post-op recovery: what i did and didn't do to maximize my recovery

Part 3

I’m going to be talking about what I did—and didn’t do—post-op to support my recovery. Some of these tips may seem counter to what you’ve heard your whole life and probably different than what you will hear at a hospital, so read on to better understand.

To back up, I had a parathyroidectomy, which is a surgery to remove one of my parathyroid glands that had a tumor. If you’re interested, you can read about it here and here.

My post-op instructions were to ice throughout the day, avoid heat, and alternate Tylenol and Ibuprofen for pain management and swelling.

Here’s what and why I didn’t follow follow the directions.

Ice throughout the day of surgery

When I woke up in the recovery room, there was an ice pack on my neck, which, in my experience, has always helped with post-operative pain; however, ice reduces inflammation, and inflammation is our body’s natural response to injury. When we apply ice to injury, we not only interrupt the inflammation process but we also drive that injury deeper. You can read more about this in a previous post here.

Ibuprophen

NSAIDS—Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs create the same effect as ice; they reduce inflammation and drive the pathology deeper into the body. As a reminder, the Complement Channel system is in intricate backup system organized from the most exterior to the most interior. (I like to think of it like an onion).

The incision of a surgical procedure penetrates the most exterior level, and operating rooms, and hospitals, in general, are very cold. Surgical instruments are cold. Ice is cold, and cold contracts, driving the injury deeper into the system. This is why I like to avoid or minimize the use of ice and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Tylenol

I did take some Tylenol, but my reservation is that it reduces glutathione production in the body. Glutathione is an amino acid that is often called the waste basket for the body; it helps to clear out the junk, and especially after having been in the hospital, under anesthesia, having IV drugs for pain and nausea, this is a time I want my body’s waste basket to function as optimally as possible.

Now that I’ve talked about what I didn’t do, let’s talk about what I did do.

Herbs

As soon as I got back to the Airbnb, I took a formula called Tieh Ta. This is an ancient formula created for martial arts injuries, and it reduces pain, builds and moves blood (pain is an indicator of stagnation), reduces swelling, and helps to rebuild the tissue.

Gua Sha

This is a scraping technique typically used to move qi & blood, but applied gently, it’s also used to move lymph. Avoiding the incision itself, of course, I gently used GUA SHA on my neck and chest and around my ears.

Heat

Cold creates stagnation of qi, blood, and fluids; heat does the opposite. I have a hot pack made with cherry pits (that’s over 20 years old!), and I put it in the microwave for two minutes and then alternated laying it on my chest and upper back—again, not directly on the incision. I had very little swelling.

Walking

The anesthesia team recommends (gentle) walking as possible to avoid blood clots, and I was on it. I walked laps in the house and in the backyard, especially because we were driving home the next day, which was close to seven hours.

Bone Broth

My first meal after surgery was pho (Vietnamese soup for those not familiar); this is a long simmered broth with vegetables & meat, and it’s one of my favorite foods. Bone broth is health supportive because it soothes the gut lining, provides deep hydration, and the marrow nourishes our yin.

While the hospital’s goal is to give me the best advice possible for my recovery, I can’t unknow Chinese medicine, and it tells me that there are going to be unwanted side effects from this well-intentioned advice. The effects may not become present or active for many years to come, but if my pain and swelling is well managed in a way that minimizes negative side effects, it’s a win-win for me.

As usual, this can’t be considered medical advice, because I’m not your provider, but I do hope it provides some food for thought. You can always reach out to me directly; I am happy to offer phone/video consults.