Calling Mr Ton.....

[gairym]

Hey Tony (said in a Goodfellas New Yoik accent),

I was just scouring the t'interweb for info about when it's safe/sensible* to get back on a bike after Umbilical Hernia surgery and your name came up in an old STW thread about this very subject.....

(*delete as applicable)

So.....you were back on a bike after a week, eh???

It's a week tomorrow and I'm (finally, felt bloody awful for the first few days - much ouchiness!) feeling good, no real pain, mobile without much restriction (other than caused by fear of doing something wrong) and wondering when I can throw my leg over a bike to get some gentle exercise.

My problem is that the surgeon really really laboured the point of doing not very much at all for quite a while. Whereas most other sources of info seem to be saying the opposite (i.e. get back to normal asap).

Any/all experience and advice gratefully received (and from anyone else with anything to offer obviously).

Cheers, Gairy.

[ton]

hello mate, happy to offer my limited advice.......

yes, i was back on the bike after a week. my repair was to the right and just up from my belly button.
it was tender for a few days after, but by the 7th day it had eased a fair bit, so i went for a steady 10 miles up and down the canal to leeds for a beer.
i used easy gears, and did not put any power down at all, just steady as. and after that, it was fine.
i think we cant sometimes over think stuff, but the doctor told me it was pretty rare to bust a mended one open. the gauze stuff they use it pretty tough. oh and i was back playing rugby after a couple of week.

so go for a ride, if it hurts stop, if it dont hurt, crack on.

[gairym]

Thanks fella, unsure what to do yet.

I think I'll leave it another couple of days yet to see how daily walks impact me before I commit arse to saddle.

But mightily heartened to know that it's entirely possible I'll be back riding much sooner than I originally thought.....