INSPO Fitness Journal March 2019

The road to recovery
MENTAL WELLBEING
At some stage in our lives, many of us will undergo
some form of surgery; from minor through to major.
BY SHANE WAY
If you are someone who is physically active,
involved in competitive sport, or living
an active and adventurous lifestyle, then
there is unfortunately a chance of injury.
This can possibly lead to surgery, rehabilitation,
recovery and a short to long term
change in physical ability and quality of life.
When it comes to injuries, the physiological
and anatomical damage to your body will
depend on the impact on your life. Whether
your injury is minor, needing physiotherapy
and recovery, or major resulting in surgery
and full rehabilitation, it’s going to have an
impact on your physical ability. We all know
this, however what people aren’t necessarily
aware of, is the psychological and emotional
impact it’s going to have on you.
Recently I had my second knee reconstruction.
In a way I was lucky that it was my
second surgery, as I knew what I was in for. I
knew what the surgery involved, and I knew
how long recovery would take. However, this
doesn’t mean it was an easy process, and the
road to recovery has certainly not been an
enjoyable experience.
There are many contributing factors that
anyone who faces surgery needs to be aware
of and it’s important to know how to manage
your wellbeing through recovery. So, I’ve
written this column to bring awareness to the
emotional implications, and hopefully provide
some insight from my lived experience
on how to manage your recovery journey.
The first impact is the stress and anxiety
that can escalate pre-surgery. Many people
are afraid of surgical procedures, going under
anaesthetic and the complications and implications
that could occur. We’re lucky to live
in a day and age where surgery is a lot less
invasive than it used to be, and the knowledge
around these procedures has increased
immensely. But your fears are still valid; it is
completely normal to be scared and have reservations
around a major medical procedure.
Tip 1
Make sure you know everything you need to
know to put your mind at ease. Ensure you ask
every question you can, even if it seems small
or insignificant. Do your research so you are
fully aware of what will be happening on the
day, so that the fear of the unknown can be
erased, and you can minimise your pre-surgery
nerves. Also, try and find people who
have had similar surgical procedures so they
can tell you first-hand about their experience.
Immediately post-surgery, the initial
impact is coming out of anaesthetic and initial
pain management. When you have a general
anaesthetic, you are essentially being placed in
a medically induced coma. So, unlike going to
sleep at night and waking up in the morning,
it’s a whole different experience. You can face
many unexpected emotional responses – for
me it was waking up in a state where I was
groggy and incoherent, felt like I had no cognitive
function, feeling disorientated and unaware
of where I was and what was happening.
Tip 2
Express your emotions, and let staff know
how you’re feeling. It’s completely normal to
come out of anaesthetic and have what may
seem like an irrational response. But staff are
there for a reason – to support you and help
you navigate the journey. If you’re in discomfort
or upset, tell them. Don’t be brave
and try and ride it out, you need to have your
pain and emotional state under control to
start your recovery journey.
After the initial 24-48 hours, once your
pain management is under control and
medical staff are happy that there have been
no complications, you get discharged. But
once you’re home and the drugs start to
leave your system, reality starts to kick in and
your mental reliance is tested. I lost all sense
of independence. I had to get assistance with
everything, including little things that we
take for granted daily like getting out of bed,
being able to use the bathroom and getting
Tip 3
Make sure you have everything in place for
your return home. Ensure you have a great
support system in place – let them know in
advance that you won’t be able to function
for a while and you are going to need help.
Whether this means moving in with family
or friends temporarily, or getting someone to
come and stay with you; try and eliminate any
added stress by having people in place to do
the things you need done and help with what
you need help with.
Regarding my mental wellbeing, I was able
to manage it initially, be kind to myself and
look after my emotional health. But after a
week or so, that’s where things really started to
go downhill and the strategies, I put in place
for self-care unravelled. The lack of physical
activity left me feeling lethargic, and the lack
of independence made me feel frustrated. I
was unable to sleep due to lack of exertion and
discomfort, and I found myself getting more
and more frustrated, irritable, moody and
depressed.
Tip 4
Treat yourself with kindness and be aware
of how you are may feel. If you’re an active
person, and that is taken away from you
28 INSPO – FITNESS JOURNAL MARCH 2019