maintaining strength after surgery

[gvaughn]

Hi, Cathe! I'm finally up to some respectable poundages with the Pure Strength series (e.g. 35# barbell curls). I'm especially excited that I can finally do all the push-ups on my toes. This is very difficult to achieve since my abdominal muscles are so weak from three surgeries.

My doc delivered the really bad news yesterday that I need a fourth (and hopefully final) surgery for my Crohn's disease. It means a week in the hospital and six weeks of lifting 10-12# maximum. I am planning on doing lots of walking around the mall and on the treadmill during my recovery. I would also like to maintain at least some of the muscle gains I've made.

I have four weeks before the surgery. Are there any particular training strategies that I can do between now and then that would help me stay strong after the surgery? Post-surgery, would doing, say, bicep curls with 3# dumbbells be useful for maintaining muscle (once I get my doctor's go ahead, of course)? What is the physiology of coming back after laying off all activity for so long?

I know that going into surgery in a very strong state is better than being very sick (as before) but it is so disappointing to be bouncing around with Step Max and our beloved Cathe and then barely be able to make it one lap in the hospital hallway. I am majorly bummed.

But in the long run, I will be in much better shape. I just have to keep telling myself that.

Thanks for your help,
Gretchen

 

[Claire]

Sort of the same question...

Hi Gretchen,

I'm sorry to hear about your surgery. It's no fun at all to go through that. I have a question similar to yours, so I hope you don't mind if I piggyback here.

I had emergency surgery for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy on 12/15, exactly 6 weeks ago. With my doctor's approval, I have just started to work out 5 days a week on a very modified basis, but I'm really getting frustrated. The good news is that I have been able to use the PS tapes with no problem at all. I have been pleasantly surprised to find that my upper body strength is actually pretty good considering that it's been more than 8 weeks since I used heavy weights.

The bad news is that my legs and my cardio capacity are completely shot. I did MIS legs on Monday and I'm not kidding when I say that I can barely walk. I think my problem is that I don't really know what "modified" means...I don't know how to scale down the amount of weight I'm using. My tendency is to do more than I should or to really overdo it. There's not a chance right now that I can do a Cathe step tape, but I'm wondering if it makes sense for me to try to do just one section of a step tape on a 4" step or what???

So, I guess in my long-winded way I'm also wondering what the physiology of recovery is like. How much is too much? How much can we ask of our bodies? Gretchen, I think you are very wise to try to get as strong as you can pre-surgery. My doctor told me more than once that my being in good shape really helped my recovery. Best of luck to you!

-Claire M.