Physical activity after HT

[abcd0000]

Hi,

I just had a HT in Turkey last Saturday. Today (day 5 after the operation), I had to carry a few heavy (~10 kg) items into my apartment, and also did some physically demanding chores around the house. Activity lasted about 1 hour overall, distributed over a hot summer morning. I got tired and I sweated quite a lot, and still have a mild headache. I am sensing a wave of mild swelling on my scalp (I took a corticosteroid, after consulting my physician) and I am very afraid now that this can compromise my results and cause the grafts to pop out somehow. Please help.

[agenteye]

Hey abcd,

 

Congrats on your recent transplant and welcome to the forum! Who did you choose for your surgeon, if you don't mind me asking? Turkey is producing some amazing results these days, so I'm sure you were in great hands.

 

Although you probably didn't do any harm in what you're describing to us here, it would be wise to take it a bit easy for the next couple of weeks. I don't know what your physician recommended for after-care post-op instructions, but generally you shouldn't be exerting yourself as you mentioned. I'm sure the heat didn't help either (and you don't want your newly transplanted grafts/scalp in direct sun anyway), but the headache and swelling is probably a good sign that you overdid it just a bit. I would just rest the next couple of days, drink lots of fluids, and if it is recommended by your physician, make sure you are keeping the grafts in the recipient area moist!

 

Again, I'm sure all is well. Try to relax a bit with the chores; as your grafts are very sensitive to hostile conditions in the early days.....

 

Best,

 

Mike

[abcd0000]

Thanks, agenteye! Things look better today, I took a corticosteroid as per my physician (to help against inflammation and potential swelling, they were included in my post-op kit) and took as much rest as I could. It is so hard to find balance between normal and exaggerated activity--I can definitely move a chair around the table, but can I lift a 10 lbs bucket of water for the plants? I am crossing my fingers for my precious follicles to survive, as the overall surgical work looked great to me.

 

Regarding your question -- the surgeon was Dr. Tugrul Maral, and I really did have an impression that I was in good hands.

[Kimi]

Hey abc...Maral suggested yesterday and today to me that after a week we can go swimming and after 10 days or 2 weeks we can "work in the mines" as he said it.

 

I asked him this explicitly since I am planning to go on holiday in about 10 days and ride the bike in the mountains, he said this was perfectly fine. Did you speak to about him about this, what did have to stay about lifting stuff and doing other physical works? Maybe you should wait for few more days with that after all, give it some 10 days or so!

[abcd0000]

Thanks Kimi! I remember the Dr. saying to avoid physical activity by day 7, that's why I was so freaked out. I am now taking it easy, just relaxing yesterday, and today I am working again but without heavy lifting and leaning, just light manual work not much harder than walking. I am having house renovation and of course it had to happen right at this time. Hopefully it will end today. Fortunately I don't see any difference on my scalp, the incisions seem to be closing nicely and and I sense that the scabs will start to fall off very soon from the scalp (it feels just a tad bit itchy), so I might even get away with this one. Wish me luck -- and happy healing to you!