Get moving!

Heart health and blood vessels
1

Hi Folks

Having read all the above posts on varicose vein surgery, I was dreading going for my op on 23 Jan. However, this dread got me prepared - the house was cleaned, the food shopping was done, the arnica was taken, the work colleagues were told I would be lying low for at least 2 weeks.

The surgery (stripping on right leg) was fine, luckily no nausea after coming round from the general. I was given various painkillers but was able to manage the pain alternating between paracetemol and iboprofen every 2 hours for the first few days. Don't be in a hurry to come off the painkillers - I found I was better keeping on top of the pain rather than it getting on top of me.

The day after my op I was on my feet and out walking the dog. Yes, it was painful to begin with but the pain eased as you got on with it. My inner thigh especially was very sensitive with searing pain even with the lightest touch.

Re exercise, to me it was logical to get moving as it got the body back to normal more quickly. After 4 days of walking 'carefully' I started to feel a bit easier when walking. By the end of the first week I felt I had the bounce back in my legs when walking - all this was while still taking pain killers. In week two, I have been power walking to test the leg a wee bit more. All seems fine. Plan to try a very gentle walk/run next week to see how that goes but if I have to go back to power walking then so be it. I gradually reduced pain killers, stopping after 10 days.

It is now a week and 3 days after surgery. I am still heavily bruised but, as it is winter, I am not bothered, the main thing for me is being pain free (most of the time!) and mobile. Apparently, I was meant to get fitted for a stocking before surgery but wasn't advised of this. My stockings have been fine. Because of this, I have worn them night and day for 2 weeks then now just during the day. I was advised by the surgeon to go full time with them for 1 week, then just a week more during the day. However, all the nurses said to wear them for at least another month during the day. Again, as the stockings are fine, I am happy to keep wearing them.

In summary, get as up to date with the chores as you can pre-op, get moving the day after the op and don't be i a hurry to come off the pain killers!

Good luck everyone and try and keep positive!

All the best

Lynne

2

Hi Lynne

Loved reading about your progress following the op. I too will go for general anaesthetic so it was reassuring to hear that your recovery was acceptable. Like you I enjoy exercise, mainly dancing so I was happy to read how quickly you were walking etc.

I shall face this surgery with much more confidence - thank you

Regards - Joy

3

HI Lynne,

I have read all the info. about having the leg surgery. I had the ligation done on both legs in 2009, and now will be having the vein removed on my left leg. My doctor did mention I will be off work for 7-10 days, but I did not realize with this surgery there would be so much bruising and down time.

After the ligation, I was back to work within 3 days...no issues, just a little painful, and very little bruising. I also went back for injections to collapse a few veins on my calf. Again it wasn't too bad. The only complaint I had was I couldn't shower....only sponge baths!!

This time, the vein will be removed from my groin to my knee. I am a little worried about the bruising I have read in this forum. I have only booked off 5 days of work, I think I might need a few more days off.

Thanks for sharing,

W

4

Hi Joy

Glad it was of some help and good luck with the surgery!

Regards

Lynne

5

Hi W

Yes, I think it might be wise to prepare your employers that you might be off for more than a week. If you get back early then all the better but I always feel it is better to manage folk's expectations. I suppose it depends what kind of job you do. I am lucky in that my job is seasonal - full time in the summer and 12 hours in the winter so no real disruption.

If you are getting groin to knee done, be prepared for a lot of bruising and tenderness on the inner thigh. Get some high dose arnica for before/after (as well as arnica cream) and keep taking the pain killers regularly for the first few days.

My motto was prepare for the worst but hope for the best!!

Good luck, W

Regards

Lynne

6

I love..."the arnica was taken"! Your description helped me go through this same surgery 15 days ago - in a public hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil - with a very positive outlook and yes, i also had my arnica taken even if partially! Tks.

7

Brilliant comments Lynne.  I wish I'd read your entry before I had my op in December, esp. as I already had Arnica tabs in the house and didn't think of taking them beforehand.  (I had both legs pulverised, or officially 're-ligated' and multiple avulsions dealt with, ie. lots of smaller veins or sections of veins extracted.)

Am recovering now, sympathise with others who have had a hard time.  Hardly any spoken advice, and some of that was wrong as it turned out.  Two different sets of printed advice, one of which wasn't applicable to me as I found out later! (ie. from the hospital ward who kept me in 'overnight' - a sudden rush from the Day Ward at 9pm. to a private ward to stay in till 8am. after breakfast offered at 6am.!  Luckily I had my own cream crackers instead. 

Anyway, thanks for your positive encouragement to take pain killers and do exercise, which I should have done earlier on (once the blood stopped dripping and one of the wounds eventually stopped ozzing).

Robin Perrott