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losing weight with an iliostomy

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Posted 1/30/2012 11:57 PM (GMT 0)
I had my final iliostomy surgery a year and a half ago, and have since put on a lot of weight. It took me a loony time to feel back to normal, and now I am slowly losing weight. I have lost 24 pounds now, mostly through better eating habits. Now, I am ready to get a gym membership. My doctor at Cleveland clinic told me never to lift over 15 pounds, and I'm wondering if there are any other exercises that we shouldn't do. All of you ostomates, let me know which exercises that you do, besides walking.
Posted 1/31/2012 2:00 AM (GMT 0)
We seemed to have our surgeries at the same time. I had a temp ileo as the result of a twisting of my sigmoid colon that resulted in about 18 inches being removed. I had the original surgery in May, 2010 and was reversed in July, 2010. So, if you still have your ileo, out situations may be different.

If you still have your ileo, then my surgeon would tell you the same thing as yours did. Don't lift anything over 15 pounds. She was very clear with me between the July reversal and the time that she released me to do anything.

If your final surgery was a reversal, however, then what my surgeon told me was to break back into weights with light weights and only a few reps and then work back into my regular routine. I was reversed in mid-July and started light lifting again in late August. Over the year and a half since then, I'm back at my pre-operation levels and, in some cases, lifting more than I did pre-op.

But, again, if you have a permanent ileo, then my surgeon's advice was the same as yours.....nothing over 15 pounds.
Posted 1/31/2012 3:32 AM (GMT 0)
Yep nothing over 15 lbs and no crunch ups. But modified sit ups ok. SOmeone on this board sent me a nice printout of "allowables" for ostomates which made sense. I personally just walk and ballroom dance and do some arm weights and swim. But younger people naturally want to do more. Good luck. Rosemary
Posted 1/31/2012 3:44 AM (GMT 0)
I do the "insanity" workout, its really good. It has a cardio ab video too. I lost 40lbs in like 2 months with it. Its really really hard though. I actually laid down and cried the first couple of times,lol. But so do the people showing you how to do it! It doesn't use weights, just pure cardio. Although I haven't really paid attention the 15lb thing, I had a 2 year when I had surgery and you have to lift your kid! Get your core strengthened and it won't be as worrisome
Good luck
Posted 1/31/2012 9:24 AM (GMT 0)
I am about 7 weeks away from take-down, after 1 surgeries, and have just joined a fitness club. I intend only to do the treadmill a couple hours of week, and work with my legs and arms, completely avoiding the abdominals. I will only start light ab stuff about 6 weeks after take-down.
Some doctors say the limit is 10 pounds. In July, an ER surgeon told me I may have a slight parastomal hernia, and since then I have avoided lifting anything at all beyond a laptop or a liter bottle of water.
Posted 1/31/2012 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
Well, aside from the six weeks of recovery time, I lifted my 20+ pound toddler with both of my ileos. You do what you have to, I guess. I'm a distance runner so running is my go to exercise. I also have a spin bike so will sometimes do that.
Posted 1/31/2012 2:54 PM (GMT 0)
My surgeon said that once I was healed, lifting weights is good -- that they don't see weightlifters getting hernias. She said to be smart about it, of course, and build up very gradually.

Of course carrying kids can be a weight program with a built in gradual increase (with some spurts and stalls)!
Posted 1/31/2012 4:52 PM (GMT 0)
I do not pick up my almost five year old anymore! He's somewhere around 45 pounds! He still likes to sit on my lap sometimes though. :-)
Posted 1/31/2012 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
4 months post op went from walking to a gym membership, doing just elliptical and treadmill. SLOWLY encorporated weights, my muscles needed it so bad. I was sick so long with diverticulosis and then my surgerical woes. 3 months later did yoga and loved the core strength. Started running and cycling. I took things in stride, everything concerned me. about a year post op, I started kettleball exercises. 10, 15lbs max. All this time too, I've been babysitting and lifting all my friends kids, mine are too old to be lifted. But sometimes my 8 year old jumps and leaps for me to catch her. :-) Happy to hear about your weight loss!!! I lost so much weight during my hospitalization and quickly gained it all back because of lack of exercise. But when I started, I lost 15 lbs and have kept it off.
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