Healing Fast

This video was done Aug 21, 2011. Only 5 1/2 weeks post-surgery and I'm already arching my back and stretching my abdominal area, using my core for stability. Pretty cool, huh?

What I learned most about recovering from any injury, illness, or surgery is that being physically fit makes a huge difference in recovery. Remember in my previous post how my doctor said no gym for 6 weeks? Well, I was honest with her at my 6 week follow-up and told her I was back in the gym within 4 weeks. And she admitted she knew I would. But at the same time, you have to listen to your body, take it easy, and start very slowly.

Being back in the gym at this point felt like a miracle. It felt like getting back to a life of normalcy. When an "flare up" occurred, the typical procedure was to pop some pills, and pray I pass out before the pain gets too much to bear. Six hours later hopefully the pain scale went back down from a 9 or 10 to a 5 so I could at least pretend to be functioning as a human being. After unot being able to do shit but flip around like a fish in bed, moaning in pain, half the day EVERY DAY for the past 6-7 months, being able to work out semi-normal again felt like a MIRACLE. I've had a lot of second chances in life, but this was humbling.

I will never again judge those with chronic health issues ever again. If anything I now understand what they are going through.

And every night I get down on my knees and thank God for my renewed health and ask Him to bless all those who helped me especially my boyfriend Chet, my parents, my doctor, and all the people who prayed for me and gave me encouragement on Facebook and through email. And I ask God to help me find the blessing in all that suffering. All I know now is that I should share my story so maybe someone who needs it finds it on Google and gets something out of it.

What do you mean no gym for 6 weeks?

Two days post-surgery



For the first couple weeks the pain was excruciating when trying to stand up from seated or sit-up from a laying position. It took a few minutes to sit up or lie down with assistance. Thank God I had lats because in the hospital I used that pull-up bar over the bed to move myself around. And at home I used my arms, lots of shoulder and tricep strength, to push myself up to seated. ANY AB MOVEMENT (contraction or stretching) shot me back down to size. It took two weeks to lay on my side comfortably. This has been the most humbling experience of my life. My suggestion to women getting this surgery: workout HARD leading up to it. That upper body strength will get you through it.

After surgery the doc said no gym for 6 weeks. Yeah, look who she's talking to. I'm probably the worst patient on the planet: stubborn and thick-headed. Sure, I didn't want to do crap for a week. But I was starting to heal so fast. Each day showed http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifincredible improvement in range of motion and strength. I hated being sick so bad for so long I couldn't wait any longer.

I knew if I went into the gym just to "hang out" I would end up working out and hurting myself. But by 3 weeks I was feeling like a fish out of water. So I started out with incline dumbbell chest press and my boyfriend handing me the 10's, some tricep push-downs, just putzing around. Lat pull-downs were a no-go because of the ab stability/stretching needed.

By 4 weeks I felt ready to do my first ab work. I started with 2 sets on the ab ball and 1 set of side planks. Regular planks still weren't happening yet.

Introduction -

I've had a very successful career as a pro figure athlete. For the past 3 1/2 years I dealt with a condition the medical community doesn't quite know a lot about: endometriosis. Although the cause of mine was known and very specific to "mechanical dysfunction" caused by a prior cervical cone biopsy surgery, the treatment only delayed the inevitable hysterectomy. Despite dealing with DAILY excruciating pain that my trainer nor I understood we worked our asses off and I kept winning shows or placing top 3. Depo Lupron monthly injections kept me pain free during contest season, but in the off season when my estrogen levels rose back to normal there was no relief.

But by the end of 2010 it all came to a head. I couldn't train anymore, the pain was so bad. There's no way I could hold a normal 40 hour a week job. Pain scale of 9 or 10 for 4 to 6 hours every day. Pain scale of 3 to 5 the rest of the day. Ultrasounds didn't show everything, but on July 13, 2011 during my hysterectomy surgery I had an abscess growing out of my uterus and left ovary that were stuck together with my colon wrapped around the mass. My right ovary was fine, and I got to keep it. My doctor did a great job untangling the mess and removing the broken parts. I knew the worst was over and I thank God for my second chance at health.

Looking ahead though, I had lost a lot of muscle and gained a good amount of fat from my inactivity. I look like my before pictures from the Body for Life Challenge back in 1999. I know that I know what to do. I did it before. But it's a scarey view looking up the mountain to where I need to go. It's a place that took me 8 years to reach and 3 years to maintain since I first starting working out in 1999.