Carotid Artery Dissection

[nmacog]

Hi All,

I suffered a left internal carotid artery dissection mid March, which tore one of the layers of the artery. I haven't rowed since and have been advised not to carry out any resistence training for at least 6 months. Currently being treated with medication (blood thinners, statins and blood pressure tablets). MRI due September.

Was wondering if anyone else here has suffered from this in the past, and if they stopped rowing completely or managed to get back on the rower ?

Thanks in advance.

Sandy.

[Rick]

My brother had a similar dissection of the descending artery from his heart and received very similar medical instruction. He considered himself fortunate to have survived this event, a condition no one in my family had even heard of prior to his hospitalization. He followed the doctor’s instruction and took the medications. It’s been about 2 years now, and he has long since returned to work and regular activity, though exercise has been added slowly and not yet at the intensity he used to do. He has certainly accepted we are not in our 20s, 30s, or 40s anymore! His doctors have been in the loop on his decisions.

I don’t know a lot about the specifics of his condition, or how his arterial separation might differ from yours. I would like to encourage you to know his life has returned to normal, with added mindfulness on not aggravating the condition or doing those things the doctors feel might have contributed. I would speak to your doctor or rehab therapist and discuss rowing, specifically. Because of the endless ways a rowing session can be modified, I am sure you can get back to it safely with a little guidance. Best wishes!

[nmacog]

Thank you so much for your reply Rick.

I ended up selling my Concept 2 Rower and am sticking to exercise bike and walking my dog for now. I do miss my rowing but I just don't want to risk any further injury - even though the doc says it is safe to go ahead with it ...