Quick Update

Hello there!  My heartfelt apologizes for letting this blog go since my surgery....my doctor wants me to limit computer use (as in typing) to only 2 hours a day- and it needs to be used for work.  Work is important, people!

I've been struggling with unexplained vertigo for the past week and a half....yeah you read that correctly.  I think it is finally getting better, I've had very little dizziness today and drove quite a bit around town and even to Towson and felt fine.  It's been a more traditional case of vertigo than my last case (when I was in the hospital for 3 days in June), which is good in a way- but it feels like it's lasted forever.  After finally seeing a doctor about it on Friday and receiving some meds it's been slowly dissipating, but still comes back at times so I am making sure to do a few things to help my body along:

1.  Lots of water- gotta stay hydrated

1. 

   Water!

2. Many small, healthy snacks throughout the day to ensure I don't feel lightheaded and that my body is getting all the nutrition it needs throughout healing my elbow from surgery
3. Taking it easy

For real!

Number 3 has been tough, especially mentally.  I need my activity to feel not just normal physically but mentally as well.  So, for that reason I was THRILLED that on Wednesday I was feeling well enough to join Adrian at the gym after my weight watchers meeting.  My whole body must have really needed a serious rest because the pain in my elbow has gone WAY down, even when I tried a few jogging steps.  Up until yesterday, even a single high impact step was like a knife to my incision area.   My first Occupational Therapy (OT) appointment was on Tuesday, and Linda had mentioned that before I try running again, I should ensure that first the elliptical was pain free because it has been as well.  So, with that in my head, I hopped on the combo elliptical and ended up working up my usual sweat and heart rate for 20 minutes until I started having some pain.  When the pain started, I stopped and moved onto to a lower body strength training circuit (mainly machines this time) to finish out my first good workout in a week. Since I got my cast off on the 18th, until Friday, I have been spending as much time as I can walking and on the recumbent bike.  It's been a good alternative and I've been able to get my heart rate in my zone, but I just don't enjoy it the way I do even using a stationary bike.

And to top it all off- I have been OFF pain meds (not even Tylenol!) for 3 days!  I'm so thrilled with my pain management and glad to be off those possibly addicting meds.

So with that, I would like to throw out a question for my lovely readers, all 3 of you:   
How do you deal with having to take a prolonged break from your workout routine?