How long were you sore for?

Hello all! Just after an idea of how others recovered and how long were you sore for? I'm 9 weeks post op on Tuesday and I still feel muscular pain around an inch either side of my sternum (incision). I do light stretching daily, walk and general household chores. Nothing strenuous. When i say pain, its nothing that requires medication or pain relief, just general discomfort. Actually if it wasnt for this id feel the best I ever have! Interested in others experiences. Thanks everyone.

Hi, I'm a bit over 6 months and still a bit sore lately , more a dull ache that radiates across the pectoral muscles, I just put it down the sub zero mornings here with winter, the 2 days I did a week or so ago swinging a chainsaw didn't help, nothing that's stopped me doing anything though, just discomfort like a small reminder .

Haha I'm sure that didn't help. Sounds similar to what I'm feeling, plus it's winter here now so I guess that doesn't help. At least I know it's not me, and I guess if I know it may last months, then I wont get so shitty at being sore.

My cardiologist recommended cardiac rehab to help with pain/soreness after surgery. I was extremely fit prior to surgery so it wasn't that I needed to know how to get fit, but having a cardiac nurse supervise exercise for a while post surgery, especially weight lifting, was very helpful. Saying that, I am now two and a half years post op and I still get soreness just where some ribs attach to my sternum on the right hand side of the sternum - cardio says this is a touch of costochondritis, but it's not bad enough to need pain killers.

Just had to google costochondritis haha. I never did the rehab, not because i didn't want too, it just never happened. I had a book of excercises they gave me which helped a little.

Ryanvs;n865571 said:

Just had to google costochondritis haha. I never did the rehab, not because i didn't want too, it just never happened. I had a book of excercises they gave me which helped a little.

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You don't need rehab but it definitely is a big big help. If you choose not to you should do something daily to get some exercise. Easiest thing is go walking. A brisk walk for 30 minutes every day will do wonders to improve your hearts strength while recovering. Do it twice a day if you're up for it. You'll see a big improvement in how you feel. I was amazed at the improvement in how I felt, with noticeable gains after every single week, all the way up til about 6 months.

As for sore I was pretty tender til about 4 months or more. Not bad as long as I took it easy. If I didn't it got pretty painful for a day or two. Just now past 9 months I was able to do push ups again without pain. After so many months of taking it easy I really feel like I lost a lot of my arm strength. Only thing that makes me sore now is occasionally if I sleep too long on my side sometimes.

Yeah I've actually noticed the days i get excercise are the days I actually feel better. I get about 4 days a week in (walking) but stretch daily. A desk job with long hours makes it harder, and it's likely that the sitting contributes to the pain. That said I do try to get up and walk for 5 mins every hour.

I started feeling really good at week 12. The difference for me between the 9th week and the 12th week was pretty drastic. Hang in there, be patient as you can't do much to heal your sternum, other than give it time. What type of shape were you in prior to surgery and what is your current age?

I was in ok shape. Lifted weights (powerlifting style) 3 times a week, either ran or used a rowing machine twice a week. 31 years old. Yeah, just itching to get back out there and do more physical activities. My Cardiologist suggested not to do 'powerlifting' anymore as the style of breathing can put pressure on the heart. (I can't remember the actual breathing style (starts with V) but he said that the way powerlifters breathe into the belly and bracing can put strain on the heart). That's not to say that damaged my heart, or can, but he advised against it. I think 'normal' weightlifting is fine. That said I play golf so that'll be my hobby now. Just a shame, I'd lifted weights and played 'contact sports' since I was 12, so I still feel a bit empty not being able to that again. Being alive is way better than the alternative, it's just frustrating that things have been taken away from me, I didn't have a choice. I'm sure many others feel the same. As I said however, being alive is much better

Doesn't seem to have effected GymGuy

Ryanvs;n865577 said:

I was in ok shape. Lifted weights (powerlifting style) ...' anymore as the style of breathing can put pressure on the heart. (I can't remember the actual er

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Makes me wonder about your cardiologist.

Myself I continued to do what I wanted irrespective of my surgeons advice, specifically where it seemed like they were wanting to cotton wool me.

Listen to your body and don't act crazy and you'll be fine. Do give up on being ultra competitive, and focus on your health and strength as being your motivations

PM me if you want to get in touch with him. He hardly comes here now days as th new site format is slow and tedious

Ryanvs;n865577 said:

My Cardiologist suggested not to do 'powerlifting' anymore as the style of breathing can put pressure on the heart. (I can't remember the actual breathing style (starts with V) but he said that the way powerlifters breathe into the belly and bracing can put strain on the heart).

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Do you mean the Valsalva maneuver? My surgeon specifically told me not to do that for the 3-4 months that my repaired valve was healing, though neither he nor my cardiologist has said anything about what not to do after that time was up.

Thank you, Zoltania! Yes, Valsalva. Perhaps he meant short term, but he didn't explicitly say short term and the way it came across was to avoid it.

I have to wonder about your cardiologist too. I wouldn't expect cardiologists, or indeed anyone, to know that much about the specifics and 'risks' of weight lifting unless they do weight lifting themselves. Valsalva wouldn't be too good a thing to do, that's true - if you hold your breath when lifting heavy weights that causes very high pressures. But you can lift heavy weights without holding your breath, there are other weight lifting techniques which serious weight lifters use. Have a look at this site: http://seriousstrength.com/slow-burn...rength-ny.html I once watched a great little video clip (unfortunatley can't find it right now) of a weight lifter doing powerlifting, that is quick lift up, hold and lower, and then lfting the same wieght using this slower technique. It's actually harder work on the muscles - remember the weight you lifted prior to surgery and imagine how hard it would be to lift the same weight with a 10 second raise and 10 second lower. It's safer and no valsalva so not such high blood pressures.

Obviously you wouldn't want to go straight to lifitng such heavy weights so soon after surgery, but when I did cardiac rehab the nurse (who was an ironman competitor in his spare time) had me lifting weights which worked my upper body which helped any muscle soreness. I don't know how high the weights you can lift would be in the future, but Arnold Swarzeneggar went back to weight lifting after he had his bicuspid aortic valve replaced !

PS Dr Doug McGuff' and 'Body by Science' explains how to use that superslow technique with free weights: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0...d-3035-4a40-b691-0eefb1a18396&pf_rd_i=desktop Again, not something for 9 weeks out of surgery but who knows what you may be able to get back to one day !

I think he was referring to the 'style' of weight lifting, the style being powerlifting. Heavy singles, doubles & triples, valsava breathing using 10 inch belts etc. 5 reps was cardio for me haha. As you say, Weight lifting can be extremely beneficial, and even encouraged so long as you do it right (as you said above) I believe my cardiologist was simply addressing the 'style' and method of breathing I used, not weightlifting generally.

I had my surgery on the 7th of April and still feel slighly sore at the top of the sternum, but nothing which affects my day to day life. I've been prescribed on a cardio rehab class at the hospital, which runs weekly. That's done wonders for my confidence by exercising in a controlled environment without worrying about anything.

Does anyone else have a bone sticking out at the top of their sternum? How long does it take to lower down?

I had a 'nub' or 'lump' at the top of mine that went down somewhere around the 4-6th week.

Does anyone else have a bone sticking out at the top of their sternum? How long does it take to lower down?[/QUOTE]

Yep mines a bit one sided, on the RH side at the top so I assume it's permanent

I had a pretty good lump at the top of my sternum I thought would be permanent but after 3 or 4 months it slowly went down and is now back to normak

I'm 4.5 months out,I was sore for the first 8 weeks.I still can't lift heavy things yet...my ribs hurt from time to time

Im on my 6 month post op until now I have so much pain in my chest like there is something on top of it and pain on my shoulder joinths radiating to my shoulder blades, is there anybody like me