Good Morning World ! It's 7:00 AM and I have already gone bowling, played hula hoop, waved to the queen, wiped off the counters, grabbed the money and dropped it, and swung my pendulum. In other words . . . I have done all my morning exercises for my shoulder.
Let me first tell you what a GREAT nights sleep I had last night, thanks to the miraculous power of medicinal assistance. I know from previous surgeries that sleep is the biggest issue once the pain from the surgery is gone. I haven't quite figured out what the problem is and why sleep becomes such a challenge but it is like playing the Florida Lottery. You just never know when you are going to get that big win of sleeping through the night but more likely than not you are not going to see a full night's sleep for years to come. I would think that with all my body has been through it would want to shut down for a good sleep at the drop of a hat but it seems to be just the opposite. I CAN fall asleep just about anywhere, anytime but the sleep is short and restless. I'm averaging four hours a night and that just won't cut it for this old body so last night when I went to bed I resorted to a pill that the doctor had given me when I left the hospital almost four weeks ago. (Can't believe it's been almost a month since the surgery!) I fell asleep almost immediately and slept straight through the night, without moving, for seven and a half hours !!!! This is cause for celebration !! After waking up and realizing how rested I FINALLY felt I thanked God profusely and slid quietly out of the bed hoping The Man will continue to sleep for a couple more hours so I can sit in silence and write.
Waking up at 7:00 AM has so many perks when I am feeling this good. A thousand things run through my brain and I want to tackle everything. You will be pleased to know that after a pee stop and ten minutes of shoulder exercises you are my top priority !
As for these exercises, each one has been given a name by the physical therapists so that the patient can remember each of the different movements. Clever idea and one that I would have done on my own had the therapist not beat me to the punch. I constantly do "word associations" to help me remember things. Example . . . one of my neighbors names is Robin. I remember that because she is always out walking her dog first thing in the morning. What is the first bird out in the morning ? The Robin of course ! Thus this woman's name will never be forgotten. (Until my brain goes to mush and I can't remember my own name never mind that of my dog walking neighbor.)
Back to the exercises. Because my arm has been in a sling 24/7 for almost 4 weeks now, (except for when I shower) it is necessary to keep it loose and strengthen muscles. Every day, 2-3 times a day, I get to slip out of the sling and dangle my arm like a slab of dead meat hanging from a tree branch, ( Me being the tree. At the rate I am going I have gone from a once slender Birch to a mighty Sequoia. I have got to stop eating!!!! Not that I was ever a "slender Birch, more like a solid Oak, but you get the drift.) I have to stand near a counter or table, hold on with my good arm and bend at the waist so my left arm dangles down in front of me. Then I get to SWING ! (Just think, at 75 I'm FINALLY a swinger!) Gravity plays a large role here, not only on my arm but any other dangling body part that happens to be hanging around un impeded by undergarments. (Refer to my last blog if you are unsure just what I'm referring to.)
I must tell you that these "arm" exercises are done in the privacy of my bathroom with the door closed. It is not pretty and I would not want anyone, not even The Man, to witness this sight. Butt out, body dangling and then I start to move ! Sway those hip, rotate that waist, get that arm swinging back and forth, round in circles, side to side. Holy Crap I need to take a shower after all those loose appendages finish slapping and flapping around for ten minutes. I won't even try to describe the sound effects that accompany this. I leave that totally to your imagination.
Once the dangling exercises are done I get to move on to Isometrics which is a fancy name for punching the wall. Normally I am banging my head against the wall but these days I get to press my fist, elbow and forearm against the wall for ten minutes in order to strengthen those lazy lazy muscles that really really want to go to sleep and stay asleep for the rest of their lives. I have never been a fan of "workouts" so even this minimal amount of exercise is a total bore to me. But I know it's necessary because if I don't strengthen my muscles I won't be able to type and THAT would really make me sad.
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