i read on this forum about people getting them repaired but what is that exactly?

In Latin the word Hernia means "a rupture". When tissue protrudes through a structure, or a part of an organ through the muscle tissue or the membrane, that is a hernia.

There is a very thin (like deli sliced ham) muscle called your diaphragm that divides your body in half across the bottom part of your chest. It helps you breathe by moving up and down. Heart, lungs, and esophagus are above it and the liver, spleen, stomach, intestines are below it.

There can be a hole in it (well there is a hole for your esophagus but it can stretch out)and it lets a little of your stomach sneak up into your chest which can give you heartburn or even shortness of breath, I had one and they stapled it up during my lap band surgery.

Other hernias are holes in other places like a bump by your belly button can be a hole in the muscle wall that holds your intestines in.

I just had two inguinal ones repaired, those are where lumps appear in your groin caused by small intestine coming though the muscle layer (mine was weakened by a surgical incision) or down the inguinal canal

Most people have the hiatal hernia. Very common. If your insurance will not pay for the weight loss surgery. Some weight loss places will repair that and stick the band in. Then you are paying for the band. I did that.