BSRD40 – The Danger Zone

keep-out-of-the-danger-zoneIt was around this time after my last surgery that I had my first relapse. I remember it well, I had decided that I was well enough to try and fix the toilet and in lifting the lid off the toilet I felt that overwhelming burn of nerve pain shoot through my back. My first instinct was anger. How was this possible? After all, the surgery was supposed to have fixed me right? The anger was quickly replaced by an overwhelming and long lasting bout of self pity during which time I flirted with the notion that I would never be better and that I may even be permanently broken despite the operation. Surprisingly this feeling lasted only as long as the residual pain which was a few days however it made an indelible mark on my psyche of which I am still acutely aware. I was suddenly aware that the surgery was not the end of my problems and that not only was I going to have to submit to years of care and diligent awareness of my movement but the notion of a repeat surgery was already growing inside me. This time around I am very much more careful with what I am doing and I am refusing to take risks with my recovery. I do need to go and see my Occ Health department to discuss my return to work but my mind will be firmly stuck in that small bathroom almost 10 years ago when my invincibility was certainly permanently damaged.

With that in mind here is an update as to my status for various activities.

Walking: I can walk 3km max but I require at least an hour recovery afterwards.
Bodyweight workouts: I can do most of the exercises with the exception of burpees but again, I require lengthy rest after only 10-15 minutes.
Weights: I can handle some weights as long as my back is protected and there is no bending. Resting and soreness for at least 3 days after this.
Running: Nope.
Pullups: Not yet.
Sitting: I can sit for about an hour or so before I start to cramp and get sore. Requires at least another hour of laying to recover.
Standing: Standing is not a problem mostly and is my preferred state at this time given that my shoulders ache if I lay too long. Yes, welcome to my hell, even laying down makes me sore.
Driving: Same as sitting even with the heated seat on.
Sleeping: Sleep is generally OK without the memory foam topper we had. The hardest part is getting up, not because I hate my life but it just takes a while for me to warm up to moving again.
General Housework: Impossible.

There you have it. A general outline of how I am doing.

 

 

 

 

 

BSRD37 – Plateau or Slipping Backwards?

plateauIt’s funny, I had a lot more confidence in my recovery a few weeks ago than I do now. There was a time there where I was recovering fast, I was making progress every day and feeling really good, however as the last week or two have passed I find myself having weakness in my back which is causing me to doubt my recuperation.  The problem could be related to not working out with weights or bodyweight at all last week. I was so focused on walking and getting my 3km per day in that I did sacrifice the other parts of my rehab. I am hoping, therefore, that the lack of pushups and core work, bench and arms has contributed to an overall weakness in the mobility of my lower back muscles. The specifics of the issue is a weak feeling in the lower back, a tightness that causes me to think that I may strain something at any moment. It’s not just a feeling of not being able to move certain directions but rather a feeling of being on the brink of hurting myself. Obviously this has caused me great concern and so this week I have once again begun to focus on movement and whole body rehab rather than just walking.

This decision really only came to me as a conclusion yesterday so this week has really been about the walking up until then:
Monday – 3km walk
Tuesday – 3km walk
Wednesday – 3km walk
Thursday – 2km walk plus bench (15 sets)

The plan for the next 7 days should look something like this:

Double workout days
Friday – 2km walk plus triceps and biceps
Saturday – 3km walk plus Shoulders
Sunday – 2km walk plus core and light legs
Monday – 2km walk plus chest and tricep
Tuesday – 3km walk plus deadlift practice
Wednesday – 2km walk plus clean / clean and press (barbell)
Thursday – Long walk (Possible 5k?)
Friday – Off

This should transition me into the regular schedule of workout weeks that looks something similar to this:

1. Chest and tri or bootcamp workout
2. Deadlift and Pullups
3. Core / Whole body light day or cardio
4. Off
5. Clean and press (barbell or RKC day)
6. Bench and pullups
7. High intensity cardio and core

 

 

 

 

BSRD30 Action Brings Pain

I stuck with the program for the most part this week with the exception of Thursday which I took off completely after feeling a little wobbly after doing some full body weights on Wednesday. It was also pretty crappy weather here so I was indoors on the treadmill on Tuesday and Wednesday but managed to do 3.2km each day. Monday I did 3km outside but left the bicep work until Tuesday. Today is Friday, I just got in from a 2km walk still feeling sore and a little nervous after Wednesday’s workout. The good news is that the shoulder work and squats didn’t completely wreck my back and even thoug I am sore, I don’t really feel much the worse for wear. It was a good stress test and one which I think I passed, if not with flying colours then at least with a healthy grade. This is good news since I am getting a little stir crazy at home not being able to work out and so the coming couple of weeks will hopefully see a return to regular, if extremely light workouts.

BSRD25 – Updates

Day 20 – 3,2k on treadmill and light bench
Day 21 – 2k on treadmill and light WOD at gym
Day 22 – Walk / speed walk 2.3km
Day 23 – Treadmill 2k
Day 24 – Walk 3.2k treadmill
Day 25 – off (Saturday)
Day 26 – Today

Light bench usually means starting at 135 and going up to 165 then 185. I have tried going up to 205 but lifting the 25lb plates is still not a great idea. It’s tough because I crave teh feeling of the workout and I want to push it but I just can’t. The WOD at the gym means a few pushups, reg and military, some dips on the dip station and most recently a few air squats which is basically the same as sitting on the toilet and standing up again. Certainly I am not able or willing to go any further down as of yet.

I woke up today, Sunday, and found that my back was mysteriously sore. I didn’t really do much yesterday, we went to Wonderland but only walked for about 30 mins with lots of resting and sitting. I also didn’t do my regular walk since Saturday and Sunday are my walking rest days so I am not sure what the deal is. The thing that is scary is that the pain isn’t incision pain, it’s tight muscular pain that in the past has led to the disc compression. So I am understandably cautious this morning. Also, yesterday I cut my finger quite badly trimming a tenderloin and that is hurting like hell. I probably could have used a stitch or two but I don’t have time for that.

Last week I also went to work to see the Occupational Health department to discuss my recovery. I am going to revisit them after my follow up appointment on June 2.

It’s a long weekend this weekend and it’s also time for me to get more orgainized with the walking and workouts. Here is the plan for the coming week.

Monday – 3k walking plus biceps and air squats
Tuesday – 3k walking plus Shoulders
Wednesday – 3k walking plus chest and triceps and air squats
Thursday – 3k walking plus abs
Friday – 3k walking plus biceps and air squats
Saturday – Shoulders
Sunday – Chest and Triceps

BSRD20 – Updates

I have been on a 5 on 2 off schedule, taking the weekend off walking to spend more time with Nicole and Elyse who both seem to sleep an awful lot. I have been trying to add some very light weights work in order to reactivate some areas of my body which has included some shoulder work, traps, a few gentle squats and some crunch holds. I also have done a few push ups here and there which seem to be OK and actually are doing my core some good at the same time. It’s funny, everyone I meet who I tell I have had surgery is amazed at how mobile and “normal” I appear, it’s just too bad that the normality only lasts a short while until I have to lay down. That said, I am still happy with my progress.

I am not able to do any kind of twisting yet, any time I try I get a very sharp and pretty alarming pain through my incision site. So as far as my mobility goes I would say I am linearly back to 75%, I am able to put on socks and tie shoes and reach my feet for short periods but I have not tried to standing fold at this time, I don’t think I am up to that. Everything I do is done with particular attention to keeping my lower back straight, something that I have learned over the past year of deadlifting is not only recommended but actually engages the correct muscle groups required for heavy lifting. My foot drop is almost all gone, I can heel walk without issue and my lifting ability with my right foot is about 80% of what it was. I do still have a lot of pain in the left fibula area which I will have to monitor and see if I can stretch it into submission. The problem is that most of the stretches that are effective for back, hip and hamstring flexibility require twisting. Hopefully as that ability returns, the rest of the pain will subside.

It snowed here this past weekend (yes, May 12) and so I walked on the treadmill on Friday and Monday for a total of 2.5k each time. Earlier in the week I had been outside and I will hopefully be able to get outside again today, Tuesday, since it’s supposed to be 13 and then in the 20’s the rest of the week.

We have had some issues with WordPress this week, apparently a botnet of 90,000 PCs was attempting to brute force attack WordPress accounts to access admin rights on servers. This caused me to be unable to log into my admin panel to post anything. It seems like they have it under control now, but it was not just Dreamhost, apparently it happened starting last week to many providers of small business and personal websites.

As far as the other patient is going, I am still giving Lightning subcutaneous fluids 3x a week but his numbers are down to a high normal range. I am hoping we will get a little more time with him and that his health improves to the point where he is happy again. He has lost a few pounds which I know very well is always a help.

 

 

BSRD14 – 2 Weeks And The Pain Returns

I have to first make an adjustment to my last post. The pain that I am feeling in my left leg, the unrelated leg so to speak, is not actually in the shin but rather in the top knee side of my calf muscle. It seems to be the insertion of the lateral collateral ligament in the area of the fibula, in fact the whole area around the head of the fibula seems to be sore. On further inspection, it appears that the poplioteal fossa or the peroneal nerve may be the source of my pain. In any case, I was told that I can’t have advil or any ibuprofen for that matter until my follow up and so therefore I can’t indulge in my usual anti-inflammatories. This is a problem and a source of not only physical discomfort but also psychological discomfort in the fact that it is preventing me from enjoying the fruits of my recovery but also causing me to pile more concern on myself regarding the real rather than imagined state of my body. Simply put, I don’t know if the things that are hurting are that way because of the surgery, the recovery or the lack of exercise to which I am doomed at this time. In any case, the pain seems to be less pronounced even if no less frequent. I understand that it’s only been 2 weeks since the surgery, but forgive me for imagining that someone of my physical condition and stature could recover more quickly than the average person. I am frustrated. I have watched all the TV I care to, football season is coming to a close and I am getting a little stir crazy regardless of the ability to leave the house. I suppose it’s because no matter where I am, I am still trapped within my body which, amazing of a machine as it may be, is still at this moment frail in it’s deployment.

By the way, you can tell it’s getting to me just by the fashion of this writing. I am afraid I may be descending into lexicographical embellishments from where there may be no escape.

And on a related note I vociferously object to the use of the word “ginormous” in NHL13 on the PS3. It’s either gigantic or enormous, it should not be both since we already have both words. If needs be, get rid of one rather than add another by a combination of the two, it’s ridiculous.

BSRD12 – The Swing Of Things

Changing-prioriteis-198x300So I guess I am into a kind of routine, walking during the day, mostly earlier in the day so I can eat after I am done. If not, then later in the day so I can have dinner right after. I am finding that I am not eating much at all, which is to be expected since I am not doing very much and my weight is relatively stable. Here’s an update on how the rest of the things are going and an insight into my next week.

Diet
Sticking with paleo obviously, trying to add more fruit and veg where possible, drinking coconut water where I can instead of coffee. I have smoked more ribs this week, the pork ones turned out spectacular but the beef ribs were a bitter disappointment. Also, the eye of round didn’t come out well either, but if I had some Au Jus it would have been acceptable on a bun.

Exercise
Walking is going OK, I took it easy last Saturday and took Sunday off, that meant that my hips have been much better the last couple of days. I find that when I walk I still get the shin pain in my right leg and I am still unable to heel walk on my right leg. However I am able to walk 2,5km like I did today at a decent pace. I still take my cane just in case but it’s a bit redundant so far. As far as other working out, I am restricted to limited bench, I haven’t even tried doing any pushups yet. I will be trying to expand my workout a little to get some shoulder work done and some bands work for my back, very limited since that it the biggest concern post surgery. I am also going to drop in some air squats so that I can work a little on my leg range of motion and strength to start getting back up to speed.

Pain
The surgery site is still very tender and the steri strips have not come off yet. I have very limited movement forward and that is when it’s most painful. My hips are better than they were, but they may go back to being very painful again after a couple of days walking we will have to see. The shins are much better, in fact no pain in my left leg at all but still some pain about 2 minutes in on my right leg. The pain seems to go away after a while, in fact once I have been walking for a while the hip pain also disappears but that it replaced by a feeling of fatigue that so far is preventing me from walking any further than about 30 minutes. I do still spend an inordinate amount of time laying down however, it’s a pain to stand for too long and too stressful on my back to sit. I am hoping that sitting will become easier so that I can return to a more normal life of standing and sitting, and saving the laying down for bedtime.
EDIT – I also wanted to comment on the hip and upper shin pain on my left leg which should  be unrelated to the back surgery. I get a quite sharp and intense pain in the very top part of my shin almost at my knee on the exterior side. It’s a real discomfort and I can initiate the pain severely if I lay on my back and stretch my left leg straight above my body stressing the hamstring and pulling the whole anterior chain into effect. For some reason that gives me excruciating pain in my shin, and I realize that it’s probably a ITB thing tying into the low back which hasn’t been stretched and is antagonizing the hamstring and thereby pulling on the knee but when it happens, it really doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense.

Other
Nicole’s truck cost $1000 to fix but drives like new. It still could use another $2000 in various repairs and I think for that reason it’s about time we parted ways. With the limited kms on her schedule a lease would be much more sensible and would enable her to be covered under warranty 100% of the time. Nowadays places even throw in oil change schedules as well.
Lightning is much better, although still not exactly a frisky feline. We spent a week giving him fluids under his skin twice a day and it seems to have worked to some degree. He is going for more blood tests Thursday so we will know exactly just how well it worked then.
The weather has been just great for being outside, the mid to high 20s during the day so at least that’s one plus. People ask me all the time how I am doing, and I guess the appropriate response is that I am doing better and I think that is the truth. Each day brings it’s own challenges and pains but I think in the general scheme that I am on the upswing, and that’s the best I can expect at the moment. I do have to admit that it’s been better than I imagined, only because of the nightmare that happened last time. Still, it’s not something I would recommend as a fun time…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BSRD9 – The Weekend Is Here

I just wrote several paragraphs that got lost due to the inexplicable frailty of the ridiculous Bell internet service we have. I am not going to repeat the effort, so here are the basics.

Hips still very painful, intermittently so.
Will skip walking tomorrow to see if it helps.
Walked downtown yesterday, not impressed with it.
Some idiot St Mike’s employee stole my cable, but not the USB adapter.
The tenderloins were amazing, eye of round not.
Went to farmers market this morning, no brisket.
Back not really that painful any more, but hips seemingly not recovering or improving. Also not responding to heat. Confusing.
Nicole needs a new truck, hers is dying.

BSRD7 – Smoking meat

20130502_150416It’s day 7. Yesterday was unremarkable due to the fact that my walking was replaced by some shopping walking (30 mins) and a visit to my girls at gym which, I am very happy to announce, was far more pleasant than the last.

Today however I have discovered a couple of interesting things.

First, I can once again pick things up with my toes on my right foot. This is pretty major since I don’t always have my grabby tool with me when I need to pick something up. I can reach my bent leg on either side so now I am officially ambidextrous again with the foot grab.

Second, my foot is now strong enough that I can take my running shoes off without using my hands. This means I can lift my toe high enough and push hard enough to leverage off my left shoe with my right foot. Both good signs I think!

I spent some time trying to figure out a way to do curls without stressing my back. This is a tough one to do if I am trying to have zero impact. I can use the bench but the incline is too low and I am far from being able to raise the bench by myself. I may try out some bands but I still need some way of stabilizing and supporting my elbow to prevent the load from transferring to my spine. I am also mentally wrangling with how to do any kind of shoulder exercise and wondering how long it will be until I can do pullups again.

I walked to Blacks to get photos at lunchtime, it’s been beautiful weather here recently and the forecast is for another 7 days of sunny warmth. I may actually get a tan this year! The walk was only 2.2km but before I left I was having serious hip pains. They went away during the walk but after last night laying awake due to pain in both my hips I am starting to wonder exactly what is causing it. I took some tylenol but it seems that the best thing for the pain is more mobility. Unfortunately if that is what is causing the pain then I am in a real pickle!

I made some caramelized onions in the crock pot last night and some pork tenderloins and eye of round in the smoker today. The tenderloins were in for 1 hour of heat, 3 hours of smoke and 1 more hour of heat and came out amazing. The eye of round is still in the smoker after 5 hours getting one last hour of heat.

BSRD5 – Honeymoon Is Over

keep_calm_and_keep_going_by_forgedrains-d5fzp6n

I wondered when this would happen. And I suppose I knew that the answer would be linked to my stopping the painkillers. Now I am not some kind of masochist, but after the horrible side effects, both short term and lifelong from the last time I had my surgery I am more than a little concerned about the length of time I subject myself to oxycodone. I bought some tylenol today, or I should say Nicole went in and bought me some so to a degree things are a little better on the pain front but then again it’s a little like putting a bandaid on a severed hand given the amount of discomfort I am able to feel. What exactly is it that has happened? Well, it’s much like the weightloss plateau that people seem to run into after their first happy couple of weeks losing weight. It’s the inevitable knock back down that comes with having pulled yourself up onto unstable feet. It’s the predictable fall that comes after the first few baby steps. But not to worry, after all life has taught me that if there is one reaction that should be as predictable as hardship, it’s the heart to get back up and keep on going.

I walked again today, my longest yet to Tims and back a total of 2.2km. It was actually a real struggle for me since I have been feeling nauseated all day. The walking is not to hard, although I have to be super careful of my posture and not letting my right leg wander out of line as my shin starts to lose it’s effectiveness. However, the foot slap was gone for the duration of the walk which is progress. I didn’t have any ill effects from my bench testing yesterday which means I may try some tricep work tomorrow just to test out the equipment the way I have it set up.

I managed to get Lighting his subcutaneous fluids this morning, and with Nicole’s help again this evening. He seems listless but I am not really surprised given what he has been through. He is eating the low protein food they gave us for him so things certainly seem to be moving the right direction. I guess that is the best news of all for both of us, we are both moving in the right direction, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly but the general movement seems to be positive in nature.