Need advice for returning to excercise

Amoc, here are two resources, one for trainers and exercise instructors, and the other for LE patients. You won't be using a trainer, but the trainer/instructor document is great to give the  Pilates and yoga instructors.

http://stepup-speakout.org/Trainer%20doc%20for%20S...

http://stepup-speakout.org/Handout%20doc%20for%20S...

Also, Naomi Aaronson is an OT who works a lot with LE patients, and she's also a Pilates expert. She's written a book that is due to come out any day now: http://www.amazon.com/Pilates-Breast-Cancer-Survi...

I hope you'll find these resources helpful.  Getting back to exercise for a cross-fit'er must in large measure mean getting back to your real life and reclaiming some sanity!   Have you ever seen Debra Cordner Carson? She's an elite cross-fit athlete with leg LE. If you google her name, you'll find some videos that are quite inspirational. She didn't have the surgery that you did (as far as I know), so your precautions are in new territory, but still...I'll bet that with lots of time and tons of patience you'll regain a good amount of fitness you've had to concede to LE and BC.

Carol

She is an amazing woman. I met her briefly at a National Lymphedema Network conference, and she was incredibly patient with all the people who wanted to exchange a few words with her, after she gave a hugely motivating keynote address.  I'm no athlete but I do take strength training seriously, and it has been slow but so far I've never had any LE flares from it (But I'm sure not lifting much compared to anyone who does Cross Fit!). My trainer runs cross fit classes in our gym, and until recently he competed in power lifting--he has a world record for his age/weight in one federation. He really grabbed onto the LE guidelines and has been incredibly supportive of my need to adapt, while still pushing me.  He's a real perfectionist on form, which he finds helps deliver the most power possible in a lift when he's competing, and the benefit to me is that he really knows form, and he watches me like a hawk to help prevent injury.  That's incredibly valuable when you have LE, and I'll bet your trainer has the same expertise and will help keep you out of trouble.

You might get in touch with the lead personal trainer in the PAL Trial (which established the basis for what we know about strength training guidelines with LE). I organized a workshop for her to bring to our little town, for my trainer and others in the area, and it was great. She's a great resource and I think she would spend some time on the phone with you and your cross-fit trainer, if he and you found that worthwhile. The spookiest part of cross-fit that I would worry about is there seems to be a lot of body-weight work, where it's hard to be sure you're adding resistance in slow, small doses.  But you were and are an athlete and that's a great jumping-back-in advantage. If you would like to contact the PAL trainer, you can find her here http://cancersurvivorfitness.com/.  We have stayed in touch and I would be happy to make a more personal introduction if you like--just PM me. 

There is also the Kicking LE's Butt Exercise and Self-care Log  thread on here. 

I had worked out with a trainer before LE and was doing all kinds of weight lifting and punching the heavy bag, etc. Really working on doing pull-ups as that was one of my goals.  I tried to get back into about 6 months after MX, but I developed LE.  Was it the push-ups?  The planks?  I don't know, but I think I probably did too much too soon.

I think you could probably do a lot of lower body work, but start really slowly with the upper body.  If you have a good trainer and he/she is willing to read the info. that would be great.