Recovery

 

Hmm… I’m jumping right in without a defined topic. Many things on my mind and some started journal writings but none of which really stand out to what my heart is feeling now.

 

I guess my surgery recovery is at the forefront as it is a facet of my current life which dictates in large part what I do and don’t attempt to do.

 

So, my recovery is really coming along. I feel that I’m gaining by about 2-2.5% per day; by this I mean the more physically demanding core activating tasks. Some may laugh it this, but my endurance gauge pre-surgery was my running. Post surgery recovery gauge was initially how effectively I could blow my nose; a few hours after the surgery I was unable to blow my nose, it was like just breathing; 11 days of recovery and I can blow my nose to about 70%.

 

Push-ups and plank have honestly not been attempted yet, as the doctor strictly said no lifting for 14 days and nothing over 15 pounds for 4-6 months. My follow-up appointment is tomorrow the 20^th. I’m really curious as to my doctors opinion on my recovery status. As a younger man my body healed amazingly quick. I feel with my wiser approach and a few more years on my body that I still heal as well as I did 30 years back.

 

A bit of a sidenote for reflection. My wife works in the public sector and was helping a man just a few years older than myself that went through a similar surgery about 8 months ago whom was maybe at the same point of body usage as I currently am. It was a bit of an eye opener and really got me thinking as to why there was such a huge time variance in our recoveries.

 

I can speculate on why my healing and recovery appears and feels to be coming along so well. Maybe easiest to just list off what I feel is serving me well.

-            Nonsmoker

-            Mindful breathing (mediation)

-            Acupuncture visits and gut healing supplements

-            Mild full body stretching post op.

-            Going into the surgery I feel I was in really good physical condition. Running, resistance training, wide range core strength, weight training and HIIT workouts.

-            Nature visits over the last couple months.

-            Really trying to grab hold of my mental being and keep stress at bay.

-            My nutrition is super clean and 98% of what I ingest is intentional food…food to serve and thrive, not just survive. I also practice portion control, timing of my eating, and timely eating of what I eat with hopes of optimizing mitochondrial activity and metabolism.

-            Can’t forget about my H2O intake. I consume all of 16 cups of water per day, excluding fruit or vegetables. Also mentally keeping electrolyte levels in check with periodic supplementation during higher periods of physical activity.

What have I done so far to check my current physical abilities and optimize blood flow and healing.

-            I have mowed the lawn. This involved a redirection of strength and ensuring that very little core was involved in propelling the mower ahead. Interesting activity as body position and positioning played a big part on not engaging the core.

-            Getting in out of bed required precise body movements to ensure no core engagement and incision area ripping pain. This activity is now nearly effortless. I still practice the safe approach, but I’m much quicker and without pain.

-            I have been lifting some stuff around the house and yard but keeping items as close to my body as physically possible, even if the items are lighter and this also feels great.

-            The full body stretches are being continued and feel more fluent and less restricted.

-            Mostly I mentally know its a process that takes patience, nurturing, but still requires engagement and the wisdom to still move forward, but not to a point of bodily rejection, only to a point of full body comport and trust.

-            2 mile walk first thing in the morning, and 2 mile walk right after supper. Sun, nature and mountain exposure.

 

Anyway, lots of writing that stemmed from nothing. Heal smart and heal well!

 

May 19 (day 113) 

Acts of Kindness recorded - 319,

Push-ups - 12525,

Sit-ups and or equivalents - 14595,

Kilometers (intentional extra mileage) - 767.2, 6.4

Meditation/ inversion table (min.) - 482, 

Stretching/ rolling (min.) - 436, 15

Sparring/ grappling (min.) - 78, 

# of forms re-familiarized - 7.0

Form reps - 244,

Form time (min.) - 693,

“Mastery” recite (min.) - 87,

Blogs - 16

Abdominal hernia repair May 8th