4 Months Out!
We are already through the first month of 2019! Crazy! Also...today is officially 4 months out of surgery!
So...what's new this month?!
I started back to work at my physical therapy job. I went back gradually, but am back to my full 20 hours/week there as of last week. Pros & cons...probably like with any job! I like seeing my friends that I work with & really enjoy my patient population (mainly gymnasts & teen athletes). I do miss being home with my dogs though (I sure got a lot of time home with them!) and the additional free time and time to work on other things! Also, I still can't use my right arm for a lot of things, not confident in using it for manual muscle testing and can't show many upper body activities normally.
I am still doing PT once/month (No I am not my own PT...never a good idea!). I do feel like I am getting a lot stronger! Everyday tasks get easier and easier...I even carried 4 grocery bags in my right arm today (I couldn't really lift them...but baby steps). I do not feel like my motion is improving as much though. I did look back at my post from last month (one benefit from doing theses!) and it looks like I am getting a little further now...around 150-155 degrees flexion now. Hard to stay in true flexion, with my arm wanting to drift out to the side some. Still lacking some rotation too...although I do think that my extension is better than before surgery...so yay!
I feel like I have been able to do some more with workouts! I have been trying to squat with the safety squat bar (I do not have enough motion to get my hand on a normal barbell yet) once/week, which with every time squatting has felt a little better. I have done a few kettle bell deadlifts...but still mostly sticking to bodyweight movements. I have started to be able to put some weight through my arm, so doing some plank holds and shoulder taps in a plank. Oh! and I did some push-ups on a table (for decreased body weight) at PT the other day! Also, have been rowing a little! I notice 1. I don't have endurance to row for long distances and 2. need to go kind of slow to really focus on good scapular control, or else it does hurt some.
Mentally...some days good...some days hard. I think maybe if I had a desk job I would not notice my impairments quite so much, but with my jobs I have something every single day that reminds me I am not physically what I was before. And really, I might never be! That is a real possibility....not negative, just realistic. I know I still have plenty of time to heal and improve...just want to make sure I am mentally not setting myself up for more disappointment. So I will just keep working hard to be the best me I can be now!
I'll be back with more updates next month (and hopefully a few times before then on some different topics! A 2019 goal!). Let me know if there is stuff you want to hear about (can be shoulder related or not!)
Interested in hearing more?! Check out this podcast where I talk about this whole experience- including my last few competitive seasons! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/friendship-fitness/id1363977118?mt=2&i=1000429076470