Open Appendectomy

Hey guys, looking for some advice from anyone who has had an open appendectomy.
I’m just at the 6 week mark after my surgery. I lost a little over 15 lbs. over the course of my week and a half long hospitalization and I’m itching to get back to lifting. I’ve been cleared of my weight restriction, but leery of overdoing it and giving myself a hernia just to put myself out of the game even longer.
Anyone with a similar experience, how long did it take you to get back to your previous numbers? How long did it take you to start feeling comfortable really pushing it? Am I just being paranoid?

Pain will tell you a hell of a lot about what’s going on. For example, try some really easy core activation warmups, like a plank or a forced valsalva contraction. How does that make your lower left side feel?

Edit: Wait, an open appendectomy? Why didn’t they do a laparoscapy?

I’ve actually been lifting the last week and a half or so trying to get a feel for how fast to progress. My big concern is pushing to fast on the deadlift and bent rows and tearing something. The doctor cleared my weight restriction so I would assume he thinks the abdominal wall should be healed by now.

The appendix had already ruptured and was too far gone to do it laparoscapically. It started in on a Friday and I didn’t go in to have anything done about it 'till the following Monday.

Damn dude, that’s rough. Well, ya know, the next time you get appendicitis, jump on that early. (That was sarcasm, guys.)

Really though, if your doc thinks you’re good, get on it. Maybe don’t go for a deadlift PR right out of the gate, but normal rehab procedures would say to start at 50% intensity and work up 10-15% per week, assuming all is well.

I had my appendix removed a few years back, hurt to walk for awhile. I’d say wait and see how you are feeling, considering you have been lifting already for a week now, you might be fine. I agree with Xab on not pushing it balls to the wall. Better safe then sorry, because if you get injured again that will be that much more time not lifting you’d have to deal with.

Xab,

Cool, thanks for the input.

Yours as well xb