Exercise post op

aamdsi said:

Yay you!

I had to wait 8 weeks before my first SLOW 1 mile jog.  Doesn't it feel great though?

I too felt like I had a "stitch" in/on my left side (had my partial on the right) as well as the incision area feeling kind of "heavy".  I checked with Dr. and they said was fine - but you should check with yours just to make sure.

Just had my 3 month post op check-up the past Tues.  Dr. told me to keep on running 8-)  Neither back up to pace or mileage, but am at least doing it.  First Tri. race in July.  I haven't gone back to lifting yet - for some reason that still freaks me out.

Anyway, just take it slow (as you know). Was assured that I couldn't shake anything loose or bounce anything around. 8-)  And that twinges, puling and such were normal.

Oh, I needed a heating pad on my back right behind my incision the afternoon/evening after the run, not sure why my back was sore - but it was.

So glad to hear another runner back on the road 8-)  Yay to you again. 8-)

DS -- I'm wondering if the other kidney somehow compensates for the kidney that got operated on and therefore causes it to feel different and possibly cramp up during times of stress like exercise. Please let me know if you find out what it is. 

aamdsi -- I had planned to do a sprint tri at the end of June before the whole cancer thing interrupted my plans.  My run was 3 miles and it literally felt like a half marathon.  Even though my pace was really slow my heart rate got up to the level I usually only do in races or track workouts.  Very discouraging. Although I'm very competitive in running only events my goal for the tri was simply to finish.  However I may end up finding a later event to avoid coming in last place. By the way, I also swam 2000 yds yesterday. Stretching my body out during the swim strokes felt very strange. It didn't hurt but it seemed like I had a rubberband inside me that wouldn't allow me to fully stretch. So swimming was very slow as well. Have you tried swimming yet?  When in July is your event?  

aamdsi said:

going at it harder than i 8-)

You had robotic?  I had an open.  Seems that you are able to get going earlier and harder than I was allowed. Good for you 8-)

As said, my left side sometimes seems that way as well.  I am wondering (since I was told all is fine) if "we" are just breathing badly (make sense?).  After a month of running again, my breathing has returned to my normal running rate and the cramping has stopped.  Maybe try pushing back at the spot, and check your breathing? See if that helps?

I am only up to 2.45 miles run, 6+ on bike and 1/2 mile swim.  Have done some bricks as well.  Swimming did feel odd, but good 8-)  Think we are just restretching the skin and muscles. After a couple times swimming I felt normal.  But sometimes after doing laps, the turn (I don't do a flip turn) pulls at the incision and that it "hurts".  Found if I just put compression on it when I turn, it feels better.

Am doing a sprint (.5 swim, 12.5 bike, 5k) mid-July in northern MI.  Am not going to finish last, but not going to place (age group wise) either.  Hey, the fact we are out there doing it at all after all this makes us winners!

I went to my one month post op follow up on Friday.  Apparently the pain on my right side during running was either referred pain or more likely from the gas that was pumped into me for the surgery.  Your entire abdomen gets inflated with CO2 which causes stretching that can take some time to get back to normal. I ran yesterday and my right side felt marginally better. 

My doctor gave me the schedule for my follow up CT scans. They'll be at 6 months post op and then annually for 5 years after that. I told him that I had heard that every 6 months was the standard protocol.  Not that I want to do more because I hate getting all that radiation and I'm claustrophobic. So my scanxiety will be more about doing the scan instead of anxiety about the results. Doc said that he didn't think it was necessary to go as often because my tumor was caught so early at only 1.7 cm.  It makes sense to me. Should I push for more frequent scans?

aamdsi, I did have a robotic assisted surgery. Also they only took about 10% of my kidney for my partial. So, I think my recovery would naturally be faster than your open procedure. By the way, I don't do flip turns in the pool either.  My turn also feels really weird now.  Hope that gets better soon.  I haven't gotten on a bike yet. I'm paranoid about getting into a crash that somehow affects my internal surgery wounds. I had a crash that scraped me up pretty good right before my surgery.  I got a lot of questions from docs and nurses about what happened when I checked in for my surgery.  And the week before that, I was on a group ride where one of the guys had a massive heart attack after one of the sprint sections. He was revived by CPR and lived but biking seems a little more dangerous to me now.  I'll be rooting for you in July. Be sure to let us know how it goes. 

aamdsi said:

so glad!

All went well at the follow up!  And that the future looks bright.

I won't have my first CT unitl a year out - unless I really want it.  But, like you wonder if I should ask for one at 6 months

Goodness I can understand the bike thing!  We call big crashes, "yard sales", and can imagine the damage to you.  Then add the heart attack 8-(  But I have a good feeling you'll take the challenge again soon, and even with a bit more caution, will peddle like the wind 8-)

You still thinking this month for your first?  Where?

 

Still thinking about it. It's the California International Sprint Triathlon on June 28 in Pleasanton, CA.  It's coming up fast. Before my surgery I would do a 1 mile swim, 13 mike stationary bike ride, and 3 miles on the treadmill once a week in the gym in addition to my other training. I was very ready and was starting to think about training for a half ironman in Santa Cruz in September.  Now I can barely muster up a 3 mile run at a 10 min pace.  In December I did a marathon at a 8:13 pace.  Not sure I could even finish the sprint tri if I did it today. Perhaps I can get a modest amount of cardio fitness over the next couple of weeks. If I think I can finish it I'll do it. 

aamdsi said:

Weeeellll

My thinking - just make sure you finish the swim 8-). 

Do they have a du option?  Can you transfer the fee (I can with some races) to al later date (given why, they might let you)?  My 

opinion, for what its worth, wait another month.  Then maybe a sprint.  If youndo this one, finish and HURT, you may be put off doing another 8-(.   Put your energy now into healing with your sites on an iron man next year?  Maybe even registar for one?  That would be so cool!  Out of my league, but so cool.  

We have the "gene" to beat this by beating it (and outselves).  So we had surgery, you a month, me 3 months, we can still do everything we did before...but... I have already had to slow down because it hurt.  

Just kind of writing this year off, 2 instead of 6 tri.s and some 5k mixed in.  The on,y thing I am NOT giving up is the extreme ultra x-country relay marathon in Sept. I got clearence for that the day I found out my surgery date.  

But in the meantime, we need to just take it down a bit.  Try a 5k or 2 just to releae a bit of competitive "juice"?  We gotta heal, as boring as that is.

I'll probably wait till the day before the event before making a final decision but if I was smart I'd follow your recommendation. 

jhsu said:

I have lightly seasoned

I have lightly seasoned salt-and-pepper hairs, if any till on.

Going to finish around 30 marathon road runs this year, lost my count or tired of counting them.

aamdsi, I'll definitely let you know if I do the tri later this month.  I've already paid the money and have some friends doing it as well so I'm probably going to do it.  Definitely won't push it though. Had a good run tonight so maybe the cardio is starting to come back a little.   Hope your running is going well. 

jhsu, no way I could do 30+ marathons a year. I checked out your profile and see that you've had metastasis to your lungs.  How much did the lobectomy impact your running?