I accept that pain is my body saying "something is wrong," not "weakness leaving the body." I get it. I am slow to accept that my body needs me to lay off. I rarely rest when I hurt something. How many times do I have to tear a rotator cuff before I say "oh, take a few weeks off?" Apparently, more than twice would be the answer to that.
So I am nursing this tear in my right rotator cuff. The tendon is pulling away from the bone, too. Ouch.
I know the initial injury was a little bike accident in May. Nothing dramatic, I hit a big rock, lost momentum and fell over. No big deal, got a skinned knee and elbow on the right side. Next day though I was really miserable with chest, neck, and arm pain. Took a couple of weeks to feel better, but eventually I realized I was having nagging shoulder pain.
Then in June I had a disastrous set of failed beach launches through thunderous shore break on East Beach of Bald Head Island. I ended up getting washing machined over and over. I came out of that with a nagging back spasm, never had that before, and re-injured the shoulder.
Since then there have been good weeks and bad weeks. After this last training session in Tybee with Dale, though, I knew it was time to see the surgeon. He ordered an MRI and it does not look good. But I am a skeptic. I am wondering how 30 days of rest might do the shoulder? And that is where I am today. A week and few days into a 30 day trial to see if it will heal given proper rest.
This means no lifting, no paddling, no biking or yoga? Yes, all that, and more. The surgeon told me to stop doing the shoulder stretches as well. So what can a person who is naturally bad at sitting still do? I can still walk, and do little running. And that is about it. Even carting the vacuum around is a no-go. I finally have an excuse not to vacuum, but I am not happy.
As far as my dogs go an injury is no excuse to skip ball time or walks. So I am working on throwing ball with my left hand, something I should have mastered years ago. I am walking with the leash in my left hand instead of right. My cardio health will not be allowed to slip south while my arm muscles atrophy.
If I am feeling better in 30 days I can start PT. So that is where I am today.
I reorganized the garage. Moving stuff bit by bit while protecting both shoulders from strain was a beast. But these are the fruits of being stuck indoors:
I have been spending "quality time" with the cats and dogs. Reading, I have been reading a lot.
And I am just about ready to climb the walls. I am not good at resting. No sir, not good at all.
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