Been putting off scheduling an appointment for my shoulder. It’s been bugging me since April. Now my upper arm hurts. Glack. If I ask my PCP, he wants an MRI before even looking at it. You go to a walk-in clinic, they say you’re not dying, go see your PCP. They used to only do that for Emergency centers. So that sucks. I heard I could try a rheumatologist, but they throw long-term (permanent) drugs at you so I don’t really want to try that either. I tried to schedule an appointment with the last Dr. I saw for the knee (she was nice and helpful) but she’s booked until October. Ok, I’m not dying. I get it. I can still use my other arm, chug some otc meds and simply not do certain activities, like writing with a pen. Guess I could make a game out of it, like see how much weight I can try to lose by then. Since they usually say everything is caused by being overweight. Another reason I delayed going this long.
Guess I’m mildly irritated. Walking is good for weight loss, but isn’t pleasant since my knee and leg swells up. I can only do my arm supposed HIIT exercises with one arm now, so I’m not sure how high intensity they truly are at that point . . . Not sure what good exercises are left out there besides swimming. Probably time to try youtube and see what they recommend. Maybe I'll be all better by October. Yeah right.
Friday, July 12, 2024
Sunday, July 7, 2024
Year Recap
It’s been a little over a year since I started semi-seriously attempting to be more active. I’m kind of on the fence what to think. My perception is that I feel worse now than I did a year ago, which is disheartening. Though if I glance over the posts a year back, there was a lot of mention of pain there too. A lot of that was pain after doing exercises. Now I seem to have static chronic pain no matter what I'm doing. It's not a horrendous level of pain, but the chronic part is starting to get to me. This hurts, that hurts, everything hurts.
I’m still afraid to do any neck stretches. Those did cause immense pain last year. The arm exercises I did at the time made me so sore, and it did seem to take forever to build up stamina. Right now though, I’m avoiding using my one arm and shoulder, and I experience pain in basic daily tasks such as showering or getting dressed. A year ago was before my foot pain, and then my knee pain. I can’t even recall any event that motivated me to try to improve.
It could be worse; but I guess I had hoped I might eventually feel a little better, given the effort I’ve put in. I’m not gung-ho by any means. I’m trying to make more gradual sustainable modifications. I’ll try to keep the faith.
I still think the work wellness coach is a joke. We can leave that for another day.
Got different cooling sheets and a cooling cover for my weighted blanket. Scared to use the blanket in case moving it somehow makes my shoulder hurt. It doesn't hurt while I'm moving it around, but I guess it could cause issues 24-48 hours later. Who knows what else I did with my shoulder that felt fine at the time, by 2 days later.
I’m still afraid to do any neck stretches. Those did cause immense pain last year. The arm exercises I did at the time made me so sore, and it did seem to take forever to build up stamina. Right now though, I’m avoiding using my one arm and shoulder, and I experience pain in basic daily tasks such as showering or getting dressed. A year ago was before my foot pain, and then my knee pain. I can’t even recall any event that motivated me to try to improve.
It could be worse; but I guess I had hoped I might eventually feel a little better, given the effort I’ve put in. I’m not gung-ho by any means. I’m trying to make more gradual sustainable modifications. I’ll try to keep the faith.
I still think the work wellness coach is a joke. We can leave that for another day.
Got different cooling sheets and a cooling cover for my weighted blanket. Scared to use the blanket in case moving it somehow makes my shoulder hurt. It doesn't hurt while I'm moving it around, but I guess it could cause issues 24-48 hours later. Who knows what else I did with my shoulder that felt fine at the time, by 2 days later.
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
What went right today
You may think I’m bipolar, to suddenly post about something not being negative or frustrating. To be fair, I prefaced this journey saying my intent was to use this as a sounding board to myself, working through issues. When things aren’t negative issues, one doesn’t really need to write about them so much. You’re to busy being happy and going about your business not writing.
Back to things that went well today.
I taped my knee and it felt much better than the compression sleeve (when it doesn’t slide down in 60 seconds or less). I was able to walk more and got 8000 steps in by the time I left work. Yay! I rarely hit 10k, and 8k is my mini-goal for the time being. The “not a complete loser” goal. Not 10k, but not horrible. I actually read somewhere that 8k can be a decent goal for elderly people to achieve significant improved benefits. Not sure how elderly I am, but I’ll take it. 4/5 of the way there, at least.
I was able to walk even on my afternoon break. Usually I start off ok, morning and lunch, but by the afternoon, I’m so tired and sore and achy I have to force myself to simply get away from my desk for a few minutes. Today I felt fine. Very rare. Probably extraordinarily rare. I’ll take the win. Double Yay.
My newer pants are comfortably lose. Not saying I can fit into a size down, since my middle is the largest part of me, and the legs are always a bit lose to start off with. But they are to the comfy stage where they would not strangle me if I over-ate and then slouched in half or something. Not that either of those things are good. But you get the idea. For me, standing up in pants and having them fit is one thing. Still feeling comfortable sittign down after lunch is another thing, even if I don’t eat too much. Just sayin'.
I had a nice conversation with a coworker in the breakroom about the trials of being old and overweight. No idea what her name is, as she works in another department, but it was a nice chat. It wasn’t just an angry gripe-fest either. It was an encouraging “hang in there” type of exchange. I didn’t think she looked very old and only moderately overweight, but she’s had some challenges and told me about her ideas and so on. It was the type of conversation that left me feeling more chipper and energized. I’m generally introverted and not one to reap energy from talking to others, so this is saying something.
Although I’m avoiding using my right arm and shoulder for much (the let it rest stage) it’s not feeling too bad so far. By this time of day I usually do something inadvertently that causes an unfortunate stab and regret. So far so good. Small mile-stone, but I’ll take it. Pain-free is pain-free. Having pain or soreness in my knee, shoulder, and neck so much of the time, this is a welcome change.
I taped my knee and it felt much better than the compression sleeve (when it doesn’t slide down in 60 seconds or less). I was able to walk more and got 8000 steps in by the time I left work. Yay! I rarely hit 10k, and 8k is my mini-goal for the time being. The “not a complete loser” goal. Not 10k, but not horrible. I actually read somewhere that 8k can be a decent goal for elderly people to achieve significant improved benefits. Not sure how elderly I am, but I’ll take it. 4/5 of the way there, at least.
I was able to walk even on my afternoon break. Usually I start off ok, morning and lunch, but by the afternoon, I’m so tired and sore and achy I have to force myself to simply get away from my desk for a few minutes. Today I felt fine. Very rare. Probably extraordinarily rare. I’ll take the win. Double Yay.
My newer pants are comfortably lose. Not saying I can fit into a size down, since my middle is the largest part of me, and the legs are always a bit lose to start off with. But they are to the comfy stage where they would not strangle me if I over-ate and then slouched in half or something. Not that either of those things are good. But you get the idea. For me, standing up in pants and having them fit is one thing. Still feeling comfortable sittign down after lunch is another thing, even if I don’t eat too much. Just sayin'.
I had a nice conversation with a coworker in the breakroom about the trials of being old and overweight. No idea what her name is, as she works in another department, but it was a nice chat. It wasn’t just an angry gripe-fest either. It was an encouraging “hang in there” type of exchange. I didn’t think she looked very old and only moderately overweight, but she’s had some challenges and told me about her ideas and so on. It was the type of conversation that left me feeling more chipper and energized. I’m generally introverted and not one to reap energy from talking to others, so this is saying something.
Although I’m avoiding using my right arm and shoulder for much (the let it rest stage) it’s not feeling too bad so far. By this time of day I usually do something inadvertently that causes an unfortunate stab and regret. So far so good. Small mile-stone, but I’ll take it. Pain-free is pain-free. Having pain or soreness in my knee, shoulder, and neck so much of the time, this is a welcome change.
Saturday, June 22, 2024
Survived First Work Week Back
Survived my first week back at work. Not great, but not horrendous. It’s not the most favorite enjoyable place, but we won’t go into that. I’m just sore and tired today, and not sure why. Haven’t done much except walking. Shoulder is still unhappy. I wondered if could be from turning over and tugging at my weighted blanket, so I stopped using it this week. I love my weighted blanket and have used it every single day for years, so this is not a happy thing for me. In fact, I was previously contemplating getting a slightly heavier one. Still, for the existing one, Why would it start to hurt now, after so many years? If it is the culprit. It was the last thing I could think of. I’ve rested and iced it during my time off. That was the only thing I could think of.
Did some mild knee strengthening, and that hurts too. More than it should. When you’re younger, they say if something hurts, ice and rest. I guess when you’re older, they suggest to keep moving through the pain and hope it gets better by moving more. Ok, but what at what point can you settle down for the evening? Doesn’t seem fair when you take a couple hours off after dinner, get ready for bed, and everything aches again. Does it ever stop? It gets old really fast.
Did some mild knee strengthening, and that hurts too. More than it should. When you’re younger, they say if something hurts, ice and rest. I guess when you’re older, they suggest to keep moving through the pain and hope it gets better by moving more. Ok, but what at what point can you settle down for the evening? Doesn’t seem fair when you take a couple hours off after dinner, get ready for bed, and everything aches again. Does it ever stop? It gets old really fast.
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
5 Weeks 6 Days
One day short of 6 weeks, I a couple tiny youtube exercise video. It was seated, arms/shoulders, which were not close to the surgery zone. I did not attempt full blast if it felt too much, so I modified as needed. Fitness tracker even acknowledged 27 activity zone minutes. A few minutes after finishing, I felt some unpleasant pangs closer to my surgery area. See? They are trying to protect you by telling you to take it easy and not do too much too soon. I would have tried this on week 2 or 3, had I not been warned not to. I’m sure my pangs aren’t anything serious, but the point is recovery is slow, even when it goes well. Reading the recovery board and some doctors advised it can take up to a year to fully recover in some aspects. I know that sounds redic, butI heard the same timeline with my previous eye surgery as well. It can take a year not because you’re old or overweight; it can just take that long. The activity today didn’t kill me though, so I’ll call it a success.
Tuesday, June 11, 2024
Almost 6 Weeks Post Op
Thursday is officially 6 weeks from surgery. I have the last appointment with my surgeon that day, and anticipate she will release most if not all activity restrictions. I’ve been doing really well, but also appreciate them being protective of me. I’ve found it’s easy to over-do things when feeling well, especially the first three weeks. Even if one doesn’t significantly injure themselves by over-doing it, it still stresses the body out, which is already stressed trying to rebuild and recover. I’m still significantly overweight and in an older age class, so if anything, I almost feel guilty I’ve done so well. I wouldn’t post to those surgery recovery boards because I realize not everyone is so lucky. Definitely wouldn’t want to lead prospective surgery patients to believe that it would be as easy as I’ve had it. I saw a post this morning how someone also appreciated their fitness tracker to chart their progress. They made steady progress building up to 2600 steps by day 9. I worked up to 6000 steps on day 6. Yet I wasn’t consistent and have only been averaging about 5500, with some days doing far less. That lack of self discipline isn’t anything to brag about.
The one thing challenging my patience is my shoulder. It started aching a bit before surgery, and I figured it might be the new mattress. Not so much sleeping on it, but hoisting my big ol’ body around when I change positions. It doesn’t hurt when I do that, but I’m half asleep so it’s possible the discomfort doesn’t register. I wake up and it’s not too bad. By the end of the day it feels semi-terrible and I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. If I hold completely still, it’s fine. If I stretch – pain. Move in particular directions, sore pain, as if it’s been over-used. Pretty sure it contributed to my neck being so tense sore a while ago. The thing is, I’m not doing any exercises or weights, so what the? I do try to gently rotate and stretch once in a while, but I have no idea how it builds up all day. I spent a couple of weeks trying to only use my opposite arm/shoulder to reposition and scootch around in bed and it didn’t help. Generally the remedy is rest, ice. I had plenty of time and ice packs during my surgery recovery, but no improvement.
I could go in to a walk-in place, but it’s not like it’s urgent (as they are called urgent care clinics). Most likely they would say it’s nothing serious, follow up with my primary care provider . . . based on the previous knee situation. Otherwise I’d be tempted to go. Idk. It’s so hit and miss with these places. Sometimes they can fix you right up or refer to physical therapy if needed. Other times they’re rude, ask what the heck do you expect of them and tell you to let things run the course. Maybe I could start strengthening exercises once I get the green light on Thursday.
The one thing challenging my patience is my shoulder. It started aching a bit before surgery, and I figured it might be the new mattress. Not so much sleeping on it, but hoisting my big ol’ body around when I change positions. It doesn’t hurt when I do that, but I’m half asleep so it’s possible the discomfort doesn’t register. I wake up and it’s not too bad. By the end of the day it feels semi-terrible and I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. If I hold completely still, it’s fine. If I stretch – pain. Move in particular directions, sore pain, as if it’s been over-used. Pretty sure it contributed to my neck being so tense sore a while ago. The thing is, I’m not doing any exercises or weights, so what the? I do try to gently rotate and stretch once in a while, but I have no idea how it builds up all day. I spent a couple of weeks trying to only use my opposite arm/shoulder to reposition and scootch around in bed and it didn’t help. Generally the remedy is rest, ice. I had plenty of time and ice packs during my surgery recovery, but no improvement.
I could go in to a walk-in place, but it’s not like it’s urgent (as they are called urgent care clinics). Most likely they would say it’s nothing serious, follow up with my primary care provider . . . based on the previous knee situation. Otherwise I’d be tempted to go. Idk. It’s so hit and miss with these places. Sometimes they can fix you right up or refer to physical therapy if needed. Other times they’re rude, ask what the heck do you expect of them and tell you to let things run the course. Maybe I could start strengthening exercises once I get the green light on Thursday.
Sunday, June 9, 2024
Sleeping When Hot
Ugh. We got a new mattress this spring. It was sorely needed – the prior mattress was basically a dud quality wise, but not covered under the warrantee for being too firm. Problem is, structurally it was super cooling (freezing in winter, had to put multiple blankets under the sheets) and now that the weather is getting hot, I didn’t realize how much I would miss that feature. I think it was the honey-comb-like semi-hollow structure that seemed to suck all the warm air away. Idk.
Now what. Can’t get another mattress. Besides, we already tested every mattress tested in the valley, and not going to try the mattress in a box types. As tempting as some of those looked, we stumbled across one in real life and it was terrible. Not going that route.
They have supposed cooling sheets, blankets, comforters . . . But which one? Amazon.com is notorious for not refunding my returns, so I don’t want to stack up 2 or 3 $100+ duds figuring out which one is best. I love my weighted blanket, so that’s an issue too. Do I need a different “cooling” weighted blanket? Or would a cooling cover suffice? Cooling weighted blanket doesn't do any good if you don't also have a cooling cover. You need a cover because you don't want to wash weighted blankets often. Can one sandwich a supposedly cooling thin sheet/blanket between oneself and the weighted blanket and feel cooler or does it not work that way? It’s not that my weighted blanket is super warm, but it doesn’t help. Maybe I got used to it being warm because all the heat was sucked out of me by the blanket and it balanced out somehow? Therefore maybe it would balance out if I found some super cooling weighted blanket even though the mattress feels like the source of heat right now. It’s all relative anyway – it’s not that the mattress is inherently hot, but it feels warm it in comparison to the ice cube we’ve slept on for the past few years.
I’ve spent a couple of weeks looking at articles, reviews, etc. and haven’t come to any conclusions. I guess it’s my fault I didn’t ask about cooling properties on the mattress, and only went for comfort. Like sales people would be entirely honest. And as if they’d know exactly what my old mattress felt like. Besides, did I mention we didn't like any other mattresses? The question is what can I do to cope with the current situation and make it more bearable?
Already have a cooling mattress protector and supposedly semi-cooling natural fiber sheets (closet shopping). I recently saw supposedly gel-infused memory foam pads/toppers may have cooling properties. I hate memory foam but if it’s only a couple inches vs. the whole mattress, and if it really cools . . . I might be willing to give it a go. Gel-only cooling pads are only supposed to help for a couple of hours. One could argue that might be long enough to fall asleep pleasantly and maybe the gradual less-effectiveness while asleep wouldn’t be that disruptive. But if solid gel doesn’t last that long, gel-infused probably isn’t going to be any better.
Drilling holes probably isn’t a great solution either, even though I think that’s what helped the previous mattress feel like a heat sink. If I went for the toppers, there go the fitted sheets. Current mattress is already 16 inches, and adding 2-4 inches of cooling topper . . . granted, we sometimes use flat sheets in lieu of fitted, and that works, but then you have no use for the fitted ones at all and cut your useable resources in half.
Too bad I didn’t realize we should have taken a chainsaw to the last mattress. Maybe there was a layer in there we could have used while destroying it. But we didn’t have a chainsaw or room to destroy it. Sigh.
Now what. Can’t get another mattress. Besides, we already tested every mattress tested in the valley, and not going to try the mattress in a box types. As tempting as some of those looked, we stumbled across one in real life and it was terrible. Not going that route.
They have supposed cooling sheets, blankets, comforters . . . But which one? Amazon.com is notorious for not refunding my returns, so I don’t want to stack up 2 or 3 $100+ duds figuring out which one is best. I love my weighted blanket, so that’s an issue too. Do I need a different “cooling” weighted blanket? Or would a cooling cover suffice? Cooling weighted blanket doesn't do any good if you don't also have a cooling cover. You need a cover because you don't want to wash weighted blankets often. Can one sandwich a supposedly cooling thin sheet/blanket between oneself and the weighted blanket and feel cooler or does it not work that way? It’s not that my weighted blanket is super warm, but it doesn’t help. Maybe I got used to it being warm because all the heat was sucked out of me by the blanket and it balanced out somehow? Therefore maybe it would balance out if I found some super cooling weighted blanket even though the mattress feels like the source of heat right now. It’s all relative anyway – it’s not that the mattress is inherently hot, but it feels warm it in comparison to the ice cube we’ve slept on for the past few years.
I’ve spent a couple of weeks looking at articles, reviews, etc. and haven’t come to any conclusions. I guess it’s my fault I didn’t ask about cooling properties on the mattress, and only went for comfort. Like sales people would be entirely honest. And as if they’d know exactly what my old mattress felt like. Besides, did I mention we didn't like any other mattresses? The question is what can I do to cope with the current situation and make it more bearable?
Already have a cooling mattress protector and supposedly semi-cooling natural fiber sheets (closet shopping). I recently saw supposedly gel-infused memory foam pads/toppers may have cooling properties. I hate memory foam but if it’s only a couple inches vs. the whole mattress, and if it really cools . . . I might be willing to give it a go. Gel-only cooling pads are only supposed to help for a couple of hours. One could argue that might be long enough to fall asleep pleasantly and maybe the gradual less-effectiveness while asleep wouldn’t be that disruptive. But if solid gel doesn’t last that long, gel-infused probably isn’t going to be any better.
Drilling holes probably isn’t a great solution either, even though I think that’s what helped the previous mattress feel like a heat sink. If I went for the toppers, there go the fitted sheets. Current mattress is already 16 inches, and adding 2-4 inches of cooling topper . . . granted, we sometimes use flat sheets in lieu of fitted, and that works, but then you have no use for the fitted ones at all and cut your useable resources in half.
Too bad I didn’t realize we should have taken a chainsaw to the last mattress. Maybe there was a layer in there we could have used while destroying it. But we didn’t have a chainsaw or room to destroy it. Sigh.
Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Qi Gong and My Neck
I am the least qualified to discuss Tai Chi and Qi Gong, but I’ve been attempting to learn about it, and both are pretty darn cool. My in-laws have a Lego resale business, and I thought the easiest way to convey to my spouse what I think I understand is as follows: Qi Gong is older and like the predecessor of Tai Chi. Qi Gong appears to have lots of different movements, which would be like individual Legos. Tai Chi is more like when you get a specific set or creation of Legos. A prescribed order and sequence. Qi Gong can be martial arts, spiritual, or physical wellness. Tai Chi was developed from Qi Gong focusing on the martial arts application.
The funny thing is, I think a lot of the videos labeled as Tai Chi aren’t necessarily strict Tai Chi Forms, so in theory they might be more Qi Gong. I wonder if it’s the term Tai Chi being more recognizable. That’s why I initially searched under Tai Chi. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to open up learning Qi Gong if it was entirely different and perhaps harder. Surprise – it’s probably easier or similar to those beginner Tai Chi videos anyway.
I realized it’s been about a year since I’ve had tension and pain in my neck whenever attempting to stretch or exercise my neck. I finally gave up because it wasn’t worth it, even if my physician gave me a standing prescription for muscle relaxants. I watched a couple of Qi Gong videos online and automatically stopped as soon as any of them mentioned stretching or turning the neck much. I finally realized today that it might be worth a shot. If they cause pain and I regret it, at least it’s not doing so while I’m at work attempting to concentrate and deal with that aspect of life. I still have a week and a half left (and a bottle of prescriptions at the ready). As it is, I don’t know what I’ve been doing that makes my shoulders so tense and hurt by the end of the day, but I’m in pain and chucking back the OTCs by that time. I thought walking was supposed to help with that, and all I’m doing is walking. Anyway, I tried a couple of gentle videos (the first semed more geared towards arms and shoulders) and only went as far as I felt was safe. The pain is always delayed, so we’ll see what happens. Fingers crossed. I can always try different videos tomorrow.
The funny thing is, I think a lot of the videos labeled as Tai Chi aren’t necessarily strict Tai Chi Forms, so in theory they might be more Qi Gong. I wonder if it’s the term Tai Chi being more recognizable. That’s why I initially searched under Tai Chi. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to open up learning Qi Gong if it was entirely different and perhaps harder. Surprise – it’s probably easier or similar to those beginner Tai Chi videos anyway.
I realized it’s been about a year since I’ve had tension and pain in my neck whenever attempting to stretch or exercise my neck. I finally gave up because it wasn’t worth it, even if my physician gave me a standing prescription for muscle relaxants. I watched a couple of Qi Gong videos online and automatically stopped as soon as any of them mentioned stretching or turning the neck much. I finally realized today that it might be worth a shot. If they cause pain and I regret it, at least it’s not doing so while I’m at work attempting to concentrate and deal with that aspect of life. I still have a week and a half left (and a bottle of prescriptions at the ready). As it is, I don’t know what I’ve been doing that makes my shoulders so tense and hurt by the end of the day, but I’m in pain and chucking back the OTCs by that time. I thought walking was supposed to help with that, and all I’m doing is walking. Anyway, I tried a couple of gentle videos (the first semed more geared towards arms and shoulders) and only went as far as I felt was safe. The pain is always delayed, so we’ll see what happens. Fingers crossed. I can always try different videos tomorrow.
Thursday, May 30, 2024
When Green Equals Noise
Spring should be nice, and I always love seeing nature and foliage, but dang it’s been noisy lately. It’s a pleasant temperature to open windows for fresh air, but unfortunately it also lets in a ton of noise. Traffic from nearby busy streets is at least a relatively constant hum and noise level. It’s the landscaping that is driving me nuts. I didn’t think there was enough surrounding our apartment complex and neighboring business complexes, but they’re at it all day three days a week. As soon as you think maybe, just maybe they’re done, due to a small lapse, it starts up again. Probably moving to a different area, or brining out different tools. Three consecutive days of mowers, blowers, trimmers buzz-saws, and who knows what else. The mower finally fades in the distance, and three minutes later it’s back for another lap.
Tried a 17 minute walking video on youtube. Went ok except for the 3 commercial interruptions. My furkid was a bit anxious of me walking that fast. Like they wanted attention and I wasn’t stopping to dote on them. Hope they can get more used to it, as I should do those more often.
My surgery support website is awesome giving weekly encouragement.
Tried a 17 minute walking video on youtube. Went ok except for the 3 commercial interruptions. My furkid was a bit anxious of me walking that fast. Like they wanted attention and I wasn’t stopping to dote on them. Hope they can get more used to it, as I should do those more often.
My surgery support website is awesome giving weekly encouragement.
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
Tai Chi and Week 4
Not much blog-worthy to report this week. Four weeks since surgery, two more before returning to work. Never wanted to exercise with weights so much, and never so bored of walking. Not sure I can do anything like those walking videos/programs where you do more than march in place. Not yet. Not even sure I can do certain stretches yet, and I keep going back to what the surgeon advised: why risk it.
Tried following some basic crochet youtube videos and became frustrated as it took me far too long to realize I was practicing incorrectly. May revisit, but not the best start, and I get frustrated with these things far too easily. Kind of knew the risk, but I've got all this time, right?
Went back to seated Tai Chi and generally enjoying it. Haven't found an ideal instructor or series yet, but trying to be open minded and learn what I can. Most youtube videos are geared more towards watch and immitate. I would prefer to learn and memorize so I could do this anywhere – not merely when glued in front of a screen. It's nice there are so many adapted for being seated, and I may get the idea how to adapt the standing ones, the more I watch. Sounds like Qi Gong is related, so I might look into that as well.
Tried following some basic crochet youtube videos and became frustrated as it took me far too long to realize I was practicing incorrectly. May revisit, but not the best start, and I get frustrated with these things far too easily. Kind of knew the risk, but I've got all this time, right?
Went back to seated Tai Chi and generally enjoying it. Haven't found an ideal instructor or series yet, but trying to be open minded and learn what I can. Most youtube videos are geared more towards watch and immitate. I would prefer to learn and memorize so I could do this anywhere – not merely when glued in front of a screen. It's nice there are so many adapted for being seated, and I may get the idea how to adapt the standing ones, the more I watch. Sounds like Qi Gong is related, so I might look into that as well.
Thursday, May 23, 2024
3 Weeks Post Op
I should be posting that 3 weeks after surgery I’m continually doing better. Apartment management gave a day’s notice for an inspection, so I overdid it while cleaning and am still sore. My husband did the major work, but I felt compelled to do what I could (which wasn’t much). I didn’t take any otc pain relief until no more work was left. I figured that way I wouldn’t overtax myself even more, not feeling the subtle pains of over-exertion. I’m pretty sure there's no permanent damage, but feel sore and grumpy about the whole thing.
I have walked as much as 16 minutes at a time, which is on track for increasing 5 minute increments per week. Still have a that bruise and a tender bump underneath it, which I asked the surgeon’s office about. It’s nothing emergent, so they'll get back later. It's just driving me crazy wondering if it’s permanent or will go away. Bruises are finally gone from the IV’s in my hands and I only have little dot scars that might fade over time.
I forget exactly what day I decided maybe it was better to simply recover and eat healthy food rather than focus on losing weight at the same time. For example: protein is good for rebuilding tissue and staying full, and I usually lack in that area. For now I'd rather focus on getting protein rather than skimping on calories. Yes, I'm a wimp.
I have walked as much as 16 minutes at a time, which is on track for increasing 5 minute increments per week. Still have a that bruise and a tender bump underneath it, which I asked the surgeon’s office about. It’s nothing emergent, so they'll get back later. It's just driving me crazy wondering if it’s permanent or will go away. Bruises are finally gone from the IV’s in my hands and I only have little dot scars that might fade over time.
I forget exactly what day I decided maybe it was better to simply recover and eat healthy food rather than focus on losing weight at the same time. For example: protein is good for rebuilding tissue and staying full, and I usually lack in that area. For now I'd rather focus on getting protein rather than skimping on calories. Yes, I'm a wimp.
Thursday, May 16, 2024
2 Weeks Post Op
Currently at 2 weeks and a few hours after surgery. Still have a big bruise on my hand from the IV. I may be a weakling, but I’m not up to 60 minutes of activity a day. More importantly, a friendly website about recovery for my specific surgery said that it’s ok. It really is/was a major surgery where multiple internal organs are impacted, and it takes 6-8 weeks to heal and function at any level of normalcy. So just because I did 9k+ steps on Tuesday, I don’t need to beat myself up if I can’t do that every single day. It’s normal to have energy one day, and feel like napping the next. It’s easy to overdo it (think I did last Saturday) and it doesn’t help to torture your body over-doing it when it’s trying to heal and get back to normal. It’s great to take lots of small walks here and there to not be completely sedentary, but the resting and healing a lot is still a real thing. Even stretching some body parts is not a good thing. So many things adjacent or connected enough that you don’t realize a stretch was a bad idea.
In the meantime I’ll do what I can. It won’t do any good to injure myself trying to do too much too fast. And that’s ok.
In the meantime I’ll do what I can. It won’t do any good to injure myself trying to do too much too fast. And that’s ok.
Monday, May 13, 2024
New Bruises, Walking Ideals
Developed a large bruise 10 days after the surgery, nowhere near any incision sites. They said it should be fine since I don’t have any other symptoms (fever, chills, etc.), but keep an eye on it. Surprised me, was all. Guessing it was a deep bruise and took that long to surface.
My skin is still has spots that are porcupine-y from rash, some that are red and nasty looking but not infected, some dry and flakey, or just plain itchy. I’d use lotion or moisturizing soap, but not really supposed to scrub or lotion most of it yet.
Not sure where I read that one needs a minimum 60 minutes a day of moderate activity. That’s a lot even if I take multiple 10 minute walks. What if my fitness tracker doesn’t register that my pulse is up to the moderate zone the entire time? Glack I’m pathetic if this seems like such a challenging goal. I don’t recall where I saw it or who came up with this number. A couple other resources and health professionals had advised about 150 minutes a week, which comes out to 22 minutes a day. Certainly more feasible, but one might also argue if that’s enough. Even breaking up 60 minutes during a regular workday, it seems like a lot. Yes, one has breaks and lunch, but using this time to use facilities, get water and food at lunch, I think it’d be pressing it to get 40 minutes total. And that’s only if you go by the clock and don’t worry if the tracker states you only spent 25 of those minutes in your target heart-range. Then 20 minutes after work wouldn’t seem so bad, but that’s still an ideal day. If you had to do most of it after work, or feel you need to make up for any other days you didn’t get 60 minutes in, you start to see where activity seems more like a chore than an opportunity to be healthy. Under surgery recovery protocols, I’m not supposed to worry about walking speed or intensity; only gradually working up total endurance for length of single walks. At the end of 6 weeks, I should be ok to walk 30 minutes continuously. This is still week two. I can do 10 minute walks. All I’m saying is 6 of them is still quite a bit. What about the tiny walks inbetween if you don’t start your timer? Do you discourage yourself from sneaking in a few extra steps if you don’t got a full 10 minutes at a time?
I saw another site that recommended 150 minutes plus strength training. That means if you strength train 3 times a week for 20 minutes that's an hour that doesn't count? Good grief.
Perusing the internet, I found a walking app that professed it could get me to my ideal weight by a not so distant date. I will not be investing in it, but it was that an interesting thought. Maybe that’s the type of ideal I should visualize when I’m griping about 60 minutes of daily activity. The last time I was at a healthy weight, I did roughly 90 minutes a day of combined activities. Parked far away on purpose, walks and stairs on lunches and breaks, 40+ minutes vigorous activity (dripping sweat) after work, and then stretches and mild strengthening on top of that. I did not find it to be sustainable. There’s a point where you don’t mind pushing yourself when your trying to lose weight, because you think eventually you can let up a little bit. You think sure, I’ll do extra right now to get to that goal, but you don’t necessarily think you’ll have to keep up that intensity forever. Some activity, sure. 22 minutes, no problem. An hour? Maybe.
I guess for me, just try to be consistent and build up as permitted. Try not to be overwhelmed or discouraged by ideals that seem far off . . .
My skin is still has spots that are porcupine-y from rash, some that are red and nasty looking but not infected, some dry and flakey, or just plain itchy. I’d use lotion or moisturizing soap, but not really supposed to scrub or lotion most of it yet.
Not sure where I read that one needs a minimum 60 minutes a day of moderate activity. That’s a lot even if I take multiple 10 minute walks. What if my fitness tracker doesn’t register that my pulse is up to the moderate zone the entire time? Glack I’m pathetic if this seems like such a challenging goal. I don’t recall where I saw it or who came up with this number. A couple other resources and health professionals had advised about 150 minutes a week, which comes out to 22 minutes a day. Certainly more feasible, but one might also argue if that’s enough. Even breaking up 60 minutes during a regular workday, it seems like a lot. Yes, one has breaks and lunch, but using this time to use facilities, get water and food at lunch, I think it’d be pressing it to get 40 minutes total. And that’s only if you go by the clock and don’t worry if the tracker states you only spent 25 of those minutes in your target heart-range. Then 20 minutes after work wouldn’t seem so bad, but that’s still an ideal day. If you had to do most of it after work, or feel you need to make up for any other days you didn’t get 60 minutes in, you start to see where activity seems more like a chore than an opportunity to be healthy. Under surgery recovery protocols, I’m not supposed to worry about walking speed or intensity; only gradually working up total endurance for length of single walks. At the end of 6 weeks, I should be ok to walk 30 minutes continuously. This is still week two. I can do 10 minute walks. All I’m saying is 6 of them is still quite a bit. What about the tiny walks inbetween if you don’t start your timer? Do you discourage yourself from sneaking in a few extra steps if you don’t got a full 10 minutes at a time?
I saw another site that recommended 150 minutes plus strength training. That means if you strength train 3 times a week for 20 minutes that's an hour that doesn't count? Good grief.
Perusing the internet, I found a walking app that professed it could get me to my ideal weight by a not so distant date. I will not be investing in it, but it was that an interesting thought. Maybe that’s the type of ideal I should visualize when I’m griping about 60 minutes of daily activity. The last time I was at a healthy weight, I did roughly 90 minutes a day of combined activities. Parked far away on purpose, walks and stairs on lunches and breaks, 40+ minutes vigorous activity (dripping sweat) after work, and then stretches and mild strengthening on top of that. I did not find it to be sustainable. There’s a point where you don’t mind pushing yourself when your trying to lose weight, because you think eventually you can let up a little bit. You think sure, I’ll do extra right now to get to that goal, but you don’t necessarily think you’ll have to keep up that intensity forever. Some activity, sure. 22 minutes, no problem. An hour? Maybe.
I guess for me, just try to be consistent and build up as permitted. Try not to be overwhelmed or discouraged by ideals that seem far off . . .
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