Getting Back on Track

Mind Altering Mistakes

Firstly, forgive me for my many grammatical errors and missed words in my last post. Being on 2o grams of Vicoden every 4 to 6 makes me pretty loopy. Hopefully as my pain subsides, so will my use of these lifesavers. Seems like I'm taking them like candy right now, but such is the purpose. Seriously, without pain meds, I cant imagine how one possibly survives a slice and dice surgery like mine.

So it's Sunday morning and relative to post operation, I am moving around much better. I am able to walk without shuffling, kneel down to pick up things (I credit cycling to my legs abilities to carry the weight), and get in and out of the bed without too much pain. Speaking of pain....

Since this was my first ever surgery, I guess I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know that pain pills only take the pain edge off, that there is still soreness and that dull pain down your legs and that the pain feels familiar if not worse than the pain I felt before surgery. How can I describe it? Well, imagine someone taking your entire lower back and squeezing every bone and muscle as hard as they can and never letting go. The imagine that with every movement, whether it be bending or getting into a different position, that squeeze is excacerbated by a tentacles of pain shooting down both legs. Welcome to my recovery.

Notwithstanding, I do feel improvement and can sort of, in a strange way, see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe this is in my head, but the pain I used to endured by my fractured vertebrate, bad disc and slipped disc is soreness is following my surgery...this I am hopeful. I couldn't imagine living with this indefinitely.

Last night, and I don't know what I was thinking, I decided to take Rob up on his offer and head to our local sushi restaurant. Major mistake. I still cant comfortably sit, so I twisted and turned the entire time. There is a reason the doctor orders bed rest for two weeks. I learned that the hard way last night.

I have received countless well wishes from friends, many of whom are like family to me. One of whom paid me a surprise visit last night.

Ironbabe Jane, fresh from her first Ironman finish, came into town. It was so nice to see her, kinda like comfort food. Oh and earlier that day BFF Ryan and cuteface Andy came over. Ironically, Ironman Hawaii was on TV. Jane also got inked, albeit considerably smaller than mine.

Which leads me to my hope and determination to be back on training and on track for another Ironman finish. Doc is saying 6 months before running, and before that, just walking and light weights, swimming, stationary cycling, etc. It 's encouraging to me that he was confident the surgery went well, and I should be able to do the things I want to do in a year or so.

I may or may not be blogging more in the days to come, since I am homebound. I have a huge mound of magazines to thumb through, but thankfully my first semester of school and my internship have ended (more about this later).

Cheers and happy training!

The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love.-- Hubert H. Humphrey