Exercise fanatics out there?

[ShavedDethMonk]

My procedure is booked for Dec 14th 2009 with Dr. Rahal. I was told not to engage in physical activity for 1 month post-op.

 

Im not sure how to do this ... I work out 4-5x/week. I take about 1 week a year off maximum. I recently went through a seperation with my wife and despite all the stress and collapse in my life because of this I only took a week off during all of the marital ruin as I escaped from a very controlling woman. Exercise has been and is a form of stress relief/ therapy.

 

If there are any other exercise fanatics out there how have you dealt with this ?

 

I can only imagine some answers from some forum posters ..... Step 1: sit on couch, Step 2: open bag of chips Step 3: turn on TV Step 4: eat chips ......... LOL.

 

Besides my high intensity weight training, which will have to be put on the burner for a while, I do walk 10 km on weekends with jogging during the weekdays ... Ill have to do the 10 km walk several times a week or something.

 

Thanks ahead of time for your suggestions.

 

SDM

[ShavedDethMonk]

My procedure is booked for Dec 14th 2009 with Dr. Rahal. I was told not to engage in physical activity for 1 month post-op.

 

Im not sure how to do this ... I work out 4-5x/week. I take about 1 week a year off maximum. I recently went through a seperation with my wife and despite all the stress and collapse in my life because of this I only took a week off during all of the marital ruin as I escaped from a very controlling woman. Exercise has been and is a form of stress relief/ therapy.

 

If there are any other exercise fanatics out there how have you dealt with this ?

 

I can only imagine some answers from some forum posters ..... Step 1: sit on couch, Step 2: open bag of chips Step 3: turn on TV Step 4: eat chips ......... LOL.

 

Besides my high intensity weight training, which will have to be put on the burner for a while, I do walk 10 km on weekends with jogging during the weekdays ... Ill have to do the 10 km walk several times a week or something.

 

Thanks ahead of time for your suggestions.

 

SDM

[Sparky]

Stick to the walking m8, anything more strenuous will make your donor scar stretch, and you also dont want to much sweat getting onto the grafts imho. I like my weight lifting but i'm putting it on hold until after next feb which is when I aim to be done with ht's for good.

[aaron1234]

SDM,

 

This is something I'm currently going through myself. I'm not a huge exerciser or weightlifter, but I do like to run a few times a week and do light lifting. I'm not exactly sure how long you need to stay of weights. I'd sort of like to know myself. I've heard everything from a couple weeks to a couple months. It probably depends how heavy the lifting is. I'd also like to know when one can run again. I remember reading one surgeon saying you could run a couple of days after surgery. I'm not sure how many other docs agree with that. Hopefully some docs or vets here can set us straight.

[Sunnycoastman]

I also would like some advice on this question. I workout most days at the gym...weights mostly and some treadmill time. it'll be hard to stop for more than a couple of weeks max. can you get back to workouts using light weights say a week after the procedure. How soon after the op can you do fast walks or cycling. i wouldnt think sweat would hurt the grafts. any practical advice would be appreciated....cheers

[Sparky]

you cant weightlift a week after the procedure if your going for strip, no way. I know from experience, I cant say for sure that my scar stretched from the weights because I had a shit Dr, but it did stretch.

[thanatopsis_awry]

7 days I did nothing; 3 days I walked; 1 week weights; ad infinitum boxing/jiujitsu, including a competition 3 weeks out. My scar stretched a bit, I believe when I was doing intense rolling work.

 

Nonetheless, when I keep my hair ~1 inch (or less) there is no sign of the scar, nor when I shower.

[aaron1234]

Well then Thana, maybe I no longer have an excuse to be a lazy ass.

[thanatopsis_awry]

Hahaha. I dunno, I personally believe there is such variability in scars, much of it out of our control, that, given my connection to training I simply wasn't willing to play it "super safe", when I'm not sold that doing so would guarantee me a superior scar anyways. Nonetheless, I did jack for 1 week and babied my donor till I got my staples out.

[Ronald]

I am 3 mths post op and my scar still feels tender so I am waiting before that goes away.

 

Dr. Rahal, as you mentioned, wants you to lay off the weights for month.

 

I like the idea of doing two things:

 

1) Starting with lighter weights

2) Increasing the weights gradually using Dr. Rahal's 1 mth guideline and your feel for how your donor area feels.

[Fingers Crossed]

ShavedDethMonk,

 

I'm a competative bodybuilder, have been since 2004 and I weight train 5 days a week with extreme intensity. However, when i receive my HT this coming January, i'll just have to keep reminding myself how much money I've spent on this procedure...this should pretty much stop you from doing what you're not suppose to do post-op. If anyone is worried about losing muscle during this time, take BCAA's (branched chain amino acids) in conjunction with a high lean protein diet while you're "off", this will help prevent catabolism (muscle wasting)

[Dr. Paul Shapiro]

Wounds heal in three stages:

 

The fist stage is the inflammatory phase. In this phase the wound swells and the ingredients such as white blood cells, clotting factors, and fibrinogen for the adherence of the wound, prepare the wound for healing. This stage peaks at three to five days and the wound is very weak at this point. That is why it is very important to take it easy in the first week if one wants to avoid a wide scar.

 

The second stage of healing is the collagen phase which starts at about one week post op. During this stage the collagen content increases and the wound strengthens. Sutures can be removed during this stage and we remove our sutures at 10 to 14 days. The second stage of healing last 2 to 4 weeks as the collagen content increases and the wound strengthens.

 

The third stage of healing is called the maturation or remodeling phase and may continue for several years, with concomitant improvements in wound appearance. As new collagen replaces the old collagen the wound gets softer and the scar is less conspicuous. That is why we need to wait at least one year to determine how a scar is going to look.

 

During the second stage of healing I tell patients they can go back to exercising but to use their common sense. If they do an activity that causes pain or a pulling sensation in the donor area then they have done too much. When weight lifting I recommend the patient goes down on the weights but increase his reps. It is important not to put too much stress on the upper neck and trapezius muscles during this stage.

 

As for running it is ok to run at a pace that does not cause one to use the upper back muscles as accessory muscles to breathing. That pace differs for each patient and depends on ones fitness and also how one breathes when running. Sweat will not affect the surgery at the second stage of surgery because the outside of the wound should not have any scabbing and a skin barrier of epithelial tissue is already present.

 

In summary it is very important to take it easy for the first week when the wound is in the first phase of healing. During the second phase of healing use your common sense. Try not to do activities that will put a lot of stress on the upper back and neck muscles. And if you do something and fell pulling in the donor area then you have overdone it and you are not ready for that activity. For example if you like to golf or play tennis, practice your swing and see how it fells. If you can feel some pulling in the area of the donor site then back off. During the third phase of surgery most exercise is fine. But I can still imagine someone who is into power lifting stretching the scar during this phase if they really push the weights.

 

I hope this is helpful

 

Dr. Paul

[ShavedDethMonk]

Thanks for all the replies and interest in my thread.

 

Dr Shapiro: Thanks for the healing process description Dr. Shapiro, that was very informative and makes me realize why the I should take it easy for as long as recommended.

 

FingersCrossed: Hey, if you, a competitive bodybuilder, can take the time off than I as a amateur hobby bodybuilder can take the time off too

[aaron1234]

Thanks Dr. Paul for the informative write up. It is helpful to know that I could do some light running now. Though, I'll probably still take it easy for another couple months.

[thanatopsis_awry]

BCAA's are a really interesting -- and I think good -- idea, re: recovery for an athlete, or weightlifter getting a HT. The one caveat I'd add is that to truly benefit you need to consume a truly hefty load (I forget how many grams per pound of lean mass, but it's a ton)and they are pretty expensive and/or taste horrible. But, when I take time off from my next HT I'd absolutely be loading up on BCAA's for preservation purposes and peace of mind.

[Irish-1]

Waited 5 weeks, then started cross-fit, scar was not tender but it did itch like crazy which i ignored!

[Sunnycoastman]

I have some ideas on this. We want to maintain our workout fitness and muscle mass as much as possible during the down time. I suggest overtraining before the op so that your body is then ready for a week or so off. train every day for the 2 weeks before the op. First 4 days after the op complete rest. next week after that just do cardio on the stationary bike and the treadmill on high elevation and just walking. thatll improve your aerobic fitness and work the legs at least without any strain on the scar. After that start with the workouts but no compound exercises like squats or chins, dips or bench press or anything where you hold your breath while you push becz that increases cranial pressure. Also no shrugs or deadlifts or upright rows or anything that stretches the scar site. Just do a circuit of light weights 15-20 reps per set and isolation exercises like concentration curls, flyes, DB rows, DB tri extensions etc. benefits are the body at least get worked and its good cardio fitness. a week of that and youre ready to start slowly back into some heavier stuff. Thats my plan anyway. I have a question....My doc says i can have dissolving sutures that dissolve over 3 months or so. Sounds like a good idea as the stitches would help hold the wound together for alot longer and my guess is help prevent widening of the scar in that first 3 months of healing. Dont know what the disadvantages are tho. Cheers