hammiemam’s BodyBlog

So I am finally feeling back and ready to go and ready for these injuries to stop holding me back and all that other nonsense…  So then what happens?  I am diagnosed with pleurisy!  Talk about a pain in the side.  So doc wants me to take more time off.  All I can say is,  I must be getting all of my setbacks out of the way now so I have no excuse in the future…  That is a positive way to look at it, right?

So I don’t know how many of these, "I’m back at it" posts I can take.  I am back…  again…  I have been in and out of the gym since my surgery, but now I am cleared for all activity, even running.  That stride came about six months earlier than I anticipated.  So this summer was good and bad to me, actually the blame for both of those lie on me.  I did some traveling, met some great people, and was doing pretty well in the gym.  Then I was afflicted with "runner’s knee."  Ironically, this came before I was even given the go ahead to start running.  The deal was, I still had a decent amount of atrophy in my inner quad, and it was causing some discomfort with activity.  So I was limited to stretching and walking as my exercise for nearly two months.  Well, during this time, I had a years worth of beer and late night binges.  So I packed on some weight.  Now that I have my doctor’s approval to do whatever I want (no extreme sports until February), I am more motivated than ever.  I was starting to feel overwhelmed by my recent excess on the scale, so I began closely monitoring exercise and diet very closely.  I haven’t lost much since this has started, but my clothes are starting to fit much much better.  I was ready to go and buy a whole new wardrobe in my new extended size, however I am starting to feel more comfortable in my present one.  I have a goal of getting down to an "off season competition size" by January.  I know I can do this.  I am already working so hard.  My knee is feeling great.  I am ready to go.  I am sure I will make my 30th birthday goal.  Hope I can get some help from the likes of you all.

So I don’t know how many of these, "I’m back at it" posts I can take.  I am back…  again…  I have been in and out of the gym since my surgery, but now I am cleared for all activity, even running.  That stride came about six months earlier than I anticipated.  So this summer was good and bad to me, actually the blame for both of those lie on me.  I did some traveling, met some great people, and was doing pretty well in the gym.  Then I was afflicted with "runner’s knee."  Ironically, this came before I was even given the go ahead to start running.  The deal was, I still had a decent amount of atrophy in my inner quad, and it was causing some discomfort with activity.  So I was limited to stretching and walking as my exercise for nearly two months.  Well, during this time, I had a years worth of beer and late night binges.  So I packed on some weight.  Now that I have my doctor’s approval to do whatever I want (no extreme sports until February), I am more motivated than ever.  I was starting to feel overwhelmed by my recent excess on the scale, so I began closely monitoring exercise and diet very closely.  I haven’t lost much since this has started, but my clothes are starting to fit much much better.  I was ready to go and buy a whole new wardrobe in my new extended size, however I am starting to feel more comfortable in my present one.  I have a goal of getting down to an "off season competition size" by January.  I know I can do this.  I am already working so hard.  My knee is feeling great.  I am ready to go.  I am sure I will make my 30th birthday goal.  Hope I can get some help from the likes of you all.

I start my first day of physical therapy tomorrow.  I am so excited to get back into anything slightly resembling a gym.  Yay!

I seem to be recovering rather well. My doctor thinks everything is looking great, but he still feels it be important that I have no weight bearing activity until after six weeks.  At that point I need to be able to walk for one full city block before I am released to drive.  I really look forward to that day.  Until then, I start physical therapy next week.  THat will be the closest thing to a gym I get for the next four and a half (and counting) weeks.  I did post some pictures if you are interested in looking at them.  I don’t think they are too pretty, but again, doc is very excited about them.

I seem to be recovering rather well. My doctor thinks everything is looking great, but he still feels it be important that I have no weight bearing activity until after six weeks.  At that point I need to be able to walk for one full city block before I am released to drive.  I really look forward to that day.  Until then, I start physical therapy next week.  THat will be the closest thing to a gym I get for the next four and a half (and counting) weeks.  I did post some pictures if you are interested in looking at them.  I don’t think they are too pretty, but again, doc is very excited about them.

My block is officially worn off.  I can feel everything in my leg.  Despite this, I was able to do three sets of fifteen leg raises.  My doc just wants me to be able to do ten by Monday.  I feel like I am ahead of the game with that.  I haven’t done any upper body stuff since the day before surgery.  I just get so tired so easily, and my leg gets so hot feeling, even after a short period away from my ice machine.  Though I am not doing any upper body workouts, I am using my upper body much more than I am used to.  I feel like I am going to get out of this with a great upper body, and left leg, and a scrawny flabby little right leg.  Hopefully physical therapy will remedy that in some ways.  I am still short on photos…  My camera was not charged today.  Will post some soon!

I am pretty sore today, and yet I still don’t have all feeling in my leg.  Please feel free to check out my forum posts to see how I am doing and how things went.  I hope to get some pictures up tomorrow.  They will only be pics of my new immobilizer brace and my swollen toes.  I am not allowed to take my dressing off until next monday.  I will keep everyone as updated as possible.

Again, check out my forum posts at http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=113308411

Tonight was my last night at the gym.  I almost cried half-way through, and then again walking out the door.  I wasn’t really a place to talk to anyone, because my last night there was kind of emotional for me.  I did have a fantastic workout though.  I killed my legs, and that is an amazing feeling.  I wanted to make sure my very last workout was legs.  During recovery I know I will be able to do some upper body stuff, but nothing like I have been doing.  And not being able to do my favorite workouts will really affect me. 

So in less than twelve hours I will be under the knife.  I am very nervous, but this will make me better, and will help me better acheive my lifetime health and fitness goals.  I will be stronger and better, I just need to knock myself down for a few months before I can get there.  I will be taking pictures and writing blogs and forum posts throughout my recovery in case anyone is interested. 

Wish me luck guys.  I know I will do great, I am just nervous as hell… 

The scale lies.  I am smaller, and tighter, and the scale lies.