To me it sounds like you should get the surgery but I'm not a doctor. There isn't much more you can do, any strenuous movements will set off an attack so you won't be able to exercise to lose weight until the hernia goes away. Apple Cider vinegar is just a tool to re-train your stomach when to make stomach acid and in what strength and what amount. It doesn't do anything to acid reflux. I was told that as we age our stomach lining gets lazy about stomach acid production (part of this could be due to H. pylori bacteria which is everywhere and pretty much everyone over the age of 40 that drinks city water has it). Splashing the walls of your stomach with tiny amounts of acid help to re establish the right acid at the right time. For me it took a solid year of sipping to see permenant results. All the pills available are acid supressors meaning they either stop completely or cut in half the amount of acid your stomach makes. This isn't a great thing for your stomach or food, since the acid bath your stomach performs is an important function - BUT, you don't want extra stomach acid splashing up into your esophagus either which is what normally happens with a hiatal hernia. So I would keep taking acid reflux pills if you are. You need to slow down acid production until you solve the hernia thing. It sounds to me like the top of your stomach is poking up into your chest cavity like permenant hiatal hernia does. Either the stomach gets pinched by the muscles of the hiatus and this causes pain or the opening (hiatus) itself gets stressed by all the object poking through it (also painful). The surgery they used to do (10 years ago) was to simply go into your belly through tiny little openings (no big incisions) and take the top portion of your stomach (which is like a floppy rubber sack) and stretch a section of it up and around the junction where the stomach and esophagus meet. This little wrap around of stomach tissue makes the top of you stomach stay below your hiatus which would end the pain. It works like thick rubber band around the bottom of your esophagus. Your stomach adapts after a while to it so you can then eat normally (stomachs are stretchy and flexible). Everyone I know that had this surgery loved the results. It was considered a minor ordeal with minimal time under anesthesia and only a few tiny scars. In their case it was covered by insurance and not that expensive. I don't believe they will do the surgery without first performing a endoscopy of your esophagus, which is similar to a colonoscopy but without the 'cleaning out' chemicals.

Dear Bleusblue2, Shouldice certainly has a good PR person... I was completely pulled in. Right now I just need to lose this weight, not just for the hernia surgery, but because I am feeling unhealthy and unhappy. I don't go around sad, but I don't feel as confident as I used to, because of a lot of things: the hernia, going into nursing which turned out to be very bad for me health-wise and mentally/ I am basically having to start over again, yet again! I am returning to being an administrative assistant like I did before nursing school. Less stress, less wear and tear on the body and mind. So... maybe the best thing I can do right now is concentrate on small steps... like lose 10 pounds and then go to the next 10 pounds.... I have completely given up bread and sugar and it shows you something that I already feel better after two days! And I am not as hungry as I always am. Lose the weight and then see where I am with the hernia surgery. I hate the idea of having a foreign body placed in me (mesh) -- but maybe I need to do more research on it. And absolutely, yes, do not gain any weight! From what I have read that is more dangerous to our health than anything and to surgery repairs, etc. Do you have an exercise regime? We have just passed through one of our "worst" winters here in Arkansas and now the sun is out daily. I have no excuses for not walking every day! So that is part of my plan: losing weight and walking at least 45 minutes three times a week. Thanks for you feedback on these matters. Otherwise I would have gone around thinking Shouldice was the best place in the world to have that surgery done. When you say that submarine guy... are you talking about Subway? Because I am not eating bread, yesterday I went into a Subway shop and got them to put tuna salad in a little bowl and then all the veggies that would have gone on a sandwich on the side. It was delicious! The reason I am giving up bread is because in the past when I have lost weight, the only thing that really worked was giving up bread, potatoes, rice, and all those comforting starches... I don't think these are "bad" foods -- I just know for me that is what has always made the weight "move"..... I have not always been overweight. It's just been the last 15 years or so... it's a different world in many ways... people do look at you differently... some people even act like you are immoral or just "not with it" -- even though I am one of the brightest people I know! How's that for some confidence? LOL. Thanks, again. Write back if you feel moved to. Do you have a garden? Cheers, Sasha

Thanks for you responses. Too bad my son didn't think of changing the door out to a window when he had new windows and new siding installed last spring. i just remembered that he actually used that door once. He had bought a new dresser that didn't fit up the bend in the staircase so he had it hoisted up on that roof and got it into the house through that door. I guess he may need that door to get the dresser back out someday if he moves, although he could include it in the sale of the house. He will have to look into the cost of turning it into a window vs installing a railing. Vith, Can those post bases you linked really be sealed well enough to not cause any leaking?

I have a large incisional hernia in my upper abdomen from when I had my gall bladder removed. I've had it for around 8 or 9 years. My doctor is one of those who takes a wait and see approach. I've read a lot about it from medical websites and the general consensus it to wait and see, unless you start having a constant pain. The problem with having hernia surgery if it's not bothering you, is there is a very high chance the hernia will come back. If I thought mine wouldn't come back I'd have it fixed in a heartbeat. Mine was caused from laying on my back while sleeping which I never do, then choking on my spit and coughing really hard. lol. Tell the person to baby the hernia. When coughing or sneezing, press the hernia so it won't pop out further.