In early 2020 I developed serious pain on the inner side of my left elbow  after pushing my training too hard and ignoring early warning signs. What started as a minor niggle quickly turned into something that made every morning a struggle  — just lifting my arm out of bed was excruciating and stiff, often taking 30 minutes  to loosen up. That’s when I realised I had golfer’s elbow . My journey ultimately spanned years of ups and downs , setbacks, slow progress, and learning

In April 2025 , I underwent surgery for both an inguinal hernia  done laparoscopic method and an umbilical hernia done open method. Like many people, I assumed the surgery itself would be the main challenge—and that recovery would follow a predictable timeline. I was wrong. This article focuses primarily on my inguinal hernia surgery recovery , the persistent pain that followed, and what I learned about chronic nerve pain after hernia repair , exercise selection, and the unco