Injury and setbacks?

Decoy152 · July 2022

Hi all, after 2.5 years of dedication I am in some of the best shape of my life. BUT I also achieved this while respecting an (11 years past) cervical injury and carefully working with/around an existing right inguinal hernia. The hernia can be corrected via surgery which is optional at the moment but could become mandatory as time goes on. Obviously I dread the set back a surgery would inflict. Have ever been in a go vs no-go decision like this and/or did you do anything to set yourself up for success in recovery?

AnnPT77 · July 2022

I've had several surgeries during and since weight loss, and am also a quite-active person, used to regular athletic activity, and quite cranky about giving it up. Admittedly, none of the surgeries were truly major, but some required giving up my normal activities for around a month.

Clearly (IMO) a smart person wants to do several things:
* Follow the doctor's clear orders about what kinds/intensities of activity are compatible with good healing, until one can return to normal levels.
* Do whatever activities one can that are compatible with healing, even if they're not the normal activities, or as effective in building/maintaining fitness. Any fraction not lost doesn't have to be regained.
* Not be trying to lose weight while in the most acute phases of healing, so maintaining weight or (if unsure of calorie needs) even tolerating a tiny slow gain (we know how to lose it, right?)
* Get excellent nutrition.
* Not catastrophize about it, because it's fruitless and feels icky. Healing needs to be prioritized, there may be some minor loss of fitness, but it will be recoverable (probably more quickly than it was gained the first time around). I avoid surgeries that can be deferred without major consequences, but sometimes they need to happen.

Something I've found helpful was to ensure the doctor knew how active I normally was (specifically); make clear that not working out was difficult and undesirable for me (but I'd do it to the extent required); and ask detailed, nuanced questions about what it's OK and not OK to do when.

Their generic off-the-cuff advice is usually tailored to (frankly) not-very-fit people, and it's possible that they will allow you to do a bit more sooner, if you politely break them out of autopilot-mode guidance by clarifying how strong and fit you are going into the surgery. (Some are extra cautious with me by reflex because I'm old, and clarifying that my normal activity level is high sometimes breaks through that bias.)

Example: When my surgeon told me not to lift more than 5 pounds for the first 2 weeks, then cleared me to lift that much, I asked if I could lift 5 pounds for reps (!). She rolled her eyes a little, told me to wait another week, then I could. This was the only time in my life that I've done reps to utter boredom, vs. some more specific fitness-oriented target. Even though it sounds silly, it was better than zero.

Also, do the heck out of whatever you're allowed to do, after making sure that's OK. These days, it seems pretty common to encourage people to walk quite soon in most recovery paths, for example. Walk to tolerance, y'know? It's temporary. Ask if stairs and hills are OK, etc.

It's a pain, and stressful, but even at my age, honestly the backsliding isn't that major or hard to recover. The effect on my mood and happiness is worse, but I can deal with that psychologically because I know that I can get back to normal (with the surgeries I've had so far, at least).

You'll handle it well if you set your mind to it.

Decoy152 · July 2022

AnnPT77 wrote: »

I
* Not catastrophize about it, because it's fruitless and feels icky. Healing needs to be prioritized, there may be some minor loss of fitness, but it will be recoverable (probably more quickly than it was gained the first time around).

Oh yes, that's the medicine 👍 The recovery starts in the mind. I stumbled or rather was guided on to that after my neck surgery. I was ill prepared for that one! But then I didn't have advance notice as it was a sudden and acute injury. So to your point, I am reminded not to "catastrophize" about it, much less before I have even reached a decision threshold. It's amazing how much of this entire recovery and fitness process emanates from so deep within.

Xellercin · July 2022

I just don't see surgery as a "set-back" I see it as part of the ongoing process of maintaining my health.

I do a ton of "pre-hab" to give my body the best chance of recovery and then do diligent rehab. Either my body heals to a place that I can get back to old activities or it doesn't and I develop new activities within my new adaptive capacity.

The thing is, your body can and will change over time with age, injuries, illness, or whatever happens in your life. You can't get too attached to whatever it is today because it's not permanent.

Just live your best life, maintain your best health, and enjoy whatever fitness and function you have today because it's not guaranteed tomorrow.

So surgery isn't a "set-back" it's just part of the always circuitous path forward.

sijomial · July 2022

Injuries requiring decisions over surgery or not have been in relation to my knees.

Right knee took quite a few heavy impacts during a motorcycle racing hobby that was more enthusiastic than successful.
Resuted in some nagging pain and an inability to run any great distance without triggering lots of soreness. But as distance running has always been an exercise last resort and a chore to me I decided to live with it for about six years, I can tolerate pain quite well so it didn't stop me doing what I wanted to do.

But then my left knee was wrecked by an errant car driver. Completely disabling injuries (couldn't weight bear or get my leg straight) and had to push really, really hard to get surgeons to agree to operate. Good decision as the diagnosis from multiple Doctors was wrong which meant I would never recover (mostly) normal function without that surgery.

During extended rehab from those injuries and rebuilding of lost muscle my right knee started complaining more as it was now taking the majority of the strain of daily life and exercise. Became almost constant pain and was restricting my progress so now opted for surgery. The expected meniscus damage was found but also a surprise previous patella fracture that hadn't healed well (probably from a crash). That was a good decision too as within a week that knee had recovered to a far better level of function. It also meant I could rebuild my fitness to a higher level.
I still have the quite common amongst bike racers almost detachment from their body and body parts - just tools to do a job. When they can't do the job I want them too it's time for action.

I don't see surgery as something to dread, just a sometimes necessary step in maintaining/improving function and fitness.
Just like rehab from more minor injuries is a PITA but just part of the deal. Just at the tail end of rehab from a long term wrist injury and last month has been the fun part where weights go up quickly and hopefully next month will result in the satisfaction of regaining pre-injury levels.

csplatt · July 2022

I have a back condition that could potentially be alleviated with surgery later in life and I live in the world of managing chronic pain while trying to stay active and fit, fearing it getting worse over the next decade. My dad had a spinal surgery in adulthood that didn’t fix a thing and his internal scar tissue is just as bad as his spinal issue was, so I have fear there too, although our diagnoses are different.

For now, my condition doesn’t warrant surgery anyways so I put all my energy into trying to manage / avoid pain while still being active and healthy. It’s so hard and the “mind game” regarding this likely being permanent is the hard part. I can’t change it.

Injury and setbacks?

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