Post-surgical exercise

I am tomorrow a month post-op (yippee!) so have two more weeks to go for my six-week doctor visit.

I'm very impatient with my recovery. I started Lady Jane's exercises my first week home. I also began walking right away and have gotten up to between a mile and a mile and a half a day.

Additionally, I started doing some upper body stuff (very carefully) with teeny-tiny 5 lb. weights by the end of my first week back from the castle. (I was curling 15-20 lbs. with one arm, bench pressing about 45 lbs and squatting about 80 lbs. prior to surgery.)

My husband says I am overdoing it. The doc has said "walking only" but then says I can carry up to 10 lbs. After six weeks I can go up to 15 lbs.

My question is: AM I overdoing it? I guess my major concern is the pretty major pelvic prolapse repair I had done along with the LSH. I do have varying levels of fatigue throughout each day, but I see improvements, too.

Thanks for your input.

((((Linda)))) I don't know if you are overdoing it with your exercises, but, considering that you were also dealing with extensive pelvic prolapse, I would be very conservative at starting back an exercise program. I had my TVH both to remove a huge fibroid and to repair a stage 3 rectocele. Because of the posterior repair, my straining and lifting restrictions were maintained several weeks after I was released to resume the majority of my activities. Even now, two years later, I'm very careful about lifting anything that's too heavy.

I can understand that you are anxious to resume your activities, however, as you've read before, we only have one chance to recover well, and this is it.

Since your doctor specified: only walking, I think that your dh is probably right

Please take care and be patient: soon, very soon, you'll be released to resume your activities and able to do so knowing that you are recovered.

Just my humble opinion but I kinda think you're overdoing it. I know it's hard when you're used to exercising to sit and not do it............but you can cause yourself problems farther down the road if you don't give yourself time to heal now.

The walking is ok, but there is a reason the docs say "walking only".

The best way to check is to ask your doc and be honest about what you are doing.

You might want to check out this link to Fitbug's page about going back to exercise after surgery:

http://www.hysteritaville.com/fitness/

And BTW -- who or what are the Lady Jane exercises? That's a new one to me.......the only Jane's I can think of are Jane Fonda, and Lady Jane that was on the show "Lovejoy"

Take care of yourself!!

Ann
TAH/BSO 1/5/01

I found these on Hystersisters in the Post-Op articles. Apparently this lady is from the UK. Let me know what you think.

Thanks.

Here's the link to "Lady Jane's Exercises". Please note that these cautions are included:

	Quote:
Of course you should listen to your body and only do these if you are comfortable , stop if you feel any pain or discomfort. If in any doubt consult your doctor and all that normal legal 'your responsibilty stuff' !!!!!

Looking at them, some of them seem like they would be tasking the abdominals quite a bit, especially if done immediately after surgery. I definately would print this page and ask your doctor. Some of them, like the pelvic tilt and pelvic floor exercise (which sound a lot like Kegels) might be ok and might actually help strengthen the pelvic floor.

Again, I'd say proceed with caution, listen to your body and listen to your doctor.

I think Dany accidentally left out the link to the article in post-op hints..........here it is:

https://www.hystersisters.com/exercises.php


Ann
TAH/BSO 1/5/01

Follow the doctor's instructions. That is why he gets the big bucks.