A Return to Normalcy??

So, my surgeon's appointment this morning went really well! I have full range of motion and he said that my labrum didn't slip or pull when he was maneuvering it. He said that he felt really confident that I am healing extremely well. He actually told me that I should keep making him look good! LOL..he's a very good-looking doctor, so he really doesn't need me for that...but I will keep listening to him and my physical therapists so that I can have a full and complete recovery! I also got released to move to the next level. He said that I was walking now, then I could start jogging. If I was jogging already, then I could start running. He said that for the next month, I can return to some of my more normal activities but I should start off slowly and build back up to where I was pre-injury! I am very excited!!! Tomorrow, I will see the physical therapist and I will see what they have planned.



The original physical therapy plan was that starting week 10, I would start jumping and starting week 12, I would start running. It sounds to me like Dr. Ekman thinks I am ready to start jumping already. Tomorrow will mark 9 weeks since my surgery. But, I will wait to hear what they have to say about that.



Today, I enjoyed lunch with my dear friend, Betsy. I love her! She is so amazing and I so enjoy her perspective on things and her encouragement! She reminds of all the important things I tend to forget. For example, today, she told me that all of this frustration is preparation for the mental toughness that I need to continue to develop to complete a full marathon. I admit it has been very difficult for me to listen to the doctor and the therapists and simply take things slow. I want to get back to work...I want to see what this hip can do. But I have been compliant, not patient, but compliant with the doctor's orders. I have spent a couple months of severe frustration and waited out my time so that I can return to my sport, healthy and ready for action! It was so awesome to spend time with Betsy though. She is a good friend and I enjoy our time together!!

And this afternoon, I got my first real cardio session in!! I cannot tell you how excited I was to finally put a little bit of intensity into my cardio! I will admit that I did jog for the first time in 2 months and it was awesome!!! I played it smart and warmed up on the treadmill for 10 minutes and stuck with a slow jog for 2minutes and walking for 1 minute for 15 minutes (10 jogging, 5 walking). And then I followed it up with 30 minutes on the elliptical. The exciting part was that it was intense...I kept my heart rate up and didn't overdo it!! I won't be jogging everyday...Dr. Ekman did tell me to take things slowly. I will likely intersperse my interval jogging for awhile with elliptical and arc trainer cardio. I will talk to my physical therapist and make sure I am following the right path to recovery. And I played it smart, I came home and iced the hip.

And to top off a pretty great day, I finished it with my first 1 1/2 hour massage in 2 months! It was awesome!! My muscles feel so relaxed and so amazing! It was a great massage...of course, my upper body had some really tight areas that needed work. And I forgot to stretch after my cardio this afternoon. I admit that I did get a quad stretch in but I did not take enough time to stretch the rest of my lower body. I promised Jeremy tonight that I would make it a habit to not forget my stretching from now on. We joked that I should get a tattoo on me that says "Stretch or die!" and he said that it should be "Stretch or Jeremy Will Hurt You!" LOL!!

So, is this a return to normalcy?? Possibly. I am starting to feel a little more like myself. I am happier than I have been in awhile. I feel like things are starting to fall back into place. It's not perfect but it's close enough for me right now. Maybe there is no normal for me...maybe this is my time to get used to just how much and how often things change. I have never been a huge fan of change and maybe this might be time for my opinion to change. I guess we will just have to wait and see!!