Heave! Ho! Oh, no!

Father's Day is supposed to be a day of relaxation for dad, right?

Wrong! My wife decided it would be a good day to head to Menard's to buy patio bricks (we don't even have a patio) and mulch for the yard.

I loaded up the large utility cart with 45 brick pavers (approx. 10 to 15 lbs. each) and eight bags of wet, heavy mulch.

When showering that night, I noticed a large bulge above my belly button about the diameter of a half dollar and protruding about a quarter-inch outward. My nurse-trained wife and I figured it was a hernia, and did a little research to find out more.

It didn't hurt, although there was some mild discomfort. Still, I went to my doctor, who referred me to a surgeon, who said, "Yeah, we're going to have to repair that." This hernia is basically a tear in the abdominal wall.

The main concern - as we found online and confirmed by the surgeon - is that the hernia could interfere with the bowels and possibly causing a serve infection. So guys, there are worse things than surgery for a hernia - such as gangrene in your bowels.

My only beef with the surgeon was when he asked about pain. I said there was mild discomfort, but no big deal. Then he proceeded to push his hand about three inches into my midsection and asked how that felt. I'm sure that wouldn't have felt good with or without a hernia.

Surgery is scheduled July 16, so I'll let you know how that goes. Depending on what type of painkillers I'm on, it could be an interesting post.