Returning to exercise after valve surgery

[d333gs]

I had my surgery at the beginning of August. I had endocarditis, had lost all my fitness and a lot of weight (down to about 160 from 180).

I took the first ten or twelve weeks very easy, just trying to walk 10k steps a day. Now that I'm about eight months out, I'm back to playing all the pickup sports I have time for. I played basketball Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and I played Frisbee last night. Didn't get much sleep last night, either, as I was watching BODY DOUBLE (which is hilarious and maybe even good?) until midnight. Figured I'd wake up feeling sore and idiotic, but I'm astonished that my legs aren't even sore. I said this in another thread but what an incredible difference!

Pickup basketball is something I have to be a little careful about -- don't want to get bonked on the head too hard, so I try not to crash the boards too much or jump over anyone's back (I can't do that anyway!). If I feel like I really got hit on the head hard, I'd probably head straight to the ER to make sure I didn't have a hematoma or anything. But I've been bonked a few times in the last week and am no worse for the wear.

Bravo! Are you getting hit in the head when you are at bat?

 

[chebag]

Bravo! Are you getting hit in the head when you are at bat?

At bat? I'm not playing baseball so I've no cause to be at bat.

Unless you meant "at bars" ... But my behavior there hasn't warranted a hit upside the head either!

 

[Chuck C]

don't want to get bonked on the head too hard, so I try not to crash the boards too much or jump over anyone's back

Same for me. Since the operation, and being on warfarin, when I play bastetball, I make sure not to slam dunk, so as not to accidently hit my head on the backboard. Yeah, yeah, that's the reason why I don't slam dunk. It has nothing to do with the fact that I can't even touch the rim anymore,

 

[Chuck C]

At bat? I'm not playing baseball so I've no cause to be at bat.

He's in France. This is how they play basketball in France.

 

[d333gs]

He's in France. This is how they play basketball in France.

Love that! LOL

 

[d333gs]

Thanks to all who commented on this thread. It's very reassuring to be reminded that recovery milestones are often measured in months, not weeks. I'm at 5 weeks and itching to get back to yardwork, heavy bag, etc, even though I know that treadmill/rowing/walking is what I should be doing now. FWIW, I was sleeping on my side within 2 weeks, but the sternum still hurts if I arch my back. Coughing is ok, sneezing really makes it sting. Candidly, the biggest source of pain is my low back/hip (from the war crime of a hospital bed) and my spine between my shoulder blades. The sternum itself isn't really a big source of discomfort.

I am in week 8 , legs ,breathing and cross country walk performance are back to pre op . I will start to exercise the upper body next week.
How did you start, Michael, Chuck and the rest of you, with getting your upper body back in shape?

 

[Chuck C]

How did you start, Michael, Chuck and the rest of you, with getting your upper body back in shape?

First, keep up the great work! Walking and brisk walking are key to the recovery road.

I followed a similar path to you, with lots of walking. As the weeks passed, I challenged myself more and more with brisk walking, then brisk walking up hills. At some point I added some light running in the mix.

As far as upper body, I have an AirDyne stationary bike at home with arm levers, which allow for pushing and pulling. I started doing light work on the bike probably about week 6, being very careful to only push and pull lightly. I gradually increased how much I used my arms. Also, I used the elliptical stepper with arm levers at the gym a lot. I went light on all arm exercises until my cardiologist gave me the clearance to go 100% on all exercises, which was at my 4 month, post op check up. He actually told me that since I was past the 12 week point that I could go 100%, so I waited a little longer than I had to before I really start pushing things.

At that 4 month point, I added push ups to the mix. The bike, elliptical and push ups were the extent of my upper body work outs until about 7 weeks ago, at which point I started doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu again. It's a grappling martial art, so it works about every muscle group in the upper body.

 

[Redone]

First, keep up the great work! Walking and brisk walking are key to the recovery road.

I followed a similar path to you, with lots of walking. As the weeks passed, I challenged myself more and more with brisk walking, then brisk walking up hills. At some point I added some light running in the mix.

As far as upper body, I have an AirDyne stationary bike at home with arm levers, which allow for pushing and pulling. I started doing light work on the bike probably about week 6, being very careful to only push and pull lightly. I gradually increased how much I used my arms. Also, I used the elliptical stepper with arm levers at the gym a lot. I went light on all arm exercises until my cardiologist gave me the clearance to go 100% on all exercises, which was at my 4 month, post op check up. He actually told me that since I was past the 12 week point that I could go 100%, so I waited a little longer than I had to before I really start pushing things.

At that 4 month point, I added push ups to the mix. The bike, elliptical and push ups were the extent of my upper body work outs until about 7 weeks ago, at which point I started doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu again. It's a grappling martial art, so it works about every muscle group in the upper body.

I started lifting light weights at 4 weeks. No more than 5lb dumbbells and kept going up each week adding a set with 8's, 10's, 12's and so on. Now that I'm 4 months out I am back to my presurgery strength training. Using 25lb, 30lb dumbbells for chest, bench press 95lbs (staying lower here for better form only). Squat to deadlift with 25's (front squat so holding dumbbells up). I am absolutely thrilled with how fast the recovery is when you go into surgery fit!! I've also hiked a couple of mountains. One in February (3 months out) and one last weekend at 4 months post op 🏔

 

[d333gs]

First, keep up the great work! Walking and brisk walking are key to the recovery road.

I followed a similar path to you, with lots of walking. As the weeks passed, I challenged myself more and more with brisk walking, then brisk walking up hills. At some point I added some light running in the mix.

As far as upper body, I have an AirDyne stationary bike at home with arm levers, which allow for pushing and pulling. I started doing light work on the bike probably about week 6, being very careful to only push and pull lightly. I gradually increased how much I used my arms. Also, I used the elliptical stepper with arm levers at the gym a lot. I went light on all arm exercises until my cardiologist gave me the clearance to go 100% on all exercises, which was at my 4 month, post op check up. He actually told me that since I was past the 12 week point that I could go 100%, so I waited a little longer than I had to before I really start pushing things.

At that 4 month point, I added push ups to the mix. The bike, elliptical and push ups were the extent of my upper body work outs until about 7 weeks ago, at which point I started doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu again. It's a grappling martial art, so it works about every muscle group in the upper body.

Thanks Chuck !

 

[d333gs]

I started lifting light weights at 4 weeks. No more than 5lb dumbbells and kept going up each week adding a set with 8's, 10's, 12's and so on. Now that I'm 4 months out I am back to my presurgery strength training. Using 25lb, 30lb dumbbells for chest, bench press 95lbs (staying lower here for better form only). Squat to deadlift with 25's (front squat so holding dumbbells up). I am absolutely thrilled with how fast the recovery is when you go into surgery fit!! I've also hiked a couple of mountains. One in February (3 months out) and one last weekend at 4 months post op 🏔

Thanks Redon!

 

[d333gs]

Great info guys, very helpfull , I have a weight machine which I will ease into next week. I have a cardio checkup on the 5th.

 

[Brinntache]

I am approaching my 1 year. I exercise every day, adding in a lot more resistance training. Best I have looked in years, maybe a decade. But beware, at our age rest days are as important as lifting days. I used the slow and steady approach. Lifting lighter more often, and never to failure. Once the muscles started 'waking up' and got a bit of strength in them then I could push a little more aggressively.

 

[d333gs]

" at our age rest days are as important as lifting days - Thanks Brin

 

[Dano64]

I am in week 7 now. My activities are much tamer than many of you heavy hitters. For any OHS vets who like to golf, when did you comfortably start doing that? My plan is to start swinging the clubs at the range at 12 weeks, with the hopes that everything works smoothly after that.

 

[Chuck C]

Thanks Chuck !

Also, I should mention that the surgery clinic sent me home with a set of about 6 or 7 gentle exercises to complete several times per day, many of which involved the upper body. I expect that most clinics probably do the same. I did those as instructed.

 

[paul donnelly]

IM POST OP 6 WEEKS NOW AFTER AN AVR 19TH MARCH

Going really welL. walking every day , sleep 8 hrs a night, took myself off paracetmol and coedine three weeks after op, no discomfort internaly or wounds.

really pleased with myslef however my upper arms and neck ache.,,,

 

[Chuck C]

IM POST OP 6 WEEKS NOW AFTER AN AVR 19TH MARCH

Going really welL

Well done Paul!

really pleased with myslef however my upper arms and neck ache.,,

This is very normal and something that many experience to varying degrees. While we don't feel it during the operation, I beleive that there is significant strain on the arms, neck and back during our procedures, which takes awhile to feel normal again. Did they send you home with mobility exercises? Those seemed to help me a lot.

 

[Brinntache]

IM POST OP 6 WEEKS NOW AFTER AN AVR 19TH MARCH
really pleased with myslef however my upper arms and neck ache.,,,

Consider getting a competent massage, from someone who understands the post-op issues. If the entire upper area is in spasm then they may need some manual release. but at 6 weeks all those muscles are still healing, especially those that connect at the sternum.

 

[Redone]

Well done Paul!



This is very normal and something that many experience to varying degrees. While we don't feel it during the operation, I beleive that there is significant strain on the arms, neck and back during our procedures, which takes awhile to feel normal again. Did they send you home with mobility exercises? Those seemed to help me a lot.

I experienced severe neck aches when trying to get back to fitness. We can't forget when the Sternum is separated how can it not involve your neck, clavicle, etc? For several weeks my head felt like a boulder so I iced my Trapezius, then used a heating pad, Theragun on upper back, Trapezius and rhomboids. I supported my head during ab work and eventually my neck regained pre surgery strength. I also had a horrible pain in my left Intercostals (small muscles between the ribs) after doing ab work, which at 4 months has subsided.

 

[Chuck C]

I also had a horrible pain in my left Intercostals (small muscles between the ribs) after doing ab work, which at 4 months has subsided.

I had similar intercostal pain. It is not surprising that the intercostals would experience some strain, given how the ribs are pried open after the sternal cut. For me, the intercostal pain was not severe enough to warrant pain medication, but it was annoying. If memory serves, I started feeling some of this pain about 6 weeks after surgery. It lasted about 2 weeks, but then another intercostal would start to bother me. I'd say by about 4 months out this was no longer an issue for me.