Physical Therapy Week One

One down, 5 (or more...) weeks to go! I started physical therapy for my shoulder last week. It HURTS... but all I can think through the pain is THIS IS TEMPORARY! My PT asked me what my goals are. I named off 1,000. Here's a few:

1. I'd like to be able to wash and fix my hair normally again. PLEASE! And other normal day to day things, like putting on clothes and not needing help to get them back off again. My husband has to help me all the time to get my work clothes off (I doubt he minds, really). Don't even get me started on sports bras--uuuggghhh

2. Put on deodorant like a normal person... do you have any idea how hard it is to put deodorant under your left arm using your LEFT ARM. Just give it a try, go ahead, I'll wait. Also annoying: shaving.

3. Sleep. I thought this problem would be solved once I was free from the sling. NOPE.

4. I'd like to eliminate my fear of injury. I spent the past 3+ years worrying I was making it worse (I was) and not pushing myself because of it. Turns out that fear was probably a good thing. But now, since I'm all "fixed," I'd like to stop worrying about it. I want to push myself during workouts without fear of "making it worse."

5. Muscle ups. This is so vain. But I just think if I can manage getting some bar muscle-ups with a torn ligament and unstable rotator cuff, SURELY I'll be able to get some ring muscle-ups once I'm healed! COME ON PRETTY PLEASE!

6. Carry my son again. He's about to turn 6 and while he's small for his age, he still surpasses my 0.5 lb lifting limit. :( I miss being able to pick him up and give him hugs. I mean yes I still hug him and love on him, but so many times over the past 2 months he walks up to me and wants me to pick  him up, and I couldn't do it. I can't wait to get that back.

That's it for now! Basically I just want to get back what I had and MORE! Dreaming big here!

6 Weeks Post Surgery

I am so giddy I can hardly stand it! It has officially been 6 weeks since my HAGL repair! I am now DONE wearing the hideous black sling! Here is an update of what my future holds:

The doctor said that I can begin running and doing light exercising as long as it doesn't risk me falling (he doesn't know me very well--I risk falling any time my feet hit the floor).

I will begin physical therapy next week! I don't know how often I'll have to go, maybe twice a week? Who cares--I start NEXT WEEK! I will go for 6 weeks and then go back for another checkup with my surgeon. And then--they'll decide. He said it's likely I'll have to continue PT but at a higher intensity.

I can start lifting and doing CrossFit again in anywhere from 8-12 weeks, depending on how physical therapy goes. I'm kinda bummed but then again, this will allow me to focus on other things I've been neglecting, like cardio and my core. Because he said I could start running again as long as I'm safe, that's what I'll do! I have signed up for the OKC Half Marathon which is 16 weeks away! I've already put together my training schedule which starts (drum roll...) tomorrow! I've run the OKC Half before... but I didn't train for it last time. Oops. I promised to never ever make that mistake again! EVER.

So here I am, out of the sling and mentally preparing for what lies ahead!

I am SOOO excited to be sling-free!!! 

Look at that poor, sad little (HA) sling. It misses me already. I do not feel the same.

Cheers and AROO to the next 6 weeks! 

Where Have I Been!?

I happened to stumble across my own blog a few days ago and realized it has been almost TWO YEARS since I last posted. WHAT!? I can tell you exactly WHY I've been absent for so long: In June 2014, I took a job as a school librarian and BOOM, 100% of my time was devoted to serving my school and students. Then, in May of 2016, I was relieved of this position due to state budget cuts. Here I am, January 2017, with a different full time job that, at 5 o'clock each day, allows me to go home and just BE. No more spending every waking hour thinking about school and lesson plans and book lists and awards and grants and projects. Seriously, I had no idea how busy and stressed I was until I was no longer busy and stressed! And someday (when the budget crisis improves) I plan on going back to it. But for now... I love where I'm at! Especially since it allows to me focus more on fitness and writing!

So--what have I been up to gym-wise? Still at it! I've been doing CrossFit now for... almost 3 years? I've done a couple of team competitions, ran a few more 5Ks and 10Ks... But, right now, I'm actually in an arm sling. That shoulder injury from a long, long time ago? It turns out it was much MORE than just a deltoid strain. Apparently I suffered a HAGL tear. Don't ask me to get all technical and explain, cuz I have no idea. All I know is that I had a torn ligament that required surgery. And because I didn't have it fixed way back when, it caused major destabilization of my rotator cuff which also had to be fixed. I had my shoulder scoped November 30, 2016.

Before going under, the doctor told me that there was a chance that they would go in with the camera and find nothing. After years of pain (and never improving on any lift that required my shoulders), I was so afraid they would find nothing and I would just have to live with it. Good news was they found the problems and fixed them, bad news was that I would have to wear a sling for 6 weeks at which time I can start physical therapy to rehabilitate my shoulder. I'm at 5 weeks right now! My plan is to periodically update here on my progress with PT as well as getting back into CF.

There is so much more I could update here, but I'll save it since A) hardly anyone ever reads my blog anyway and B) it's really hard to type wearing a sling! Cheers!