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Posted 12/13/2009 2:19 PM (GMT 0)

Just did my first post prostate surgery run yesterday. Saw my surgeon on Thursday and he told me I was released to start running. He said to start slow and work my way up.(lol) like I’d be able to just jump back to doing 6 miles. After careful consideration I ran the road instead of my beloved railroad tracks. I love the tracks because the sand is easy on my knees and I always see wildlife such as deer and turkey and the occasional teenagers necking. But I chose the road because in the event that I fell over dead someone would promptly discover me (probably run me over first) but on the tracks I’d likely go undetected for days. Happy to report after my 2 miles that the area formally occupied by my prostate seemed unaware of the increase in activity. As for the remainder of my body….lets just say when I woke up this morning I had that total body soreness that in a weird perverse way, runners love. My goal is to be back to 20 -24 miles a week by February. Any runners with experience/suggestions post operatively?
Posted 12/13/2009 2:34 PM (GMT 0)
Herophilus,

Well you were able to get back to running much quicker than I was, so that is a good note. The trails have been much easier on my body than the road so most my running is still in the woods and I run with 4 dogs, and the motivate me. Like you I also enjoy the wildlife. I do keep a running journal but in looking at it I cant tell when I resumed running.  I had surgery on May 5 , 2009 and in a journal note on May 31 I wrote that this is the first day that I have not been in pain all day. But I was walking 45-60 mintues by then. I am now running 6 miles three times a week and lift weights 2-3 times a week. But strted with 2-3 mile runs. Listen to your body and you will know when it's time for the 20-24 mile mark again. I will admit that my runs are still much slower, but hey that is okay. My best guess is that you are on target for February to return to your 20-24  mile weeks. Some one wrote that the "qucikest route to equality is thru exhaustion," and that is the feeling that most runners love.

Take care

Michael

Posted 12/13/2009 3:46 PM (GMT 0)
You guys that can run, job, and exercise, do weights at our ages just amaze me. Makes me jealous too, here I am 13 months after surgery, and 2 weeks out of radiation, and just walking through 2 major stores yesterday wiped me out clean for the rest of the day.

When I was a regular walker, I loved walking the train tracks, a kind of excitement to me, and for the most part, train tracks run level.

Both of you are doing some pretty impressive physical things in my book. Good for you, and I am sure it is good for you too.

David in SC
Posted 12/13/2009 3:46 PM (GMT 0)
I started running about 4 weeks after surgery but I let the incontinence get me down. For about a week it was "Step step, squirt, step, step, squirt..." A simple 9:30 one miler would fill a pee pad. I have not been back down that road. I'll try it again when I get more confidence in my holding ability.
Jeff
Posted 12/13/2009 4:24 PM (GMT 0)
Herophilus.........Pre-surgery, I had gotten myself in 10-mile shape and did a tough 10 miler one week prior to my surgery---by design. Then, post surgery, I waited 'til the 4-week mark before I attempted to run again. I started out doing 3, which didn't do me in, and gradually increased to the usual 5-6 mile, 3 times a week routine. But by training higher, it was easier for me to come back at the usual level w/o setback. Incontinence at first wasn't bad, just a few dribbles, which wasn't much different than at times before surgery :-)...never felt like there was extra space in my innards, either. Now, I did wait approx. 10 weeks to go back to weight training, which I did at the 2-3 times per week level, and then at much lower weights. I'm now back to where I was this time last year on the cardio and weights. But I echo the advice of the other guys here; do everything gradually

As a runner, you know your body will tell you where you are----listen to it.

I've always considered my running as a spiritual experience/exercise, and it's even more so after my PC diagnosis and treatment----------good luck on your comeback trail!

Arnie in DE

Posted 12/13/2009 4:47 PM (GMT 0)
I to love to run. I start my mornings with swimming at 6:00am then on to work and in the evenings I run or do weights. I am convinced that not slowing down has helped me get through the treatments of ADT3. I plan to never slow down, sit down, wound down, give up, shut up until I am taken up. Life is good.
Hey I should plan a Healing Well 5K, wonder how many would join in?

peace to all
Dale
Posted 12/14/2009 5:16 PM (GMT 0)

Thanks very much for the comments, suggestions, and encouragement.  I have found that prostate cancer is a day-by-day kind of thing…some days are better than others.  I find additional comfort from the knowledge that others have returned back to pre-operative status, or a reasonable facsimile of. BTW no person on earth is slower than I. My personal motto is “each run is a marathon, not a sprint” and I really live up to that!!!

 

 

Posted 12/14/2009 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
Herop,

Last year I ran a local 5k, fully aware that I was going in for prostate surgery 2 days later. This year I ran the same race, and beat last year's time by more than 50 seconds. Hard to describe, but this was very meaningful to me, sort of pounds home the statement that I survived, darn it!

I will say though, that I did overdo it at first, and after a few weeks one day basically found myself totally exhausted. So when I resumed, it was with a more gradual increase.

DJ

P.S. Healingwell 5k--great idea. Wonder how we'd do it?
Posted 12/14/2009 9:31 PM (GMT 0)
Dale, the HW 5K is a great idea! We should all give some serious thought to it, I am ok as long as you allow walkers too, not just runners.

DJ, pretty impressive that you beat last years time, post surgery, you must be a toughie. One day, when I don't have a catheter stuck up me, I would like to think about doing things like that. I still can believe I have one in me 13 months post surgery, and will have to continue till at least mid- to late January at earliest to be free.

David in SC
Posted 12/15/2009 2:27 AM (GMT 0)
I ran very lightly about six weeks after my surgery, but decided to pull back a bit. However, I can't pass up running up any flight of stairs.

I have no mind for distance running. If I run I have to sprint. I don't run more than 1 lap on a track because I can't count higher than that. If there were no lines on the track I'd get lost.

I did take up speed walking. Didn't realize it would goose the heart rate the way it does. I've been up to 167 bpm walking fast up hills. I have done six miles in an hour with an avg hr of 147 bpm.

Two cool things about walking: #1 I really think it helps with the leaking. It snowed bad here for a couple of weeks so I didn't get out much and really started to leak worse. Picked up the running again and the leaking dwindled. #2 It doesn't pound me and nag at my achilles.

Been doing weights. Started with 5# dumbells four weeks after surgery. Now I'm up to 60# curls.

Bicycle is the challenge. My wife (uro clinic nurse) asked one of the docs (I guy I ride with) at 8 weeks if it was OK and I got the green light. Local bike shop was a huge help with selecting some good saddles and recommending work out schedule (1/2 mile from the uro clinic and hospital, go figure). The bike racing shops were clueless on that subject.

On bicycle I'm up to 10 minutes on, 10 minutes of sit-ups & stretching times three. The rest is to allow circulation and prevent any immediate numbness. I will do 1-min out of saddle "sprints" at 80%, with 2 min rest on saddle x10 once or twice a week when I'm wanting my endorphin fix. I also ride back and forth to work, weather permitting, about 10 miles a day. Half the trip is out of the saddle, lol!

Looking forward to XC ski in January.
Posted 12/15/2009 2:49 AM (GMT 0)
Am I jealous ? Not on my poor dead prostate.

And I thought a prostatectomy was bad. 20 to 24 mile week ? Yee gads !

Dale, can I wave the flag or something ?

Goodlife
Posted 12/16/2009 7:27 AM (GMT 0)

Hi to all HW runners.

I also am a runner, and it was very important to me to get back to running as soon as I could after the operation.  Did my first 5K 8 weeks after the prostatectomy - totally incontinent all the way. 

Have since done many fun runs, marathons and ultra marathons with no issues other than incontinence.  The pads made the process more difficult, having to change every hour (I was totally incontinent 8-10 pads a day), as the running increased urine loss. After a year, I ditched the pads and used a catheter and bag which was much better - ran London marathon with one under the leg of my long tights.  18 months ago I got an Artificial Sphincter fitted and ran my first 100K 12 weeks later. 

Still get a bit of leakage when I run, but a great device and infinitely better than before. Unfortunately I have been sidelined lately with a hamstring strain.  Am missing the running a great deal.

Keep running!

Regards

Berb

Posted 12/16/2009 11:38 AM (GMT 0)
My experience:
Pre-surgery my wife and I would jog four miles in around forty minutes on the beach. In the afternoons I would walk two and a half or three hours on the golf course. Intersperse that with some days of six hours in the kayak. Post-surgery, a few days after the catheter came out, twenty minutes about did me in. I'm back to beach speed walks and we do three and a half miles in fifty minutes. I can manage only nine holes walking in the afternoon. My kayak has been abandoned for now. At night I'm exhausted. Even though I had very little pain or swelling after the RRP myy energy levels are now about 70% of pre-surgery two months later. This surgery is much more traumatic on the inside than one would think observing the outside. Also, the battle against incontinence is extremely energy sapping too, the constant squeezing, kegeling, trips to the bathroom, worrying, changing pads. This is going to take a lot more recovery time than I initially expected.

Another point: My lungs don't seem to function as freely as before and I wonder if that could be residual effects of the anesthesia. Anybody else experience a tightness in the chest like that?

Steve
Posted 12/17/2009 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
Steve,

At about 2 months after surgery I think you sound like you're doing well. Make sure you're eating well, as your body is continuing to heal and needs the nutrients. I was trying to lose weight and get in shape at the same time, and that can be tricky, probably is what did me in for a while.

Now that you mention it, it seemed to me that my allergies were worse after surgery. I use an inhaler more often than I used to, but I thought it was just me getting older.

Dave, thanks for the compliment. All the 5k races I've seen have been run/walk, so you should feel welcome to join in.

Berb, you actually ran a marathon with a catheter in? Amazing! Weren't you sore afterward? In a place that normally doesn't get that sore?

DJ
Posted 12/18/2009 12:17 AM (GMT 0)
If all you nothern guys want to come down to sunny Florida I will organize a 5k on the beach. Just tell me when. We could start thinking about prizes. For the incontinent-1st place-a brand new penis clamp. 2nd-three packs of Tena pads. 3rd-a new plastic urine receptacle. ED-1st-trimex injection kit. 2nd-VED pump. 3rd-months supply of Cialis.

Suggestions?

Steve
Posted 12/18/2009 12:46 AM (GMT 0)
I started biking 10 days after seeding on my recumbent bike. I have rides of 37, 38, and 57 miles. The recumbent was in the shop today so my wife and I got out the tandem with the skinny seat (it is cut out for the sensitive area.) We rode 36 miles. So far no problems. My doctor said as long as there was no discomfort I was okay to go.
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