Left Shoulder Replacement 8 months later, FULLY HEALED

In reality it was fully healed around the 6-month mark. I stopped doing my physical therapy exercises at that point. The shoulder is 100% as good as it can be. It gets stiff once in a while, especially jostling it while running. And I can't shoot a basketball lefty anymore which was my strong hand. My form however righthanded is butter. I can play golf!  I hit balls in the middle of May and then went down to Naples. Broke 90 first time out with the new shoulder.  I couldn't do that with the old shoulder!  Then the third time out, did it again in Connecticut! I'm an out of state golfer.  Was supposed to play 36 this weekend, alas it's going to pour tomorrow. 

All I have a scar from the top of my shoulder to my pec. The bride thinks it looks bad ass.  Right shoulder has been good. My goal is to not try and mess that up too soon, though the flexibility is gone.  I can't throw a baseball 30 feet anymore and played 3rd base on the big diamond. These days, that throw is about a par 3.

Workouts are the same.  Total body, one exercise each body part, 3 sets of 8-12.  Mixing up the different plated hammer strength machines.  I can do safety bar squats, and double 55 front squats.  Holding the bells in the rack was a huge victory. I tried to press an 18 lb. bell on the left side.  No bueno. I can't extend fully.  Tried doing a double clean and jerk with 25 lb. bells, just out of curiosity, nope. For shoulder exercises, I do shrugs and double swings.  That's it.  Still do two hand swings every week. I use the wheelbarrow sled now instead of the prowler. 

As I said before, the Echo Bike has been the biggest game changer for my fitness. My heartrate runs between 47 - 51. In March, I found this blog with 30 Brutal Assault Bike Workouts. I was doing them 2-3 times a week, they get progressively harder. I have been stuck at number 19 for a while.  I try it once a week. The good news is I was able to do 12 miles at over 200 watts average which for me is cooking, and I'm able to run 5 miles at a clip outdoors.  My foot has held up well. I'm convinced one session on the elliptical machine screwed it up.  Never again. 

Diet has been meh.  Didn't drink for 8 weeks, lost 18 lb. gained 5lb. back. Went to a college reunion with my buddies in Springfield, MA at the MGM Casino. Made it to 11 PM and my buddy decided enough was enough and bought me a glass of 14-year-old Oban scotch.  Leaped and did a somersault off that wagon. Yes sir.  Then proceeded to lose $200 at the video poker and blackjack table. Was so bored trying to get things going, I doubled on a 9 vs. an 8 and split sevens for shits and giggles.  Hadn't been in a casino in 2 years since I was at the Mirage (RIP) and on a cruise ship to Bermuda.  I won on the ship and told the bride not to let me go back in there. 

Went to the doctor for a physical in April. I was so proud of myself until I saw my cholesterol level,  277!  Doctor told me it's from INTERMITTENT FASTING.  Told me to knock it off. Gladly.  My HDL (good) was 78 and I'm off blood pressure medication.  I eat too many eggs and have too much salt. 

In other big news, I have an old job back. The PT placement business was a disaster. What could go wrong did.  I left the placement industry 10 years ago because I started hating candidates.  They have gotten MUCH WORSE.  Over analyzing everything, too many questions, too many demands, unrealistic expectations.  The worst industry in the world to work in is physical therapy. Going in debt to get a Doctorate in PT just to make $85 K. Clinic owners' margins are razor thin and they can't pay fees or people. Lesson learned.  Good thing my stock portfolio is kicking butt and taking names.  Fantastic 5. 

What I love about my new/old job is it's a new company and all the trash got taken out. There's only 3 people left that I used to work with. Maybe 4.  Jumped right back in like Carl Yastrzemski going back to left field for the 1975 World Series.  God, I'm dating myself.  I just used 2 spaces after the period as well. Here's Captain Carl vs. the Reds that October. Red Sox won that World Series 3 games to 4. LOL

Very pleased with my Celtics winning their 18th championship.  The Lakers may have 17, but 5 were in Minneapolis. And does the bubble count with that poser/fraud Lebron James?  He's such a passive aggressive clown that the Lakers will never win with him again.

Words and phrases that have been driving me crazy.  "Vibe," The "vibe" of the MGM was really cool. Using "super" as a modifier. Whatever happened to the word "really." As in Hi, I'm Brian and I'm SUPER EXCITED to share this blog with you.  New one from my job, "robust data."  What does that even mean? And finally, the word "journey."  Everything is a darn journey these days.  We had a mid-year presentation and the vapid CHRO used the word journey 8 times in the first 7 minutes. Throw in she started off with "I'm super excited" to begin the presentation.  I hung up after 10 minutes.  Wasn't making me any money. Voyage, trek, passage anyone?  I told my soon to be finance major senior in college to get a job in HR. Big bucks for dumb ducks.

I'm late to the party. Get Your Ya-Ya's Out by the Rolling Stones and Live at Leeds by The Who (extended version) have been my go-to music while doing cardio.  One would think that a 13 minute My Generation might be a tad self-indulgent?  NOPE.  And the Amazing Journey (title of song, from 1970, not used as a word) medley into Summertime Blues HNNNNGGGGGGG.  The Stones sound SO tight and Mick Taylor ripping the lead guitar on Live with Me is phenomenal. 

Pick your favorite conspiracy. Michelle Obama was born a man, or we landed on the Moon in 1969.  The former bares the question, who is more confused? Joe Biden at the debate or Michelle's gynecologist? The latter, "I can't get Wi-Fi in some parts of my house, how did they stream film and have a call from the Moon?"

15 Weeks Post Shoulder Replacement Surgery

Today, the Leap Year, was a triumphant day. For the first time since pre-surgery, I was able to do a total body weightlifting workout.  It felt GREAT.  I was nice and loose, and my shoulders felt fantastic. I have been going to the gym 6 days a week. Doing legs with machines and the Echo Bike or Stairmaster, Treadmill or Sled.  I received the clearance from my physical therapist to "try it and go light."  The only upper body stuff I've done were TRX rows, band chest presses, band curls and band triceps press downs. I've been doing my physical therapy exercises 5 days a week and it's been a surprisingly easy recovery.  The rotator cuff in the back of my shoulder is still weak, but I have 150 degrees of motion and no pain.  It does get stiff and there is a lot of work left to do.  

I had the surgery on November 17. Because they put a nerve blocker in my neck my pinky was numb for two days.  I thought I would have pierced pain post-surgery, but it was nothing more than an intense dull ache. I was in a sling for 2 weeks.  For the first 6 days, I took Tylenol and Advil regularly and 5 mg of oxycodone once a night for sleeping purposes.  I stopped all pain relievers after 6 days. Didn't want any junk in my body.

I met with the doctor after 2 weeks to get the staples out. They were itching, but the orthopedist was really happy and said, "see you in 6 months."  I took off the sling and started physical therapy.  I've been dedicated to it as well as the homework exercises which have gotten progressively harder.  It takes about 35 minutes to do all of them and when a new one is added it is a nice reminder of how far I still have to go.  The physical therapist asked me to put my arm behind my back and see how far I could reach up my back. I barely got above my waist. She had me do it again, put a towel in my left hand and draped the slack over my right shoulder, put the other end in my right hand in the front and said, "pull and hold."  That might have been the most painful think I've done in a LONG time. But now, I can reach to the middle of my back.  

Today's lousy rehab exercise is lie on your stomach face down. Clasp your hands behind your head. Squeeze your shoulder blades today and lift your elbows off the ground.  It's laughable how hard it is and how weak the rotator cuff still is.

The cardio end of my workouts has been going fantastic.  I can do 10 miles on the Echo Bike or 10 minutes of HIIT sprints. I can run for 20 minutes at a 9 minute/clip on the treadmill and having great Stairmaster workouts.  My resting heart rate is 46-53 and FINALLY, I've locked in my diet.  I did get fat after surgery.  Ballooned to almost 205 and that was my cue to do something.  Ate like a complete asshole, throw in some weekend drinking and I was the Michelin man. I am down almost 10 lb. to 195, with at least 10 probably15 lb. to go. I've been doing the Kettlebell Burn Extreme Diet and recovery methods. It's working. I fasted twice for over 40 hours no problem and am locked in on day 11. It is amazing how the metabolism slows down at spry age of 55. I've discovered the cheat code for the cold exposure.  My gym has a nice sauna that is over 175 degrees.  Sit in there for 15-20 minutes, then jump into the cold shower.  It makes it a treat after sweating out the toxins.  I'm also getting walks in 5 days a week in the afternoon and over 10,000 steps. The hardest part of the diet in the first week was the no carb days, but this week, it's been much easier.

But isn't this a kettlebell blog?  Ok here it is. I can do and have done goblet squats with a 24 kg and anywhere from 100-300 two-hand swings, multiple times.  That's it.  A couple of weeks ago, I was showing someone a snatch at the gym and did a 24 with my right hand for 2 reps.  It was a shock when I got to the top how heavy it felt.  I'm never pressing again, it's not worth it. I also was fooling around with my dog, on the floor and did a Turkish Getup with no weight off the floor.  Zero coordination, it took me 2 tries

Today's workout, Machine calf raises 3 x 10, Hammer Strength Seated Rows 5x10 with a 45 lb. plate on each side.  Machine chest press 40 lb. 3 x 10. Hammer Strength Shrugs 45 on each end 3 x 10. Goblet Squats 5 x 10. Deadlift 135 lb. 3 x 10, machine curls and triceps extensions 3 x 10 40 lb.  Nice and slow and easy.  

It's GREAT to be back.

This is 53

Setting:  Honey Dew Doughnut Shop.  Me: Sitting with a medium cup of black coffee and stuffing my face with a butternut doughnut as well as dew drop stick, wallowing in my misery.

Visit to the orthopedist yesterday to have him look at my achy, but not debilitating left shoulder, after I got it X-rayed in December.  Prognosis: "If I just looked at this X-ray and didn't test your range of motion, I would be suggesting to you that we need to schedule joint replacement surgery."  No cartilage left in the ball of the joint, bone on bone movement, arthritis and spurring.  He told me we can do nothing until it's intolerable, shoot it with cortisone, but once that starts, you're getting one step closer to surgery.  I said, shoot it to kill the inflammation.  He said, once you have cortisone, you can't have the surgery for 3 months.  I laughed, said, "it doesn't matter, I just got a shot in my foot last week."  What's 14 weeks instead of 13?

Pretty frustrating.  I had originally had a slight separation 25 years ago that healed after a shot.  Horizontal movements, "band pull-aparts," "pec dec," swinging a golf club sometimes hurt it.  I'm sure all the kettlebell lifting and pressing wore it done a bit.  I never hurt it doing kettlebells, vertical pressing does not bother it, but alas, wear and tear.  It was a good run.  

What now?  First, I can't do ANYTHING.  No yoga because of my shoulder AND my foot.  Walking is limited.  I did 3.5 miles with my dog and my new insoles and I could feel the Morton's Neuroma later on. So, need to limit that.  Need to keep the weight off it.  Lifting, sure, leg extensions and leg curls, some ab work.  I'm basically going to take the rest of the month off and let the inflammation go away.  Throw in the $1200 I just spent this week at the optometrist for new scleral lenses with the comment, "there's toxicity on your corneas."  Have my colonoscopy next month, let's see how many polyps they find, and I'm a PHYSICAL WRECK. 

Hopefully, in March I can do swings and squats with kettlebells and light machine weights at the gym.  I've decided to get the surgery done in the fall after golf season and summer are over.  October is usually a slow month in my industry so that would be a good time.  6 week recovery, as good as new. I've started brushing my teeth and shaving with my right hand in preparation.  I look terrible with a beard. 

Need to lock the diet down and cut the calories.