Today was a great day!
Started out with a REALLY good – but intense – physiotherapy session.
I had talked pretty big about how the past couple/few weeks have been going, so we tested me to see how things were going.
… neither of us have any idea wtf happened to turn a corner so fast.
Among the big changes:
Last time I saw him, I did like 20 steps on my toes, and looked like I was imitating a T-rex – bent knees, awkward steps. I had to stand in place, rise up on both feet, then start walking.
This time, we stopped counting at 50 steps. Straight legs, smooth walking, felt effortless. I could go on my toes mid stride, no lead up, etc. WORLD of difference.
(Which is wild, because he was SHOCKED at last time!).
For calf raises – testing for assessment – last time I did 26 or 28 (I forget which he said).
This time we added 20 lbs weight (he’s never had me do weighted before, at ALL), and I did 50 without stopping.
Another test is standing with the heel of one foot touching the toes of the other, both feet facing forward, balancing like that with my eyes closed for 30 seconds.
Last time was 2-3 errors on each side, this time no errors on either side.
He showed me two new exercises, said I did really good on those.
Sounds like I’m close to “graduating”, he wants me to check in again in 6 weeks and see what’s what.
He says that the more I build up now, the easier any future flare will be to come down from. The last few have been much easier, it’s been a year since the last time I had to learn to walk again after one
On that note, have been making wild progress in the gym.
Today I did chest/back/legs day, and added weight on everything but the bench press, which I suck at.
That said, after years of not weight training (4? The move and all made it difficult), with the most recent two of those being almost completely crippled… 3 sets of 5-7 reps each at 50 lbs (plus whatever the bar weighs) probably isn’t terrible?
So yeah, was able to increase weight on everything. I’ve done all my weights routines this week (4 days – 2 routines, twice a week each). No muscle soreness the next day from any of them, this time.
I’m hoping that the ability to quickly add weight + the lack of fallout is a good sign that both my freak healing ability AND my previous ability to easily put on muscle are both back.
Cipro screwed me on both counts, though – thankfully – I was spared any obvious muscle wasting (a lot of others go through it from Cipro).
The physiotherapist says he doesn’t see any reason for me to wait the earlier plan of “1 year from the latest flare” before jumping, says I can start little jumps off ice whenever I want.
So I think I’ll do that soon.
Anyway, later this afternoon I got my husband to bring out the bikes we bought before I got Ciproed, actually used mine for the first time.
Only went to the end of our street and back (it needed some adjustments and I was sore from those before we got home).
Still, I did that AFTER physio and a big weights workout, so I’m counting it a win.
Of course, I IMMEDIATELY decided that I need to repaint the bike if this is going to be a thing (we bought cheap used ones at Play It Again), so there’s a big project on my plate, going forward.
So we ordered the paint from Canadian Tire.
… Then Porter made ME take the damn thing apart.
He supervised and did a couple of things that needed special equipment, but that would have been done in like 1/4 time if he’d done it himself.
Someone’s making his own bagels next time…
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