It has been a few days shy of a month since my last post--testament that the shoulder is improving.
Huge milestone for me at 16 weeks (3.5 months post op). In the last week, it is absolutely the first time since surgery that my left shoulder doesn't feel utterly fragile. I can't describe it, but it simply feels stronger. Three reasons I know the shoulder is better?
1. That twisted-up muscle feeling down the front of my shoulder is FINALLY gone after being a painful presence for months.
2. I'm not relying so heavily on heat constantly to dull the ache in my shoulder.
3. I found myself shadowboxing in front of the mirror a few times this past week. 8-)
That last point brings me to my really awesome news. I asked the PT Friday if it would be ok to do a non-contact boxing class, modifying the class by of course not attempting pushups (no way is the shoulder ready for that kind of heavy duty work) and obviously, no hitting the heavy bag with fists or elbows. But I felt the shoulder was now ready to take the swinging motion required of the arm for kicks, and for the shadow boxing.
The physical therapist agreed. I went to my first kickboxing class this morning and it was heavenly and my shoulder held up very. very well. It's tricky keeping distance from the bag so you don't strike with fists or elbows, but then you have to be sure & move in for the right positioning for knees and kicks, but I thankfully had no mishaps.
It was a good gauge of my overall conditioning. Stamina was down but not as bad as I feared. Shins lost conditioning but not as bad as I feared. However core strength has gone down significantly. Not surprising since I haven't been able to engage in any floor work for the last 5 months. But I'll have to start virtually at ground zero and begin working my way up again. But I'm so glad to be able to participate in class and at least kick because my stress level has been through the roof due to work. And with no outlet for the stress, I've been eating a LOT of chocolate and sugars. Very, very bad for me. I think that will begin to tame down now that I can begin resuming something of a normal life again.
College classes are going well. The one class is dreadfully boring both because of content (it's a basic health and wellness class and the last 4 chapters have been horrifically boring, dealing with male and female reproduction, pregnancy, and contraceptive use and then substance abuse addictions. YAWN....) and because it's an online course and there is virtually no interaction on the part of instructor or students. Very disappointing. If that's how all online courses are I really hope I don't have to take too many of them. Life's too short to shell out all that money for little return on the investment.
The other class, my intro to exercise physiology and kinesiology class is in person and much more interesting, though as an 8 week course, I just don't think we're going to be able to cover much material. But what I'm gaining is valuable at least.
During winter intercession I'll be taking the first of 3 required nutrition courses, and I'm looking forward to that (and hoping it's far more participatory than my current online class). Then I'll take a heavy load of classes in spring because I won't be able to take any over the summer while I have my right shoulder surgically repaired. But at least I'm working toward a change. And taking coursework I LIKE rather than boring old business classes. Double YAWN.
As to novel writing? I did a first pass edit of one of my manuscripts a couple of months ago, and have been doing research in bits and pieces over the last couple of months, but no actual writing. I don't know when I'll come back to it but the time is not now.
Right now it takes every bit of energy I have to survive my job and to survive the time consuming process of living and eating healthy. No wonder we are a nation of convenience foods. High fat, unhealthy food fits better into the rush-rush lives we are forced to live. But what a price we're paying both health-wise and financially in the nation...
On we go, till the next update.
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