question: About 18 years ago my husband had hernia repair using mesh. For the past two months or so he has started experiencing pain in that area. No bulging, but pain that comes and goes. Sometimes it has been getting severe, he says. He takes tylenol to ease it somewhat, and a heating pad helps. He will have three or four days when it doesn't hurt and suddenly pain returns. He has no medical insurance and I tell him to go to the ER if necessary but he tries to deal with it himself. He also has colitus for many years, and acid refux condition for which he takes over the counter prevacid. I am very worried about him re: the hernia repair site.