appendicitis

[are_you_stinky?]

I'm a newbie here at TE, and unfortunately I won't have much to contribute for a while as an appendectomy means that all I can do is stare longingly at my bike from the couch. Well, actually, it's maybe not quite that bad - I am up and about - but I did have an emergency appendectomy Sunday night while visiting relatives out of town! Been home since Tuesday, and I'm feeling better, but I'm starting to get terribly out of sorts about not being able to ride or run. I did go on a 35 minute walk this morning. I think I may be able to ride before I can run because running = jiggling. :rolleyes:

My operation was done laparascopically, instead of the traditional method, so I should have a faster recovery. Anyone else have experience with getting back on the bike post-surgery? My surgeon didn't really give me any recommendations... he knew that I had run 9 miles in the morning before the appendicitis hit, so I think he somehow figured it wasn't necessary to tell me when I could start doing things again.

[TexasMermaid]

I haven't had any experience with getting back to exercise post-surgery, but I hope you feel better soon and are back on the bike in no time!

[chickwhorips]

good luck feeling better and glad the caught yours in time.

they misdiagnosed mine and i was this close to not making it. they left me with a HUGE scar that i had to have plastic surgery on. on the upside with my scar revision i got a tummy tuck and got rid of my pooch.

moral of my story is i hope you feel better soon. not sure about how long to get back on the bike. my recovery time was really long. make sure you listen to your body though.

[RoadRaven]

Welcome Stinky, be well, recover quick and I look forward to seeing you back telling us about your first post-op ride.

Of course, having an op will actually mean you have plenty of time to look thoroughly around the forum and have lots of dialogue with the gals here!!!

[dobielover1]

Hope you're feeling better soon...my best friend just had the same surgery 2 weeks ago...she's just starting to feel back to normal.

[are_you_stinky?]

Chickwhorips - glad your story had a happy ending! Mine started after my run Sunday morning and I thought it was my usual GI issues that running gives me... but it continued and I realized I'd never had a 4 hour gas pain before! :D Did yours rupture? I have read that means a longer hospital stay and longer recovery.

Thanks for all the well wishes, everyone!

[chickwhorips]

Chickwhorips - glad your story had a happy ending! Mine started after my run Sunday morning and I thought it was my usual GI issues that running gives me... but it continued and I realized I'd never had a 4 hour gas pain before! :D Did yours rupture? I have read that means a longer hospital stay and longer recovery.

mine had burst for over 48 hrs before they got to it. i was told you usually [pass away] with in the first 24-48 hrs after it bursts. i was in ICU for 1 week and up on a regular floor for another week before i could go home with a VAC (vacuum assisted closure) because they couldn't sew me up incase they didn't get all the infection. hence the reason for the HUGE scar. my home recovery was a a couple of months before i was healed enough to move about. i had the VAC on for about a month and then had dry dressing on it. oh the fun and memories....

[are_you_stinky?]

WOW, chickwhorips... I obviously have nothing to complain about! Thanks for the perspective and again I am so glad you're OK!!

[chickwhorips]

you still have room for complaining. either way its not a fun deal. not sure how much they did on you, don't know the procedure, but i'm sure it wasn't fun.

i'm very happy they caught yours in time before anything worse happened. i cringe when someone says something about something like this. i know how bad it can get.

[are_you_stinky?]

All I had was three little incisions about a half inch long... one in my belly button and two more below that. I showed up at the ER at about 3, had the surgery around 10 PM, and left the hospital by about noon the next day.

OK, time to escape this house and get some yummy Italian food!

[Denise223]

Hi!

[Denise223]

Hi! (again ;) )

Sending many healing thoughts your way for a very speedy recovery :) !

If you're hungry for italian food, (yummy), I'd say you're well on your way to getting on your bike soon.

Have a peaceful weekend!

Denise

[Aggie_Ama]

I have no idea on recovery. My DH had an emergency appendectomy 5 years ago, scariest thing we have been through together. His ruptured, got infected and it was 6 weeks before he was fully healed. Not as scary as chickwhorips, but it was bad. Glad you got yours early, he thought he had about 36 hours of gas.

I will say my Dad had labrascopic gallbladder removal and was up and at 'em in a week or two. He isn't an exercise guy, but he was back to yard work. Do you have to have any follow ups with your normal doctor? I would think they could tell you. Maybe 2-3 weeks? Good luck and speedy recovery vibes to you!

[bike4ever]

I had hernia surgery a few years ago. I was able to ride my bike on a trainer at 3 weeks then outside around 4 or 5 weeks. I know that seems like a long time; but you really need a chance to heal.

For me the hernia surgery was a much quicker recovery than my bunion surgery - 8+ weeks off of my bike. Although my podiatrist did catch me riding my bike with my big, black boot on a few times.:p

Hope you feel better - relax and enjoy some rest.

[geckogirl]

I had an ovary with a huge cyst on it removed laproscopicly in March. When I asked my doc how long before I could ride she told me take 3 days off and then listen to my body. I had my surgery on Friday and was was able to get back on a trainer indoors on Monday and was riding outside again in about 10 days. It took 6 or 7 weeks before I felt 100% and I had one incision that had a slow dissolving stitch deep in the abdominal muscle that burned when ever I'd weightlift for about 3 months but the doc said that was normal and it didn't cause any trouble except for the discomfort. Just start out slowly and work up to your normal ride pace. Believe me, your body will let you know if you overdo it! Good luck!

[chickwhorips]

I had one incision that had a slow dissolving stitch deep in the abdominal muscle that burned when ever I'd weightlift for about 3 months but the doc said that was normal and it didn't cause any trouble except for the discomfort.

my whole incision tingled/burned for a few months whenever i did any kind of core work or aerobic. quite bizzar, but not painful.

[geckogirl]

my whole incision tingled/burned for a few months whenever i did any kind of core work or aerobic. quite bizzar, but not painful.
Yours was probably the same type of stitches as mine only fortunately I only had on in the lowest incision where they removed everything. Never noticed it until the first time I tried doing squats and lunges and thought I'd torn something. Called my doc right away and she said not to worry as long as it didn't get painful. Still was annoying having that nagging at the back of my mind every time I lifted. The strange thing is it always burned about the same until one day it just quit.

[short cut sally]

sending healing wishes to are you stinky, i think with your follow up exam and how well your body is healing will also be a determination on how soon you can get back on your bike. don't over do it and cause possible a longer delay. start off slow when you do get the approval to start exercise again, but really your body will let you know also..good luck and speedy wishes..

[chickwhorips]

Yours was probably the same type of stitches as mine only fortunately I only had on in the lowest incision where they removed everything.

i wish the would've used stitches. i was never sewed up. that's the reason i had a huge scar. apparently regular hosipitals don't care about the scar they leave you.

[Kitsune06]

b...b...b...but CWR... Scars are sexy. ...right? I mean, unless I'm lost here, they're the one thing one comes away from MTB with the most of...!:confused:

[chickwhorips]

those scars are sex, but this scar was far from sexy. now i like it though, after it was fixed.

[Running Mommy]

years ago- when I was a young tot- my moms ruptured. From what she tells me she was "sick as a dog" for days, and my JERK of a father refused to take her to the ER. She finally threatened to call an ambulance, so he took her. But he parked far from the entrance and made her walk in!!! :mad: From what she tells me they basically wheeled her right into surgery as hers had ruptured and she was near death!!! I STILL get angry when I think about what my father did!! Or DIDNT do!!! ARGH!! And the extra sad part was my baby brother was upstairs in the hospital in something called an "oxygen tent" (do they still have those??) because he had reached up on the table and grabbed a glass of paint thinner and drank some... My mom was into ceramics at the time and it was to clean her paint brushes...
They were both ok when all was said and done, but I have to wonder if my father was affected at all?? :(
Anyhoo, I'm sending you healing vibes!! I would imagine it'll prolly be at least 6 weeks before you can run. I know.... that SUX!!!! sorry.... sigh... But you must heal!
Take care!
Denise

[are_you_stinky?]

Hi everyone... I just wanted to give a little update... My first post-appendectomy run was 3 miles at about 1.5 weeks out... this past Sat. I did 7, and then jumped back into my training schedule this Monday. So far so good. I was running about 30 miles per week before the appendicitis.

And I hopped back on the bike today for the first time since... and commuted to work. It's just 5.5 miles... but I was nervous about how I might feel. I lost some fitness, but not too much, and I didn't have to use the granny gear once! :D (Course that may be different going home, which is more of an elevation gain.)

Anyway, I'm glad to be back on two wheels again. Thank you all for your kind words and stories.

[chickwhorips]

glad to hear your feeling better and on you way to a normal routine!