Joe asked, "How long until you can get back in the pool?"
I suppose technically I could get in the pool (not really to swim but to do therapy) after I get my stitches out on Monday, but the word from my PT is that I can go back to swimming in 8-10 weeks, which is mid-January or early February. Then it will be a very slow and gradual start, and I do not expect to be able to compete for quite some time.
But just being on the improving end of all this is a nice thing. Remind me of that when I get impatient.
For now I am doing very minimal PT exercises--pendulums, passive range of motion, external rotation to 0 degrees and forward elevation to 90 degrees. I will continue to do those thing for about 3 weeks, and then move on to full range of motion for external rotation and forward elevations. Then, in week 5, I start on active range of motion exercises. In the sixth week I can move on to seated rows, standing forward punch, shoulder shrugs, bicep curls, and bear hugs. I start weight training in week 78, but with a fairly limited range of motion and with minimal overhead activities.
Joe's question also made me think about a few other milestones:
Sling off: 4 weeks
Computer work: 4 weeks (though I can type one-handed in the meantime)
Driving: after I quit the big pain meds and get clearance from my doctor (2-3 weeks? depending on pain level)
Reading: once I back off the pain meds enough to concentrate for more than half a paragraph at a time
Teaching: once I am capable of maintaining a non-surreal conversation with more than one person at a time (though my students have assured me that they would like me to come back sooner. . .)
Sometimes I think that the pain meds don't have a real effect, but then I ride in a car, and I find that although the driver is only going 15 mph or so, it feels like we are careening around. Or I try to participate in a conversation with numerous people, only to find that I cannot keep up. Or I go to a yarn store to by yarn for a new sweater for myself, and I look at the label, wondering, "how much yarn is in this skein?" Then I look at it for a little while longer and still have no idea how much yarn is in this skein.
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4 comments:
Isis,
Lessee, how long did it take you to type that one-handed?
And: what exactly is a 'skein'? Is that like a bushel? Or baker's dozen?
Don't think about it too hard, and I hope your healing is going well.
Good luck with the rehab.
Hehe, funny stories about the pain meds!
Keep working hard. You will get there, I know it. FORZA AZZURRI!
Nice U2/Psalm 40 reference in your post title, BTW.
Hey - good luck with your recovery. Do your students want you back so they can giggle at your non-sequitors? And the problem with yarn is that even if you do know how much is in the skein, you don't know how much knitting it will provide. Or maybe I'm just bad at gauge.
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