How did you get back in shape after your resection, and how long did you wait?

[kate.flx]

Maybe I am just being stubborn and kind of whiny since it's been over a year since my surgery...

Started going to the gym yesterday. Just took a stretching/stability class but half-assed it because it hurt my abdomen a little during abdominal strength section. I have no muscle and can walk 2 miles barely, did not do physical therapy. Also, very skinny.

I just don't know how to get started, should I continue stretching and pilates or cardio kickboxing for stamina first? Or should I just go ahead and try to lift weights, but keep it low? I did a few reps of 25 pounds today, but again, bitched out and left after 20 minutes cause I'm so worried of hurting myself.

Unfortunately can not afford a personal trainer :/

 

[JThorn676]

I had a resection Aug 2011 and i've been back in the gym for a quite a while. I'm a stay at home mom and it's my "me time". In the begining, my abdomen did hurt quit a bit but it has gotten 100% better and it doesn't hurt anymore. I mainly take classes - step class which as the worst on my stomache esp with jumping jack and they do abs the last 15 minutes which I couldn't do in the begining but now I do everyting everyones else does - including the abs and jumping jacks. I also take a body works class which is all weights and that one has never caused any pain to my stomache. My main class though is a cycle class which I love and never really hurt my stomache either!

I did take kickboxing once but it is just not my cup of tea lol

I would start with whichever of the exercises you do that hurts your tummy the least. Do that exercise for a while until you feel comforable moving to something else. It's going to take time but it does get better! i promise

 

[Jennifer]

I was able to resume normal activities without abdominal pain a few months after surgery and the only reason why it took that long is because my incision got infected and it had to heal from the inside out (by cleaning and packing the wound with gauze twice a day for a month). I had laparoscopic with hand assist for my resection. If you're still having pain over a year after your resection then you may be dealing with either adhesions or scar tissue or something (could even be inflammation etc) because you should be healed by now. I don't think most people need physical therapy after a resection or a personal trainer.

What you should do if you haven't already is let your GI doc know that you're having pain still. As far as exercise goes, do what feels comfortable. If it hurts then don't do it. Limit your exercises to things like walking, swimming, biking, stretching etc. Basically low impact with less strain is best if you're in pain. But again the most important thing is to figure out what's causing that pain as it should be fully healed.

 

[kate.flx]

Wow that's great! I must just be stubborn. The pain isn't anything terrible, mostly just a really weird feeling of a lot of pressure like where my incision was is being stretched too much. Best way I can describe it. Maybe it's just my muscles trying to build back up since it sounds like you started out the same.

 

[kate.flx]

@Crabby - oh yeah I did not say whether mine was open or laparoscopic - they did mine open and then also laparoscopically for something else, I can't remember. They took out a few different things. "Explored" lol.

 

[Manzyb]

I had my resection at the beginning of January. I started getting back to the gym about the middle of march. I just started out doing cardio, but now starting to put some strength training into my routine. I've been going kind of easy, because I'm still just not all that well. I still have active crohn's in the colon and rectum.