Post Op warning for newbies

[Yvette]

Hi all, I now have a "fluid pouch" as a result of post op exercising. The doctor says it should reabsorb, but if the swelling increases, I have to go back in. I feel angry because they gave me the "green light, thumbs up" and even said, "Go live your life!" I specifically asked if I could jog, lift weights and hike. "YES!" they all chimed. My surgery was Jan 22, they released me to return to normal activities on April 25. For three weels, I lifted small amounts, slightly put my treadmill on an incline and did not even try to jog. But last week, attempting 3 sets of ten with a 10lb dumbell, I felt something in my head "tear." IF ONLY THEY HAD TOLD ME THIS COULD HAPPEN! And what does "go back in" mean? Surgery? A drain? I feel like crying. Actually Im starting to. I know you guys understand. My hubby encouraged me to push it after those 3 weeks of mild exercising, so I didn't want to be a "baby" and, after all, the docs said to go for it. Listen to your bodies, newbies, no matter who tells you what.  Yvette

[Jim Scott]

Yvette:

Thanks for the good advice.

I truly hope and pray you won't need hospitalization to repair whatever was damaged by exercise ...that you were told by doctors to go ahead and do!

I was fairly active post-op and felt occasional, brief pain, (not headaches), tightening sensations and various 'weird' feelings in the area of my AN site (never on the other side) but my doctor said that was just normal healing.  It's pretty well gone now so I guess he was right.  We're all different and nobody heals exactly the same.  Again, I"m sorry you're having this complication and hope it can be resolved without surgery and hospitalization.  Keep us informed.  We care.

Jim

[cookiesecond]

Yvette,
 You are in my thoughts and prayers. I AGREE, listen to your bodies.
Take care,
Lynn

[eugd]

I had a fluid pocket under my incision after the surgery, and it did not resord itself. Three days after my surgery I was eating and during mid swallow I sneezed  (it was either choke on the food or hold in the sneeze, both outcomes were going to be bad because they would increase intracranial pressure, so I held in the sneeze), and I  felt a pop.  I can't remember a time when that happened to me prior to the surgery.  The doctors told me not to worry about it and that it should resolve.  2 weeks went by and it only grew because it was communicating due to the increased pressure (pressure will always find the least resistant pathway, lucky for me it was under my skin and not through my noise).  I flew back to the HEI and instead of repacking my head with another surgery, they gave me 2 lumbar taps each 1 week apart and pulled fluid out each time to relieve the pressure of the CFS and wrapped my head.  The cerebral headaches sucked for a few hours following when I sat up, but it beat going under again.  The procedure worked to resolved the mass and pressure issue as a result of the mass ,and it worked without surgery. 


Where is your fluid pocket? What exercise were you doing with the dumbbells? Did you feel your heart rate or blood pressure elevated during the workout?

[Yvette]

Thanks guys for your encouragement. I haven't gotten any worse, so I hope it is healing itself. I'm scared though. Eugene, I was doing a bicep curl and my heart rate was elevated but not pounding or anything. That last set of 10 was hard, but I was feeling fine, curl #30 was the culprit. It felt more like...if you tore a cotton ball in half instead of a pop. The sensation was under the incision, just over my ear. I feel set back about 2 months. I think I'll just be a walker for...I don't know...the rest of the year?!  Hey Jim-how long before that annoying tightness went away for you? I feel like my ear may snap off and ping off the walls sometimes.  Yvette