My brother had a hernia fixed (laparoscopic) a few years back. He was home just over 2 weeks. He couldn't do any heavy lifting for like nearly two months though and he is /was in very good shape. But his job is pretty physical too. He was very careful when he did return to work. I think like all surgeries and the type of surgery (method and how extensive) recoup times really vary. Just don't push it. You feel any pain, stop. What you should do however is not lay around too much. Your muscles go to crap quickly. Get up and walk a bit as much as possible, even down the block when you are up to it. You want to move as much as possible without overdoing it. Also, whenever you need to cough or sneeze, put your hand over the area and press it/hold it in. That helps a lot. I know the first few days, he was walking well just kinda shuffling slowly, but that is normal. he just made sure he kept moving and increased it as the days went by. Try eating plenty of fiber too to keep the plumbing happy. Hope you feel better soon. Don't over do it, keep moving as you can and just let it heal.
. Take the pain meds. No reason to endure the pain if you dont have to. Trust me, the Motrin wont cut it.