shyonelung

I've been really taking it easy since my stomach surgery but last day or two, I've felt much better. This morning, I got up and decided to set up my trainer. I'm supposed to see the surgeon on Wednesday to get the all clear to workout again but I was in fabulous shape when I got sick, so I figured if I listened carefully, I'd know when I could start up. I've been out of the hospital for a week today.

So, I thought I'd spin a little and see how it felt. First thing to report, there was almost no pain. A little residual when I stopped but nothing out of the ordinary and actually very minimal. I did 45 minutes, let the wheel fly with just a tad of resistance. The idea was just to get my legs pumping. I stayed at about 60 perecent of my HR for most of the time, shifted into a harder gear three times so I could stand up and pedal for 30 seconds at a time. All and all, I feel good. Amazing actually. Letting my legs go and having the sweat pouring off my face was great. I'm gonna still go slow. Nothing tomorrow. :-)

Wow, I was so bored. Hoping I can continue with no setbacks. Like I said, one day at a time.

BoSoxYacht

I really don't understand why you are rushing it so much.

I'll see my doctor on Wednesday to have the dressing changed on the incision, and to see if the ileus obstruction has completely cleared up.

Last week the doctor cleared me to resume light spinning on a stationary trainer, but I'm holding off until the abdominal pain goes away.

Unless you are getting paid based on your fitness level, what difference does a week or two make?

shyonelung

I don't feel I'm rushing it. My injuries were small compared to yours. I've been inactive for more than two weeks. Working out had become a big part of my life in the months before the surgery. My marriage split up in Jan and the bike and gym have been a sanctuary for me. I'm lost without them. Having said that, I wouldn't have stayed on the bike a second longer if there was any pain. I've been done with the workout for about an hour and I'm still feeling no ill effects. I think I was ready to get back. Lifting weights and hitting the heavy bag is another thing entirely. I'll get to that as I feel up for it. For now, though, if I can spin without pain, I'm gonna do it.

BoSoxYacht

It just seems like you are rushing things a bit. You may be fine, but the doctor might know a bit more than you do.

What did you have done, and on what date. How did they close the incision? Just curious.

shyonelung

Emergency bowel obstruction surgery on March 14. Did a 21 mile ride that morning. At 4-5 o'clock, started to get cramps, feel nauseous and after hours of suffering, I ended up in the ER and then on the operating table. I had a 6-inch incision down the middle of my stomach, from right below breast to just below my belly button. Incision was sealed with staples, which got taken out last Thursday.

Long Tom

Your time will come, BoSox, and soon enough. You are healing bones- a whole other thing. I say if ol' ShyOneLung is feeling it, he should go for it, disclaimer being that I never did get that MD degree and could be wrong wrong wrong. Positive energy sent to both of you- heal up fast!

DXchulo

It's a fine line to walk, isn't it? On the one hand doing something is probably better for you than just sitting around, but on the other hand we're wired to push ourselves and there's always the risk we'll push too hard. I think the red flag is that you aren't cleared until Wednesday, but then again you know your body better than anyone else. I know these timetables can't be set in stone and the Dr. will always err on the side of caution.

I broke my hip 8 weeks ago now and I'm going to the doctor today to see if I'm cleared to start riding outside again. I'm very excited about that. In a sense I was lucky because from the start I was told to bear as much weight on my bad leg as possible. It wasn't easy at first, though, and I do remember the first time I was able to ride on the trainer fast enough to break a sweat. It did feel pretty damn good.

RPK79

I had my gall bladder out in December and I remember getting back on the trainer for easy spinning for a half hour to an hour after a few weeks off didn't bother me at all. I got back to full efforts not too long after that. Different surgery though. My doctors told me to avoid heavy lifting (over 10 lbs) for 6 weeks, but otherwise do whatever I felt comfortable doing.

shyonelung

This is the third time I have that section of my abdomen cut open. First was in 1990 when I had Cancer surgery (had my right lung removed but before they cut that out, they had to check my liver to see if the cancer spread which it didn't which is why I'm here to talk about it), the second was gall bladder in 2006 I think, mostly laparoscopic though the surgeon was not, shall we say, as skilled as one would like. Apparently the bowel obstruction was caused by build up of scar tissue from the previous operations. But there was no cutting of intestines - the obstruction dissipated as soon as they opened me up. The pain is different from the gall bladder surgery though and I'm too old to remember the other operation, not to mention having your whole lung pulled out makes an incision down your stomach seem like a paper cut. :-)

I'm also in much better shape. Probably 60 pounds lighter than I was when I had my gall bladder removed. Less weight, less fat, tighter muscles and skin. I imagine it makes things hurt a bit more. I've also become a pretty keen observer of my body in the last couple of years. I think that comes from treating it better (good healthy food, exercise, sleep, etc.) and I'm still paying attention to it. I feel very good today - just soreness in my neck and shoulders which I imagine is normal considering I haven't been in the bike position in weeks. I promise to take it easy. As I told someone today I'm not anxious to get back out on the road I'm anxious to feel good enough to get back on the road.

Not for nothing, but it's been great to have you guys to vent/whine/share progress with. So thanks for that. I hope the lack of irony in those last sentences doesn't make this site implode in on itself.

Munk69

Had fusion surgery in Jan on my neck.. Had 2 levels done and I started riding on the trainer about 3 weeks ago. No outside riding until fused though. That might not be a bad thing because I have traditionally did a lot of spring miles which lead to burnout mid summer. So I am looking forward to taking it a bit easier in the spring and extending my season.

Heal well Shyonelung

Nachoman

Riding on a trainer seems pretty safe, especially if it's just a very light spin.

RollCNY

To use pain as the only indicator of whether exercise is OK seems foolish. Perhaps allowing your body time to heal was the intent. Mend tissue. Heal the incision. Sometimes we need to sit on our duffs and actually mend.

I understand the need for distraction, and the love of riding. We all do. Just realize that short term gratification can lead to long term suffering. Take my wife, for example. Please. Take her.

Not riding now won't compromise your Century ride. Century rides are more about your head than your condition. Recuperate now, Grasshopper.

Rowan

Often the getting on or off presents the real risk of tearing something open, rather than the exercise.

I'd go with RollCNY on this one; there is likely enough residual fitness going here to get the century done.

But, SOL, it's great that you are well and truly on the road to recovery.

BoSoxYacht

My first surgery was to repair intestinal damage from the wreck. 10 days later they needed to fix a blockage that had developed from the repairs done in the first surgery. The final surgery was to remove some calcified tissue that was causing problems with the healing process of the incision.

The first surgery used an incision from my sternum to nearly the pubic bone, but the used a wound vacuum to close the 2nd/3rd ones. It allows the incision to close up from the inside out, decreases the risk of infection, and leaves less of a scar. I have some cool photos of the progression if you want to see them.

Have you heard from your doctor again? Did he ok your return to full activity?

shyonelung

Wow, you went through a lot. Glad you're on the mend. I have some photos too but might be too much to share here. :-( yours I'd be interested in seeing. I had staples and they hurt like hell. Plus the scar isn't straight and true like it was. There's parts of it that are kind of "bubbly" which is ugly. I worked hard to get in shape and was starting to see definition on my previous fat stomach. The scar served to add a little to the look even. Now, I got a Frankenstein scar there. Not exactly the look for a newly single, newly 50-year-old making her way back into the world.
My doc appointment is Thursday morning. I plan on getting on the trainer for 30-45 tomorrow (today). Though I'm obviously up late -- long day at work and trouble sleeping so far. There have been no residual effects from Monday's session. Really the only thing that hurts is sitting in a chair for too long and twisting my torso too fast.

qcpmsame 

My recurrent incision scar is like BoSox's incision, sternum to pubic bone, the wound vacuum closure is a great advancement for the open wound type of closure, I had one in 2009. My scar is snaky, too, the original incision was an emergency surgery from finding that my appendix had ruptured so the surgeon played connect the dots from the three small laproscopic incisions he had made. Its gotten wider and longer during the 13 cuttings I've had the joy of getting. Not a great way to pass the time and really cuts into the training schedule.

The "bubbly" appearance might smooth out as you tone the muscles around the area, that stretches things back into the regular skin texture, somewhat. I use a cream for scar tissue appearance, that a flight surgeon at NAS Pensacola recommended. He said not to get the scar too soft, it needs to be strong enough to be structurally supporting. If its too rough in appearance maybe a plastic surgeon can help you if its an issue, in your place with beig newly single, it probably matters a great deal to you, rightly so.

Easy spinning should not be risky, but let the doc know and follow their instructions. Best of luck with the follow up appointment Thursday, hope everything is going along, as well as it sounds, for you. Keep us posted on what the docs say, please.

Bill

BoSoxYacht

If you don't want to see the surgery photos, don't look.

1st surgery

https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/p...psde798cf0.jpg

After 2nd surgery

https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/p...pse58378eb.jpg

With wound vac dressing

https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/p...psf505681d.jpg

After 2 days on wound vac

https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps07997d6e.jpg

After 10 days. The dark spot in the upper wound is the area that wasn't healing.

https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps55722871.jpg

After being reopened.

https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/p...psf29ff9e4.jpg

Last Friday

Upper with scar tissue being removed

https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/p...psb5247f53.jpg

Lower with honey strip covering wound.

https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps596aa01c.jpg

Today the doctor will change the dressing so I'll update it later.

shyonelung

BoSoxYacht, you poor man. Looks awful. I didn't have bruising you had. Damn. Continued good recovery vibes.

BoSoxYacht

Yeah, that 1st photo looks like they opened me with a chainsaw.

The worst part of all this is in about 6-12 months I'll need hernia surgery due to being opened up repeatedly.

JimF22003

My lovely scar goes from the breastbone to a couple of inches below my belly button. It takes an interesting swing on its way around the belly button, sort of like somebody going straight through on an intersection with a roundabout

qcpmsame 

Probably you can count on this being your case, it has been my downfall several times. Once the body is opened up the scar tissue becomes a problem for many people, my surgeon cannot explain to me exactly why this is my case, seems some are just more susceptible to producing scar tissue than others are, mine got worse each time I had surgery, tissue was forming very fast until 2010, now it has abated, thankfully. Best wishes to you both on your recoveries, hopefully they won't result in the complications I have. No pics, I refused them when offered, it is very gruesome to see.

Bill

BoSoxYacht

My doctor told me to expect it to happen, not that it could happen. The way the wound was opened up a 3rd time pretty much guarantees I'll have a hernia in the not to distant future.

I took all these photos myself just to track the progress, but now my doctor has me send him the photos every time the dressing gets changed.

qcpmsame 

Yes, the pics for tracking the healing are a very good idea, the home care nurses all took them when they changed dressings, changed the PICC lines, and such. I just don't want them myself.I'm sure you know that it comes into your everyday life, and even my dreams. I'm on 4 years, finally, without a scar tissue stricture or blockage, the scar tissue is building up, but I refuse further surgeries for right now.

I hope that your abdominal wall defies the doctors warning, you have had so much to deal with, maybe your conditioning before the accident is the thing that will help you avoid the hernias or scar tissue issues. I wouldn't wish my 16 total surgeries on anyone, for any reason. You and Shy1 heal up well and completely, you are both still on my prayer list, and will be.

Bill

BoSoxYacht

I actually ok with having hernia surgery if needed. It pretty minor compared to what I've been through so far.

A few weeks ago I was getting depressed about the lack of progress and repeat surgery, but then my doctor explained that I was lucky to have made it past ICU. Most people don't get hit at 45-50mph and have a full recovery.

In my case, a hernia is setback that I can accept.