Supplements We Used After Surgery
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Whether your surgery is planned, or you’ve had unexpected, emergency surgery, there are natural supplements that can help aid your recovery and speed the healing process. In this article, I share FIVE natural supplements plus some single herbs that Rob and I are taking to help us with the pain, inflammation, healing damage to the surrounding tissue, and overall recovery following our surgeries. Plus, I share THREE homeopathic remedies we are using to help with bruising, nerve pain, and tendon/ligament pain and healing.
But first, let’s share what happened.
My husband Rob, aka Mr. Sweet, was scheduled for hand surgery one particular Thursday. The Tuesday before Rob’s surgery, I had an emergency appendectomy. My appendix is now “enshrined in the Appendix Hall of Fame” as my friend Judy so eloquently crafted it.
Monday evening, I experienced a sharp pain in the lower right quadrant of my abdomen. I thought it was probably the ileocecal valve stuck open due to the roasted peanuts I had been enjoying. After a miserable night, I had my husband drive me to the chiropractor on Tuesday morning.
Though I did entertain the idea that it might be a naughty appendix, I was holding out hope that with a few applied kinesiology tests and the activation of some meridian points, I’d be right as rain.
The continuous, unrelenting pain and nausea weren’t easing up, so I wasn’t surprised when our chiropractors (husband and wife team – not a typo) suspected appendicitis and immediately suggested I visit the ER.
My blood pressure was up to 147/75. No fever. No vomiting. Just the nausea and the pain. The lab work was great. Initial blood work showed only one item out of range. My white blood count was not elevated. I wonder if they thought I was making my symptoms to be worse than they were. I even refused the morphine pain meds even though my pain level was at about a 7 or 8 when it was at its highest. But just sitting waiting on them eased the nausea and when several IV attempts resulted in blown veins, the pain in my side dropped from an 8 to about a 4. No meds were needed for a mere 4.
The CT scan brought the final results. Appendicitis it was and surgery was the only suggested remedy. There was an emergency case that bumped me from six o’clock surgery to nine o’clock surgery. By ten or ten-thirty p.m., I was up in my room blissfully unaware of all that had transpired.
Wednesday, the bliss of ignorance departed, and a different kind of pain came to visit. I was told I would be discharged but my vitals when checked, especially my BP, were always low. Fluids were pushed to see if BP would come up. It did but only slightly. Discharge orders were rescinded.
Finally, the nurse practitioner on the surgical team came in and visited face-to-face (not the first time). All my blood work looked good. Some of the numbers were slightly askew, but the white blood count was not elevated and the other numbers that were out of range were acceptably out. She asked if my vitals always run low. Yes. Always.
She looked at me as a whole person then and said, “When we put all your numbers together, it seems that this may be the norm for you” and reinstated my discharge.
I went home Wednesday evening. For several weeks I was incredibly sore, swollen, and stiff. And let me just say, while I wouldn’t want the open surgery option, a laparoscopic appendectomy ain’t for sissies!
On Thursday morning, our son-in-law drove Rob to the orthopedist for his outpatient surgery. He was home Thursday afternoon, and our family marshaled and rallied around us providing food, cleaning services, and helping us with day-to-day tasks.
Here are the supplements, herbs, and homeopathic remedies we use to help ease and speed our recovery.
Quercetin & Bromelain by NOW Brands to help with recovery and wound healing.
Quercetin is a phytonutrient and powerful antioxidant. It is considered one of the strongest and best flavonoids because of its numerous health benefits. It’s great for the immune system and is often recommended during the winter months to help with congestion.
For those who have had surgery, the benefits are abundant. It helps decrease the inflammation that is often experienced following surgery. It signals the body to down-regulate the hormones and enzymes that the body produces quite naturally in response to the surgery that causes excess inflammation.
It helps with tissue damage caused by surgery and helps remove cells that may have been damaged. Because it’s an antioxidant it helps fight free radicals that cause damage to DNA and tissues that typically happens following surgery.
Bromelain stands on its own as a wonderful supplement. I often recommend bromelain to my clients and customers who deal with digestive, joint support, and sinus issues. Bromelain is an enzyme mixture from pineapple that breaks down proteins. It is known to help with sinusitis, joint inflammation, and pain, as a digestive aid, and it is even recognized in helping fight cancer. It is known as a pain reliever and is also an anti-inflammatory.
When it comes to post-surgery, bromelain is also a winner especially when it is combined with Quercetin. Bromelain helps move the quercetin to the bloodstream so that it is more effective in the body.
I want to be sure to remind everyone to let their doctors know about any natural supplements you are taking, or will be taking, especially if you are also taking prescription or OTC medication. While the supplements Rob and I are taking post-surgery are generally considered safe, everyone is different, and your situation is unique to you. You may be taking medications that we aren’t or have health conditions that we don’t. So please, be sure to let your doctor know that you are taking any supplements to aid in your recovery.
Following my surprise surgery, I was reading through the information packet from the hospital and one of the things they emphasized was deep breathing. The first couple of days after surgery, I didn’t notice anything different about my lungs, but starting about the third day after, I noticed that it hurt to take a deep breath. The concern here is that someone might develop pneumonia. And that makes sense because my diaphragm was bruised during the surgery on my abdomen. Taking deep breaths hurt!!
If you’ve been following me on YouTube, you know I’ve enjoyed a wonderful plant-affair with Audrey III, a mullein plant I rescued and cultivated. This year we harvested some of the flowers, stalks, leaves, and seeds from Audrey III.
Mullein is GREAT for supporting lung health, so I pulled out my mullein and started taking it. I could tell an immediate difference. It was no longer painful to breathe. I could take deep breaths much more easily. The feeling that congestion might start building up disappeared when I used mullein tincture. If you don’t have some handy, I also recommend Herb Pharm’s Mullein Blend which combines mullein leaves and flowers in one tincture.
Following my surgery, I didn’t want much to eat, and my digestive system was a little wonky. “Wonky” is a highly technical term and it should be used with care. It means “out of whack” or “something ain’t right”.
Something very soothing to me especially the first few days following surgery was peppermint and ginger tea. Both peppermint and ginger help with nausea and soothe digestion. Mr. Sweet and I have a video where we compared ginger to peppermint and explained the benefits of each. Filming that video was a lot of fun.
VS-C herbal combination helps remove waste and toxins from the lungs and the large intestines and helps the body fight against viruses, bacteria, and microbes.
VS-C also helps support the immune system. Since I had spent a lot of time in the hospital where microbes and bacteria flourish, I wanted to support my immune system, especially since the surgery had weakened me.
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Supplements Rob Used after Surgery
IF-Relief – Inflammation is “too much heat” in the body. When the body responds to an injury, that’s natural. But when it continues, too much heat can damage the body. The herbs found in the herbal formula IF-Relief by Nature’s Sunshine Products help the body fight inflammation and eliminate the excess heat that causes stiffness and pain. It also helps support a healthy immune system. And it helps in recovery and from “overdoing it”.
The herbs found in the herbal formula IF-Relief by Nature’s Sunshine Products help the body fight inflammation and eliminate the excess heat that causes stiffness and pain. It also helps support a healthy immune system. And it helps in recovery and from “over doing it”.
First-time Nature’s Sunshine buyers use coupon code “NSP” at checkout to save 25% OFF your first order.
Zyflammend is another anti-inflammatory that Rob has been taking since his knee surgery 9 years ago. Zyflammend by New Chapter is a combination of 10 different herbs including Turmeric, Ginger, Rosemary, Green Tea, Holy Basil, and a few more. This herbal combination is a powerful pain reliever, and it supports mobility and reduces inflammation as well. It helps promote healing too.
Rob does a lot of bending and squatting for his job in the field for a utility company, the combination of using IF-Relief and Zyflammend works to keep the stiffness and pain away. Following his surgery, and while I wasn’t able to help make suggestions on what he should take, Rob continued to use IF-Relief and Zyflammend.
As soon as I realized that he wasn’t taking the Quercetin and Bromelain, I had him incorporate that as well.
Now for the homeopathic remedies we used. We first started with Arnica.
Homeopathic Arnica – Arnica is known to help with bruising and is often suggested to help following surgery. It is also used to help alleviate pain and inflammation. Many people use it for bumps and bruising of any sort. Some doctors recommend using arnica before surgery to help prevent bruising, while others recommend not using arnica two weeks before surgery as some reports say that it thins the blood. Rob and I both used arnica internally following surgery and I used it topically to help with bruising from the three incisions that were made during the laparoscopic surgery.
Homeopathic Hypericum is known to help with nerve pain. Because of the nature of the surgery on Rob’s hands, the nerves seemed to be screaming at him. Taking Hypericum helps the “screaming pain” and the itchiness. We are hoping it will help the nerves heal so that he doesn’t experience ongoing numbness in his hands.
Because a bone was removed and the tendons were re-routed in Rob’s hand, another homeopathic remedy he is taking is Symphytum. Symphytum is made from the comfrey plant and is a key homeopathic remedy that helps with bones, ligaments, and tendons. It is often used and recommended following surgeries on knees, wrists, shoulders, ankles, and hips and any kind of orthopedic surgery.
Topically, I used both Arnica Gel by Boiron and TraumaPlant with Comfrey Cream by Terry Naturally. I used both of these to help help bruising caused by the incisions.
References:
Herdman, MD, ND, R. (n.d.). Surgery Recovery is helped by Quercetin with bromelain. Pacific Center for Naturopathic Medicine. Retrieved September 24, 2024, from https://doctorherdmanclinic.com/resources/articles/wellness-prevention/surgery-recovery-quercetin-with-bromelain/
Nall, R. (2023, June 23). Does bromelain have any health benefits? Medical News Today. Retrieved September 24, 2024, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323783
Boericke, W. (n.d.). ARNICA MONTANA. Homeopathic Materia Medica. Retrieved September 24, 2024, from http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/a/arn.htm
Boericke, W. (n.d.). HYPERICUM PERFORATUM. Homeopathic Materia Medica. Retrieved September 24, 2024, from http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/h/hyper.htm
Boericke, W. (n.d.). SYMPHYTUM OFFICINALE. Homeopathic Materia Medica. Retrieved September 24, 2024, from http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/s/symph.htm
