Returning to Exercise

[Sk8inpancake]

Hi all. It all started with me getting my wisdom tooth removed on 22 August. I then got an infection and could hardly open my mouth. My dentist gave me antibiotics which didn't work and after my 4th trip to the dentist they advised that they would give me a follow up in a week. I went away with my family for a few days and had to cut short the break because whilst I was away I wasn't getting any better and asked another dentist for a second opinion. They sent me straight to hospital to the maxfax team. I was admitted for one week then discharged.

I then spent a few days at home and was readmitted and had surgery. I was then put into a coma and sent to ICU due to my poor airway. I then woke up and received the news I needed a 3rd surgery, this then meant that I had a second trip to ICU. Both these trips happened over a week. After waking up I was sent to a ward where I stayed for a further week and had a 4th surgery.

I was discharged this week home and I am rehabbing at home learning how to use my jaw again.

My question to everyone is how long did it take you to get back to the gym? I'm normally a really active person, so to struggle with muscle weakness it's a bizarre foreign feeling.

Thanks all.

[Sepsur]

I don’t know about directly going back to gym and how quick you should do so - we are all different, certainly the younger & fitter you were prior to ICU helps your recovery. Incidentally we run rehab sessions that lead you back to being as capable as you can be to resume ‘normal service’ 😊

cc-sn.org

[Sk8inpancake in reply to Sepsur]

Thanks for your reply. I'm starting off slow, but currently even just putting the bin out is exhausting. I think I'll start with a walk see where to go from there. I think I will check out the rehab sessions when I feel ready 🥰 Thanks!

[Sepsur in reply to Sk8inpancake]

The sessions are there to help you get ‘ready to do the sessions’ we run start up classes especially to achieve this 😊💙

[BigH63]

Hi

Sorry to hear that you had issues and horrible infection.

To you’re question, Well that’s the same as how long is the piece of string. If you read more stories you will see what I’m saying, you could be in a induced coma a week or six weeks or longer, the drugs used as well as immobility all contribute to the long term outcome.

My self I was admitted and was in an induced come for over four weeks with amongst a list of other issues Septic shock pneumonia. I came out the end of Feb after 6 weeks in hospital. I’m still struggling to recover both physically and mentally, weakness which is called ICUAW and seeing a phycologist and having physiotherapy I am making some progress but it’s slow and frustrating as I was active before, swimming, cycling, walking etc.

I’m having to take things slowly and realise that this is a marathon not race and could take 18 months or more or never get better and that will be the new normal.

I sincerely hope you get back to you’re previous self, but you will need help wether that’s family professional or both.

Sorry if this is not what you want to hear but this is my experience so far.

Regards

BigH63

[downthemoor]

Hi there, I have written on here several times about my experiences and at 10 months post ICU have still not been able to get my fitness back. I'm much older than you ..66 ..but prior to ICU I could comfortably walk 20k and was always very active on our farm and large garden. Putting the bins out was my first exhausting trip ....still can only walk 5000 steps max and am wiped out every afternoon . Sleep is erratic which doesn't help. I'm hoping to get help via the link Sepsur gives...family emergency has meant I've had to delay at the moment. Psychotherapy helped....but only in that it told me it was normal to be so unfit and that it would be well over a year before I regained fitness and in her words 'you might not necessarily like the new you' . Big H63 ...I totally agree with all you say...and it's tough to come to terms with. There's a book called 'The Reality Slap' that my psychotherapist recommended...as it literally is a slap in the face to realise the old you is not there anymore and may well never be. As Big H63 says...get help ...family and friends don't understand why recovery isn't straightforward. You need a follow up appointment from this and they will refer you to psychotherapy, physio therapy and whatever else they think you need.

[Lux95]

As others have said, it really depends on how weak you were when you can out of the ICU. I was in 4 weeks, and a year and a half later, am still not back to 100%. I used to run, hike, ski, etc, and am back to walking a few miles, but I have to take a day off between.

My advice is not to rush it. I tried to get back to normal life too quickly the first 8 months and survived mostly on adrenaline (or so i assume). Now, I seem to be paying for it. I can do more at a time, but have to sleep more to make up for it. Still can't handle stress. You will improve, but it takes time, and it may be longer than you would like, so be patient and don't push yourself too hard until you know how your body handles it now. Not only do we lose stamina, but we also have to rebuild our ability to handle physical stress, including exercise stress - i.e. pushing the next mile, or an extra rep in the gym, etc.

[Sk8inpancake]

Thank you for the replies and sharing your stories everyone. I had a walk on Thursday on and stopped half way for a coffee. Fortunately it was just around my village, but yesterday I did pay for it. I found myself being grumpy and tired and had to daytime nap. I have most definitely learnt my lesson about taking things slowly going forward.

Thanks for the advice all as well. It really helps me to share and discuss these things with you.

[downthemoor]

I was also advised by ICU follow up doctor to try Yoga Nidra....it relaxes you to the stage of just before sleep ...half an hour in the afternoon and makes all the difference to getting through the day.

[Sk8inpancake in reply to downthemoor]

I will give that a go 😊 thank you for the recommendation.

[helen_m]

Hi there,

I really empathize with what you are going through and that trying to return to fitness. I'm older than you but hospital kept saying I was young and fit I was flu, pneumonia, sepsis then severe septic shock, multiple organ failure. I was in ICU for just over a month, then another two months in hospital. I got out April 21st this year and I was very weak. I lost all core mobility when in an induced coma, so coming back to fitness from that has been a journey and a half. I'm not where I was before I went in but I'm determined to get back to close to normal fitness for me.

I'm a hillwalker and even last year regularly (weekly) walked up big mountains in Scotland. I was strong enough to carry all the stuff for wild camping on my back. I had loads of stamina too.

So, when I got out, my doctors told me to take it easy. A friend said have ambition but don't be stupid. I've taken that to heart. I really couldn't even walk to the local park which is really close. My husband took me for drives every few days, and I would walk a little, like 100 meters max. Then rest for a few days. Then do it again, then rest for a few days. So much more rest than you are used to, because you're having to build muscle again. (I'd lost a stone and a half of muscle). I found walking on the flat much easier than going uphill but I was determined to climb at least one big mountain before the end of this year. Two months ago I did one. I was slow and my legs shook but I managed it. We live on a top floor fat so 6 flights of stairs and that has been part of my rehab. I needed to rest every time until just a few months ago. Now I can carry bin bags down, big bags up and don't need to rest. I am slower than before but I'm happy to be moving.

Now, I'm back at work four days a week and trying to balance the tiredness from working with doing a bit of exercise. I am more tired than before my sickness but I am also a hell of a lot better since I got out of hospital six months ago. Someone on this group reminded me about looking back and seeing how you've improved since you got out of hospital. I was using Strava on my GPS watch and looking at the monthly improvements. Some weeks it feels like you haven't managed much at all but when you look at the small improvements over the months, it makes you feel better.

Now, I am able to easily walk to the local park and around it. I can walk up hills again, much slower going up from the lung damage but am building up daily. And by that, I mean I do spend a lot of time resting but the way I think of it is resting and recovering and that allows your body the time to build up its strength again.

I feel now that I'm ready to step up activity a bit more - swimming, maybe a gym session with weights and keeping on walking, a big one even flat once a week.

I wish you all the best.

[Sk8inpancake in reply to helen_m]

Wow it sounds like you have made some amazing progress after having an awful time. I'm hoping to return to kickboxing in the near future, but because of the surgeries I had involved operating on my face, I'm struggling with the balance of not raising my blood pressure too much. If I do my face just swells and throbs. My main focus is reducing the swelling and increasing my jaw function for my wedding next year.

Kickboxing will be a long way off. Sometimes I wish I could click my fingers and be better. I'm 31 I want to work, see my friends and exercise but I've noticed that recovery is a lonely process that only most people on this forum get. The mental struggle of motivation is real, something I'm lacking in this week. So thank you for sharing your inspiring story.

I wish you all the best too x