2nd SCAD recovery week

All written in retrospect, from notes and memory.

Monday Sept 10th Drove out to St Chuck with Mom to pick up my new dining room chairs, then out to antique mall to look at a new fainting couch for the living room. Mom found a pair of black/gold chairs to add to our shopping list. Got in two hours at work, by then I was tired out. Tired...from what? I'm not doing anything.

Tuesday Sept 11th ONE YEAR HIP SURGERY! But that's not the point anymore. Today was visit to Dr L and JH, for me I hoped to get some athlete-level conversation and for mom some reassurance that I'll be OK. At Dr L's office, Debbie said I "gave him quite a scare". When he came in the room, he was serious, as I updated him and joked about being able to pass people on the bike hill while having a heart attack. My jokes are a cover? Or just how I deal with it?

He discussed a lot and as usual I wish I could get a transcript. He graphed out Load and Capacity. Load being how much training I did and Capacity how much my body could handle. My Load was high, and my current Capacity low (or was it the other way around?). He said a race like Sunset is "nothing" for someone like me. He stressed that I follow up with testing and considerations of metabolic, nutrition, inflammatory, and genetic factors that lead into this. He said I needed to severely restrict activities and treat this like a soft tissue injury -- for a minimum of 4 weeks and up to 8 weeks. Also that this is just another soft tissue injury on the heals of other similar -- the hip, back, etc -- and that it was 'suggestive' of a problem. Then a check of the back, neck, and hip -- all good with just minor maintenance.

I'd hoped mom would be reassured after this, but instead she just saw cautious fear. I took away a to do list of things to think on and follow up with.

Then off to JH, who set aside some time to talk to us. My goal was to update him on my return to training (I didn't even have to ask Dr L what the answer to that would be, I could read that on my own) and get some of his positive vibes. Again, wish I had a transcript. He pointed out that I recovered before, I'll recover again. That my pain scale reporting needs 2-3 points added to it since I'm good at pushing and ignoring pain. That a joint injury is not to be thought of as an internal/head/heart injury, that I can't push through and use the same recovery trajectory line of thought. It was all good, for me a boost and some crucial definitions of pain -- the where and how.

Then off to the antique mall to get our couch and two chairs! Rest of the day, redesigned the living room with mom's uber good designer help.

Wednesday. Relaxing day and morning, more time in rearranging the living room and talking, before mom left on the 3pm Lincoln. I confess to shedding a few tears here, but as much as I wanted her to stay that wasn't a sustainable solution. Back home, it was my first quiet time since....Monday the 4th, which came after a week of being home for the wedding. What a whirlwind.

Thursday and Friday, partial days back at work.  6-7 hour days. Talked to Dr Ravi in depth, and the boss, otherwise kept to myself about it. I don't want this to define me. 

Saturday met with TH for a walk in CCP. She's got a stress fracture in her left heel bone so we were both limited. I could have walked all day. Went home after a stop at Fresh Thyme and a coal bucket sale in Kirkwood, and felt sick to my stomach. Again. Hope the SIBO doesn't take advantage of this stressful situation. Saturday wasn't a good afternoon, and I skipped out on going to TV and MP's birthday party.

Sunday I decided to hike one of my faves -- the Chubb trail. So perfect outside! I kept the HR low and didn't get over 120 at all, most of the time 90-110. It all felt good, 3.5 hours of nature and quiet and butterflies. SO called right at the end, admonished me for going alone. But something could happen anytime, not just in a hike, and again I don't want this to define me! Home for a better day than yesterday.