PLATEAUS
30 July 2003
I knew when I woke up, before even standing up, that it was going to
be a good arm day. This is not to say pain-free, but I guess the exercises are working.
There is definitely more flexibility with less pain. I am encouraged. I was also
encouraged when I spoke with someone this morning who had shoulder surgery and said that
the arm-behind-the-back was the most difficult and most painful. It's not just that I'm
not working hard enough at it. He has his full mobility back, so that's very encouraging.
As I work the arm today, the sensation I get is a "healing
pain" kind of sensation. Not nearly the exertional pain I had a week ago. This is
very definitely pain that is mending. Or so I think. I'll know better when I see the
physical therapist tomorrow.
But when I came out of the immobilizer a week ago today, it was a
real effort to get my arm up to the top shelf in the refrigerator, very difficult to lift
my arm over my head, and impossible to get in in the "behind the back" position
(so important if I'm ever able to put on a bra the normal way again!) Now I can reach the
top shelf with only a twinge of pain, can easily (not entirely pain-free, but easily)
reach up, and can get my hand to the level of my waist...a long way from the bra-line, but
a huge leap from 7 days ago. I can also put my hands on my waist again, which I couldn't
do 2 days ago.
I'm ignoring the knee at present. It still feels tight, but better
since I've stopped riding the exercise bike, so I take that as progress.
Unfettered by immobilizer, I made my Tuesday morning trip to
WeightWatchers. As last week, I wasn't worried this time. I'd kept on the program all week
(except for the rhubarb pie on Sunday), I'd drunk gallons of water and the only thing I
hadn't done this week was any exercise, except for one day on the bike, which I decided
was not helping my knee.
I confidently stepped on the scale, hoping for 2 lbs lost but
expecting 1 lb lost--totally shocked to discover 1 lb gained. I totally did not
expect that. I'd been so good. I'd even given up the chips at Chevy's, the clam dip at the
dinner. I'd been doing everything right.
I wasn't exactly devastated by the news, but definitely
disappointed. But the woman who was weighing, on asking me about how my week had gone,
looked over my weight loss record and pointed out that for the last several months, my
progress has been in a zig-zag pattern--one week a big loss, the next a small gain, the
next a big loss again.
So maybe this is the way I do this program. As I said, I was
disappointed, but not devastated, not discouraged. Just determined to keep better records
this week. There were some things I ate this week that I couldn't determine the exact
points for, so maybe I went over. I don't t know. But all I can do is keep on keeping on.
Ironically, today's meeting was on plateaus and how to weather them
and get past them. The more Chris talked, the more I realized that I'm not really upset
about today's weight at all.
When I started this program, I said that the actual weight was not
my goal. My goal was to stick with the program, and I've done that this week. So the
weight went up. Next week will be a new week and I'll have stuck with the program for this
week--and if the weight goes up next week, I might start feeling a little upset,
but if I'm continuing to follow the program, I don't see how it's going to go up and up
and up.
I expect a loss next week, and I'll be doing my part to make that
happen.
In the meantime, the goal is not food oriented. The goal is arm
movement oriented, and the goal is to be in good shape for my first physical therapy
appointment tomorrow.
On the job scene, I had two job offers yesterday. Unusual for
someone who is not actively seeking employment!
The first came from the nurse practitioner who used to rent space in
Dr. G's office. She's losing her office manager and called to say that is looking for an
interim person until she can find a replacement. Someone who is comptuer savy and can help
her set up her web site. Duhhh...is that my job or what? Unfortunately it means a commute
on the freeway, and I don't think I'm safe on the road yet, so I'm going to turn her down.
The second came from....Dr. G! The transcriptionist he hired
when I had my accident is about to go into labor at any minute and he's wondering if I
could take his transcription back for a couple of weeks, as she feels she will be ready to
resume again in mid-August. I said I'd do it. I know it's not a lot of work, and it will
give me something to do at home (as well as a little bit of spending money while I'm
sitting around doing nothing). I don't know if it starts this week or next week, but it
appears I'll be back doing transcription, at least for 3 weeks. It's really OK--after the
first week following the accident, I was able to type normally. Now that I'm out of the
immobilizer, I don't even have to hold my body in strangely contorted positions to do it,
so this will work out fine.
Somehow I just can't seem to get rid of Dr. G entirely. Maybe I'm at
a plateau there too!
You haven't seen this in the tributes to Bob Hope, but it's wonderful--play the quicktime video for fullest effect.
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