Week 13 - Patience is a virtue...right?

So, 13 weeks have flown in!? And just like a bird with a broken wing and one leg in plaster, it seems to be taking forever! Sometimes its easy to get distracted from the destination because the journey seems a little too tough. I need to remind myself that I am only approaching the 3 month mark at the end of the day.

This week has seen a visit to the surgeon for final appointment... yeeeeeha!

I made sure I had the first appointment, 8am, as I didn't want it to drag out all morning! The surgeon was really positive and was very happy with the progress so far, near full range on passive movement, around 75% on active movement, and more importantly, no sleepless nights! Sleeping well is definitely a good sign that the injury is healing fine. Full strength and range should be expected to reached over the next 6/8 weeks which is brilliant news! However, dont get me wrong, there is always some kind of doubt at the back of your mind regarding it not working out / some unforeseen complications and therefore at the end of treatment, not being able to return to full health. So the news from the big guy himself, did make my day!

Straight from surgeon’s appointment, i crossed the hallway and went down to see the physiotherapist, Vanessa! She has been absolutely brutal over the last 2 visits! Last week it was particularly hard as she pushed me / the arm to our limits, not only making it the toughest physio session ever but also convincing the mind that i had went backwards in my recovery, not forwards! Thankfully, I know there is no gain without a little pain, so it was the time to just grit the teeth and man up. 

This weeks session was a lot better (thankfully), going over all the ROM tests and feeling back up to about 80%!  Although, there is still a little bit of pain on the end ranges through active movement. The muscles in and around scapula were tightening up, so she released them and then we set about planning the exercises for the up and coming week. 

There is actually only one new exercises for this week, a salute extension with green band to activate the lower traps and lats. The excersise has to be done 3/4 sets x 20 reps together with lunge twist with arm extension, 3/4 sets x 20 reps. Moving onto increasing stretching exercises to include chest and anterior delts.

Its now the 18th Feb and i am progressing well (albeit slowly) but, I have to be happy with that. Each day gets me closer to my overall goal, a return to full fitness. I just cannot wait to get my hands on a set of weights these days! My body composition, stats and photos are showing progress. All heading in the same direction, just better be the right direction!?LOL!!!

Luckily, i have been able to continue to smash it in my 6/7 spin classes a week, im convinced that if I can keep going at this pace I reckon I could be a serious challenger for the Scottish Commonwealth Games Cycling Team, 2014! ;-)

Right, so time to pack the cleats and Lycra’s, there is a bike with my name on it needing its resistance tested! 

Week 8 of Rehab!!! - Slowly but Surely

So it is now 8 weeks since the operation and everything still seems to be going to plan.

2013 began with a trip to the physio on the 2nd of Jan where i was assessed for range of movement at the shoulder joint. 

My range was measured at 110 degree on extension and 90 degree on abduction. The physio then proceeded to manipulate the joint through all planes of movement and then focused on releasing the tension through the joint capsule and subscapularis. I have to say, I did shed a tear or two (felt like she was trying to rip the arm from the socket). I was then given two additional exercises to add to the ones I was already doing, to try and start to increase my range and begin light strengthening of the muscles.

Exercise 1; Active extension of the arm to a tolerable range.

Exercise 2; Abduction of the arm to a tolerable range.

Exercise 3; Supported body weight extension on exercise ball

Exercise 4; Supported Abduction arm roll outs on exercise ball

Exercise 5; Prone resistance band overhead extensions to tolerable range.

I was then cleared to lose the sling for good! Plus, i was told that I could return to teaching my spin classes!!! ‘Music’ to my ears... but reminded to be careful not to aggravate the joint at ANYTIME.

So, within 3 hours of leaving the physio I was back on the timetable to teach 4 spins for the rest of that week! Ha, ha, haa ;-)

My 1st class back was a joke! I thought I was going to die in the warm up and by the time the class was finished.... so was I! So there is a social experiment right there, doing nothing but eating, sleeping, drinking and walking just does not cut it!! Although the majority of that was done to excess to be fair! Im only human, LOL!

So on the following Saturday I got one of the PT’s at the gym ( a LM Instructor and great PT), Kevin to do my body stats... I wont reveal what they were right now, but I am logging them for the final post where all will be revealed from beginning to end with photographic evidence - This might not be a pretty sight! LOL! I felt great afterwards as I now had a starting point and a clear focus to work on. The journey will be challenging but I have been there before so, its not impossible!?

I then have been relying on H and another great LM instructor / PT at the gym called Aaron (junior Mr Ireland, so keep your eyes open for this guy! he knows his stuff and walks the walk) to help me through the rehab exercises, ensuring that I challenge the stretches but don’t over do them.

So far i am already back doing 6 regular spins but, still not able to lift at all. However, i should hopefully be able to start some core and leg work in the not too distant future. Every now and then I get a little twinge / pain just to remind me that I am still in the healing process, that i am human and to let the process run its course!

So until next time, onwards and upwards! Taking a challenge and making a change ;)

Week 6 & Heading towards a New Year - 2013!

So thats it, heading towards week 6 post op and more importantly to the end of 2012! The recovery is going well although it is tough not to race ahead of the rehab, especially as the pain starts to subside and my dominant arm wants to take charge once again!

I have been sticking to rehab exercises; rotational (see below) & passive movement of the joint, trying to increase the range of motion slowly and without pain. At this stage I have around 110 degree of movement on the shoulder through the frontal plane of motion. Abduction is just on 90 degree, and working on external rotation.

I am still really trying to avoid using the arm in any overhead movements and being extremely careful with simple tasks like putting on my jacket! Who ever thought that after the age of 5 this would still prove to be such a difficult task? LOL! However being totally honest with you,  I  did have a little set back on Christmas Day (of all bloody days)! I think it was because I was in full Christmas mode, excited and feeling great after Santa's BIG visit! The day began with the usual shower however, as I stepped out onto the floor, I slipped on the wet tiles and went arse over tit!!! I managed to react quickly (too quickly), keeping my arm close to my body to protect it but that also meant I had nothing to reach out for support so the inevitable happened!? One leg kicked the shower screen into next year, the other nearly went through the bathroom window, my arse crashed down on the toilet seat smashing it real good which all resulted in me ending up in a naked pile on the bathroom floor!!! Its funny because my only instinct initially was to get up and get a towel on before everyone in the household came crashing through the door to see if I was OK! LOL! What a Christmas episode, if only i had been clever enough to film all of it! But all was good eventually, a few strong pain killers, glass of champagne and a day of chilling helped to get me back on track. It just shows you, sods law, it always goes wrong when you think it is all going great!

So, i took more pictures today of the body's composition, at the rough end of 6 months doing absolutely NOTHING, then eating and drinking FAR TOO MUCH!It is now time to get focused on beginning 2013 with brand new inspiring goals and a fresh outlook! I will continue to post rehab and exercise plan together with nutrition and body comp pics as I head back to fitness... which may take a while!

Until then I would like to take this chance to remember an absolutely fabulous 2012 with all its up and downs! It has been a great year in every way, right up there with the best!!!

And last but by no means least, I would like to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous 2013! Make it a year to remember!

So at the stroke of midnight raise your glass, and in the words of the infamous Bard......

Here's tae us

Wha's like us

Damn few,

And they're a' deid

Mair's the pity!

May those who live truly be always believed,

And those who deceive us be always deceived.

Here's to the men of all classes,

Who through lasses and glasses

Will make themselves asses!

I drink to the health of another,

And the other I drink to is he

In the hope that he drinks to another,

And the other he drinks to is me.

All my very best to all, and to a happy New Year! Slanj!

Jist Dae It!

Week 3

The last 3 weeks seem to have flown in, even though I have been confined to the apartment and able to do very little! Maybe it's because Santa’s coming? Truthfully, I am now actually beginning to enjoy the rest and the rehab. I am feeling physically and mentally in tune, all the little niggles that I normally feel have gone, feeling fit and healthy and the knees feel like they did when I was 20 something! However, i am at my heaviest i have been in 5 years - back up to my Hooker weight! Lol.

I returned to hospital on Thursday for my follow up appointment. Its always a little worrying as the mind starts to run through various worrying scenarios and outcomes!? Lesson learnt, no point in worrying about or pre-empting the outcome before you even hear the outcome!

The hospital was bang on time with my appointment, which is always a good start, very efficient. The Surgeon ran through the op procedure again and the course of action he had taken, went into it in a lot more detail thankfully! Upshot was that I had pretty much wrecked the tendons as I did not back off when I first felt the pain! Won't be doing that again, i will learn from the past and  back off every time I feel any sign of 'man pain' in the future! Good news is that it looks like everything was successful and should hope to experience a full recovery! He also said that because of the way he had to reattached the bicep tendon, the actual bicep muscle will look bigger when flexed! Bonus or what!!! Not just fixed but bigger than before! Lol... So I asked him if he could do the same on the right side too!

After I was finished with the surgeon I was sent along to begin physio treatment. I was introduced to Niall, who knows his stuff and assessed the movement of the shoulder, elbow & wrist. Impressive range through shoulder that sets me ahead of the game at this early stage of rehab! It just shows that keeping physically fit and following the advice of the professionals is a great combination to enhance the rehab procedure. He gave me a few passive movement exercises to do over the next couple of weeks and I have to keep the sling on when out in public for the next week to protect the shoulder.  Sleeping well at the moment and that's also helping the rehab lots! Came off the pain killers and anti inflammatories at the beginning of the week and seem to be managing ok at the moment. However, the advice now is to still keep the pain to a minimum so the body can heal by taking painkillers when required. So far it's not been needed, fingers crossed!

I will begin exercise rehab next week. I will take pictures before during and after to show the progress that I will post when fully recovered. I will also log my full exercise program back to full fitness together with nutrition involved and keep you all posted along the way! 

2nd week after...

The pain is finally under control. However, that is not necessarily a great thing since its my dominant hand that is affected! As such, it's really hard not to use it to do all the silly everyday tasks you normally take for granted like: showering, brushing the teeth, making a cup of tea, using the TV remote, and its a good job I'm going thin on top as its a nightmare trying to do the hair!

The hardest thing to deal with so far has, surprisingly, not been the lack of exercise (4 months of 4 spin classes a week, no lifting reduced back to nothing for last 2 weeks!) I guess that is because the body is welcoming a LONG overdue period of rest and recovery!? To be honest, the real problem has been adjusting my eating habits. Trying to restrict the calorie input due to the complete reversal of calorie output from the lack of training/exercising! I have always been used to cramming the calories in to keep on top of training and therefore it's a huge lifestyle change to suddenly switch to the complete opposite!!! The current situation is exaggerated by the fact that restricting movement and doing NOTHING makes me incredibly board! And when I'm board i slip back into old habits, eating! Aaaaaaaargh, the vicious circle! So, i’ve decided the best way to deal with it is clever shopping! Restrict what is available so snacking is impossible!

If you fancy looking further into the details of the ‘Repair of the Bicep Tendon’ then check this out:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ODIgAbq7DxI#

Next week will see a return to the surgeon for a follow up..... Lets see what news that brings?

The week after sugery!

One week on.....

And I need to start by saying a HUGE thank you to everyone for your kind comments pre op, they were all very much appreciated!

Post Op

Two things changed this last week; 6 months of trying to work through a shity debilitating pain that has severely reduced my range of movement, coupled together with a deteriorating mindset that was becoming weary of the pain and losing faith in any type of improvement for the future. Whereas now, the pain has increased twofold and the movement is restricted even further however, the mind is feeling focused and completely positive as it’s now able to deal with rehab rather than retirement! Lol...What a Difference a week makes!?

Pre Op

Last week I was being wheeled into the pre op theatre where I was assessed again by the highly skilled and much respected surgeon. We quickly went over the problem (MRI scan showing a tear in Supraspinatus) and the procedure he would be carrying out (Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery). I was then passed back to anaesthetists to be, as they called it, put to sleep! Now, that was the strangest and probably most disturbing part of the whole procedure. It really didn’t hit home until I was lying on the bed with an actual oxygen mask being held over my mouth and nose, whilst I was being injected with a combination of drugs for a general anaesthesia. Its the strangest feeling ever, lying helpless whilst you have to put your total trust in someone else to put you into a state of controlled sleep. You can’t help thinking; I hope I wake up again! I began to feel dizzy as a sense of fainting swept over me which was quickly followed by my whole world going Black, nothingness (if that is even a word).

The Aftermath

No sooner does the darkness block everything out than I am awake again, albeit in a state of disorientation. It’s a strange feeling, a feeling of nothing, like i had just closed my eyes for a moment and opened them again. Once I was responding like a sober human being, rather than someone on the good end of 3 bottles of wine, they wheeled me back to the ward. In the ward I was properly looked after to make sure I was comfortable and in no pain. Between bouts of falling asleep I was rewarded with the best post op meal ever created...

Tea & Hot Buttered Toast! 

I’m serious when i say, the smell and taste of tea & toast is sooo comforting when just out of theatre. It wasn’t long before the surgeon did his rounds, with a number of followers & his Physiotherapist. So here is what he actual did during the surgery; when he went in he found that the suprasinatus was only partially torn and was not the root of the problem, it was the proximal head of the bicep tendon which had a nasty tear that he had to repair to solve the problem. So after all the consultations with physiotherapists and even after an MRI, the real problem went undiagnosed until he actually got in to have a close look. I am not moaning or complaining I’m just so thankful that the problem has been identified and resolved and that the guy doing the job was top class!

Rehab

So I now have to keep the shoulder joint immobilised, 4 weeks in a sling, and then i will move onto the physio to rehab, beginning with passive movement of the joint. I will continue to post updates on my rehab which may or may not be of interest!?

Right now I have resigned myself to doing exactly as I am told, as I would normally ignore this advice and try to move around so I can get back to the gym!! In doing so I will have the best Christmas ever, time off, good food and maybe a cheeky glass of wine or two. 6 Months lack of exercise sees me back up to my ‘fighting weight’ and I feel good for it! Bring on 2013!!

Ps, I have attached a couple of pics of my shoulder inside out! Strange seeing what lies beneath. LOL.

Muscle into fat... so Granny told me!

Another old wives tale. As far as I am still aware, it is physically impossible to turn muscle tissue into fat tissue. Kind of like trying to turn glass into gold, It just can\'t be done.

So why do some people still think that this is possible? Maybe its down to a lack of education and probably a lot to do with "word of mouth"? And a little of what the eye sees!

People use former athletes, bodybuilders and even regular exercisers that have lost their athletic look as an example, when they ask the question, "why do people get fat when they stop exercising"? However, they have not thought about the actual changes of lifestyle that have taken place that lead to this perception of muscle turning into fat.



Anyone who exercises at any level will also have a nutritional requirement to aid the body to deal with the extra stress that it is put under during the period of exercise. Also, the body requires the right balance of nutrients to help in the repair process after periods of exercise.

When someone appears to be less toned, to have put on weight or turned fat, then this is generally down to a couple of factors.

Firstly, If the calories you consume whilst on an exercise program is maintained when you stop doing that exercise program then you will put weight on.

Secondly, If you stop training, over time, the muscle tissue will diminish (atrophy - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_atrophy). Assuming you do not change your eating habits to account for this change in lifestyle, the extra calories consumed will be stored as fat! Creating a false impression that the muscle tissue has turned into fat.

The rules are still, in general, as simple as 1,2,3:
1. If you consume more calories than you expend then you will get fatter.

2. If you manage to consume the same as you expend then you will roughly remain the same weight.

3. If you consume less than you expend then you will lose weight.

As always there are certain factors that might change the equation but on simple terms it kinda works!

So the answer is simple, lead a balanced lifestyle with a healthy diet and frequent periods of exercise and you will look fine, feel great and chances are, live a better quality of life for a lot longer!