I had one fixed about a year and a half ago. Mine was pretty bad - it went from a slight discomfort the first time I noticed it to a small fist protruding out of me by the time I had surgery 2 weeks later. It would stick out and hurt so bad after eating I'd have to use my hands to push it back in.....ugh disgusting. Obviously mine was pretty big, have about a 4" scar and they used mesh on mine as well. Laparoscopic wasn't an option I think due to the size of the hernia.

I felt great the day after surgery so got up and was doing stuff around the house. Big mistake. The inguinal canal is a small opening in your abdomen that all the nerves run through to your testicles. So the nerves were already aggravated and swollen from the repair and then my dumbass trying to be a tough guy and not relax made it much worse. I woke up the next morning and my left nut was almost the size of a tennis ball - no exaggeration. Some of my buddies didn't believe how big it was so I was kind enough to text a few pics of it. I couldn't walk because it felt like I was toting a watermelon in there lmao. Point being give it some time and don't try to be a hero and you'll be fine.

After that recovery went great. I was walking on treadmill 4 weeks later and weigh training in 6 weeks. I couldn't work abs directly and my core was a little weak but strength was about the same. Every once in a while I'd turn a certain way or flex at a certain angle and it'd hurt about like getting stabbed which they said was just the scar tissue stretching out. My abs are still weak but that's my fault for not getting back in the habit of working them.

Good luck.