Returning after surgery #16
 

I am returning to cycling after a 1 year layoff due to abdominal adhesions and fistulas forming for seven months early this year culminating in surgery #16 in May. I am back at work as an engineer and getting my strength back. Can any of you suggest a training schedule for getting back in the saddle. I live in NW Florida so our weather is good for winter riding and really nice right now. I have some mild rolling hills but nothing excessive. Any input would be appreciated.

Bill

Congratulations on getting through to the point you can start riding again. :thumb:
I can't offer any specific advice other than make sure you doctor is OK with what you plan to do. I'm not much on training schedules, but I have been going through far too many recovery periods in recent years. I follow my doctors' advice and do all the riding I can without hurting myself. If it hurts, don't do it. If it doesn't hurt, do it. At least until I get well down the path to recovery. Then the old "no pain, no gain" idea can start creeping in.

Holy Cow! Crohns disease perhaps?

Good for you that you are able to start up again.

Pointing out the obvious: your core strength is going to be awful and will be the rate-limiting factor in the equation. Next time you see your surgeon, you might ask him what kind of core training might be appropriate.

Otherwise, I'd take it real slow.

Abdominal surgery----- Been there and it was in summer and into fall. Being a gardener I raked the leaves and the Lawn. All that movement built up the stomach muscles into something respectable but I made a mistake. The wife saw me doing it and mentioned that the action I was using was just like Hoovering the Lounge. Next rainy day and there she was in the lounge- feet up and the Hoover out. Have to admit that the Action was very similar but not as pleasing.

Keep the stomach muscles working and if possible build them up. This will help on the Metric that you will be able to enter in a few months time- Once you have got the butt re-attuned and the Thighs stop barking.

Just get out and ride. Few gentle miles out to the hills and then come back. Next time do a bit more then a bit more distance and effort on the next ride. I had 5 months off exercise in 99 and that first serious ride hurt. Not during the ride but immediately afterwards. Build the core back up and if you use a heart monitor- use it to judge your improvements. I was lucky in that I had a mate that took me out riding when I did get back. If I felt good he pushed me for a while. Not long but just enough to say I had done a bit more than last time. But he also recognised when I was not right and we just rode.

A friend of mine has Crohn's disease and has undergone a couple of abdominal surgeries. He found a personal trainer who was experienced in working with women after C-sections and had her develop an exercise routine for him. Perhaps you could try something like that.

Glad to see you back. I am no expert in recovery training, but I would follow bluesdawg's advice. He has made it successfully back (in my opinion, amazingly back) from a couple of pretty serious medical conditions.

I sure would not be in any hurry.

Ride slow and easy....

Yes. At first, err to the low side. Better to take it easier than absolutely necessary than to do too much too soon and suffer a setback.

Thank you all for the replies. It is not Chron's Disease it is excessive scar tissue strangulating the small intestine and I contracted MRSA in 2006. It will form a blister then burst leaving a hole in the outside abdominal wall. Last December fistulas began forming from the small intestine out the ab wall and it drained gastric acid out over my abdomen burning me badly. I had to wear an ostomy bag from December until a reconstructive surgery to resection the bowel, cutting out a section of the intestine that was forming the fistulas.

I am working with my surgeon on safely returning to work now and back on the bicycle. If it hurts or drains too much I put it away or go home from work and redress the wound and make plans for tomorrow. I have followed BluesDawg's travails and I admire his strength. All of you here at 50+ help me keep going and motivated on keeping up my riding and my wife is right beside me the whole way. Thank you all, again.

Bill