Wow--it's taking me longer that I thought to recover from surgery. I'm sure the trip to NYC last week didn't help (much less the flight back from Houston). I'm so exhausted after a day of work that I'm literally shaking. Yesterday I was shaking and felt like vomiting, so I guess I made some progress. I'm feeling my age, which I rarely do. Wow, it takes longer to recover from surgery at 61 than it did when I was in my 40s. This is the first time I've had abdominal surgery, which may make a difference. I know when they used to slice you open, it was a 3 month recovery, and I remember people (much younger people) being surprised that they really needed the 3 months. Maybe laproscopic surgery cuts it down from 3 months, but it still takes time. Or maybe it's because I'm 61.
I'm wishing I didn't have the trip to Minnesota this weekend, given how I'm feeling now. But who knows, maybe I'll be stronger by Friday. I sure would like to be back to normal next week.
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Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Ain't Got Much to Say
It's hard to write a blog about getting fit, when I can't do anything to get fit. My main goal now is to rest and eat healthily, so I heal quickly and am in as good a shape as possible to resume exercise as I can, in a little over 2 weeks. So that's what I'm up to.
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Thursday, August 25, 2011
Tired, Tired, Tired
I'm on the train coming back from my meeting in NYC. It felt like it took every ounce of energy I had to do that meeting. I feel too tired to sleep, if you know that feeling.
I was a bit anxious about the meeting. I had to do a bit of walking to get to the room where the meeting was, it was very warm and humid, and I felt very dizzy. Not fainting was my goal at that point. But once I got to the meeting and sat down, I felt great. it felt like I did a marathon and left everything I had in the race, because as soon as I left, I was so disoriented I had trouble finding the elevator. Keep your fingers crossed that we get the contract--it's a big one.
I worry that I have lost a lot of my fitness, and then remember that it's because I am fit that I could make it to the meeting--it was only a week ago I had surgery.
One if the people I hung out with on the Cape a week and a half ago died of a massive heart attack on Tuesday. That seems so unreal. Life changes in a second--I don't want to take that or the people I love for granted.
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I was a bit anxious about the meeting. I had to do a bit of walking to get to the room where the meeting was, it was very warm and humid, and I felt very dizzy. Not fainting was my goal at that point. But once I got to the meeting and sat down, I felt great. it felt like I did a marathon and left everything I had in the race, because as soon as I left, I was so disoriented I had trouble finding the elevator. Keep your fingers crossed that we get the contract--it's a big one.
I worry that I have lost a lot of my fitness, and then remember that it's because I am fit that I could make it to the meeting--it was only a week ago I had surgery.
One if the people I hung out with on the Cape a week and a half ago died of a massive heart attack on Tuesday. That seems so unreal. Life changes in a second--I don't want to take that or the people I love for granted.
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Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Day 15
Recovering from general anesthesia is really annoying. I feel like I should be basically back to normal, with reduced activity, but my brain isn't cooperating. I tried to go to work yesterday, and it was like someone had injected glue in my brain. Ingrid sent me a long email about, well, who can remember what it was about, and after I read 2 sentences, I realized I wasn't tracking from one sentence to the next. I remember this from all the times I've had general anesthesia when I've had bladder cancer--it always takes much longer to get my brain functioning than I expect. So I cancelled all my meetings this week except for the one in NYC on Thursday--I have to go to that one.
In the meantime, my lack of appetite is resulting in me losing weight, despite my lack of exercise. I'm hoping I don't lose too much conditioning in three weeks. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the long bike ride I had wanted to do--it's on September 17--just 11 days after I can start working out again. Maybe I'll do the 25 mile ride.
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In the meantime, my lack of appetite is resulting in me losing weight, despite my lack of exercise. I'm hoping I don't lose too much conditioning in three weeks. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the long bike ride I had wanted to do--it's on September 17--just 11 days after I can start working out again. Maybe I'll do the 25 mile ride.
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Saturday, August 20, 2011
Count Down to Freedom: Day 18
Dan is heading back to college today. It's really been fun spending the summer with him, and it flew by way too fast.
Today is a beautiful day--sunny, cool, low humidity. In other words, a perfect day for a bike ride. It really sucks that I can't do anything for 3 weeks. I'm going to start a count down--18 days left. I just looked at the calendar to see when I can resume normal activities and it's September 6th. What really sucks about that is I'm going to Minnesota for Labor Day weekend, so I'm going to have to worry about carrying my luggage on another flight. Well, I figured out how to fly back here a day after surgery, I can figure out how to get to Minnesota and back nearly 3 weeks after surgery.
I know I need to rest and relax to recover from the surgery, but hanging out doing nothing isn't so much fun if you don't have a choice in the matter. I'm also a bit nervous about next week. On Tuesday, I'm presenting the results of a study to two different groups in the Berkshires, so I'll be out there all day. On Thursday, Lou and I will travel to NYC to make a presentation to try to win a huge contract. I guess the best thing to do is to make sure I'm really rested up for those two days. I also have to figure out what to wear--I've been wearing the loosest clothing possible to minimize having fabric rub against my incisions. None of my business clothes fit that description.
The last workout I had before I had surgery was really fun! My instructions were to do as many reps I could of an exercise in one minute, and then to do the same thing with the next exercise. I was rotating between 5 exercises. After I finished all 5, I got a break, and then started over. Repeat three times. I wasn't able to do all 5 exercises, though without a break, so I'm hoping to do this routine at home until I can.
The first exercise involved bouncing a weighted ball as hard as I could.
That doesn't sound overly challenging, but it gets your heart going and by the time the minute is up, your muscles know you've been doing something.
I went from there to jumping on and off the Bosu. That's really challenging for me because I have the vertical leap of a turtle. And jumping sent my heart rate up many more beats per minute. Here I am jumping:
Next, I moved to doing a shoulder press. I started with my knees bent and dumbbells shoulder-height, and then made an explosive movement--or tried to--using my legs to help in lifting the weights so my arms were fully extended:
Then I moved to a clean and jerk, lifting weights from the floor to shoulder level, again, trying to generate as much force as possible from my legs and hips:
Finally, I got on the rowing machine and rowed as fast as I could for a minute:
It was an extremely challenging workout. Here's how I looked when I was done:
It seems very weird to think that I had appendicitis a little over 24 hours after that picture was taken, and that I did that really tough workout (plus a bunch of cobras and a plank) on Monday and now I can't do anything.
But I know that the workouts and bike rides are making a difference in my recovery. The best thing that happened at the hospital is that a nurse asked me if I was a runner. I told her I was a bicyclist, and she said she could tell from looking at me that I was some kind of an athlete. That felt good!
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Today is a beautiful day--sunny, cool, low humidity. In other words, a perfect day for a bike ride. It really sucks that I can't do anything for 3 weeks. I'm going to start a count down--18 days left. I just looked at the calendar to see when I can resume normal activities and it's September 6th. What really sucks about that is I'm going to Minnesota for Labor Day weekend, so I'm going to have to worry about carrying my luggage on another flight. Well, I figured out how to fly back here a day after surgery, I can figure out how to get to Minnesota and back nearly 3 weeks after surgery.
I know I need to rest and relax to recover from the surgery, but hanging out doing nothing isn't so much fun if you don't have a choice in the matter. I'm also a bit nervous about next week. On Tuesday, I'm presenting the results of a study to two different groups in the Berkshires, so I'll be out there all day. On Thursday, Lou and I will travel to NYC to make a presentation to try to win a huge contract. I guess the best thing to do is to make sure I'm really rested up for those two days. I also have to figure out what to wear--I've been wearing the loosest clothing possible to minimize having fabric rub against my incisions. None of my business clothes fit that description.
The last workout I had before I had surgery was really fun! My instructions were to do as many reps I could of an exercise in one minute, and then to do the same thing with the next exercise. I was rotating between 5 exercises. After I finished all 5, I got a break, and then started over. Repeat three times. I wasn't able to do all 5 exercises, though without a break, so I'm hoping to do this routine at home until I can.
The first exercise involved bouncing a weighted ball as hard as I could.
That doesn't sound overly challenging, but it gets your heart going and by the time the minute is up, your muscles know you've been doing something.
I went from there to jumping on and off the Bosu. That's really challenging for me because I have the vertical leap of a turtle. And jumping sent my heart rate up many more beats per minute. Here I am jumping:
Next, I moved to doing a shoulder press. I started with my knees bent and dumbbells shoulder-height, and then made an explosive movement--or tried to--using my legs to help in lifting the weights so my arms were fully extended:
Then I moved to a clean and jerk, lifting weights from the floor to shoulder level, again, trying to generate as much force as possible from my legs and hips:
Finally, I got on the rowing machine and rowed as fast as I could for a minute:
It was an extremely challenging workout. Here's how I looked when I was done:
It seems very weird to think that I had appendicitis a little over 24 hours after that picture was taken, and that I did that really tough workout (plus a bunch of cobras and a plank) on Monday and now I can't do anything.
But I know that the workouts and bike rides are making a difference in my recovery. The best thing that happened at the hospital is that a nurse asked me if I was a runner. I told her I was a bicyclist, and she said she could tell from looking at me that I was some kind of an athlete. That felt good!
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Wednesday, August 17, 2011
I'm Going Home!
So of the three things the ER told me I had symptoms of, I had two of them: a kidney stone and appendicitis. Lucky me. Isn't it weird that I'd get both of them at the exact same time?
So I had emergency surgery last night. They removed my appendix using a laprascope, so I only have there small incisions, starting with one in my navel, down about three inches for the next one, and then another three inches.
I haven't had any pain medication since I was in the recovery room after surgery. My doctor thinks I'm very tough, because most of his patients suffer a lot more pain when they have their appendices out. I'm very happy I'm not one of them. I am going to take credit for doing the hard work of biking and strength training in terms of my ability to recover from yesterday's traumas so quickly.
I have to wait 3 weeks before I can lift anything over 30 pounds (sorry Bennett), go cycling, and train. Serious bummer, but I'm really happy I decided not to take a plane yesterday.
I'm not sure what's happening with the kidney stone--who know, I may have already passed it. my doctor said to drink lots of liquids to help in pass, so that's what I am doing.
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So I had emergency surgery last night. They removed my appendix using a laprascope, so I only have there small incisions, starting with one in my navel, down about three inches for the next one, and then another three inches.
I haven't had any pain medication since I was in the recovery room after surgery. My doctor thinks I'm very tough, because most of his patients suffer a lot more pain when they have their appendices out. I'm very happy I'm not one of them. I am going to take credit for doing the hard work of biking and strength training in terms of my ability to recover from yesterday's traumas so quickly.
I have to wait 3 weeks before I can lift anything over 30 pounds (sorry Bennett), go cycling, and train. Serious bummer, but I'm really happy I decided not to take a plane yesterday.
I'm not sure what's happening with the kidney stone--who know, I may have already passed it. my doctor said to drink lots of liquids to help in pass, so that's what I am doing.
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Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Why, why, why?
Why do I spend more time in hospitals away from home and Liz than the other way around? I came to Houston last night around midnight, did a client presentation from 9-11 this morning, and was back at the airport by noon. I had a client phone meeting and had a relaxing lunch. The second I finished eating, I got an incredible pain in my side and back.
What to do? Who wants to take extreme measure and find out that it was only gas? Who wants to get on a plane and force an emergency landing if it gets worse. I decided on a delaying tactic, but the walk to my gate was slow and painful. By the same I got there, I was feeling clammy, nauseous, and a lot of pain. I asked the gate attendant to call the medics. When they came, I started vomiting in earnest. I of course was the hit of the airport crowd, surrounded by people who were doing their best to see what was going on while appearing to pay no attention. I felt so crummy, I didn't care that hundreds of people were watching me vomit my guts out.
When the ambulance guys came, they were socializing with the airport medics-- I had no patience for it--I wanted pain medication as fast as possible. I felt like it took forever to get to the hospital, get checked in, get evaluated, and finally get that shot. Pain medication is a wonderous miracle. How lucky to live in a time that I can be in dreadful, horrible pain, and in a matter of second it's gone, like it never happened.
They're thinking kidney stones, appendix, gall bladder. I had a CT scan, but they're having technical difficulties, so I'm not sure when I'll get results. In the meantime, I'm playing words with friends and talking to Liz via FaceTime. Ain't technology great!
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What to do? Who wants to take extreme measure and find out that it was only gas? Who wants to get on a plane and force an emergency landing if it gets worse. I decided on a delaying tactic, but the walk to my gate was slow and painful. By the same I got there, I was feeling clammy, nauseous, and a lot of pain. I asked the gate attendant to call the medics. When they came, I started vomiting in earnest. I of course was the hit of the airport crowd, surrounded by people who were doing their best to see what was going on while appearing to pay no attention. I felt so crummy, I didn't care that hundreds of people were watching me vomit my guts out.
When the ambulance guys came, they were socializing with the airport medics-- I had no patience for it--I wanted pain medication as fast as possible. I felt like it took forever to get to the hospital, get checked in, get evaluated, and finally get that shot. Pain medication is a wonderous miracle. How lucky to live in a time that I can be in dreadful, horrible pain, and in a matter of second it's gone, like it never happened.
They're thinking kidney stones, appendix, gall bladder. I had a CT scan, but they're having technical difficulties, so I'm not sure when I'll get results. In the meantime, I'm playing words with friends and talking to Liz via FaceTime. Ain't technology great!
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Sunday, August 14, 2011
Manic Monday
I'm having the Sunday evening before a Manic Monday feeling. Tomorrow I go to Fitness Together from 7:30-8:15, change into a suit and leave for a presentation at 8:35, head to the airport after the presentation and fly to Houston, where I give a presentation Tuesday. I get back late Tuesday, have a day in the office, and then head to Boston on Thursday for another presentation. So it isn't actually just tomorrow that's making me feel manic--it's the whole week. And then Dan leaves on Saturday-- we're going to miss him. It's really been fun having him live here. Liz and I love that various nieces and nephews have come to live with us for a while--it makes for a great lifetime connection.
I was feeling like my workouts with Savanah haven't been hard enough--more like a maintenance workout than a building one. Savanah responded to my request for a harder workout on Friday. It's Sunday evening and I still have a little soreness in my triceps and a lot of soreness in my inner thighs. She had me doing sideways lunges with the leg I bent on a low platform, holding a kettle ball, among many other things, but that was the one that got my inner thighs. I love having sore muscles.
Liz and I were going to do a 20 mile bike ride today to the Straw Bale Cafe, but it rained the entire day--maybe next weekend.
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I was feeling like my workouts with Savanah haven't been hard enough--more like a maintenance workout than a building one. Savanah responded to my request for a harder workout on Friday. It's Sunday evening and I still have a little soreness in my triceps and a lot of soreness in my inner thighs. She had me doing sideways lunges with the leg I bent on a low platform, holding a kettle ball, among many other things, but that was the one that got my inner thighs. I love having sore muscles.
Liz and I were going to do a 20 mile bike ride today to the Straw Bale Cafe, but it rained the entire day--maybe next weekend.
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
Speed!
I got up to 43 mph going down the hill from our house tonight. What's cool is that it didn't even feel that fast to me--I'm getting used to high speeds. Very fun. Unfortunately I got about 8 miles away from home and I started getting a weird pain in my left knee. It was very intermittent, but a stabbing pain, so I turned around. I do not want to injure myself so I'd have to take some time off from biking.
I'm having trouble with the no drinking-no eating dessert. Grace and Melinda spent Tuesday night at our house. I ended up having a Bloody Mary--Grace does make the best Bloody Mary's ever, and some ice cream. It is really hard to resist ice cream in my own house. I'm thinking that maybe I need to revise my goals to stay within my calorie count, but after giving up alcohol and dessert for so long last year, I may not want to continue it.
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I'm having trouble with the no drinking-no eating dessert. Grace and Melinda spent Tuesday night at our house. I ended up having a Bloody Mary--Grace does make the best Bloody Mary's ever, and some ice cream. It is really hard to resist ice cream in my own house. I'm thinking that maybe I need to revise my goals to stay within my calorie count, but after giving up alcohol and dessert for so long last year, I may not want to continue it.
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Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Movin Slo
I feel like I'm fighting off a cold. Liz's brother, sister-in-law and niece were here last week to visit Dan and us, but I'm sure Dan was the top priority. Anyway Maria had a bad cold, which Liz caught and I feel like I'm fighting it off. I hope I'm successful because the next few weeks are action-packed. I'm headed to Baton Rouge tomorrow, come back late Thursday night, head to the beach Friday and Saturday (ok, I know that's not too strenuous). Then we head into Boston for a late night Red Sox-Yankees game. Does it get better than that? No time for a cold.
I had a great workout with Mark yesterday. I told him my back had been hurting from the night before. Dan had taken the carpeting out of our tv room--it had been peed and pooped on by too many cats and dogs, and we couldn't get the smell out. Liz had spent the weekend putting in a new bamboo floor, while I periodically would wander in to tell her how good it looked. Dan was off in New York visiting a friend from college. By Sunday I was feeling a bit guilty, so I painted some baseboards and helped put the room back together. Liz did an amazing job--here's how it looks:
Hey I'm having trouble transferring photos. What's with that?
Anyway, Mark took my sore back as a sign that I should do plenty of back exercises. I'm sore today from my triceps to every muscle in my back--it's a great feeling.
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I had a great workout with Mark yesterday. I told him my back had been hurting from the night before. Dan had taken the carpeting out of our tv room--it had been peed and pooped on by too many cats and dogs, and we couldn't get the smell out. Liz had spent the weekend putting in a new bamboo floor, while I periodically would wander in to tell her how good it looked. Dan was off in New York visiting a friend from college. By Sunday I was feeling a bit guilty, so I painted some baseboards and helped put the room back together. Liz did an amazing job--here's how it looks:
Hey I'm having trouble transferring photos. What's with that?
Anyway, Mark took my sore back as a sign that I should do plenty of back exercises. I'm sore today from my triceps to every muscle in my back--it's a great feeling.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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