My journey continues and whilst these blogs initially started as a way to raise awareness things have developed and now I am being commissioned (well kinda) to write some blogs and articles.
Below is such an article that will soon be published as an article. My first official commissioned piece of work! Have a read, hopefully for Ostomist and non-Ostomist alike it should be interesting.
So what is my biggest
fear as a Cancer survivor and Ostomist?
Believe it or not it isn’t actually the return of the ‘BIG C’. I have learned that life really is too short
and there is no point is worrying about things that are out of your
control. I am in remission now, and long
may that continue, but if that changes it will not be due to anything I have or
haven’t done.
No my biggest fear as
an Ostomist is a hernia!
When I first came out
of surgery I had plenty of other things to worry about, like dealing with my
newly formed stoma. I recall hernias
being discussed and how as my stomach is now a weak spot I was at a higher
risk. In the first few months after
surgery even sitting up caused a lot of strain on my core and I was terrified
of herniation. I invented cleaver ways
to sit up in bed. I became terrified of lifting almost anything. Including my own son! But I soon realised hernias aren’t the
Ostomists 'Boogey Man'. Prevention became
just another obstacle that needs to be overcome
So I guess the key question that needs asking is exactly what is a Ostomy hernia?
Rolstad and Boarini (1996) define a parastomal hernia
asa bulging of peristomal skin indicating the passage of oneor more loops of
bowel through a fascial defect aroundthe stoma and into the subcutaneous
tissues
Now I personally did not exercise until a few years after my surgery and
my stoma has settled. When I did decide
to get fit I always feared I could never really get there as lifting any type
of ‘heavy’ weight would create an issue.
So I decided to do things right and met my personal trainer. Im not saying that a P.T. is always needed
but as I had not been a gym goer before my operation I needed to make sure that
what I was doing was correct and more importantly safe.
For the first few months I lifted no weight, everything was body-weight
actions. This slowly built up my core
(which as an added bonus also improved by posture!) This consisted of some very simple yet
effective movements, shuttle runs lunges etc mixed with moderate running. Well I say running but at first it was fast
walking mixed with brief jogging!
I then progressed to some light kettle bell work and finally a few
months ago progressed to what I class as real weight lifting.
I am now in training 4-5 days a week with a mixture of running, core
conditioning (still a vital piece of my training to maintain my core
stability) I am also doing something now
that I never felt possible. I am dead-lifting. This is ultimately a movement where you squat
down and then stand up holding the weight.
I weigh approximately 90kgs. I am
now lifting 105kg plus for multiple reps over multiple sets. Something I couldn’t do before my surgery and
thought impossible with my stoma.
I guess what I am trying to share is, yes hernias are a risk for us
Ostiomists. But so is being struck by
lightning or winning the lottery. That
doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen to every one of us.
If you want to return to any type of physical activity take things
slowly, at a walking pace at first if necessary. Through my journey the one true fact that has
guided me during all my training sessions, all my Obstacle Racing is LISTEN TO
YOUR BODY!
