The mouse is back on the treadmill

After returning from Christmas Island, I had a week 'off' (aka getting laundry done, getting things unpacked and put away) . Had physio visit with Simon the Sadist.  He said he could tell I had been rather physically active.  Two days later, had exercise therapy session with Alaina. And yes, I was back on a treadmill, sitting and standing with 10kg weight, and using the standing 'rower'. To be sure, not all at the same time, but after 30 minute of it all, I was short of breath, and sweating.

Went to bed, stiff, woke up stiff and sore.

I do this because it's good for me. Keep telling myself that, and I might start believing it.

I keep trying to start things

But my ambition seems to have done a runner.

My left hand isn't finished healing, even though it's been a month.  It was a very deep cut.  It would feel better if I would stop forgetting, and picking things up with it, or leaning on it. Of course I am left hand dominant, so that's he biggest reason I keep forgetting.

We are making travel plans for later this year.  I hope I'm up for it. My physio and exercise therapist are doing they damnedest to make sure I ready and able. 

Also did something I hadn't done in years. I uploaded something to my photo/art sales site.

Ever since Dr H changed one of my medications, the weight is finally coming off. The new meds don't make you lose weight, but unlike the old ones, they don't PREVENT weight loss. Ahhh, the chemical experiment that is my life.

Oh jeeze

I have a week off from my exercise therapy due to me attempting to carve a chunk out of my hand on Christmas day. Saw her yesterday, and she made up for lost time, and I wish my legs belonged to someone else. To say they hurt would be an understatement. Hot shower, and some ibuprofen to the rescue.

Wing has been spending his last few days of vaycay taking care of the yard. It's so tidy I could host a party... that's if I could hold anything.

Also saw physiotherapist, and I seem to be improving his vocabulary. He asked how I was feeling, and I said "an overwhelming feeling of ennui." He had to look up the word ennui.

The weekly grind

And if only it meant what coffee we chose, instead of this shit-show that is currently my life. Wing has decided to push up our photo jaunt from next year, to next month. So, instead of having 6 months to get myself physically ready, got about six weeks

Two exercise therapy sessions a week, one physio session every two weeks. I keep working with the weights, including walking with them, at home. What this means is I'm in an almost constant state of ouch. Hence the use of the term 'shit-show'. I'm hoping that all this effort will pay off in the short and long run.

Physio and Exercise therapists might be on vaycay

But I'm not. For the past two weeks, I have been keeping up with the scheduled exercises at him, as much as I can. I don't have the reformer, or pulley set up, but I do have free weights. 3 sets of 10, every other day.  Not just Monday, Wednesday and Friday. But also Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. 

I might take the up coming weekend off as I had one helluva painful shoulder blade lock up post exercise shower. It hurt to breathe! I managed to loosen things up (and breathe), and get myself sort of ready for the day.

My first for the year

Today, after my exercise therapy session, which was rather intense, I had a light lunch.  After that, I felt myself drowsing off, no matter how much I wanted to stay awake.

I managed to get to the bedroom, changed into jammies, crawled into bed and the next thing I knew, it was 5pm. I woke up in the exact same position I had laid down in. I hadn't moved an inch.

I haven't been that wiped out in a long time.

Why do I keep doing this?!

Why?  Because, in the long run, it will be good for me. But right now, today, after seeing Meg, then Simon (exercise and physio therapists) I feel as if I have been dropping in a food processor equipped with blunt blades.

Meg is back on the job.

She's recovered from COVID, but still has a bit of brain fog. Told her I fully understand the brain fog.  She might have occasional brain fog (looking at paperwork, knowing she knows what to do, but at the same time confused by it all) but she worked my asterisk off. My butt is so sore. 

And guess what? I get to do it again Monday!

Humor is an excellent way to pass a painful ordeal

I thought Simon the Sadist was a tough physio-therapist. That isn't anything compared to him as an exercise therapist.  As an exercise therapist, he makes you push yourself, but not to the point you cause damage. 

Picture this: while getting ready to do a session on the reformer, of which there are two of them, our typical exchange.

Simon: Ok, we're going to work on the abs today.
Me: Sure, you may proceed.
Simon: Alright, we can both do them.
Me: (looking down at one of the reformers) I don't think we'll both fit.

(I get myself settled and start doing the prescribed exercise)

Simon: How many was that?
Me: I don't know. Keeping count is YOUR job!

(climbing off reformer, and there is NO graceful way of doing so, trust me)

Simon: So, what's you plans for today?
(I make grand hand gesture pointing towards him)
Simon: And the rest of the week?
(repeat first gesture)

He had me do some laps around the place, hold 3kg weights in each hand.

My hand are so sore today, along with the abs running down along the ribs... and my shoulders.  He needs to pad the shoulder stops, because I wear an anti-gravity device (aka bra) and those stops really make the straps dig in.

Exercise Therapy

My ass hurts. That being typed, I can also say I don't have another session on Friday, as Meg tested positive for COVID.  As much as my ass hurts, this stop and go (dare I say) exercise routine leaves much to be desired.

I'm supposed to be going twice a week, but lately it's been once a week. I'm tired of having to start over from almost the beginning. I don't fault Meg for getting sick; life happens.  Do the exercises at home, you say? I can't. I don't have the equipment. I do what I can to mimic them, but without the resistance training devices, I'm at a standstill.

Early to bed, Early to rise

Doesn't do a damned thing. 

I went to bed early, because I had an appointment to see my exercise therapist.  I groggily get up, manage to get dressed. Staggered off to get first cup of coffee in the morning. In between sips of coffee, got my hair brushed and braided. Readied by bottle of cold water, and when 8am rolled around, we hit the road.

I get there, and get asked why I am there. I tell the 'receptionist in training' that I have an 8:30am session with Meg.  She said no I didn't. Uhh, I have been seeing Meg on Monday and Friday for the past almost 2 months (exception when it was a Wednesday and Friday, because Monday was a holiday.) 

Now, I had/have the card with the appointment times and dates, but I put them on my phone and left the card on my desk.

We get shown the door. I found out the hard way and stress and agitation fires up the old GERD. I came home. Took  photograph of my appointment card, and emailed it to them. By now, I have chewed two antacid tablets.

2 hours later, I get this weak, wishy-washy excuse that Simon, my physiotherapist deleted the appointment. How he has access my exercise therapists' calendar is beyond me.

So, here I am, trying to stay calm. Even took a short nap. But I am still gritting my teeth. If *I* cancelled an appointment without notifying them, I would get charged some fee. But they can do it to ME and I just have to let it slide.

Go ahead, I dare you

I dare you to tell me doing household chores isn't a work out.

It's started with me making a clean spot. I vacuumed the dust and dirt (cat fur mostly) from my keyboard, mouse pad/armrest and monitors. Then I cleaned the rest of my desk.

It led to me vacuuming off the sofa, the cat tower/scratch post.  And the floor, after I moved things.  I put those things back where they belonged.

Then the bedroom. Stripping and remaking a queen sized bed had me panting for breath, and feeling quite physically tired by the time I was done.

Time for a cup of tea

I decided to put a stop watch on rehab workout

From first bend as far as I can, to 5 minutes on stationary bike, it takes me 22 minutes and some seconds.  Since Samsung health tracker doesn't have specific category for what I do, I selected "Circuit Training". 

The only exercise I fudged on was stepping up a stair on my left foot, then raising my right leg up to a 90 degree bend, and hold it for 5 seconds.  I tried doing it on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and all that would happen, is I would lurch into wall.

I substituted one of the exercises Meg showed me. With hands against wall (or other unmovable structure) stand on right foot, lift forward and hold left leg up for a count of 5. Do this 10 times, and repeat but starting with the right leg.

Two months post op

I have my physio table/bed set up and am using it instead of the bed. Bed is too soft to do some of the physio work.  I have used it twice now, and wow, can I feel the difference. I find it easier to do the exercises without hubby and son helicoptering around me. They mean well, but it can be a bit smothering.

 
Doing almost 5 minutes on the bike. I'm supposed to lower the seat, for a greater bend in the knee, when it get 'too easy. I'll be happy to do so, when my left knee doesn't feel like it's trying to tear itself apart when I push down.

Taking bets (virtual ones)

Husband and son set up my physio table last night.  So, today, I did the 'bridging' exercise, the lay on back and pull heel as close to the butt as you can, and the cross legs at the ankles, keeping the surgical leg in the back (the left one in this case) and using the right foot to assist, bend the left leg as far back as you can (to discomfort). 

Got done with that, and used the washing machine for balance, slowly shifted weight from the right foot, to the left, and lifting the right foot off the floor, until at least 90% of the weight is on the left foot.  Repeat, but going the other way, from left to right.

Here's where the virtual betting comes in.  Will I:

A: Hop out of bed, ready to start a new day.

B: Groan, and using right heel on side of bed, haul my self to sitting position, kind of glad it's a new day.

C: Groan, try to move, and realize my legs, glutes and abdomen wish it was yesterday, and just stay in bed.

Saw the Occupational Therapist Friday afternoon

And was shown (painfully) how I was standing and walking incorrectly. Ian apologised for it, but I told him not to worry, because it's like telling a child something is hot, they don't believe it until they touch something hot. I wouldn't have really understood what he was referring to regarding my knee and the rest of the leg.  I have been walking with my feet turned out, and I have to school myself to keep them pointing forward.  I was also sent home with a list of exercises to do.  I did them Saturday, and my left leg is quivering in protest. Oh, and did I mention it #%$%%@ HURTS! At least it's muscular, so maybe paracetamol will help, as it doesn't help with the nerve pain in the knee joint.

Ian also advised me to wear a knee brace to keep knee stable (no side to side movement) and to keep foot pointing forward, not turned out. He was happy to hear I had a couple of DonJoy's to use.

I have to retrain my leg to not have me walking like something from a zombie movie.

I still feel like a walking Pharmaceutical Experiment. And both Ian and Dr L said yes, have to find the right combination and dosage to quell the nerve pain. 

Part one done

Saw "Meg the Motivator" (afterward, at home, I call her Meg the Merciless!).  Because my heel was taped up in such a fashion, there was no pain, so I sort of overdid it on the weekend and again on Monday. 

No mercy!  Well, a little bit. Was on treadmill for 20 minutes, but a a slightly slower pace than I usually do.  Then off to the "Reformer" (aka pilates machine)  I used to snicker about those things, but I don't any longer! It keeps the spine and hips in proper alignment, so when you do the actions/exercises, it's equal, and helps correct poor posture. Mine poor posture is due to years of a bad disc, and it's subsequent collapse, and having a bad knee.  The realignment isn't fun, or easy, but necessary.

Exhausted, but have to see Dr H, my GP, about getting my anti-seizure meds prescription.  He only gives me two months worth, because of the law.  It's deemed a 'controlled' medication.  Me, I call it the "Three little white tablets a day that keep my body from trying to painfully fold into sharp geometric shapes.  No nap, not yet.

Submitted myself to voluntary torture

Saw Meg the Motivator, exercise supervisor/merciless  and Simon the Sadist yesterday, meaning I am on hurtin' unit today.

I pushed myself to do all the exercises, even though my left leg is shaking like a leaf in the wind.

After session with Meg, I saw Simon. He unerringly put his thumb exactly where my shin hurt, and because I didn't expect it, as a reflex, I swatted his hand away. *sheepish grin* I couldn’t apologise enough. He said no worry, he had been hit harder, and he should've been quicker. He then checked the problem I have my heel hurting. Yeah, it 's plantar fasciitis. He's surprised that it hadn't been referred to him as an injury, seeing as I have been dealing with it since January. After some work on my calf, he examined my heel.

Of COURSE I can't have the usual type of PF, mine is directly in the center of my heel. My foot is taped up in a way to help with the PF.

While entering my next appointment, Simon asked if I could choose another name, other than Simon the Sadist, as Meg hurts me just as much, but she has MOTIVATOR. I got a laugh out of it. I did ask “You do deliberately cause pain, and stab me with needles.”  He agreed that is true. I told him would think about it.

I thought about it after I got home, and yeah, I will now call him ‘Simon the Sensible’.

Umm ow?

Physio/Exercise session.  As willing as I am to do these (ask Meg the Motivator aka Meg the Merciless) 

A lot of the pain I am feeling is the exercises and tortures are correcting years worth of bad posture created due to pain.  It's amazing how the human body with adjust to things that aren't quite right.  Have a sore knee, you favor one side, dipping one shoulder down, slightly flexing the spine.  Have a sore back, you hold a position that causes the least amount of pain.

All the things I'm doing at SporTreat id correcting decades of me adjusting to a slowly calcifying disc, its collapse, then right knee going, surgical replacement, then then left knee starting to go.

For now, although I hurt from the neck on down, I am sitting without bowing my shoulders or rounding my back. Both feet are facing the right direction.   Yay?

Had a good conversation with my GP today

We discussed the blurry vision when trying to focus on something (like reading books) and it is a normal side effect of Lyrica. It *should* settle itself after a while.
 
Discussed the Lorazepam. I told him I was taking half of what he proscribed. I had tried with the two tabs, three times a day, but I was just too wonked out. I told him I discovered that a sharp, loud, sudden sound would start to trigger a seizure. Even watching a car accident on TV would make my leg and arm start twitching.  Discovering one seizure trigger is a good thing. 

Got my flu shot, and my arm is already sore, but it was something I expected.  Ordered vaccination for shingles, which is currently in my fridge, as I have to wait a few weeks between vaccinations.

Oh, yes, forgot, told him about doing 30 minutes a day on my stationary bike, and how it makes the tendons in my leg feel very stiff and sore. He suggested I get an elliptical trainer. It will be discussed with Wing, and I will try one out first. If my leg can't handle the elliptical treadmill/trainer, I can still keep using the stationary bike.