Sometimes You Need a Little Help

I've been neglecting the blog again.  Whoops.

I started a different post, which needs something to make it more interesting, so it got put on the shelf.  Then we went away on vacation and ... here we are.

If you are a regular reader, you know I have been struggling with a bunch of different health related things over the past 12+ months.  After I hurt my back in March, my doctor told me not put a time line on my recovery.  "Listen to your body.  It could take a year, it could take longer."  I've already been dealing with my shoulder for a year, then my leg, now this.  The setback has thrown my anxiety into full blown depression, which I battle nearly every day.  I can have three or four really good days, followed by a week of feeling down.  It sucks the joy out of life.  To look at me, no one would really know.  I put on a good face.  I had an amazing day yesterday.  I went for a long bike ride with my friend Erica, then I went wine tasting with my friend Katherine.  I ordered a pizza for dinner, so I didn't even have to cook.  But last night I couldn't sleep, I laid in bed for almost two hours, wide awake, feeling so down.  Woke up super early and laid in bed awake for another two hours until I finally decided to get up.

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

Psalm 34:17

Unless you have struggled with depression, it's hard to understand.  How do you have a great day, and then feel so down?  Nothing is really wrong, so you don't really want to talk about it.  Sometimes you catch yourself feeling it, realize you shouldn't be, and then you feel guilty for feeling the way you feel.  That's kind of what happened last night.  Usually a good night's sleep will help, but when that doesn't happen...

I went to church this morning.  The message was the first in a series entitled, "The Cross of Christ."  Our pastor talked about how we don't really fully understand the cross...  Christ knew no sin, but he gave EVERYTHING so we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21, adapted).  I left feeling encouraged.  My soul cries out, Hallelujah.  This song...

Man of Sorrows by Hillsong

Oh that rugged cross, my salvation, where Your love poured out over me.  Sent of heaven, God's own Son, to purchase and redeem..and reconcile the very ones who nailed Him to that tree.

In my last post, I told you I was going to start training with my friend Ashley.  Between my back and shoulder issues, I often feel defeated when I leave the gym.  It's one thing to have sore muscles, it's entirely different to push through back pain or to exasperate the tendinitis in my shoulder.  This is why I asked Ashley for help.  I've had two sessions with her and she's given me a workout plan, specifically to address my concerns about improving my strength and endurance.  

I have three different workouts, focusing on one of the major muscle groups each day and core strengthening each day.  She has me doing things I hate, like mountain climbers and burpees.  I hate burpees.  Really hate them.  But, she said, "It has to be uncomfortable for change to happen."  And I guess all my whining about my diminished strength and endurance means  I have to do things I don't like, even if it means doing burpees.  

Burpees are on for tomorrow.  Here are some messy mountain climbers.  I had to do 4 sets of 50.  I thought it said 5 sets of 50.... uggh.

It also means retraining my brain to muscle connections.  I've unconsciously been taking shortcuts to "protect" my back, while potentially putting myself in danger.  So instead of squats on the squat rack, it's kettle bells and focusing on depth and form...

I'm glad I have Ashley to work with me.  She's helps me with accountability too.  Today I wanted to stay home, instead I made sure I worked out.   I have to report out on how things are going at our next session.  No excuses.  No, "I was tired and feeling sorry for myself."  

Sometimes you just need a little help.  The trick is, asking for it.

Tonight I am feeling better.  I was able to accomplish a few things, grabbed a power nap, got to the gym, and even posted to my blog.  Breathe.

If you are interested in personal training, please contact me.  I can share with you my experiences and give you some guidelines for what to expect and how much it costs.

Question for you (answer in the comment section below):
Did you celebrate the 4th of July?  What did you do?

Musical notes ♩♫ ♪ ♬ ♪

Not only does this song have a super rhythm, which is perfect for longer runs, but it reminds me of my husband.  He is my superhero, my fairy tale bliss.  He's the one I want to turn to, the one I can kiss.

Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers & Coldplay

But she said, where'd you wanna go? How much you wanna risk? I'm not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts, some superhero, some fairy tale bliss, just something I can turn to.  Somebody I can kiss.

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It's Humbling

Happy Father's Day!  I hope you were able to celebrate with the man or men in your life that you love.  I had my dad over for lunch and spent the whole day with my husband.  It was nice.  Relaxing.  No fuss.

Dad & I
My biggest cheerleader

Brian & I
My heart

Back to the blog...so here is the bare honest truth.  This whole getting my game back on thing is extremely humbling.  I am perpetually feeling like starting all over again is just too much for me and the desire to throw in the towel seems to be nagging at me like crazy.

Discouragement knocks at my door every day and this afternoon I caught myself truly feeling sorry for myself.  Stop everything, get out the violins because poor, poor Tracey.  Oh my, when I realized I was wallowing in self pity, I pretty much slapped myself in the head and said, "Cut the bullsh** and get it together!"

So me!

Last week I set some pretty steep Goals for myself.

In my last post, I said to set realistic goals.  Realistic means ones you can actually attain.  Me?  I had a crazy busy week and planned two runs and two bike rides in one week.  I am lucky I got in one of each.

It's probably smart to a lot of people to set high goals so you can push yourself.  But me, I get discouraged too easily if I don't meet my goals.  I feel like I've failed, even if I've tried to reach them.  It's rubbish, but it's my Type A personality.

Courage.  That's what I need.

I did legs at the gym yesterday and my shoulder is bothering me, so I was going to skip working out today and just do some yoga at home.  Instead, I decided to do an at-home workout, followed by the yoga.  It was great.  I feel energized and encouraged.

I did 10 minutes going up and down the stairs, followed by a circuit of Kettle Bell swings, walking lunges, Kettle Bell Squats and bent over rows, that I repeated three times.

at home Yoga....feels so good.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.

1 Corinthians 12:9-10

I also realize that I'm going to need some help as I work my way back.  Even though my proud self feels like she knows everything, I need someone to kick me in the butt.  I do.  So I asked my friend Ashley to help with me and we have plans for Wednesday.  It feels weird to have a new trainer.  This will be number four.  But I like Ashley, so if I feel like I can trust her after our first session together, I know it will be good for me to work with her.

6 Reasons Why Hiring a Personal Trainer is Worth the Money

For me, working with a trainer is less about having someone tell you what to do, and more about having someone to kick you in the butt, to encourage you when you're feeling down and to push you when you just don't want to.  I feel super whiney, so hopefully she won't be annoyed with me.

Looking forward to getting rid of the dueling voices and rebuilding my confidence.

This week's goals are a WHOLE lot more reasonable....

Question for you (answer in the comment section below):
Did you do anything for Father's Day?  What?

Musical notes ♩♫ ♪ ♬ ♪

A perfect workout tune for me...

There's Nothing Holding Me Back by Shawn Mendes

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Pillars of Salt

Are you familiar with the Biblical story of Lot's wife?

The long story short is that Lot was Abraham's nephew.  Lot and his family lived in Sodom, which was a very wicked city.  When God decided to destroy the city, He provided a way for Lot and his family to escape Sodom safely, but they were given directions to leave quickly and not look back.  As they were fleeing the city, Lot's wife looked back and was turned to a pillar of salt.

Photo from Jordan's Photo Gallery

Lately this story has been ringing in my head.  Looking back often provides a sense of nostalgia and brings good memories.  But for me, every time I get an "on this day" reminder on Facebook, I go, "Ugggh" and am sad.  Now that spring is FINALLY here, I can bring out my spring clothes.  But instead of being super happy to wear them, they are snug in all the wrong areas.  I want to scream.

This dress does still fit.  Do you see the difference?

So, truth be told, I have not gained much, if any weight in the past year.  I hover within the same five pounds.  But I have had a year that I would truly like to NOT look back on.

But one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13b-14

In June of last year I hurt my shoulder, which took over six months to heal.  Just thinking about it makes my shoulder twinge.

How it all began... A day of kayaking and paddling on a Stand Up Board was more than my shoulder could take.  Add in two years of heavy weight lifting and ... ouch.

In October I had surgery on the varicose veins in my leg and developed some post-operative complications, which meant I had to have a second procedure in December.  During recovery I had to serious limit my exercise routine.

Amazing that there are no pictures of my scarred up legs.... Go figure, what woman wants pictures of their nasty varicose veins?  Or better yet, the ugly post-operative scars?

Then in February of this year I injured my back when I was cleaning my basement.  A month later I fell on black ice in the parking lot at work and reinjured my back.

Not a day I want to remember!!!!

It has not been a fun year.

Recovery got me like...

I can't really even tell you what that does to a person who has worked so hard to lose weight and become fit...

Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Tracey!!

I feel like my lean body has turned to complete flab.  So now I get to practice what I preach on myself.  It's no longer about giving you all kinds of tips on how to be motivated, it's a giant transition back to find the inspiration, courage and determination to move forward for ME.

Big ol' grin as I write this post...
At 5:00 a.m.

I no longer have a personal trainer to kick me in the butt, so it means I get to do that myself.  And THAT is its own challenge.

So, if you notice some changes in my blog the next few months, it will be all about moving forward in my own journey.  Looking back does not help me.

Goal #1 is to be able to do three sets of 10 push-ups again.  I honestly think that won't take long to do, so I'm setting a small goal.

April 20, 2015 was when I first accomplished this goal!  Back to basics for me.

I have several other goals too, but let's focus on one thing at a time.  Learning to "listen to my body" and to not overdo it means baby steps.  I'll share them here.

Finding motivation to go forward means a working on a few things too...
Developing a routine and sticking to it.
Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition.
It's time to stop all the night time snacking.  No more ice cream!  At least not every night.
Accountability is a huge one for me, so tag, you're it. I'll be looking to you, my readers, to be my cheerleaders.

It's 5:25 a.m.  I am going to make myself some eggs and get to the gym for 6:00 a.m. when they open.  Normally I don't go this early, but I've been up since 3:00 a.m., I feel pretty good, so let's seize the day!

Here is my song for today...not such a workout tune, but definitely one to live by...

How You Live by Point of Grace

"It's not what you did, it's how you live."

Questions for you: (answer in the comment section below)

What motivates you best to work out?  To eat right?  What do you have planned for today?

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The Little Things

So, I disobeyed my doctor yesterday and I pushed myself more than I have in a long time.  Yep, probably over did it a little.  I didn't push through pain, but I did lift weights, go hiking and take a bike ride.  Two years ago, that was my definition of a perfect day, only my bike ride was 40 miles and I was lifting 100 lbs.  It's 2017, let's try 15 lbs and a 5 mile bike ride.  A month ago I couldn't even tie my shoes, so that's a huge improvement!!!  I'll take it.

Monument Mountain, Great Barrington, MA

A friend of ours ran the Boston Marathon yesterday.  I'm so proud of him.  He hurt his knee in January, tore the meniscus and was told, "No running."  He trained for the marathon anyway and did it, even through the pain.

Here's a picture of the medal he got!!!  He texted this to my hubby last night.  I bet he didn't know I'd put it up on my blog.  Go Marty!  Super super proud of you!!!!

On Saturday I did a 5K race, only I walked because of my back.  This race welcomed walkers, so I was happy to participate.  There was a group there from Achilles International, which supports runners with disabilities.

Some of the disabled runners had special bikes designed just for them.

The lady in the middle here is a blind runner.

I was super impressed with this group.  Each athlete has guides that run along side of them.  I have to be honest, as "happy" as I was to be outside on Saturday, walking and participating in this race, I really wanted to run.  I could feel it in my soul.  I just wanted to run.  Participating in this race with these athletes really gave me a fresh perspective.

I am not disabled.  I am well.  I am healthy.  Sure, I have a sore back.  Yes, I'm dealing with this and it sucks to go through this.  But I will get through it.  I will recover, this is not permanent.

While I didn't run, I did walk as fast as I could and I was keeping a really good pace.  Just about 14 - 15 minutes per mile.  My normal walking pace is about 18 - 20 minutes per mile, so I was pushing it.  In fact, I was at the front of all the walkers.  Not trying to compete with anyone, just myself, I took advantage of the beautiful day and I totally turned my self-pity upside down.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14

I'm not entirely sure why I ever even started running.  I have a bum knee and the doctor told me, "No running!" years ago.  In fact, he lectured me sternly about it.  But last summer I just sort of started doing it.

A post-run selfie last December

Saturday I was inspired by the people who were run-walking in front of me too.  I was able to keep up with them for most of the race because, well... I guess it just worked out that way.  Witnessing their determination was good for me.

This couple would run about two - three house lengths, then walk, then run, then walk.  I reminded me of when I started running...that's what I did.  I measured my distance of running by driveways.

The ladies on the left of this picture were run / walking with the little boy.  He was such a trooper.  3.1 miles is a LONG way to run for me, let alone this little guy.  He tried with all his might.

The lady on the right was such an inspiration.  She just kept at it, never giving up.  Towards the end there was a pretty decent sized hill and she went up that hill as fast as she could.  The last 1/2 mile, her friend came out and ran the last trek with her, cheering her on.

Okay, so I have a sore back.  And it's no joke.  When tying your shoes is a big deal, you treasure every little accomplishment.  So, it's time to stop feeling sorry for myself.  Today is the day.

More pics from our hike.  Joey, Leia and Sam

Princess Leia

Treasure the little things.  You are blessed.

O praise the name of the Lord our God

O praise His name forevermore

For endless days we will sing Your praise

Oh Lord Oh Lord Our God

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.

Psalm 146:5

Questions for you: (answer in the comment section below)

Are you a runner?  How do you deal with injuries when you are training?  What's the worst injury you've had?

Subscribe to new posts!  When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out.  I promise:  no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone.  Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.  

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Square One

Looking back is such a thing these days.  There are #ThrowbackThursdays and #FlashbackFridays.  Timehop reminds you of what you've posted on various social media sites.

Even Facebook has an "On This Day" reminder of the things you said over the past x number of years you've been on Facebook.  Sometimes it's embarrassing and you think, "Did I really say that?"  Usually  it's kind of nice to reminisce and think about where you've been, what you've done.

When the New Year rolled around, I was excited.  I thought to myself, "This is YOUR year!"  I was committed to regaining the strength I lost between my shoulder and recovering from multiple surgeries on my leg.  I was finally cleared to go all out and that's exactly what I did.  Until this happened: Down and Out.

Over the past 3+ years, I have been so focused on fitness that going from 100 to zero is a major blow.  Now I measure progress in terms of tying shoes, taking a walk without pain, cleaning the house, and picking up the laundry basket, and simply making it through the day.  I am restricted from doing just about everything that makes me happy.  No weight lifting, no running, no cycling. My doctor told me, "Back pain is tricky.  You have to listen to your body."

I couldn't run this race, so I walked, while my running buddies ran.  They were good sports and didn't mind waiting for me.  It was a BEAUTIFUL day for this race.l

Listen to my body?  What does that mean?

I have ALWAYS adhered to, "No pain, no gain."  "Give 100%"  What happens when you can't do the things you love?  What about when you were obese for your entire adult life and busted your butt to get in shape and now the rug is pulled out from beneath you?  Literally.

I wish I had all the answers to my own problems, but the thing is, "Back pain is tricky."  What works for one person, doesn't work for the next.  What worked yesterday may not work tomorrow.  But I do know, pushing through the pain will make things worse.  So, in this case, pain means "STOP."

Happy Easter from me and Sam

My doctor told me it could take a year.  A YEAR!  Are you serious?  He said, "You cannot put a time line on your recovery.  You have to listen to your body."

Listen to my body?  Here we go again.  What does that mean?

A year...

So, it's spring and I had already signed up for all kinds of races and other events, which I had to bail on:

• A bunch of 5K races that I can't run.
• The Run to Remember at the end of May.
• The Tour de Cure and the Tough Mudder in June.

I have the Ride to Remember and the Rugged Maniac in September and I can only hope I am well enough to train for these in time.  But..."Back pain is tricky" and "Don't put a timeline on recovery."  So, I'm calculating how long I think I need, minimum to train for the Ride to Remember.  I'm not sure.  I think it depends on how well I can hold up riding for extended rides, once I actually can start riding again.

So, to answer your questions...
Yes, I am going to Physical Therapy.  Yes, it is helping.

Yes, I do still see my chiropractor, but this is a muscle injury, and there's not much more he can do.  It has to heal.
No, I haven't gained weight.  Not at all, really.  But my muscle mass has diminished and my clothes from last spring don't fit as well.  Great, just great.  It really is true, muscle weighs more than fat.
No, I'm not going to give up.  I realize that I am starting all over again.

My motto!

Back to square one.  And I also know I may not be able to move from square one for a while because, "Back pain is tricky." and "I have to listen to my body."

Today I did some very light weight lifting.  I mean, very light, like 10 - 15 lbs. light.  It felt good to just hold the weights in my hands.

While I already track my food, I am going to start tracking my workouts again, as well as my pain to see how I do every day.  I have to learn how to listen to my body.

I also realize that #FlashbackFridays and #ThrowbackThursdays are no good for me because all the retrospective is doing me in.  Looking back isn't doing me any good right now.  So it's looking ahead.  Starting over from square one.  Ground zero.  It's only up from here.

Question for you: (answer in the comment section below)

If you celebrate Easter, what did you do?

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Down and Out

Good morning!  Today is March 22, 2017, thirty two days since my last post.  Usually I would say something like, "I've been so busy." or "This happened and that happened."

Today, instead, I just want to post a quick note to let you know what's going on and why I've been so silent.

My daily wardrobe for the past ??? days,  Look at my smile!

Last month I strained my back while cleaning the basement.  The pain was agonizing.  I experienced horrifying muscle spasms.  At first I could barely walk without having one.  The first week, I went to my chiropractor three times, had a full body massage and was only getting worse.

My friend Katherine opened her hot tub up to me, which has been an amazing God send.  It has been my only source of relief for the past month.

The following week, I left work on Tuesday, in tears from the muscle spasms and spent the rest of the week at home recovering.  Rest and strictly following the doctors' orders, I was finally able to go back to work last Monday.

I was even cleared to go to the gym on Wednesday to do light cardio.  I did 30 minutes on the elliptical at a very slow pace, followed by very gentle back stretches.  On Thursday, I considered going to yoga class, but I decided my back needed to rest more than it needed the additional push with the yoga and I skipped it.

Friday was St. Patrick's Day.  I woke up super early and felt fantastic.  I finished cleaning all of my scrapbook supplies that had been in the basement.  I did two loads of laundry and even made dinner for me and my husband.  He had to work that night and I figured it would be easier for him to bring it to work and then my meal was already all set.  I was picking my older son up from college that night.  I had a lengthy to-do list at work and was so looking forward to tackling it.

All of my scrapbook supplies in order!!!  They were spread out all over the dining room since I started cleaning the basement.

I wore the new green shirt and shamrock socks that I bought to run in a St. Patrick's race.  I couldn't run because of my back, but it was Friday and I usually dress more casually on Friday.  My makeup and hair came out great.  I was so happy!  What a great day it was going to be!  I even got an extra-large coffee at Dunkin Donuts on my way to work because, "Why not?"

We had a huge snow storm in Massachusetts last week.  In fact, most of the country had the same storm.  The warm air on Thursday had melted some of the snow, which refroze over night.

On my way into the building, I slipped on the ice and fell on my back, re-injuring my already compromised back.

I can't even begin to tell you all that has happened since then.  To sum it up in three words:  pain, nausea, and tears.

There has been some other stuff going on, which I can't really get into.  Yesterday I was angry with God for my circumstances.  I found two verses which really helped me.
One is my life verse:
Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous; do not be discouraged; for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9

God is with me.  He's got me.

And the second one, He gave me (when I was still mad) is this:

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.  They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
Jeremiah 17:7-8

I do trust in Him.  I do feel the heat right now and I do not need to be afraid.  He is with me.

I realize this was not the quick post I intended it to be.  Sitting is excruciating, but I did just have my morning dose of pain relief, so maybe that's why I'm able to write so much.  I will be back when I am feeling up to it.  In the mean time, please follow me on Snapchat (tracoleman993) or Instagram (@tracoleman99).  You can see my progress and updates there.  I am addicted.

Questions for you: (answer in the comment section below)

Have you ever hurt your back? How did it happen?  How do/ did you manage the pain?

Subscribe to new posts!  When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out.  I promise:  no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone.  Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.  

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!

Today is the day!

Today I finally got to go to the gym and work out. 

I am officially medically cleared to exercise again.  Yeah!!!  With conditions, of course.  "Don't over do it!"  "No heavy lifting."

Okay, Doc.  I hear you.

So, let's back track a bit.  I injured my shoulder last spring, re-injured it in September, rode 100 miles on my bike a few days later and seriously inflamed the tendon.  Two weeks ago I had a cortisone shot.  The next day, I had vein ablation surgery on my right leg for my varicose veins.  Last Sunday I woke up, convinced I had a blood clot.  Spent the morning in the e.r.  Diagnosis:  superficial thromboflebitis.

Saw the doctor yesterday and he said I'm good to go.

Yippeee!!!!  I'm so excited!!!!

I forgot  my hair tie and it was super windy yesterday!!!

I thought I would overdo it when I went to the gym, because that sounds like something I would do.  But I didn't.  I kept the weight down.  Focused on form and increased my reps.

I'm more of a free weight lifter.  But my shoulder has to heal fully before I can do much serious lifting, so I'm sticking to machines for my legs.

I started writing this last night and never got back to finishing it...

This morning I am going back to the gym for cardio, core and a Pilates class.  I got a run in this morning.

I am not a runner.  I have no idea if this is a good time for a beginner or not.  I have no idea if I'm wearing the right shoes, if my pace is right or not.  But to me, it's kind of like riding a bike.  Just get out there and do it, learn each time you do it and make adjustments as you go.  What do you think?  

I feel great!!  I do.  I'm so happy to be back at the gym.  I didn't let the restrictions get to me.  The first week I did a lot of walking and hiking.  I had a scare last weekend with the blood clot.  Essentially the veins in my leg are not happy.  It's been quite painful.  This week I took it easy until the doctor cleared me.  Yippee!!!

So, it's 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and I'm heading to the gym to work out.  Have a great day, everyone!

Questions for you (answer in the comment section below):
What's your favorite form of cardio?  Have you ever been restricted from your favorite activity?  How did you deal with it?

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Plan B

This weekend has been busy, but awesome!

Friday night I helped a couple colleagues get started with a workout plan.  That was fun.

You can do a lot with a little!

Yesterday morning I went hiking in the morning with puppy Leia and my friend Cyndi.  We had a great time at Peaked Mountain.

On our way home, I stopped to take a picture of that church.  It was so pretty with the bright blue sky behind it and the colorful tree in front!

In the afternoon, I went to an Eagle Scout Ceremony for one of the boys that was in my Cub Scout Den back in the day.  I am so proud of him.  Sticking with it is not easy, especially with all the demands on kids to do other things.  Scouting is a commitment and he did it!

Top:  Matthew, Liam (guest of honor), me, Devon and Sean
Bottom:  My den of WEBELOS in about 2008, I think.  Three of them stayed with scouting and went on to become Eagle Scouts.  I am so proud of them!

Then last night my church had a celebratory 20th Anniversary Dinner.  I went with my dad as my date and had a super nice time with him.

Today is somewhat open, but after yesterday's whirlwind, I think I am good with that.

Now that you are up to speed...

I finally have some answers about my shoulder and the pain I have been experiencing.  I have what is called bicep tendinitis.  Yes, it's my shoulder that hurts, but it's the tendon that connects my bicep to my shoulder that is causing all the trouble.  The pain was so bad last week that I called my doctor on Monday.  He said it sounds like tendinitis and ordered an X-Ray and referred me to a specialist.  On Wednesday I had a cortisone shot and was the recipient of a very stern lecture about ceasing all activity that may be contributing to the pain.  Pretty much, this means no more lifting, cardio (that involves moving my arms like an elliptical or running), vacuuming, laundry. or even biking.  His orders?  Rest.  After 1-2 weeks I can start doing my physical therapy exercises again with VERY little weight and VERY low repetitions and I am to cease all activity if I experience pain.  And absolutely NO biking until he clears me to ride again.

I guess that means I'm going to hang up my bike for the season.  :-(

On Thursday I had vein ablation surgery for the varicose veins in my right leg.  It might seem like this is a cosmetic procedure, and to some degree it is.  But my right leg aches every time I am on my feet for a while.  It gets worse at night when it is at rest and decides to throb like crazy.  After consulting a surgeon, I found out that the procedure can prevent future problems, such as venous ulcers.  The procedure was very painful.  I will not lie.  But recovery has been relatively easy.  Doctor's orders: "No lifting or strenuous activity for two weeks."  Oh, okay, isn't that funny that the endocrinologist said the same thing?

So now here I am at Plan B.

It's taken me a little while to swallow the pill, but I'll be honest with you, I'd rather have answers than be up in the air with what's going on.  Now I know.  I have tendinitis, which essentially is an overuse injury.  The only way for it to heal is to rest.  If I am not careful, I can tear the tendon and end up with what they call "Popeye Muscle."  The only way to repair this is with surgery, which they won't do.  So, yeah.  Rest sounds good to me.

I am surprisingly okay with it.  I am.  I can tell you the exact date I can go back to the gym too.

 And when I do go back, I am going to take it super easy.  I will.  I learned a lot from Physical Therapy and I'm going to make good use of what I learned.

As far as my legs go, I'll ease back into them too.  The veins in my right leg are in pretty rough shape, this was only the first treatment.  I don't want to develop complications because I chose to be aggressive with my training.

Yeah, so 25 steps back.  It's okay.

Plan B:  Walk.

I bet the puppies will like all the walks! 

Question for you (answer in the comment section below):
What did you do this weekend?

Subscribe to new posts!  When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out.  I promise:  no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone.  Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.  

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Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TraceyGettingFit

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