Wife Training After Appendectomy

[NoStepOnSnek]

I searched and found a couple old threads that touched on this, but my wife’s situation seemed a little different because of her age and because she doesn’t have a long training history before having the surgery.

She has only about 6 weeks of training under her belt. She’s 54 years old and she was basically sedentary before starting. She went from squatting high at bodyweight, 45 lb. deadlift, 30 lb. bench, and 15 lb. press, to a 35 lb. squat to proper depth, 110 lb.deadlift, 55 lb. bench and 45 lb. press. She doesn’t like training at all but decided she doesn’t want to be old and broken.

She had a laparoscopic appendectomy 3 weeks ago. It was a messy one and she was in the hospital for 4 days. She credits even her short training period for her being able to get up and move around way quicker and stronger than she would have thought.

At her follow up appointment this week she asked the doctor about getting back to lifting and specifically mentioned deadlifts. The doctor about lost his mind. He said she shouldn’t do ANY lifting for 6 MONTHS because he didn’t want her to get a hernia at the incisions. He didn’t want her doing anything that required “abdominal contraction.” Even if he had any credibility at all (he doesn’t) he blew it all when he said “even after that, you shouldn’t be doing anything like deadlifts. 5 pound dumbbells is all you need.” Even my wife rolled her eyes at that.

She also has two prior c-sections and a screen for an umbilical hernia.

She knows she’s not going to wait 6 months. Some here, including Rip, got back into it within days. But, she’s worried about starting back up as quickly as someone with a longer training history might because she doesn’t feel she has the foundation for that quick a return at her age and shape.

Any thoughts on how to to best time and structure getting her back under the bar?

Thanks.

[Mark Rippetoe]

If the surgeon did that shitty a job closing the scope holes, and he knows it, maybe she'd better just apply for a permanent disability.

[NoStepOnSnek]

If the surgeon did that shitty a job closing the scope holes, and he knows it, maybe she'd better just apply for a permanent disability.

That’s fair.

In the alternative, if we assume the surgeon closed everything up just fine but is a total dumbass when it comes to matters of training, should a woman of her age and limited training history get back to it as quickly as an experienced lifter? Is her age and underlying strength totally irrelevant?

[Mark Rippetoe]

She waits 2 weeks, and resumes training as possible with a belt on all sets.

[AndrewLewis]

He didn’t want her doing anything that required “abdominal contraction.”

How does he expect her to poop or sit up? Is this hyperbole or did he really say "don't do anything that requires abdominal contraction?"

[NoStepOnSnek]

How does he expect her to poop or sit up? Is this hyperbole or did he really say "don't do anything that requires abdominal contraction?"

Yeah, he really said that. To be fair, he said it in the context of lifting things/exercise rather than normal daily movement. But, he clearly wasn’t open to the idea of ever intentionally loading that movement - even 6 months later. Nor did he appear to consider that normal movement involves loads greater than 5 pounds.