Questions to colostomates who lift weights

coloCan
coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I'd been lifting most of my life since early teens, lost it all in the past year and a half, end chemo within a few weeks and would like to get back into lifting, which surgeon said I could do. Started recently with 3 lb DB using right arm only (as picc is in left arm); "muscle memory", for those who are familiar with concept, is certainly true, as this pushing 60 year old will demonstrate once going full blast!!!!

With causing no harm to my stoma or **** as priority concern, I'd appreciate your answers to following questions:
1.Can you do pullups/chinups?
2. Can you do pushups?
3. Bent over rows a)with barbell
b)with DBs
4. Deadlifts
5.Core work (does strenghtening stomach affect functioning of stoma?)
a)planks
b)Crunch/sit ups/v-ups
c)floor bike movements
6.Farmers walks (heavy)
7.Seated work (concentration curls,presses,etc...does it hurt sewn up ****?
8.Bench or floor presses (I got problems with both rotators so I'll do floor presses,if OK to do
9. Any other suggestions, things you've learned to do differently if you've lifted prior to colostomy.

I'm serious about getting back into exercise and getting my strength back more so than size but, to repeat, DO NOT WANT TO HURT STOMA OR **** In ANY WAY......

Do not want to learn by trial and error and get gernia or ruin stoma. I have total faith that I will gain back most of what I lost in spite of my age and condition!!!!!steve

Comments

  • PamPam2
    PamPam2 Member Posts: 370 Member
    #2
    careful
    Hi I think you should be very careful about what you do. My suggestion is to get a script for physical therapy, they will be able to show you exactly how you should exercise after abdominal surgery and having a colostomy. I learned how to do scar massage to prevent tearing of the scar tissue, and learned that parts of my surgical incision had never went back together under the skin, and was able to get this back together, reducing the risk of post operative hernia. When I had my colostomy, I did too much and wound up with a prolapse (it happens to about 14% of those with one) which meant that anytime I was not flat on my back my intestines would start coming out into the bag, and after a few trips to the ER when I couldn't get them back in myself, and the pain and bleeding involved in getting them back in, I made the decision to quit chemo early so I could have the surgery to correct this. After all this is when I went to physical therapy, and learned my limits and the correct exercises to do for my condition. Wishing you the best of luck with your rehab program.
    Pam
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    #3
    PamPam2 said:

    careful
    Hi I think you should be very careful about what you do. My suggestion is to get a script for physical therapy, they will be able to show you exactly how you should exercise after abdominal surgery and having a colostomy. I learned how to do scar massage to prevent tearing of the scar tissue, and learned that parts of my surgical incision had never went back together under the skin, and was able to get this back together, reducing the risk of post operative hernia. When I had my colostomy, I did too much and wound up with a prolapse (it happens to about 14% of those with one) which meant that anytime I was not flat on my back my intestines would start coming out into the bag, and after a few trips to the ER when I couldn't get them back in myself, and the pain and bleeding involved in getting them back in, I made the decision to quit chemo early so I could have the surgery to correct this. After all this is when I went to physical therapy, and learned my limits and the correct exercises to do for my condition. Wishing you the best of luck with your rehab program.
    Pam

    My surgeon had given his approval for me to start out light
    which I did, as I said, with right hand only and nothing complicated. But since he doesn't lift nor have a colostomy, he couldn't tell me specifics, thats why I'm asking others with bag.. Operation was past Sept 2 . I saw a video on the Hollister company site and a younger man was doing chin ups, others jogging. I;'d like to do some of what I used to do, even if with lighter weights. As I've said, not harming stoma or rear is primary concern now.Thanks for sharing your experience, Pam. i think I'll also ask onc and radiologist if any other patients like me went back to exercising.....
  • Jaylo969
    Jaylo969 Member Posts: 824 Member
    #4
    coloCan said:

    My surgeon had given his approval for me to start out light
    which I did, as I said, with right hand only and nothing complicated. But since he doesn't lift nor have a colostomy, he couldn't tell me specifics, thats why I'm asking others with bag.. Operation was past Sept 2 . I saw a video on the Hollister company site and a younger man was doing chin ups, others jogging. I;'d like to do some of what I used to do, even if with lighter weights. As I've said, not harming stoma or rear is primary concern now.Thanks for sharing your experience, Pam. i think I'll also ask onc and radiologist if any other patients like me went back to exercising.....

    Just my 2 cents...
    Please be careful! Too much surely could cause a severe pain in the AZZ.

    I know how you feel though. On my job I was turning and lifting my Dad who weighs approx 190 lbs. I asked my surgeon when he thought I could get back to work and he looked at me like he saw bats flying out of my head. Oh well, he's a nerd...a good nerd. I took his look to mean Nada, no, never..

    Please be careful. Don't mess anything up. Go slowly....

    -Pat
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #5
    Uh-Oohh.

    I've got an ileostomy, but it's still about the same as far your
    insides go...

    It depends on what/how much they removed, that really counts.

    In my case, 4' of colon was removed, leaving quite a bit of
    acreage in there.

    The problem isn't "the stoma", it's what happens to the balance
    of organs that are inside you, that now have room to move.

    When you use those abdominal muscles, they're going to press
    inward against organs (as they usually do), but now, the organ
    will move into an area it's never been, and wasn't intended to be.

    So you -might- be faced with adhesions that can be painful,
    very, very painful, or somewhat worse than painful. Or....nothing
    will happen, and you'll move on to lifting heavier stuff, until it
    does happen. That, of course, is -if- you have had enough
    removed to cause a condition as I described.

    The second thing to be concerned with, is hernias. The skin is
    thinner due to the surgery, and some muscles have been separated
    to accommodate the formation of a stoma (it exits through the abdomen
    and usually through the muscle area). That leaves muscles wanting
    to go for a vacation outside the abdominal cavity. Pleasant thoughts
    will naturally occur while under heavy anesthesia, but prior to
    that can be awful; Just sayin'.

    So..... what you really oughta do, is:
    1. See what your kind of vehicle your surgeon drives.
    2. See where he lives and how big his oceanfront home is.
    3. Find out if all his kids have already completed college.
    4. Find out his approximate worth ($$$)

    Then, number 5.... Ask him if it's safe to weight-lift and do
    things that you once did as a weight-lifter/athlete, without causing
    harm to yourself. And get it in writing, so your attorney will have
    something to use in court.

    That's about it, actually.

    (did any of that help?)


    Stay well and sane.

    John
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    #6
    John23 said:

    Uh-Oohh.

    I've got an ileostomy, but it's still about the same as far your
    insides go...

    It depends on what/how much they removed, that really counts.

    In my case, 4' of colon was removed, leaving quite a bit of
    acreage in there.

    The problem isn't "the stoma", it's what happens to the balance
    of organs that are inside you, that now have room to move.

    When you use those abdominal muscles, they're going to press
    inward against organs (as they usually do), but now, the organ
    will move into an area it's never been, and wasn't intended to be.

    So you -might- be faced with adhesions that can be painful,
    very, very painful, or somewhat worse than painful. Or....nothing
    will happen, and you'll move on to lifting heavier stuff, until it
    does happen. That, of course, is -if- you have had enough
    removed to cause a condition as I described.

    The second thing to be concerned with, is hernias. The skin is
    thinner due to the surgery, and some muscles have been separated
    to accommodate the formation of a stoma (it exits through the abdomen
    and usually through the muscle area). That leaves muscles wanting
    to go for a vacation outside the abdominal cavity. Pleasant thoughts
    will naturally occur while under heavy anesthesia, but prior to
    that can be awful; Just sayin'.

    So..... what you really oughta do, is:
    1. See what your kind of vehicle your surgeon drives.
    2. See where he lives and how big his oceanfront home is.
    3. Find out if all his kids have already completed college.
    4. Find out his approximate worth ($$$)

    Then, number 5.... Ask him if it's safe to weight-lift and do
    things that you once did as a weight-lifter/athlete, without causing
    harm to yourself. And get it in writing, so your attorney will have
    something to use in court.

    That's about it, actually.

    (did any of that help?)


    Stay well and sane.

    John

    Yeah Pat, I learned that this afternoon trying to do seated
    concentration curl on my bench; need to use softer seat-had done seated curls and presses (Right hand only so far)on soft-seated stool with no rear pain in tge past..

    John-never thought about stuff moving around in me; nor did I listen when surgeon explained what he had done (can't deal with stuff like that but now I need to find out)That was a good point you made. I have no intent of suing surgeon who's hands saved my life; when he said I could exercise he knew I would start light. I'd just like to do more exercises and heavier stuff than what I'm doing so far. I've seen increase in weight used already and just waiting to finish chemo to have picc taken out of left arm to start lifting with left arm too and eventually incorporate barbell and EZ bar,etc.

    Currently, I do various curls (regular,seated,reverse,hammer); presses(regular,seated, hammer, Arnold) front, side and T-raises(combo of first two raises); tripresses;
    bodyweight squats and calf raises.....Nothing complicated but effective for my purposes and so far doesn't seem to affect stoma or insides.

    Maybe using left arm (or both together) will have more impact as stoma is to left of navel.

    Exercise always invigorated me, among other pluses I attribute to it so I'd like to get back into it, almost like before (my only limitation had been COPD and rotator cuff problems). Any further advice will be greatly appreciated....steve
  • RickMurtagh
    RickMurtagh Member Posts: 587 Member
    #7
    weights
    I sugget this:
    Begin by getting two one pound potato sacks. Hold them at arms length out to the side and hold them there as long as possible. Rest and then repeat this ten times, repeating the set at least six times every day. Do this for a week.
    If you have managed this without any difficulties, try the same exercise with five pound potato bags.
    After a week, if you have managed to maintain satisfactory results, graduate to ten pound potato bags. This is where I am and I feel more energized every day. It is important to stay with the program. You will see results!
    Continue with the ten pound bags for a month, no point in pushing things only to cause some injury during this rigorous workout.
    After a month, if everything has gone well, continue the training, but put a small potato in each bag.
    Good luck with what ever you chose to do for exercise!
  • zenmonk
    zenmonk Member Posts: 198
    #8
    lifting
    I have a bag and lift. I lift light and concentrate on form. I think the thing that concerns me more than harming the stoma is the strength of the abdominal wall. Surgeries have a tendency to weaken this area and if your not careful you can get a hernia poking through a week area in the wall. I would really caution you more to strengthen your core than worry about your stoma.
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    #9
    zenmonk said:

    lifting
    I have a bag and lift. I lift light and concentrate on form. I think the thing that concerns me more than harming the stoma is the strength of the abdominal wall. Surgeries have a tendency to weaken this area and if your not careful you can get a hernia poking through a week area in the wall. I would really caution you more to strengthen your core than worry about your stoma.

    Zenmonk:Does strengthening core hurt stoma? If not, I'll do
    primarily planks/side planks cos don't know if sewn up **** will tolerate floor work such as crunches, situps, etc.which would add bodyweight pressure to ****. Any exercise suggestions for core? Once I can use left arm, most of my DB work will indirectly build core (ie:seesaw presses-really alternate arm presses, etc)



    As for utilizing sacks of potatoes: when I went to get some spuds out of bin in fridge, the damn sprouts growing out of them were so thick and long that I used em as Indian clubs and swung em around my head...steve
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    #10
    zenmonk said:

    lifting
    I have a bag and lift. I lift light and concentrate on form. I think the thing that concerns me more than harming the stoma is the strength of the abdominal wall. Surgeries have a tendency to weaken this area and if your not careful you can get a hernia poking through a week area in the wall. I would really caution you more to strengthen your core than worry about your stoma.

    button sticks
    keep getting duplicates; sound like a parrot that keeps repeating himself
  • zenmonk
    zenmonk Member Posts: 198
    #11
    coloCan said:

    Zenmonk:Does strengthening core hurt stoma? If not, I'll do
    primarily planks/side planks cos don't know if sewn up **** will tolerate floor work such as crunches, situps, etc.which would add bodyweight pressure to ****. Any exercise suggestions for core? Once I can use left arm, most of my DB work will indirectly build core (ie:seesaw presses-really alternate arm presses, etc)



    As for utilizing sacks of potatoes: when I went to get some spuds out of bin in fridge, the damn sprouts growing out of them were so thick and long that I used em as Indian clubs and swung em around my head...steve

    core strength
    I have been doing planks. I could not do it for 1 second when I started but I am working my way up in time. I can only speak for my stoma (sometimes it speaks for me) but it did not hurt it. I also do leg lifts and a modified half crunch. I also had my **** sewn up. I waited awhile until I felt comfortable trying and then started REAL slow. That "bodies in motion" guy on tv has some good ideas that I use sometimes. Be careful!

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