Post Op Weeks 3-8
At this point I can't believe surgery was 9 weeks ago tomorrow. TIME FLIES.
Well I was off work for 3 weeks for recovery. I haven't had any problems with going back to work. I have mostly a desk job so it wasn't strenuous by any means. Honestly, I have felt great. I was really tired that first week back at work, and didn't go into work until like 10am everyday... who am I kidding, I still don't show up until about 10 still. But my energy is finally coming back for the most part.
I am back at the gym. I was just walking, slow jogging or walking on an incline for a few weeks. A lot of people have said, "take time off" "don't worry about getting back to the gym". But for me, it's not about being back physically and getting back to where I was before surgery quick. For me, going to the gym is routine. Those close to me know that I thrive on routine, I quite literally live for routine. It makes me feel productive and normal. So getting back to the gym helped with my recovery and things just feeling normal again. After 3 weeks of lounging around and watching an absurd amount of Netflix I just needed structure. The gym is my happy place, which may not be for everyone, and that is perfectly okay. But for me, getting back to the gym was for my sanity. Everyone is different.
Last week was my 8 week mark and I felt SO much better when working out at 8 weeks even from 7 weeks. That really is the magical number. Everything feels secured in there and I really do feel normal. I've gotten back to my normal lifting and working out routine now... just really hesitant to do any ab focused exercises. My weight has fluctuated throughout this whole process. I gained 10 pounds in the first day hahaha (which you can tell in pictures from the surgery post, just go look at my face in the picture when my girlfriends came to visit... sooo puffy... compared to pre-surgery pics) but after about a week I was back down to my starting weight, and then lost another 5 pounds and have stayed there. Which normally would be great, but it was all just muscle loss. After being back in the gym and realizing I'm SO weak and definitely not where I once was, it was merely muscle mass lost haha. Which is fine, I'll gain back my muscle over time! Once again, something I am so grateful for. I have read so many stories of donors gaining lots of weight during recovery because they were unable to be moving and active.
My scars have shed all of the glue and are healing. The two small incisions are barely noticeable (on the right side in the pictures below). The large one still feels weird at times. To touch it, it feels sooo tight and hard. And it looks purple. When I move certain ways or directions sometimes it feels like it's going to open because it is so tight. I assume it softens over time?
I went home over Thanksgiving and my dad had just had his 20 STAPLES removed the week before. You guys.... he was like "my scar is looking so good" and proceeded to show me... I fell to the ground in the kitchen, literally. You know the phrase.. "if you think I look bad, you should see the other guy" that has never been truer. He has TRAIN TRACKS on his stomach and now my scars look like mere paper cuts in comparison. But we went to the gym together over Thanksgiving. He has to wear a mask out in public because some of the medications compromise his immune system and it's cold/flu season and he can't get sick. Any little sickness could impact kidney rejection in this first year. I think he is now officially done being quarantined at home and he went back to work this week. Just look at this battle wound. LIKE WHAT???
But I just feel like there is nothing to really report. I feel normal and life has gone on! I feel beyond blessed that this surgery went SO incredibly well. I've said this before, but I truly would rather donate another kidney then go to the dentist. I'm not sure my dad would say the same... actually he might! I inherited my HATE for the dentist from him. But we are so blessed and grateful for modern medicine.
Well I was off work for 3 weeks for recovery. I haven't had any problems with going back to work. I have mostly a desk job so it wasn't strenuous by any means. Honestly, I have felt great. I was really tired that first week back at work, and didn't go into work until like 10am everyday... who am I kidding, I still don't show up until about 10 still. But my energy is finally coming back for the most part.
I am back at the gym. I was just walking, slow jogging or walking on an incline for a few weeks. A lot of people have said, "take time off" "don't worry about getting back to the gym". But for me, it's not about being back physically and getting back to where I was before surgery quick. For me, going to the gym is routine. Those close to me know that I thrive on routine, I quite literally live for routine. It makes me feel productive and normal. So getting back to the gym helped with my recovery and things just feeling normal again. After 3 weeks of lounging around and watching an absurd amount of Netflix I just needed structure. The gym is my happy place, which may not be for everyone, and that is perfectly okay. But for me, getting back to the gym was for my sanity. Everyone is different.
Another place is the mountains. I feel most myself and my soul is set free, and happiest in the mountains. So I'm grateful for friends who slooooooooowly walked trails with me. I also took a weekend trip to Moab around 5 weeks post op for some easy hiking with my best friends and it was so refreshing and rejuvenating. Hiking southern Utah is my love language.
Last week was my 8 week mark and I felt SO much better when working out at 8 weeks even from 7 weeks. That really is the magical number. Everything feels secured in there and I really do feel normal. I've gotten back to my normal lifting and working out routine now... just really hesitant to do any ab focused exercises. My weight has fluctuated throughout this whole process. I gained 10 pounds in the first day hahaha (which you can tell in pictures from the surgery post, just go look at my face in the picture when my girlfriends came to visit... sooo puffy... compared to pre-surgery pics) but after about a week I was back down to my starting weight, and then lost another 5 pounds and have stayed there. Which normally would be great, but it was all just muscle loss. After being back in the gym and realizing I'm SO weak and definitely not where I once was, it was merely muscle mass lost haha. Which is fine, I'll gain back my muscle over time! Once again, something I am so grateful for. I have read so many stories of donors gaining lots of weight during recovery because they were unable to be moving and active.
My scars have shed all of the glue and are healing. The two small incisions are barely noticeable (on the right side in the pictures below). The large one still feels weird at times. To touch it, it feels sooo tight and hard. And it looks purple. When I move certain ways or directions sometimes it feels like it's going to open because it is so tight. I assume it softens over time?
Above is 6 weeks. Below is 8 weeks.
But I just feel like there is nothing to really report. I feel normal and life has gone on! I feel beyond blessed that this surgery went SO incredibly well. I've said this before, but I truly would rather donate another kidney then go to the dentist. I'm not sure my dad would say the same... actually he might! I inherited my HATE for the dentist from him. But we are so blessed and grateful for modern medicine.
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