I've been sick again with a bad cold and have been coughing a lot, which has been really painful. Now I'm also feeling a pressing sensation on the left side, just below my waist — similar to what I felt with the hernia before surgery, though this time it's located higher up. I really hope it's not another hernia.

Every time I cough, there's sharp pain at the mesh site — it feels like hundreds of needles being driven into the area. I've started taking Tramadol again because the pain has become too much to manage with just regular Panadol, even though I had been coping without it for the last few months.

What I can’t understand is why no doctor is willing to order a scan, like an MRI, to actually see what's going on inside. Something clearly isn't right. The surgeon who did the procedure mentioned that the mesh might be pressing on the spermatic cord or that a stitch could be affecting it. There’s also a chance the mesh has shifted or torn, which could be causing this pain. From what I’ve read, imaging is typically the first step in evaluating complications related to hernia mesh. Yet, the doctors keep insisting a scan wouldn’t show anything — even though online research suggests otherwise.

Is it just about cost? Are the hospitals reluctant to charge it to the insurance card? I’d gladly pay for the scan myself if it would help get to the bottom of this.