Diary of a Small Planet II: The Omen

[LisaS]

sounds like you are moving in the right direction Greg - nerves waking up and all -

now we'll just hold on for a start date for you -

[gregl515]

Today's workout:

Band Seated Crunches: 3 x 15 x 30 lbs
Crunches: 3 x 15
Reverse Crunches: 3 x 15
Leg Lifts: 3 x 12

I also did rehab exercises today for my legs.

I haven't been sleeping so I'm hoping that I'll be able to soon.

[UConnJulie]

What's keeping you up? Pain? Racing thoughts?

I take magnesium at bedtime along with melatonin which helps tremendously. But hubby takes 5-HTP which helps him ...

[gregl515]

Some pain. Mainly thoughts. I am ready to take control of my life, but my body is fighting me and I just feel totally trapped.
A friend asked me what I wanted from my marriage. I told her that I just wanted everything to be over. My marriage, therapy, my life. I don't mean I want to die, just that I want it to be a little easier for me to start over.

I am ready.

Despite lack of sleep, I got up at 8:00 a.m. this morning and did the following:
Band Exercises:
Seated Lat Pulls: 4 x 10 x 46 lbs
Triceps Extension: 3 x 10 x 26 lbs.
Seated Row: 3 x 10 x 46 lbs.
Seated Chest Press: 3 x 10 x 48 lbs.
Curls: 3 x 10 x 30 lbs.
Overhead Press: 3 x 10 x 28 lbs.

Kbell Floor Press: 3 x 10 x 35 lbs.
Kbell Seated Upright Row: 3 x 8 x 35 lbs

Felt tired and my head hurt, but my muscles felt pretty good. I don't know why but the band exercises have more intensity than free weight exercises with the same weight which would be pretty easy.

[UConnJulie]

I can relate ... it's hard to move on when you are still tied to the past ...

[RacerBill]

Sorry to hear about the rough times, Greg. Hang in there. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

Band stuff is definitely tough. You have the band providing resistance throughout the entire range of motion. No momentum, just constant tension. No wonder physical therapists like them.

[gregl515]

They don't provide the rush and sense of accomplishment of free weights though.

[gregl515]

PT today: foot is healing ever so slowly.

Workout:

Seated Band Crunches: 3 x 20 x 30 lbs
Crunches: 3 x 20 with 20 lb kbell on chest
Reverse Crunches: 3 x 15
Leg Lifts: 3 x 12

[gregl515]

Seated Kbell Complex (Cause I'm just a big pussy!)

20 lb kbells: 6,5,4,3,2,1

Overhead Press
Tricep Extensions
Lat Raises
Upright Raises
Bent Over Row
Curls

Lat raises pretty much sucked. Otherwise, I got threw this which is about all I can say.

Wife is back to speaking pleasantly to me, but it is brittle.

[stingo]

Getting through it > not doing it at all. Congrats.

[UConnJulie]

Kill her with kindness ...

[gregl515]

I'm just looking for normal communication, but that time may have passed.

Today was interesting:

One of my PTs is from Bosnia. She is a very nice young woman.
She was working on my leg today when she looked up into my eyes and said nothing. I ask her what she was doing and she just smiled and asked me if it felt good. Don't know quite how to interpret that, but we continued chatting and I slipped in that my kids are her age and older. She asked me how old I thought she was and I told her. She was 24 and I was right. I told her I was 52. She said I know. I don't know what to make of that.

My last several times I have had newer PTs. I've had this young woman for about every other session. I had another new PT the session before. She was really glamorous in a healthy, athletic way. Very nice too. I don't know what I've been doing to deserve this, but I hope the trend continues.

Actually, I've been very lucky, care wise, all the way through this. The PTs now and the nurses and PTs when I was in the hospital have all given me great care and have been almost uniformly kind, caring people.

I don't know if I told this before but one of the PTs who treated me in the hospital suffered a head injury when he fell out of a tree stand. He has recovered from the injury with one hitch. Before the injury he was fluent in Spanish. Now he can speak his native English flawlessy but cannot speak or understand Spanish.

Todays workout:

Band Lat Pulldown: 3 x 10 x 49 lbs
Band Arnold Press: 3 x 10 x 26 lbs
Band Chest Press: 3 x 10 x 49lbs
Band Seated Row: 3 x 10 x 46 lbs
Squat to Chair: 2 x 6
Band Curls: 3 x 10 x 30 lbs
Band Overhead Press: 3 x 10 x 26 lbs
Band Tricep Extensions: 3 x 10 x 24 lbs

I tried the chair squats. My legs are so deconditioned that it was excrutiatingly difficult. I didn't damage myself though. My PTs might be upset, so I will discuss this with them.

[gregl515]

Sleep is still crappy. I may have to see what I could take.

20 lb kbell Complex

6,5,4,3,2,1

Overhead Press
Tricep Extension
Upright Row
Bent Over Row
Curls.

Band Seated Crunches 3 x 10 x 30 lbs
Crunches: 3 x 20
Reverse Crunches: 3 x 15
Leg Lifts: 3 x 12

Talking to my wife on the phone and we are treating each other well. We do okay when we stick to kids, pets and work.

[gregl515]

I called a friend in the hospital. I wish I could visit, but I can't drive right now.

Today is hot and sticky outside, so I'm staying inside and eating cool food. Fruit, tuna salad, veggies.

Talked to wife again today. We had another pleasant conversation. I think we have these conversations and think that things are getting normal and then the other shoe drops.

Anyway, I was too hot and uncomfortable to do a full workout so:

Band Seated Crunches: 4 x 10 x 30 lbs
Crunches: 3 x 20
Reverse Crunches: 3 x15
Leg Lifts: 3 x 12

Kbell Complex 20 lbs

6,5,4,3,2,1

Overhead Press
Tricep Extension
Upright Row
Bentover Row
Curls

Cleaning up felt very good.

I'll be glad when I can do leg exercises. The PTs said everything is healing nicely, so I don't want to push it.

[UConnJulie]

Will she let you do unweighted exercises? Like straight leg raises in four directions?

[gregl515]

I do leg raises and leg rehab exercises with a band. I just can't do exercises that stress my foot (weight bearing or bending the foot.)

[UConnJulie]

Ahhh ... gotcha. Soon ...