After traveling through Europe, following the footsteps of my father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken, I developed a bilateral hernia at the base of my pelvis, below my bellybutton. My sister Pat Thorspecken-Napolitano told me about the two failed hernia repair operations she had and then the operation that finally succeeded. I decided to have the doctor who performed the successful operation on my sister, perform the operation on me.
The operation was on March 28, 2026 at the Sarasota Hospital. I was told that I would not be able to drive after the operation so I needed a ride. My sister Pat and her husband Mike volunteered to help get me to the hospital and get me to their home. We got a hotel room several blocks from the hospital the night before.
Some kid was bouncing a baseball off the wall that had the bed headboards for hours. It makes sense that the universe would be sure to create some havoc just before I would go under the knife. Check in went smoothly in terms of paperwork, but the nurses didn’t read the documents and they started getting me prepped for an EKG which I had done a few days before. My chest was shaved all the way down to my pubes. I was naked as a newborn for the operation.
A DaVinci Robot controlled by the doctor performed the operation. I only saw the robot for a moment before I was sedated and blanked out. The operation cost $11,000 out of pocket and my insurance company, Ambetter Health, didn’t reimburse me for any of the cost. The operation was done correctly and I healed quickly. Sometimes picking the low-budget doctor that insurance wants to use just isn’t an option. I didn’t want an inexperienced butcher cutting me open.
Three small incisions on my abdomen have since healed. Walking and biking have not caused any hint of the hernia to return. Having survived the operation, I am now focusing on improving my eating habits and getting to my ideal weight. A friend is helping me with the diet and I insist on biking or walking to many of my daily chores.