INJURY RECOVERY CHECK-IN WK OF 8/07!

[tralaiven]

I am getting this party started! So far it is just me and thee, Fossey, but that's all it takes...and being tough! How's yer ankle feeling? Are you in any pain?

Sunday is always my rest day, but tomorrow I have plans for spinning (w/ one arm in a sling) and weights...I will check-in when it is complete.

cheers and blessings!

 

[tralaiven]

great! Alisha is in too! I haven't done anything yet today...still sitting in my chair...but thinkin' I may do so soon.

My shoulder is sore today probably because I went to church yesterday for the first time in a month...but it was good to get out!

Alisha: how is it that you can still hike and stuff? Are they light fractures? I am glad you can do at least that! Sorry about your weight gain...that has been my fear too!! I have a dress I need to fit into for 9/17!

 

[tralaiven]

Today I did 15 min of spinning. My DH rigged the bike with my STS tower right by it so I can sit upright since leaning forward hurts... then after the spinning I did:

32 reps (Left arm only) each of :

bicep curls
front raises
side arm raises
overhead press
overhead tricep ext.

32 reps: plie squats and stationary lunges ea. leg

and I'm done ...that was enough for me today after doing nothing but sitting for a month!

we have another person who wants to join us::: a big welcome to JeanneMarie

I would like good name for us...if anyone has ideas...post 'em!
I was thinking of: Misery Loves Company Injury Recovery

 

[kikster]

My cross post from other thread:

"Unfortunately, lol, I'm game for this as well. I'm still on the mend from my pre-Disney RT Achilles injury . I went back to working out on it too soon (2 1/2 wks) and did even worse damage to it. So it's been upper body mania for me. Today was the first time that I was actually able to drive myself somewhere, it was pretty liberating, but I'm not about to go bust out a HIIT DVD it nuthin, lol. "

 

[kikster]

Today was PUB for me. I love that one cuz I sweat about as much as I do during an intense cardio, lol. I always make sure to lift crazy heavy, and it does not disappoint . Gotta love it. It helps me feel less of a slacker than I do on my days off from upper body/weights/cardio. I'm trying to still do something on in between days, but there's only so much you can do w/o use of your Achilles (usually abs/stretching). I've been trying some barre/ballet type DVDs lately, anything really, to feel like I've done something, but I'm not willing to risk injury again. So heavily modifying at this point.

 

[JeanneMarie]

Thanks for the warm welcome, Tracy!

Hey everyone!

Hugs to all of you! It is so nice to be able to come here and have people listen to me whine! LOL!

Seriously, I am not a whiner, but I know my loved ones get tired of me obsessing over my broken wrist...when is it gonna heal, how will it look, how long until I can do a plank or a push up again? On and on... they all have glazed looks in their eyes. It will do me a world of good to check in here with y'all, and be able to talk to someone who can relate.

I am now 5 weeks out of my cast, and 2 weeks out of the arm brace that came after the cast. I started physical therapy last week, and today had my 4th session.

I lost almost complete flexion and rotation with my wrist, and about 75% of my grip strength. I am still amazed at how quickly that can happen. I have never had a broken bone, so all this is new to me. I had this naive idea that I'd come out of that cast and all would be hunky dory. NOT!

So... the therapy is going okay. It's tough and it's painful. I am about 65% back to normal movement, which according to my therapist is pretty good for the time frame. I haven't a clue, so I trust she's right.

I never stopped running throughout this whole ordeal. I had a cast up to my shoulder, and I was still running every day. It was more of a "jog" at that point, but I refused to give up. Two weeks into my cast, they gave me a short arm cast, which was wonderful compared to the one up to my shoulder. At that point I was able to pretty much resume normal running... I got back up my speed and distance, running in that stinkin' (literally) cast every day. I even ran the Atlanta Peachtree 10K on July 4th in the cast. It was hot and horribly uncomfortable, but I did it!

I also continued doing my DVD workouts (weights, aerobics, etc.) in the cast, but had to seriously modify them. I am just now able to curl 8 lbs with my right hand. I still cannot curl a barbell of any poundage. My wrist rotation won't allow me to perform the motion at all. I am so anxious to get my right arm (bicep, tricep and forearm) back to form. It looks like a little withered stick... which is killin' me! I worked so hard to have nice arms, and this little detour was not in my plan.

I did PUB yesterday using my usual poundage in my left hand and ALMOST my usual in my right. Most of the moves were doable, until I got to the bicep curls. Again, 8 was as high as I could go...and I was really sore after. And of course the ab work on the stability ball was out of the question. I did the ab work leading up to it, and then stopped.

I hope everyone is hanging in there and healing fast. Prior to this, I had never had an injury any worse than a bad case of PF. How naive I was! I just didn't know what I was in for. I will never again take my fitness and mobility for granted.

 

[JeanneMarie]

Tracy,

Good job with doing the weights with your left arm! That's what I did for all those weeks in the cast... just training my left arm. I knew the right one would wither, but I did NOT want matching arms.

I think the motivation that is keeping you going will help you so much when you come out of the cast. My therapist is vey impressed with my motivation and my willingness to do the exercises for my hand and wrist, even though they HURT! I am bound and determined to get back where I was.

KiKi,

I'm really sorry to hear that you started back too soon with your Achilles injury. I listened to my doctor warn me over and over about that. He knew how motivated I was to continue my fitness routine even though injured, but kept telling me (especially at first when the break was fresh) not to overdo it. He said it would lead to an even longer recovery. I did my best to heed his advice, but it wasn't easy!

Motivation is definitely a two edged sword where injuries are concerned.

 

[fossey]

Hi everyone, glad to see you join in, but sorry we are all injured.
Today was STS Disc 4, as I'm only albe to train my upper body.

Tracy, how is your arm. My daughter broke her humerous bone when she was nine. It was an awful break.

Kikster, I know how you feel about driving. I broke my left ankle, and my car is standard. I couldn't drive for the first four weeks. Hope I never have to do that again, as you are so at the mercy of friends and relatives. I am a runner as well and haven't been able to run since June 27. It's really starting to bother me. Hope your achilles heals quickly.

JeanneMarie, way to go with the running. I miss cardio

 

[tralaiven]

Thanks for the warm welcome, Tracy!

Hey everyone!

Hugs to all of you! It is so nice to be able to come here and have people listen to me whine! LOL!

Seriously, I am not a whiner, but I know my loved ones get tired of me obsessing over my broken wrist...when is it gonna heal, how will it look, how long until I can do a plank or a push up again? On and on... they all have glazed looks in their eyes. It will do me a world of good to check in here with y'all, and be able to talk to someone who can relate.

JeanneMarie:
I understand this...I especially like the "glazed " part. It is all so life-changing isn't it?! But we are not quitters and will not give up so we can whine to each other 'cause we get it and then fight side by side! woohoo for you for running! I know my barbell curls are a ways off too And I worked so hard to be able to do my full body push ups and had gotten up to 75 with rests in between...and now I look forward to doing them hopefully by next year.

Kiki: I posted to you in the open disc. too...but i will say it again...glad and sad to be in this checkin w/ you...I wish that darned achilles would leave you alone...I see you recovered somewhat from the dog fiasco! but did DH survive? Your arms are gonna be smokin' since you are focusing on them! (not that they weren't already---I saw pics of you at the Disney RT and you were lookin' good!)

fossey: Meso 1 was a fav of mine because it moved so quickly. good to see ya.

 

[JeanneMarie]

Yes, Tracy... injuries are definitely life changing. And not in a good way! However, I have learned a few lessons along the way to recovery. It's always good to take a lesson from something bad, right?

1) I will always have more empathy for those with injuries... especially someone I see in a cast. I had no idea. I just didn't know what they were going through before I was in the same boat. Now when I see someone with a cast, I make sure to speak to them and express my best wishes for a quick and easy recovery.

2) I will never, ever again take my fitness, my mobility and my ability to do simple every day tasks for granted.

3) Never feel sorry for yourself because there is always someone in a worse situation than you. I learned this lesson talking to people at the orthopaedist's office when going in for my x-rays every week.

4) This too shall pass...

5) Patience, patience, patience!

I was proud of my ability to do full body push ups too. I was also proud of the way my arms looked. I had to work HARD to get them there as my body's natural inclination is to be skinny. I had stick arms... well now I have one stick arm again. I WILL get my old arm back!

Fossey, glad you are joining us, but not glad you are injured. And I know how you feel about the cardio... I miss my weights. Too bad we can't do it for each other, right?

Everyone, thanks for listening to me. It feels good to talk to you all!

Here are a few photos for your amusement! Figured you'd get a kick out of seeing these from the Peachtree 10K. This was 2 days before my cast came off. (That's my son with me in photo 3!)

 

[tralaiven]

JeanneMarie: you look so terrific and fit, notwithstanding (love that word) the arm in the cast...which I noticed matches your shirt!!! No running or impact sport for me for a while..too much shoulder jostling!

I liked all the things you learned because it is very similar to my list. I would also add for me ...to learn to wake up and smile at those around me, being thankful to be here with them... (when I fell I could have just as easily broken my neck)


Wondering if I should try my spinning again today...but don't want to over-do.

 

[JeanneMarie]

Thank you Tracy! You are too kind! And yes, I made an effort to match my cast! Or should I say I chose my cast color based on pink being a frequent color in my wardrobe!

I agree with your addition to the list of lessons learned.

Today I ran 3 miles outside and did Slow & Heavy Biceps/Triceps/Abs. I still can't lift a barbell... even a light one... because of my lack of wrist rotation, but I can curl a dumbbell. So, I did the entire workout with dumbbells, never going heavier than 8 lbs in my right hand, but matching Cathe with the left.

It felt so good to be working out again, even though not quite up to par.

Did you spin today?

 

[kikster]

Hey girls!

Today hasn't been much of a feel good day, so far . I did get in a w/o, if one could call it that, lol. I did the floor-work & leg conditioning drills part of LBB (still HEAVILY modified). I hadn't opened that one since it came w/the rest of my pre-order last year, lol . No particular reason, other than the fact that I do tend to purchase and hold DVD's in their cellophane prison a tad bit longer than necessary . So I didn't really know what was in store, and it was just ok, I guess. I suppose if it was tacked on to the end of a super intense leg workout, as it was intended, it would've been better. But, oh well, this whole leg/cardio workout bit has been pretty hit and miss here anyway. I am at a loss on days that I don't have an upper body w/o, lol.

But, I suppose that on a good note, (and thus adding my 2 cents re: what being injured has done for me - in addition to those things mentioned)

1)it has me trying all sorts of workouts that I wouldn't have even given a second glance to in the past (being an intensity junkie, I'm a hardcore weights/kick-boxing girl @ heart). In the past couple of months I've workouts that I'd turned my snobby lil nose up before, like yoga, pilates, ballet/barre type workouts, etc. So that Low impact series CANNOT get here soon enough, now, lol

2)I can say that my abs (and arms!) are really reaping the benefits of getting so much attention now

JeanneMarie: you look stinking awesome in those pics . I love the pink cast, lol (not necessarily what it represents , but, you did it w/class, lady ) I'm with Fossey, I miss cardio But it is my fault, like I said, I should have listened (like you!) and not moved too soon. It was one of those foolish, "I feel fine, it shouldn't be that big of a deal" moments, that blew it all. I actually did feel fine throughout the whole workout, and truly thought I'd beat the system, til later that night when I went to stand up after sitting on the couch watching TV for hours, and then I knew . *SIGH* I went from feeling fully recovered, to excruciating, CONSTANT pain that was 10x's worse than before. Talk about failure....

Tracy: It's so nice to hear of you being mobile again! Glad you were able to get on the spin bike and get a workout in there. I wish I could figure out a way to get my heart rate up, lol. But I am grateful that I can at least do my upper body workouts. My DH and DS don't see what all the fuss is about, since all guys care about are "show" muscles anyway, lol. So to them, "technically" I'm still fit, because of my arms . Yes, we outlived the bulldog fiasco, and DH is still kissing up over that mishap! (Especially every time I talk about our hardwood floors needing to be redone, lol )

Fossey: So what's the status of your ankle? Are you in a cast? Are you able to do the pushups in M1? Those have been a bit of an issue for me w/my Achilles (being able to do them on toes as I could before). Sorry you still can't run , we'll have to feed off of each other's ideas for getting the heart rate up (w/o use of the feet )

 

[tralaiven]

hi fellow recoverees... the one-handed typist here...

anyway...I am in the same boat w/ Kiki today...not really a "feel good" day...fighting depression at my situation...and I think just plain boredom of having to sit here day after day....sooooo I decided to fight it by getting on the bike and did 20 min. and then some stretching...I think I will do squats later if I can do them without interfering w/ my shoulder.

kiki: I, too, had become a workout snob, turning up my nose at "less worthy" forms of exercise such as you had mentioned, but now I am looking at and considering everything....I think I may pull out my LBB and see what of it I can do that will not jostle me. unfortunately, my abs are going to pot...it usually requires too much shoulder...however, I have found that if I sit in my chair and move my legs in and out...Ican do that.

jeannemarie: all right! for the 3 miles...and your dumbbell work sounds great! It does feel so good to workout...I agree

even though this day is a more difficult one mentally, I am thankful for you all fellow injurees

 

[fossey]

Hi everyone, glad to see you were all able to get a workout in today. I completed STS Disc 5, with plans to repeat discs 4 and 5 one more time this week.

JeanneMarie you look totally awesome in your race pics. The Peachtree must have been great fun. Oh, to run 3 miles again! And isn't it great how you can get any colour of cast you want. A friend of mine broke her wrist playing volleyball last spring and came home with a cast that matched the top she was wearing when she broke it. I thought at was so much fun.
How much longer will you be in your cast?

Kiki i have been wearing an aircast for the last six weeks and have two more to go, as long as the xrays come back okay. Then I suppose I will have to have some sort or therapy. My runners club starts up again August 28 for 12 weeks, but I'm thinking I will have to join the power walkers this time around. Oh well, any cardio at this point would be wonderful. The heart rates gets up a bit doing upper body STS workouts, but not the same as a good run.

Tracy good job with the spinning. Don't overdo it though. I know it is tough not being able to workout at your full potential, but the cast will be gone before you know it and you will be to your full potential soon. We all have to take it one day at a time.

~Glenda~

 

[JeanneMarie]

KiKi, thank you for your kind words about my photos! It was an incredibly hot day (July 4) and I looked and felt like a wet rag, but I sure was proud to be there running.

I hear ya on trying workouts that you previously turned your nose up at. I have done pretty much the same. Not only that, I have done modifcations that I previously thought were silly and ineffective. What I have learned is that something is better than nothing, and if that's all you can do, then do it the way you can!

I'm sorry you had a less than great day yesterday, but I'll share a story with you about the Peachtree that might help you feel better about being temporarily out of commission. The Atlanta Peachtree 10K goes right up Peachtree Street, which is the location of the Shephard Spinal Center. As you may or may not know, this is where spinal injury patients go for treatment and rehab. It's a fantastic hospital and does incredible work. During the Peachtree, there are thousands of people that line the sidewalks all long the 6.2 miles. In front of Shephard, there are always many patients that have made their way out front in wheelchairs, on crutches and some even on stretchers, to watch the race and cheer on the participants. Most of these people are paralzyed in some form... some permanantly, some working on regaining their mobility the best they can. I never walk any part of the race... each year it is my goal to run the whole thing and make the best time I can. This year, I slowed down and walked the stretch of road where these patients were watching. I high fived some of them with my cast and wished them luck and blessings. It made me so sad to see them, yet encouraged me beyond belief that these people who were so much worse off than I, were optomistic enough to be out enjoying the race and cheering the runners on. They were inspiring to say the least. I hope seeing me running with a cast provided some of them with some incentive to continue to get better and be the best they can be.

(((Tracy))) Hang in there, dear. I understand the depression. I experienced a bit of it myself, along with feeling very sorry for myself. The things I had to keep going through my brain were that 1) it could be worse... there are people with injuries that are not going to heal. (Spinal patients). and 2) This too shall pass. As awful as it is right now, you will heal. You will be back in form eventually. It will seem forever, but when you're on the other side looking back, it will be a blip in time. Promise!
I realized yesterday that I have been out of the cast as long as I was in it! Unbelieveable! It seems like yesterday they took that darned thing off my arm!

Fossey, good job on STS disc 5! You are doing great! Thank you for the sweet compliment on my photos! You girls are good for my ego. In answer to your question, if you'll look back at my first post here on page one, you'll see that I am already out of my cast. I won't go through the whole scenario again since you can go back and read it, but I am now 5 weeks post cast and in the middle of some intense therapy to get movement and flexibility back in my hand and wrist. It's going slowly and I am still seriously impaired.

I ran 3 miles in the heat and humidity yesterday. It is SO hot here. I have been running in temps of 90+ with heat indexes in the 100s, so I'm conditioned to it, but every once in a while I'll do a run that just literally takes my breath away. Yesterday was that hot.

Today I have another therapy session for my hand/wrist. Preparing myself for some pain.

 

[tralaiven]

hello...I hope everyone is that much closer to recovery today!!

I just finished the LBB sts tower leg drills...I really enjoyed them and got me thinking I might want to get a ballet workout like this where I could hold onto the barre for support...any suggestions? Then I did my upper body left side weights and some weighted plie squats...I got 40 mins. in w/out my arm hurting!!woo-hoo. Now I am in my chair partaking of my protein shake like before I was injured...I always enjoyed my post-workout protein shake. so thankful for the workout!

anyway, some think I am in a cast...buy I am not...the break was of such a nature that they thought casting it would do more harm than good..and since they did not have to reset my break and it stayed together...they put me in a type of sling and I have had to exercise and move my shoulder throughout the whole time so I would not get a frozen shoulder.

jeannemarie: thanks for your encouraging words and you are so right..there are so many far worse off than me!

glenda: good goin' on STS..I do have to watch myself about over doing!

 

[fossey]

Tracy - didn't know you were not in a cast. When my DD broke her humerus, they put many casts on, none were successful. She had 4 reductions until they finally put an external fixater on her arm, which involed surgically implanting four pins, two upper arm, two above the elbow and then attaching rods on the outside of her arm.
Finally, it was fixed, but it took the dr's. six months of experimenting.
Thank god you didn't have to go through all of that!

 

[tralaiven]

well fossey, it has only been 5 wks today since I broke it,,,so I certainly hope I don't have to go through that mess! your poor DD....

as far as the check-in goes...zzzzzz I am taking today off...hurting today too much ... so will sleep, read, and see if I can find a good movie to watch...I will BBL to see if anyone else has checked in and chat w/ them.

 

[JeanneMarie]

Tracy, I had forgotten that you said you were not in a cast. I remember now! How unusual! Although I am not familiar with that kind of break, but never realized someone could have a broken bone and not have casts or pins.

You are lucky. It sounds like when you are healed, you won't have the range of motion and flexibility issues that I have. Honestly, that has been worse than all those weeks in the cast.

Good job on the workout! I know that made you feel wonderful! It's so important to our mental health to be able to do something, even if it's not up to our usual standards.

Fossey, your DD's story is horrible! How old was she when that happened? Poor girl!!

At therapy yesterday, she told me she was thrilled with my progress! She said I was a good 3 weeks ahead of where she'd expect to me to be at this point, given my injury and time since my cast was removed. That made me feel great! I had been stressing over what I thought was the slow process of getting back to normal. I guess I didn't realize how long it really does take.

She cleared me to do dips off the step to help build up my tricep. She also said I could start doing push ups from my knees, although I had already tried those a few days ago. It isn't the stress on my wrist, it's the pain of those withered tendons and ligaments. When I tried a push up in her office, my right bicep/tricep area was just quivering like I was 90 years old or something. Ugghh!

This morning I did Muscle Max. Believe me, there were major modifications going on! I was okay doing anything that involved a dumbbell, but that barbell is still my enemy. I cannot curl a barbell, no matter how light. It's the movement, not the weight. ACK! So frustrating! I was proud to keep up with Cathe's weight in almost everything else. I couldn't get a 40 lb barbell over my head for the lunges, but I managed a 30 lb barbell. Woo hoo!