PART ONE
HOW TO DEAL AND HEAL!
This blog is especially designed for women who have had abdominal surgery, due to cancer or other issues.
If you have had abdominal surgery for ovarian cancer with an Illeostomy bag, please see my After Surgery with an Illeostomy Bag post. Healing from surgery with an "ostiebag" has very different steps to follow and with multiple restrictions and issues. Its a whole different world, and YES --- You can handle it!
I will show you how!
AFTER THE OPERATION
DEEP abdominal incisions are a given, after any surgery that necessitates opening the abdomen. This blog post is a guide to possible complications after abdominal surgery, and how to carefully, and naturally bring your abdominals back to health and beauty.
Disclaimer: Carefully follow your doctors after surgery instructions. If you have abdominal pain anywhere after surgery, contact your Oncology Surgeon, Primary Care Doctor, Specialist or go to your local Emergency Room right away. Never Self-Diagnose
CAREFUL GENTLE NUTRITION DETOX ORGANIC PRODUCTS
YOU CAN RESTORE YOUR ABS, CORE AND CENTER OF LIFE!
Read more to find out how.
From WebMD:
Can You Pull a Muscle in Your Stomach?
Yes, you can pull a muscle in your stomach area.
Several crucial abdominal muscles are prone to strains, including:
Rectus abdominis muscles, which allow movement between your pelvis and ribcage
Oblique muscles, which help rotate your trunk right and left
Transversus abdominis muscles, which are the deepest abdominal muscles and help protect your organs and stabilize your trunk
A pulled abdominal muscle, a pulled stomach muscle and an abdominal strain are all the same thing.
What Is a Pulled Abdominal Muscle or Hernia?
A pulled abdominal muscle happens when muscles stretch too far or tear. This can occur on your upper or lower abdomen, as well as on the left or right side of your trunk.
On the other hand, a hernia is a piece of tissue or intestine that pushes through a weak spot in your abdominal muscles.
What Are the Causes of an Abdominal Strain vs. a Hernia?
When looking at an abdominal strain vs. a hernia, some causes are the same while others differ.
Either one can occur because of excessive coughing and sneezing or improperly lifting heavy objects.
A strained abdominal muscle also can occur because of intense exercise or sudden, fast movements. Frequent causes of hernias include increased pressure on the abdomen and constipation.
People who participate in sports, especially football and tennis, which require a lot of reaching and side-to-side trunk movements, are prone to pulled stomach muscles — although anyone can suffer an abdominal strain.
Symptoms of a Hernia vs. a Pulled Muscle
If you've never suffered a pulled abdominal muscle or hernia, you may wonder, "Does a hernia feel like a pulled muscle?" In some cases, the answer is "yes," while in others, it's "no."
In looking at a hernia vs. a pulled muscle, it's helpful to note that they both cause pain that worsens with movement.
My experience made it clear that sometimes it is hard to tell if the pain is from an incisional hernia or torn abdominal muscle; in my case, after lifting even light weights too soon, I got to the bottom of this issue when I consulted a very skilled Intestinal Surgeon. After a CT Scan, it was clear that there was no bulging of the abdominal wall, no protrusions, and therefore a muscle tear.
Always consult your doctor and an abdominal specialist to be sure you know exactly what the issue really is. From there, its much easier and safer to plan your healing journey, and use appropriate products for your exact abdominal issue.
Suggestions from Dr William Bulsiewicz. from his book Fiber Fueled:
Learn how to gradually increase fiber and plant diversity in your diet, understand the potential benefits of digestive enzymes, and discover where to find Dr. Will’s resources, including his books...
I purchased Dr Bulsiewicz's book, and Highly suggest it - it's worth every penny!
DO THIS:
Sleep and Rest
Organic Highly Nutritive Foods, including nutritious shakes: (Half greens Half fruit.)
Organic Topical Products with amazing ingredients to heal from the outside-in.
Exercise GENTLY and ONLY after your medical team gives you the ok. Use rubber bands and gentle floor exercises, yoga, stretching, etc. Gentle Slow Careful
Loose fitting clothing that you feel comfortable wearing. If it is cold out, wear loose, cozy warm clothing like your favorite sweats. Frequently, your belly will be swollen.
Juice organic greens and hydrating veggies like cucumber and celery, especially celery! The latest research (see below) has uncovered amazing healing properties of celery; Who Knew?
Use a personal trampoline Gently! No need to jump high or do HIIT training! Just move a little, whatever feels good to you. Your body will tell you when to stop, or if you experience any pain what-so-ever, stop. It only takes a very short time to reep the benefits. Among other things, it's amazing for detoxing the lymphatic system, which is especially important after surgery.
DO NOT DO THIS:
Lift weights soon after surgery. Period! Ladies - it's not worth it! This is the fastest way to tare damaged, weakened tissue at the incision site which can create an incisional hernia, or muscle tear. It happens in a second and is labor intensive and time consuming to fix. Be patient with yourself- you will be back in the gym soon enough!
Overeat and/or eat heavy carbs like bread, pasta and pizza. The stomach lining needs TLC. Keep it light with small servings more frequently if needed.
Eat sugar of any kind; This will compromise an already struggling immune system, working overtime to heal systemically from the surgery, from the antibiotics and anesthesia; which have a profound negative effect on the beneficial microbiome living within the abdominal tissue.
Wear tight fitting clothing
Juice fruits: Too much sugar and No fiber. Fiber heals and is food for a variety of good bacteria, or the microbiome. This is your immune system ladies!
From WebMD:
What Is Celery?
It's an aromatic vegetable that belongs to the Apiaceae family, which also includes carrots, parsnip, fennel, parsley, and cumin. Celery was first grown in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, and it's been used as both food and medicine for centuries.
Celery stalks add crunch to raw salads and dips and mild flavor to soups and smoothies. It's also packed with antioxidants that help fight cellular damage.
Benefits of Celery
Celery is high in fiber and nutrients and low in calories. It's full of potassium , vitamins, and antioxidants. Celery is 95% water. It's a great snack if you're trying to lose weight or for regular bowel movements. But it has other health benefits, too.
Cancer prevention
The antioxidants in celery include well-known varieties such as flavonoids and vitamin C, as well as lunularin and bergapten. They help cancel out natural chemicals in your body called free radicals that can harm cells and lead to cancer and other diseases.
Blood pressure management
Celery is rich in a plant compound called phthalide. This phytochemical relaxes your artery walls to help blood flow and to lower your blood pressure.
Alzheimer's disease prevention and treatment
Research in mice suggests that a compound called DL-3-n-butylphthalide made from seeds in the flowers of the celery plant improves learning, thinking, and memory. This seed extract may possibly treat and prevent Alzheimer's, but more studies are needed to confirm these benefits in the human population.
Celery Nutrition
Like most vegetables, celery is almost all water. Its biggest nutrients are carbohydrates, followed by protein, and trace amounts of fat.
Celery is a good source of:
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin K
Potassium
Calcium
Nutrients per se
These are the steps and guidelines that I followed to heal after ovarian cancer surgery. And yes, the "Do Not's" well, they stink, but if you go slow and gentle the rewards are long lasting and amazing! You will be so elated when your belly begins to heal, feel better, and resemble itself once more. Put these Do's and Don'ts up in your kitchen, your work-out area or wherever you will see it every day! Digital download of the Do's and Don'ts Chart in the works now!
My surgery was in 2020, and with lots of rest, consistent care, gentle moving, high nutritive foods, and effective natural/organic products, I have now (as of June 2024) cured my abdominals at the incision site completely. I can now use weighted abdominal machines, lift moderate weights (for my age and bone structure) 5-10 pounds now and heavier weights as I can safely increase. I can now see definition in obliques, and upper and lower belly, and my abdominals are strong and supporting my entire body far more effectively, with less effort. I know it's a journey, but don't get discouraged - You Can Do This!
I sincerely hope this was helpful. If you need more specific detail, I will be happy to send more content your way.
Second blog in my Beautiful Belly series coming soon.
WebMD Articles:
June 1, 2022
Abdominal Strains vs. Hernia: Everything You Need To Know
August 11, 2023
Written by Medically Reviewed by Jabeen Begum, MD Editorial Contributor
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