Non Sequitur Box

On November 19th, I got my second shoulder surgery. This time, it was on my right shoulder (the other one). When I was in the final stage of rehab for my left shoulder, I was dealing with more noise and pain on my right shoulder. I noticed it more with overhead and pushing movements, so Dr. Nagda recommended a MRI. The MRI showed that I could possibly have some labrum issues, a full-thickness tear of the supraspinatus, a hooked acromion, and a surface tear on another rotator cuff. The torn suprasinatus looked like it had retracted back to the AC joint. This was bad, so Dr. Nagda got me into surgery before Thanksgiving. Recovery Weeks 1-2 Today marks two weeks post-surgery! Surgery was great. I went to a surgical center instead of a hospital. The staff was great. Getting my IV in was a bit of a task (small hand veins), but the (anesthesiologist) doctor came out herself and did it in seconds. I remember being wheeled back to surgery, and I woke up like 3.5 hours later. Dave came to pick

Medium Risk Protocol: I thought I would be sling free at the end of week six, but my follow-up appointment wasn’t until about week 7 post-op. I think being a bit older (as compared to my teens/twenties where I was always too eager to return to activity after injury), a week wasn’t much longer in the grand scheme of things. Week six was probably the first week I started feeling much better with mobility. I did my physical therapy exercises religiously, and I could feel that getting in and out of the sling was becoming easier. Still, Bam made sure I asked for help as needed. I was doing harder cycling workouts and using the leg press machine. My sling was getting pretty gross. Week seven was a great week. I got approval to remove my sling at the end of the week! It felt so strange. Instead of feeling “free,” I felt like I was always missing something important. That same day, I permitted to do six sling-free walking laps at physical therapy. I was allowed to start elliptical and walk/jog

Physio Update: Yesterday, I had my third physical therapy session . I’m happy with my progress so far—increasing my range of motion slowly with the pulley and table slides! Dr. Dan added some dowel exercises (I use an old shower curtain rod at home). The exercise looks like a bench press, but my non-op arm is doing all the lifting and the op-shoulder is along for the ride. At home, I like to do a set of 20 pulley pull-ups, 20 pulley punches, 10 floor dowel bench presses, 20 table slides, and 20 scapula squeezes followed by a set of 30 body weight squats and 10 lunges (front + back, each side). I try to do three full sets at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with one set here and there throughout the day. Here is an image of my shoulder flexion progress from day one of physical therapy to now (14 days of progress): Exercise Update: I think the lunges, squats, and banded side steps help with blood flow and getting my heart rate up/allowing me better range of motion. I think I overdid the bik

Week 3 was interesting. Although I felt ready in week 2 to start moving about, walking and biking, I think I pushed it a bit too hard (I had a great 7 mile walk with a few sub-13:00 miles in there/fast walk for me and some interval bike rides), and week 3-4 was exhausting. I felt like I hit a wall. Everything was hard. Staying awake for 8 hours was tiring. I napped a lot. I was teleworking, but my mind still felt clouded while reading, and writing e-mails with one hand felt incredibly frustrating. I couldn’t get in a routine. I felt like everything was bothering me—from having my house re-arranged by my boyfriend, to not having appetite, to not being able to cook my own food. I normally woke up at 5am before surgery, but I was waking up at 7am or later and still feeling tired. I had some aches that I took Tylenol for, and I iced a little. What felt like deep bone pain was still lingering. Sleeping wasn’t as easy, since I was now off the oxycodone (which knocks me out). Week 3 was blah

Today is exactly two weeks post-op! I am able to telework, but I haven’t tried driving yet. I am completely off the oxycodone, but I take Tylenol and ice regularly. My weight today was back to 105.8lbs (pre-op range)! I poop regularly again (anyone who has been backed up knows the relief and joy of this simple function). I have been cleared to walk and bike, but I’m not supposed to lift or do any exercise that could put my repair at risk. My white steri-strips are now off, and I have four tiny scars. I’m so happy I can bike and walk. I usually either walk 3-7 miles at a 3.0-4.0 mph pace or walk a mile to the gym, bike for 30-45 min, and walk home. I miss lifting, but Bam threatened that he wouldn’t take care of me if I messed up my repair. I won’t lift until I’m cleared to do so!  Mentally, I’m telling all the food intake to help repair my shoulder. In my previous experience with injuries, it always helps to fuel myself for recovery. If I don’t, then I risk a longer recovery time or re

Day 6: First Walk/Bike After my post-op, I walked a mile to the gym to bike for a really easy 44 mins (10 mins at level 1, 30 mins at level 5, 4 mins at level 1–all light). It was very pretty outside, so walking a mile to/fro the gym was actually very pleasant. I was happy to finally move more. Day 7: Miralax Took an oxycodone this morning, answered emails, did some light telework. Buying a 100ft Ethernet cable was a bit overkill, but I don’t have to worry about where I want to work in the condo. Bam got another desk, so we can both work from home. I iced a few times. I couldn’t get a bowel movement this morning, and I was still feeling really blocked up/bloated/painful, so I walked to the gym, biked 40 mins, walked to Target, bought some Powderlax (Up and Up brand of Miralax/polyethylene glycol), and walked home. I was hoping the return to activity would make me more regular, but, alas, no. The Powderlax did wonders at home! 💩💩💩 Day 8: Walk Took another oxycodone last night while I

I was lucky enough to be able to eat right after surgery. I started with water and applesauce, and I progressed from there. The below is not an all-encompassing list of what I ate, but it is the major points of what I’ve been eating (trying to eat mostly healthy, going off memory below). I hear that what you eat can help you heal faster. Surgery day: Water, applesauce, cauliflower pizza [106-113 lbs] Day 1: Water, pita bread with egg, Factor meal (chicken with veggies), salmon with quinoa and asparagus [111-113 lbs] Day 2: Water, pita bread with hummus, Factor meal (pork with veggies), fresh fruit, salad (and pizza) [111-113 lbs] Day 3: Water, fruit, espresso, Special K protein cereal, Factor meal (salmon)  [110-112 lbs] Day 4: Water, saltines, oatmeal with berries, Special K protein cereal, grilled cheese sandwich [108-111 lbs] Day 5: Water, oatmeal with berries, Special K protein cereal, grilled cheese sandwich, chicken noodle soup with saltines [107-110 lbs] Day 6: Water, Cliff bar

Day 4: Begin the Belly Massages I took another short walk with Duke and Bam. Bam helped me get undressed and wrapped in plastic wrap for my first shower. It felt amazing to shower. I like being clean. It was the first time I also saw myself naked since surgery. I feel huge, bloated, and fat. The old eating disorder part of me needs to quiet down. My neighbors brought us food, which was awesome. I feel bad for Bam doing all the work lately. I’m glad he was able to have someone take care of him just a little bit. I felt really bloated all day, and 3 tablets of laxative had done nothing. I decided to massage my belly that night ( https://www.wikihow.com/Relieve-Constipation-with-Abdominal-Massage ), but I went to bed feeling blah. Bam was great; he set up the ice machine and tucked me into bed as usual. Day 5: First Bowel Movement! I sat on the toilet with my poop stoop (a little stool I prop my feet on when I need to poop; the squat is best for a great steamy dump) for a while, and I fin

 I haven’t written a race recap since 2014! I have definitely raced since then, and I like to keep track of what I liked/didn’t like about specific races. 2015 Marine Corps 17.75k (1:15:20, 1st female overall) Pros: Beautiful trail course! Entering this race allowed me to get a “Golden Ticket” into the Marine Corps Marathon. Cons: Narrow registration window, limited race competition, reported race time in the paper was wrong (used clock time not chip time). Notes: This was a cold/windy race! I had a late dinner with wine, got drunk, and was dehydrated. I had to wait around a while for the awards ceremony. The trophy was ridiculously large for such a small race. Navy Air Force Half Marathon (1:26:32, 11th female overall) Pros: Predictable race after doing it a few times, easy registration. Cons: None. Notes: I remember not feeling well this year. Marine Corps Marathon (3:13:20, 31st female overall) Pros: Lots of road support, snacks after the race. Cons: This year was TERRIBLE for check

  If you ever find yourself in Woodland Park, CO, make your way to the Historic Ute Inn for some of Miss Rhonda’s fat girl fries. Add two fried eggs for extra protein. I got the pulled pork platter thinking it would be more filling, but my friends actually got more pulled pork on this plate than I did! This is an old photo, but I wanted/needed to record these here for my recipes. I have yet to re-create these for myself on the east coast, but I’m thinking about trying my hand at them (after I can use two arms) to thank my boyfriend for taking such amazing care of me after shoulder surgery. Cook and combine: Fries Pulled Pork Coleslaw Baked Beans BBQ Sauce Ranch Dressing? Two Fried Eggs

Nerve block is the best. When it wears off, you’ll appreciate your ice machine and pain relievers so much. Some people say the first 48 hours post-op are the worst. In my experience, days 2 and 3 were both really rough. On day two post-op, I thought I could get by with no oxycodone. I took Tylenol and used the ice machine, but I realized that was a mistake. Take the drugs prescribed! I took one laxative (5mg) with no result. I wasn’t very hungry this day, but Dave made me eat some saltines and drink water. My old eating disorder thoughts started to rise again. With post-op weight, my clothes, and my sling, I was weighing 111-113lbs. I had gone into surgery at a (heavy for me) 106 lbs. Luckily, Dave is a more sane person than me and convinced me to eat one of my Factor meals for dinner and some fruit. I was able to remove the large outer bandage today! On day three post-op, I made it a goal to walk. It was more a series of slow, deliberate steps while Duke and Dave walked nearby. The fr

In 2015, I ran my last marathon. I struggled with a high hamstring issue on and off for years. I am able to live the decline in my race results:  https://www.athlinks.com/athletes/85557855/results In 2016, I managed to run some more road races and even a good half marathon, but I had to reduce my mileage significantly and lifted much more. I couldn’t run more than 40 miles per week without aggravating my hamstring. I tried so many glute band exercises.  2017 was a wash in terms of races (just trying to get healthy, deal with death of friends). I focused on lifting, so most of my runs were to/from the gym. I also traveled for work a lot. I began Bret Contreras’ Strong Curves to really strengthen my glutes. In 2018, I ran a tough half marathon (some miles on dirt/gravel, no sports drinks on the route). My training was the hardest I ever felt. GI issues, hamstring issues, and hydration were all problems while training; I could barely run a 10+ mile run without feeling like garbage. I just

In February, I went to iFly to get my progression on so I can rip with my boyfriend in the tunnel one day, or the sky. Since I dislocated/subluxed my shoulder while skiing last year, I was apprehensive. My boyfriend argued that it would be low speeds, like a good stretch. He witnessed all my ski falls this year, and nothing terrible happened. I had done 4 months of physical therapy last year and was back to lifting heavy, doing pull-ups, and practicing yoga. I went for two minutes and did fine, then I went for five minutes. I felt great, working on basics of belly flying—I could turn left and right, go forward and back, and go up and down. I could do some high fives and fly toward numbers on direction. Then, on my final minute, I did practice parachute pulls with my left arm (my right shoulder had been acting up from lifting, so I used my left). The first two felt fine, but the last one did not. It felt slightly painful, but not extremely so. I had 20 seconds left, so I did one more ma

At the end of 2020, I made plans to go skiing with my boyfriend. Last February, I dislocated my shoulder at the bottom of a run at Monarch (Colorado). I spent most of 2020 rehabbing that shoulder and improving my flexibility. I learned the very important lesson of not putting my hands in the ski pole loops. Because of this injury, I also missed out on the guys going ski touring last year, which was something that really intrigued me. Instead, I talked to my friend Justine about ski touring and did a lot of research online during the year. I haven’t found many embarrassing accounts from other newbs online, so I’m here to fill that gap. I always like hearing other people’s experiences. I’m a novice skier. I get scared when I go too fast, and I like to feel in control at all times. I’m happy on blue groomers after warming up on some greens. I’m also an avid runner, which tends to convince others that I’m more athletic than I am. I’m in good overall fitness, but I still struggle with eye-h