It's a long story but he repaired it during the 2nd phase operation. Unfortunately, it came back so had to have mesh repair. A little over a year after the mesh repair I started having awful pain, ended up in ER and after many test to rule out other causes they sent me to the pain clinic. They said it was nerve pain and I get nerve block injections in my abdomen now about every 3 months. It's the mesh and I now know it is not uncommon for this to happen. The problem is what other choice do we have. But, just because it happened to me doesn't mean it will happen to you! Best wishes to you.