I've been gone from Tumblr a while because I've had a lot going on in my life recently. This is just part of it. It's not the usual kind of progress story, but it's one that I am proud of.
Two weeks ago I was at work minding my own business when suddenly I felt a cramping pain in my guts. Most people would assume this was food poisoning but I knew that this was the feeling of a blocked small intestine. This had happened to me once before...it took over 24 hours of cramping pain and being diagnosed wrongly with appendicitis and gallstones before someone figured out what was up - scar tissue from an operation to remove ovarian cancer tumours from 2 years ago had gotten all up in my business and was strangling my guts. Nothing got through, including gas, and I couldn't eat, drink or poop for the 2 weeks it took in hospital to get sorted out. But back in May it did sort itself out and I went on my merry way. Now I had it again.
After a week in hospital nothing was changing in the slightest. The non-surgical route wasn't going to work this time and now a second operation to fix me was my only hope. So I went back under the knife.
This photo album shows my scar at different times. I wasn't in shape at all before I got the first scar. You can see in the first picture in the album at the top of this post. I was bloated and stretch marked, I weighed 183lb at my heaviest and I had very little lean mass. I don't hesitate to say I was and still am proud of my body at that time all the same - it had done a decent job of pulling through 4 rounds of chemo and now a 9 hour surgery and I was just happy to be alive and have all my inside bits still on the inside (before the op I was terrified of waking up to find I had a colostomy bag).
It took 11 days to recover from the first operation enough to leave hospital. I was only unable to eat from the date of surgery until about 4 days later when my digestive system kicked back in again. I took 4 days to stand up without help from physio, at least a week before I was walking with a zimmer frame and left the hospital using a cane for support.
After that first surgery I decided to get fit. I started with pilates and swimming and then did the Couch to 5k. I switched to astanga yoga and after discovering places like /r/fitness and the fitness community on Tumblr, I started to strength train following Stronglifts 5x5 and trying to build up to full push ups and unassisted chin ups. This summer I ran my first proper 5k and I was riding my bike 16 miles every day to get to work, 5 days a week.
As a result, the second time round having surgery I recovered so much faster. I starved for a week before going under the knife because again the scar tissue blocked anything from passing through, even water or gas. I had to have IV fluids. 3 days afterwards I got myself out of bed with no assistance. The next day I was able to walk unaided and have a shower by myself. I was out of hospital 6 days after I was operated on, and on day 7 I took my dog on a 10 minute walk.
I lost 13lb during the past 2 weeks bringing my total weight loss in 2 years down to around 45lb. This is not good weight loss! I inevitably lost muscle during this time because I was starving but at least the extra muscle I had on me means that I am now a much smaller 138lb person than I was the last time I was this weight (when I was 14!). Right now my belly is swollen from the surgery and my back aches from having to do all the holding myself up that my core usually does.
I am 100% determined to get my strength back as soon as possible, to replace the muscle I lost. I'm going to start yoga again when I hit the 2 week mark, and get running again at the 4 week mark. I fully intend on going camping in a couple of weeks and I want to finish off my internship next week as well. When I go back to uni I'm hitting the gym (yay for free gym!). For major abdominal surgery, I'm not doing too bad! The experience I've had is exactly why fitness is so important, it gives your body the ability to put up a good fight and I know that it will always be a part of my life from now on.
Also when I can swim again nothing is going to stop me from breaking out the bikini, because I am proud of my Frankenbelly!
TLDR; my digestive system sucks but getting fit is awesome and helped me recover from surgery faster :)
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