Look Good, Feel Good

I was told after my first follow-up doctor's appointment that I could start trotting and return to normal activity at a slow pace.  Normal activity in this case would be considered basketball, jogging, and eventually lifting weights. Jogging is different than trotting.  It took a day of me jogging to realize that trotting is a much slower pace, maybe to control the up and down, side to side movement a stomach may experience during a jog.  Evidently, trotting was recommended for a reason.  After my first few jogs, I was sore, but didn't think anything of it, figured it was just 'recovery' soreness.  That soreness would take 36-48 hours to subside.  Sneezing is the absolute worst, random I know, but I mention that because I sneezed about 90 seconds ago and my stomach still hurts.  My doc informed me that I had a tear in my abdomen, and through a CT scan canceling out a hernia, and testing various things, the pain is now in more areas of my stomach, so in my mind, the tear has expanded.  But I've learned ways to keep the pain low, the problem sometimes is discipline.  Not only working out, but also my eating habits.

Cycling has been fantastic, but not spin class type cycling where you're standing on the bike and going crazy for an hour, but the type of cycling that makes me work hard, real hard, but concentrates on my leg muscles, and at times, my core.  I've always read that cycling is a great core workout, but I've noticed that I'm able to stabilize my stomach when I'm on a stationary bike more so than jogging on the treadmill.  I'd love to get on the treadmill, and I usually feel good enough once a week to get a few miles in, but for the most part I'm going for a solid 35-45 minute cycling session.

Anyone that knows me understands my love for food.  I've said before that I eat food for it's flavor, not necessarily concentrating much on what it can do to me.  For people that don't know, my large intestine was removed, and now my small intestine is in a J-shape pouch which has seriously affected how much my 'stomach' can hold.  When it's full, it won't empty automatically, it's just a series of stomach growls, and painful shifts in the interior stomach region (take a hint).  And while I need to not eat as much, there are also certain types of foods that I have to avoid.  While trying to control my weight, it'd be nice to have a salad every once in a while, but I am only able to manage lettuce on a sandwich, but an entire salad is out.  Too many leafy greens.  Nuts and corn are out, and for some reason peanut oil and all peanut oil products are out, sorry Five Guys.  But then again, if you're at this point in my post, you recall I mentioned discipline, and sometimes I just want a burger, or french fries, or a damn milkshake, but I know they aren't the right choice for me.  Before surgery, I knew those things were bad, I was spoiled while I had my ostomy bag because those foods wouldn't cause pain or a bad smell, but now it's yet another adjustment back to 'normalcy'.  This 'normalcy' is something I haven't experienced since I was a 20 year old sophomore at Radford University.

Next weeks blog: Issues with drinks (Alcoholic & Non-alcoholic)

Reflections

I always knew this, but today, I realized how amazing the important people are in my life.  We watched 50/50 today and while I am not trying to compare my situation to getting cancer and going through chemotherapy with the eventual surgery on the main character's mind, I found ways to relate.  I nodded out a few times during the movie, but from what I saw, it was like a different perspective from what I went through a few months ago.  The first comparable moment was when the main character had to say bye to his family and girlfriend and remind them that he'd see them in a few hours - very similar.  The waking up in the recovery room with caring ones around, skip a few days ahead when the main character is already home recovering, his best friend had to help him put dressing on his wounds - my best friend did the same.

I'm mainly reflecting back to the first surgery.  The couple of weeks leading up to it were filled with anxious moments.  The day before my surgery, I wasn't allowed to eat anything, and had to follow a clear liquid diet.  While dealing with the stress before a medical procedure and being hungry, our region also experienced some crazy downpours  and a power outage.  I also had some errands to run, so with the stress, the hunger, and the rain, I was starting to look forward to waking up from surgery and starting recovery.  

I'm not trying to say that my surgery was more traumatic than any other surgery.  I consider the removal of a tumor higher on the scale of medical procedures than having a colon removed.  I only experienced this event as the patient, never the concerned family members, or the loving best friend(s), but I have to say thank you, thank you, thank you!  Sorry, the thanks are probably getting repetitive in every post, but is it wrong to be too thankful?  I tend to lean towards Zen ideologies, and right now, I am very aware of the care I've received.

By the way, this week I had a CT scan to determine if some abdominal pain was a hernia, and luckily or unluckily it turned out negative.  I mention luck because had it been a hernia, we knew a definite resolution.  Unlucky, because now I must test various habits(eating, drinking, exercise) and continue to work to get to 100%.  I thought I was getting close a few weeks ago since I was able to play basketball, but it was too soon, and could have contributed to my abdominal pain that was not a hernia.  I may have increase the amount of torn abdominal muscle from doing too much too soon.  This week I controlled my portion sizes, and monitored my exercise output, and I'm feeling pretty good.

Figuring Out What Normal Is

I've been testing some things out now that I am getting closer to 100% healthy.  I predicted shortly after my first surgery that I would get to 100% by February.  I define 100% by the ability to play basketball at full speed.  Prior to surgery, I played basketball typically around 2-3 times a week.  Short bursts of sprinting, I've been told, is a great workout.  Prior to surgery, I also started bicycling and getting more interested in obtaining fitness through more cardiovascular challenges; bicycling, basketball, and jogging.  I've been getting back into the gym, and I thought the stationary bicycle was a good starting point before jumping on the trails with my new bike, and I may have to wait a bit longer before attempting the 17+ mile loop around Arlington.  It may have to do with the position of my body as it crunches the abdominal area with every rotation of the pedals, but the pain isn't pleasant.  The pain isn't any higher than a two on a 10 point scale, but the goal is to not be in pain at all.

I played basketball with the MU crew twice and it's been rather painless.  I think I've been able to come back pretty successfully since I hit the game winner on my first day back playing.  I will absolutely have to change my style, probably stay out on the perimeter a bit more.  I'm reluctant to receive an elbow or even a bump around my abdomen, so I haven't crashed the boards or cut too hard to the hoop yet.  In due time.

This past weekend, I "hiked" the Billy Goat Trail with Megan, and I really had no clue what rock scrambling meant.  I had been recommended to try the Billy Goat Trail by a co-worker, but was under the impression that she had already done the hike, not the case.  This trail is definitely not a beginner's trail, many times throughout the "hike", I would be on rocks for hundreds of yards, hopping, skipping, and jumping up and down various large cliffs.  It's about a four mile, two hour adventure.  The most amazing part was standing on the MD side watching a kayaker carve their way through the rapids while simultaneously seeing a rock climber work their way up a cliff on the VA side of Great Falls.  This view was seen at about 200 feet above water level.  The next key moment was when we had no other choice but to take on an ~80 foot climb at a very upward angle.  It felt very accomplishing to complete this hike.  There were moments that I was nervous to fall or slip and hurt my stomach, but had no instances.  Also, and I mention this every once in a while, I wouldn't have had this opportunity to even go on a hike had I not done the surgery.  Not once did I have an urge to use the bathroom.  Thank you to everyone that had my back and supported my decision to have this surgery, it's been life changing.

Looking straight up, we had no lessons in this, we made it ours. Yea. 

Top left corner, the blue spec is the rock climber