Recovery exercises...

For the first few days I was pretty wasted.  I focused on resting and eating lots of good quality protein.  My wife, my mother in law, Dad and stepmum all helped me immensely, I had a lot of support and care from everyone.  Over the next couple of weeks I built up my walking and slowly went for gentle walks around the village.  After a week I was pleased to make it to the top of Moel Faban the hill behind our village.  I would normally run up this in about 15 minutes. This time it took me nearly 2 hours!  Mo was a massive support and encouraging.  It was good to be back home in Snowdonia.  Three weeks after the operation I caught up with my Brother and sister in law for a family get together, and thought I would join them for a walk up Snowdon. I didnt intend to go all the way, just to the half way point, but although it felt slow, I was otherwise fine, so kept plodding and made it to the summit with everyone.

For the next couple of months I focused on gentle walking but nothing upper body.  I was trying to stick to the chest healing timetable.

2 months later I was back home for a weekend away from medical school.  I wanted to get into the hills on Saturday, so after a late start, with a weather forecast that wasn't "too" bad, we decided on Notch Arete Scramble on the West face of Tryfan - neither of us had done it before.

The wind was pretty gusty and the drizzle seemed to be lifting, waterproofs were off for the slog to the base of the route - I was testing my new Garmin Forerunner heart rate monitor, pleased at how accurate it seemed to be with my HR.

The wind and rain kept at it all day really - was easily gusting 30mph while on the route, so we roped up and pitched or moved together on all of the harder stuff, it was pretty greasy as well. I was pleased to feel confident and strong climbing, I pulled and pushed quite hard in places, definitely using my arms, but had no complaints from my sternum.  My heart rate never got above 145 and it was a pleasure to just forget about it and concentrate on the climbing.

I underestimated how much it would take energy out of me however - didn't take enough food - just handful of flapjack and a banana, with about a litre of fluids.  By the time we were walking off the north ridge I was pretty knackered. Once we got back to the car I was wasted - hastily purchased chocolate and coke kept the wolf from the door but I was exhausted and energy depleted, unable to communicate properly until we had finally cooked up some food, had a bath and stretched.  I slept well!

The next few days my muscles all felt the after effects - not having done anything like this for 2 months since the op, my chest hurt but muscular, not bone pain.  Quads were aching and needed lots of stretching, but it felt good to have used the muscles.

The following Wednesday I took some folk climbing at the local wall, not intending to climb myself.  At the end of their session I carefully had a go at a couple of routes - surprised and pleased to again feel no pain, crepitus or unpleasantness in my sternum.  It is now exactly 10 weeks since the op - the textbook recovery plan says wait 12 until returning to full exercises like gym weights, canoeing, running etc. but I am keen to carefully and gradually build up my muscle tone and remind my body of what exercise feels like.

Things improved thereafter, after 12 weeks I was back to building myself into a normal training pattern, the following December (4 months post op) I was winter climbing with Mo in Scotland, and the following year, almost exactly 1 year to the date of the op, I climbed the Cassin Route on Piz Badile 3000m in the Bregalia Alps.

Things are good, I don't feel I have been limited at all since recovering from the op, and I feel lucky to live in a country where I can get this treatment and care at such a high standard on the NHS.