Sunday, January 16, 2011

Getting Back Into Shape

shape.com

I've been feeling better over the last two weeks.

Yay!

My shoulder isn't hurting as much as it has been, and that is such a relief.

It makes a huge difference not to be in so much pain.

And my arm is more mobile.

Also yay!

It occurred to me at some point that if surgeons will eventually anesthetize patients with frozen shoulders to manipulate the joint, I could, in essence, do the same thing myself. Not the anesthetization – obviously! – but the manipulation. So instead of just the Codman's exercises the physiotherapist has had me doing since the beginning of this whole crazy saga, I've been using the weight of my own body while lying down to put pressure on the joint to stretch the adhesions holding it in place.

Warning: not sure if this is medically advisable or not, but it's been working for me. I can now move the arm more than before, which is so fabulous and has made such a difference in my day-to-day life.

I walked up 4 flights of stairs yesterday and went to the gym today since I was feeling so chipper.

Sad, sad state of affairs. The gym that is – or rather my physical state of being.

I lost some 6 pounds during this stupid shoulder affair, I think simply because of the pain. I actually was eating quite a lot of comfort food, in my opinion, just to make myself feel better but must have been eating less overall, and I also lost muscle mass, too, which weighs more than other stuff, because I wasn't working out at all. Moving your body hurts when your shoulder hurts as much as mine did. It's amazing to realize how much your shoulder affects the way your whole body moves as a unit, everything from raising a spoon to your mouth to getting up out of a chair. So I had been moving, really, as little as possible. Not good for a body. Bodies are meant to move.

Which is why I say sad.

Overall, I look pathetic compared to a year ago. Yes, a year ago I was all stiff and sore and felt like crap because of the onset of RA, but my body was, muscle-wise, in much better shape.

So, now, like so many people at the start of a new year, it's back to the drawing board from a fitness perspective.

But at least I feel more up to it.

And that's super wonderful!

Yay, yay, yay!!!!!

7 comments:

  1. Laurie, round is a shape ;)

    It's great that you're feeling better. Good luck with the exercise routine and getting into the shape you'd like to be.

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  2. I'm really glad you're feeling better, Lauri. I do know just how much a painful shoulder can limit your life--it's almost unbelievable. But now you're ready to move on ahead. Bravo!
    -Wren

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  3. Glad you're feeling better. By the way, you owe me. My shoulder has been killing me, it hasn't hurt this bad since I separated it some 25 years ago, so I assume I took your shoulder pain burden from you. lol

    Ahhh, life with RA.

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  4. Oh my word, the amount that my body has changed in the last year...sigh. So much more squishy. I feel I am getting on the right track, though, so fingers crossed.

    Good luck, Laurie! Feeling motivated is the hardest thing (in my opinion!).

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  5. Hmm I haven't experienced shoulder pain BUT, I do totally understand when you say that you dont realise how much you use something until you can't. I find that's true of any flaring part, suddenly you're like 'WHOA, I really do need that insignificant finger..and wow, didn't realise that my wrists were so important..'

    Great to hear you've got your motivation back, I think the winter has a lot to do with it. Once the days are longer it's easier to go out and be active!

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  6. Laurie: Great to hear the shoulder is doing better! Exercise really is the best medicine. Hopefully 2010 will be a better year for you.

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  7. Hi Laurie! I hear ya on the new year and trying to get in shape as hard as it is with RA. Sometimes I feel like RA ages us 10x faster than healthy people (heck it does!)

    I hope you feel better!

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