Dec 30, 2010

Last post of the year.

Sling off tomorrow and in anticipation of this momentous event I spent half of today out of the sling :-) Well I didn't want to jump straight in the deep end.  Anyhoo after a while I was glad to rest it in the sling again.

Range of movement is poor and painful, but expected I guess.  Next week I start physio and that I'm looking forward to, with some apprehension.  At least I'll have a better idea then of my prognosis and maybe better informed about how long my recovery.rehab will be.

Driving myself to training tomorrow in the 4wd 'cos its an auto.  Sat in the Honda today and started the engine for the first time in 4 weeks....  purrrrrrr.  So from next week I can get back to training 4 times a week. Mon, Wed and Fri will be variations of leg, lower back and abs while on Sat I'll start doing some single arm, upper back, shoulder exercises and more abs.  That's the plan, gotta have a plan.

New year's eve will be a quiet one at home, on pager....   Had a little think about resolutions, not that I',\m all that good at keeping to them - ha! still haven't learned to swim!  One promise I need to make and keep is to eat more veggies....  somehow, sometime this year, veggies have disappeared from my plate making only the guest appearance now and then.  2011 - the year of eating veggies!

When I look back over 2010 I see a year full of success, goals kicked but tempered with the loss of my Dad. To the future, 2011, full of promise and challenges - Bring it on.

Dec 22, 2010

Into the third week now. Arm is aching daily just from being in the sling. Even doing the elbow flexion exercises don't alleviate the pain and sleeping has once again become troublesome. Got so bad yesterday I resorted to taking one of the painkillers that I had left over from when I was discharged. Should have taken two and slept....

Training is a lot more positive tho'.  Have doubled the weight in the belt squat already after only 3 training sessions.

Monday:
Belt box squat up to working up to triples at 2 plates + 10.
Single leg squats 6sets/8 reps each side
Dumbell squats off blocks
Abs
Sled pulls

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Dec 16, 2010

Dec 15,2010

Now into my 2nd week of disablement and finding it quite frustrating but at the same time understand that its necessary.  Fortunately I have been able to return to training twice a week, Mon & Fri mornings.  At E.S.P. I have a number of options like belt squats, back attack, glute/ham, hypers, power runner, single leg squats, sled work and as my recovery progresses I'll have the use of safety bar and cambered bar for squats.

MG says this could be a blessing in disguise and that I can use this time to really work on squat technique - particularly with the belt squats.

Started out with just one plate and struggling to use good form MG confined me to the belt squat for 40 minutes....  After this I moved on to back attack and 6 sets of machine good mornings then finished with a couple of laps of sled pulls.  By that same evening I was already feeling it in my quads and by Saturday morning I was near crippled :-)  But I was back the following Monday for more of the same...

I also made it back into the office this week, Monday after training,  and should be in again on Friday. Other than that I am working from home - housebound and going nuts....   Whilst I enjoy working  from home once or twice a week is about as much as I can bear!  But that's how it will be until January when I get my independence back...  or at least be able to drive again....

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Dec 7, 2010

Overdue for an update.

Everything went as well as could be expected and I'm surprised not to be in as much pain post operative as I had expected.  Or perhaps my pain tolerance is such that I don't notice it now after being in pain for so long already.

Surgery was done under sedation with a nerve block, not as heavily under as total anesthesia but i don't remember anything until the very end when I kinda woke up and saw the blue screen still covering my shoulder but was still pretty out of it. 

Good news:  Bicep tendon did not require ‘relocation’ to the humorous.  Shorter recovery period.

Bad news:  Where the labrum had torn I had worn the cartilage down to the bone – very bad. Had to shave the bone and stretch labrum across and anchor with screws and stitches. This requires longer immobilization to allow scar tissue to fill in the gap 

Was overnight in hospital with plenty of pain relief when the nerve block started to wear off.

Home the next day with some heavy duty pain killers - Endone (Oxycodone). Which kept me sleeping a fair bit and slept the first few nights in the recliner which was more comfortable than being propped up in bed.

Last couple of nights now tho' I've managed to get back into my bed with some extra pillows and sleeping pretty well.  And I'm off the pain killers.

Had my post op review yesterday and stitches removed. Dr. Hoy showed me some great photo’s inside my shoulder both before and after, including the repair! When I get them from Dr. Hoy at my next review I'll scan some in.  

Anyhoo, I will be in the sling 24/7 until Dec 31. I've put a countdown at the top of the page.  And I am not allowed to take it off to drive.  Even in an auto.  Ughhh  housebound!   Physio wont start until Jan 5^th  and I’ve been warned it will be very stiff, however once the physio starts Dr Hoy wants me go hard at it.   For now, I am  allowed to externally rotate the arm, if I keep my elbow tucked in – this means I can type two handed  - This also means I am back to work today – working from home...

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