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Avatar universal

Pain spreading and worsening?

I am a 21yo female, 5'4", 118 pounds. I'm gluten sensitive and lactose intolerant but other than some hay fever and asthma I'm a decently healthy person. I was diagnosed with a femoral hernia in October at the ER and was told that no surgeons would see me without insurance so I've just been trying my best to live with it. They told me it wasn't a very bad one though, so I should be fine so long as I didn't lift anything.

First, I think I was misdiagnosed as far as the type of hernia it is. My bulge is in the right place for an inguinal hernia, not a femoral one (they didn't do any scans on me or anything, just looked at it). In addition to that, I have a good amount of swelling going on just above it at my hip bone/iliac crest, about the size of a softball in diameter, giving the appearance of two lumps, although it's somewhat harder to see. Could this be a spigelian hernia? The swelling seems to be in the spigelian belt, but the lump is just under it. Both hurt when pressure is applied, but most of the time the pain focuses at the swelling at the hip.

Since I went in to the ER I've been doing my best to rest and I don't lift anything heavy, but the pain's just been getting worse and worse. It's gotten to the point where I can't stand long enough to do the dishes, or go to the store because of the amount of walking it takes, and if I do I spend the rest of the day and night in pain bad enough I can barely move at all. Not only that, but the pain has begun spreading beyond the swelling at the hip. The hernia's on my left side, but the pain has spread down to my groin, and to my left side/back, and towards my right side too (about the same spot as my hernia, just the other side). In addition, whenever I am in pain I get incredibly nauseous that lasts well beyond the time the pain settles down.

It hurts when I eat, drink, it hurts when I don't have anything to eat as we'll as when I need to use the bathroom, it hurts when I walk, bend, twist, reach, do just about anything or put pressure on it. Potatoes, gluten free toast, pork, cabbage, and spicy foods seem to make it especially worse.

Why is it getting worse? What should I do? Painkillers don't do anything, it's a sharp, sudden pain most of the time. Sometimes it just flares up throughout the day, others it's a continuous pain all day. It's getting worse and worse but was told no surgeons would see me. I can't afford insurance right now, I'm a newly wed and newly employed. Is there anything I can do? Will the ER do anything different than last time if I go in during one of my "attacks" now that it's so much worse?

Thank you for your help.
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello and hope you are doing well.

Understand your predicament. There is an inguinal ligament which separates the thigh from the abdomen above. Any hernia above this ligament is an inguinal hernia and the ones below are referred to as femoral hernias. If the hernia is reducible and if there is no inflammation or strangulation of the bowel, surgery is usually elective. If the above symptoms are there, then an emergency surgery may be mandatory. If at the ER they have ruled out complications due to the hernia, the pain could be due to other causes like renal colic or pelvic inflammatory diseases.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
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Avatar universal
When I lay down the pain seems to worsen as well, and often hurts all the way up to my rib cage.
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