Photo by www.kaboompics.com
Miss Me?
It’s been over six weeks since my last blog post.
Five weeks ago, I had shoulder surgery. Let me tell you — shoulder surgery is a literal pain. Thankfully, mine didn’t involve a rotator cuff tear, so recovery hasn’t been as long or complicated as it could have been. I had a bone spur pressing on my rotator cuff, along with arthritis and inflammation that needed to be cleaned out. They also shaved off part of my clavicle.
I was off work for nearly two weeks, so you’d think I had plenty of time to blog. Instead, most of my days were spent in a recliner with ice packs on my shoulder, carefully timing my hydrocodone doses. I think I managed to finish one book I had already started — and that was about it.
One thing I learned: even when you’re not using your injured arm, you’re still using it. Picking things up with my left arm or simply bending over somehow involved my right shoulder. And don’t even get me started on all the things we take for granted — washing your hair, putting on deodorant, tying your shoes, pulling on a T-shirt…
If you were around three years ago when I had foot surgery, you already know I am a terrible patient. I don’t like not being able to drive. I don’t like being stuck at home and depending on others to take me places. But once again, my wonderful village of friends and family showed up and took amazing care of me through all my craziness.
I’m driving again and mostly back to my normal routine. My surgeon warned me that even without a rotator cuff tear, this would be a 4–6 month recovery for full range of motion and complete pain relief. Naturally, I interpreted that as 4–6 weeks. (Spoiler alert: I was wrong.) A quick trip out of town last weekend definitely humbled me.
The good news is that I feel much better than I did five weeks ago — even with last week’s temporary flare-up. I found a fantastic new physical therapist (my previous one retired right before surgery). I’m motivated to focus on long-term health and getting stronger so I can avoid future surgeries.
Healthier and Stronger
The past six years have been rough health-wise. I had a miserable case of COVID with lingering side effects. I’ve had surgery for a deviated septum, bunion surgery, and now shoulder surgery. Apparently, getting older is not for sissies.
That said, I’ve watched friends and family go through much more serious health challenges, which has motivated me to do what I can to stay as healthy as possible.
I’m turning 52 this week, and I’ve decided it’s time to make some intentional lifestyle changes.
A Few Health Goals:
Lose about 20 pounds.
I’m down about 15 pounds from my highest weight, but I’d still like to lose another 15–20. I’m tall and can hide it fairly well, but my not-so-great knees would definitely appreciate less weight.
Improve my diet.
I gave up my lifelong Diet Coke habit a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, sweet tea and lattes and Frappuccinos have filled the void. I still consume much more sugar than I should.
Fried foods, red meat, and bread are my biggest weaknesses.
I want to focus on eating more fruits (easy for me) and vegetables, and shift toward a more anti-inflammatory diet. Since I was diagnosed with some digestive issues in September, I may need to finally schedule an appointment with a nutritionist to figure out what truly works for my body.
Prioritizing Flexibility and Strength
I have at least a few more weeks of physical therapy ahead of me. PT has been a recurring theme in my life thanks to back, knee, and shoulder issues. I’d really like to avoid any more surgeries, so I’m committed to continuing my exercises even after formal therapy ends.
Once I’m cleared, I’m planning to look into yoga classes and get back to strength training. I probably have another couple of weeks before I can safely return to the gym. My 6 week post-op appointment is this week and my physical therapist advised me to check in with my doctor and then we could negotiate getting back to the gym.
Sleep
I talk about this one a lot. I’ve always been a night owl, but my sleep has taken a serious hit over the past year — first from personal stress and insomnia, and then from surgery. I spent the first few weeks after surgery sleeping in my recliner. I’ve moved back to my bed, but after last week’s flare-up, pain has disrupted my sleep again.
Once my shoulder settles down, I need to prioritize getting to bed earlier. That means turning off the TV and setting aside the books.
Mental Health
This one feels especially important right now. The world feels overwhelming, and staying positive can be a challenge. I’ve always been a worrier, but lately I’ve noticed that stress and anxiety creep in more easily than they used to.
Better sleep and continued healing will definitely help. Cutting back significantly on social media scrolling has already made a difference — there’s just too much negativity out there.
One helpful resource for me has been The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. The concept is simple but not always easy:
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Let Them — Let people be who they are. Let them make their choices. You can’t control other people.
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Let Me — Focus on how you respond. Control what you can control.
It’s a mindset shift that’s been grounding for me.
Here’s to healing, getting stronger, and doing what I can to make the next decade healthier than the last.
