Preparing and Recovering from Surgery: suggestions for self care and supplementation
I originally wrote this while still in school for nutrition therapy and was excited to try some new concepts out. A few years later, I still stand by the principles and offer them not as medical advice (I am not a doctor!) but as food for thought—suggestions for you to consider and thoughtfully apply to your own situation. You are as important as your doctor is in this healing journey and have more power than you think! Look for tips and tricks that can help you on your journey and feel free to reach out for more support!
No one wants to have surgery but hey, it happens. This is me prepping to go under, but in truth the prep started weeks before!
Just over a month ago (January 2018), I found out I needed major surgery. After the shock passed, the worries flooded in. I was afraid of the effect this would have on my health and workout regimen. I was afraid to be incapacitated and of the downtime it would cost me from work, school and my four kids. After a moment of wallowing in fear, I resolved to take whatever measures I could to optimize healing conditions in my body and get back on my feet as fast as I could. After all, who has time to be down? Not this girl! I am sharing what I did to help myself, because I feel like it really made a difference. Remember, this is purely anecdotal with no way to reference a comparison study on myself. Also, I am not a doctor of any kind. The advice below is merely food for thought as you embark on your own surgical journey.
For context: I [was] 39 years old in good health, a healthy weight and moderately active. It came as a complete surprise to find out I needed a partial hysterectomy (ovaries intact, thank goodness.) I was told to expect 4-6 weeks of recovery, but not given much along the lines of details and aftercare. I am in school to be a certified nutrition therapist* and healing food is my passion, so I threw myself into my studies. [*note I have since graduated and am now a board certified holistic nutritionist and master nutrition therapist]
I am operating under a few premises that might reveal my strategies.
Health starts in your gut. Having a balanced, healthy microbiome is key to efficient digestion and absorption, an optimal immune system and healthy overall balance and vitality.
You are what you eat: your body can’t rebuild itself without all the necessary building blocks! Nutrient density is key—give your body the good stuff!
Ease digestion: The less energy your body spends digesting food (an expensive metabolic process!) the more energy it can devote to healing.
Control inflammation by eliminating sugars and other harmful substances, getting quality sleep and managing stress.
Leading up to surgery:
I only had 2 weeks notice, but I was grateful I had been focusing on my diet for months before this. In fact, I considered myself in the best shape of my life, which contributed to my shock! After the news I added some extra nutritional supports in:
Nutrition (additions):
A well composed smoothie is a powerhouse of healing nutrients!
A green smoothie everyday. When I say green, I mean a filled my blender up with kale and other greens along with my normal smoothie ingredients. I wanted to flood my body with micronutrients and cleansing fiber. I wanted the detoxing benefits of greens. I wanted to make sure I was alkalizing my system (more on that later.) I employed the greens. Normally, I do not enjoy a grass flavored smoothie, but I went for it! Read more about smoothie making here.
Homemade Probiotics: I have been fortunate enough to consume ferments for years now. Knowing that surgery most likely meant a round of antibiotics (gasp! my precious microbiome!) I doubled up on my intakes. Each smoothie was based on homemade kefir. (Kefir is a super ferment comprising as many as 70 strains of beneficial bacteria and yeasts that can rebuild your gut flora by colonizing your intestines. It tastes like tart yogurt. See below for sources). I admit, I forget to eat my sauerkraut sometimes, but I made sure to add a tablespoon or so to every dinner. Sauerkraut, besides packing a probiotic punch, gives a healthy dose of iron your body can absorb easily along with vitamin C and vitamin K. If you don’t have access to homemade probiotics, purchase quality kefir and sauerkraut and/or take a quality sourced, potent probiotic as part of your daily routine.)
Bone Broth: Bone broth is easy to digest and full of amino acids our body can use to heal. Besides soothing the lining of our gut, it contains a full range of minerals that can boost the immune system and contribute to healing. I tried to drink a mug a day. Make your own from grass fed bones or purchase a quality brand like Kettle & Fire.
Nutrition (subtractions):
I was careful to eliminate sugar, which can crash your immune system. Did you know glucose enters the cell membrane through the same portals as vitamin C? If it is flooded with blood sugar, the receptors are unable to transport vitamin c into the cell where it is used for several body functions including immune responses, enzyme function and protein synthesis. Besides that, sugar is inflammatory in nature
I eliminated Processed Foods: the goal was to be cleansing, free from additives and toxins.
Supplements:
Collagen Powder: Collagen is the most abundant tissue in your body and while most people think of skin, it is also used to build linings and membranes in your body. So while I try to make collagen powder a habit, leading up to surgery, I had two servings a day.
Fish Oil (Omega 3s): These are always part of my supplement regimen but became especially important headed into surgery for their role in lowering inflammation.
Enzyme therapy:
Supplements can play an important role in your healing strategy!
As luck would have it, my studies for biochemistry had me reading a book called Enzymes: What the Experts Know! This ended up being a major blessing! (it almost made up for having to take a final while still foggy and recovering!) Two weeks prior to the operation, I started a 3-part protocol:
I took high potency digestive enzymes with every meal. This allows easier, more complete digestion to support health. Enabling easier digestion also reserves metabolic energy that can then be applied towards healing the body.
I also took High Protease Enzymes three times a day, in between meals. Proteolytic enzymes taken on an empty stomach are effective anti-inflammatories. If not needed for digestion, proteolytic enzymes are absorbed into the bloodstream and free to break down inflammation. I noticed a dramatic difference in abdominal swelling when I began doing this. Normally by the end of each night, I was swollen and sore and looked 5 months pregnant, but after the addition of this step, it was minimized.
I added a pH balancing formula three times daily with food. The Ultimate pH Solution (another book for class) stressed how vital it is to be slightly alkaline and showed that the body will go to great lengths to maintain that balance. It also said that acidity causes decreased enzymatic function. So it makes sense that using enzymes to help maintain proper pH balance will help the body function at optimal levels and speed healing ability. There are other steps to take. A simple slice of lemon in your water can help alkalize your body!
Lifestyle:
I made quality sleep a priority and tried to manage my stress levels and focus on positivity rather than worry. These may sound like small things, but they really help prime the body for a positive outcome!
After surgery:
Nutrition:
I wasn’t incredibly interested in food after surgery. When I began eating, it was light. I sipped bone broth all day. My husband kept my mug filled so I could always have some at hand.
Water might be the most important element of your protocol!
Hydration:
Dehydration is dangerous, especially after a surgical procedure. I made sure to drain my hospital mug every couple hours at least. Keeping hydrated allows your cells the fluidity they need to do their jobs, to transport healing nutrients, to rebuild injured areas and to eliminate wastes and toxins. DO NOT allow yourself to dehydrate because of fatigue or fear of using the bathroom. Dehydration is a painful process and shuts down healing faster than just about anything else!
Supplements:
I continued everything i did pre-surgery (enzymes and collagen) but added in the following:
Chlorophyll: chlorophyll is like the plant equivalent of blood and has been called “liquid sunshine.” It boosts blood oxygen levels by increasing red blood cells in circulation, which speeds healing and decreases inflammation. It detoxifies the body, carrying away drug deposits and other wastes (goodbye anesthesia residue!) Dr Eric Berg said that he used it to recover from a surgery because chlorophyll “detoxifies the substances that cause pain at the nerve endings” and can be as effective as pain killers. I took 2 chlorophyll pearls 3 times a day.
Cranberry: when I found out I was coming home with a catheter I was not a happy camper. For 2 weeks it was my ball and chain. The doctor cautioned me that 90% of patients that wear a catheter for more than a week get severe urinary tract infections. I was not about to let that happen! Cranberry has a component in it that actually prevents bacteria from adhering to the lining of your urinary tract. As a bonus, it is high in vitamin C which we knows boosts immune function. Unfortunately, if I had a food nemesis, it would be cranberry. I HATE everything Cran. Luckily, capsules are an inexpensive way to get the good stuff in. You cannot overdose on it, so I went overboard. I took 3 pills 3 times a day.
Nattokinase formula 3 times daily. Nattokinase has been shown to break down fibrin, lower blood pressure and increase cardiovascular health. This is especially helpful during times of healing and low physical activity when you can be more susceptible to blood clots. (Caution: do not take if also on blood thinners of any kind.)
Recovery:
Did it work? Remember, I was told 4-6 weeks recovery and worried I’d out of work and school for at least 3 weeks! Let’s see what happened.
Right after:
Immediately after surgery was, of course, miserable. I was afraid of the pain so I maintained the pain med schedule they recommended and I pretty much slept all day. By day 2 I cut the dose in half. Day 3 I only took ibuprofen before bed. I was able to wean off pain medications completely by day 4. I focused on hydration, sipping bone broth and water constantly and day 3 and 4 had smoothies as well.
Day 5:
I described the swelling as minimal. My digestion—which slows after such a procedure—was sluggish at first but returned to normal. I began eating meals instead of just liquids.
Day 7:
I was up and cooking meals again. I drove my kids to the orthodontist. I was fatigued easily, but able to be on my feet more. I used my fitbit to start tracking my steps again. I reached 6,000 today and made a goal to add 500 steps a day until I returned to my average range of 12-15,000.
Day 10:
I returned to work (I wore big baggy pants to hide my catheter). I was careful not to lift anything, but was able to stay on my feet and had plenty of energy. A sweet friend brought me flowers and was surprised to find I wasn’t at home!
Day 14:
Independence day! I finally had the catheter taken out. The doctor was pleasantly surprised to see how well I was going and how energetic I was.
21 Days:
I would say I am 90% recovered! I can’t even see my incisions; I am back to regular activity and have been working harder than normal with school and work projects. Catching up is intense! I am more tired than usual by the time bedtime rolls around and I have not added my HIIT exercises back into my routine yet, but I am back to my step average and able to maintain a brisk walk with no difficulty.
The view is much better on the other side! 30 days after surgery.
Exactly one month later:
I had planned a trip to Zion’s National Park well before I found out about surgery and I was so sure everything would be ruined. Turns out I was wrong! I was able to hike almost every inch of the Narrows…a bucket list event! The very next day we did Observation Point, the highest peak in Zions. My fitbit counted 25,000 steps and 230 fights of stairs. When we got back to our suite, my hubby and kids crashed while I cooked dinner and made preparations for a night hike. I had energy to spare!
Summary:
Surgery is an incredible insult to the body. Anesthesia and pain medicines serve important functions but are also quite toxic. I believe my protocol helped me get off the meds faster and aided in reducing inflammation, flooding my body with nutrients for healing, and speeding overall recovery. Instead of 4-6 weeks, I was back to work in 10 days and literally climbing mountains in a month.
It can feel like an uphill climb, but the steps you take to care for yourself will pay off!
Since then, I have used a similar protocol to speed recovery as each of my 4 kids had their tonsils out and my husband had surgery for a deviated septum (he was back to work in 2 days!) These results may not be typical and every body and surgical experiene is different. Again, I am not a doctor, but I think supporting the body’s innate abilities to heal and removing insults paves the way for it to rebalance and heal. Whatever stage of healing you are in, you can be proactive in your care!
If you are interested in the supplements I took, send me an email at kristin@nourishwithkristin.com and I will send you a recommendation from my Fullscripts catalog (my online supplement catalog.) You can also find it by signing up for an account using the fullscript link in the footer of my website. That will take you to MY catalog and then you can find my surgical protocol. If you are facing or recovering from surgery of any kind, I wish you the very best! Be kind to yourself and have faith in your body!
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