hi everyone just a brief update:
i had surgery last wed and developed a hematoma... had to be rushed back to theatre the next day and basically got re-operated on... the event and various other events with nurses triggered my complex ptsd and well... i ended up staying in hospital for 5 days. i had a wide local exision and they took out a good small bowl worth of lesion and margins plus 2 nodes. they are all clear! so next i wait to see if i am brca1... i developed lymphodema in my breast which is still bruised and i have to ice it because it burns!
i was told by the physio as soon as i wake up from the first surgery to start moving my arm and do the exercises prescribed. so i did. and after the hematoma removal, i was told to get up and exercise once an hour to get any remaining tissue and blood clots out of my system into the drain bag. and so i did. i moved and the first couple of days i was only moving about 5 - 10mins at a time, within 2 days after hematoma i was doing some light half squats, leg raises and walking and lunging up and down the ward.
a day after being discharged from hospital on monday i walked to and from the post office which was only half an hour in total but felt like much more. i was so tired... but now it is saturday, a week and 2 days after 2 surgeries and i can walk for at least 30 - 40mins a day while doing my weird salutes. my boyfriend joined the gym so to help me tomorrow to get back into things. the physio did not come see me before i got discharged so i will see them again next week. but i think after the drain tube was removed a week post surgery i was far more comfortable and moving around much better. and energy is still very low especially with lupus fatigue but tomorrow i want to get on to some very gentle eliptical exercise and try some light light weights with my arms plus try a few reps with my legs and just play by ear.... i will report how i go just incase if it helps anyone...
please please share any experience you have had with exercise post surgery. what was it like for you and what could you manage 1 week after? 2 weeks? 3?
i do believe that my powerlifting background and getting fit for at least 6 months before diagnosis helped me recover but i still have systemic lupus, breast cancer... so i will draw on my life time of experience working around fatigue and pain (was diagnosed with lupus at age 17)... for now signing off and thank you for all your comments and well wishes. xoxoxooxoxoxo <3
