I honestly can’t believe it has already been so long. I still have a long way to go but day by day I am working to get stronger and healthier. In this post I will take a deep dive in to an elimination diet that I just completed, but before I do that, I wanted to update you all on how I am doing and tell you about some things that I have learned.
My pain levels are getting better and better. Now I am only taking Tylenol or Advil when I wake up and then if I don’t do anything too strenuous, I don’t need any throughout the day. If I have a busy day or go out, I will have to take some more, but it is definitely less often. I am still sleeping on wedges in bed and have pain leaning on anything. I am looking forward to the day when I can sleep on my side…. Just a few more months hopefully. I am up to 3500 on my incentive spirometer when I take in a fast-deep breath. It turns out that you are supposed to breath in extremely slowly when you do that, so technically I can only get it to 2000 if I do it correctly. Oops. I am still able to lift 20 – 25lbs at a time but only for a minute or two. I have been taking walks and have walked up to 2.5 miles without stopping! Big Deal!
Here is TMI (Too Much Information) for you, but honestly that’s what this blog is and if I am not honest with what’s happening, then what’s the point. After surgery I noticed that I have to pee every hour. I looked into this and learned that after you have a catheter in for a number of days, it can mess with your nerves and throw off your system. One study found that 1 in 4 patients said the catheter had caused them to experience bladder spasms or a sense of urgency about urinating. I talked with my OT (Occupational Therapist) Friend and she deals with this all the time and was surprised no one warned me about this. With this new information I have been retraining my bladder by increasing the intervals between restroom breaks.
Another new thing that started happening is a painful popping in the center of my chest. It feels as if I was popping a knuckle but it’s painful and in the middle of rib cage. Not the best feeling when your chest has recently been cracked open and then wired back together. I talked to my Doctor at the Mayo Clinic about this and she wants to do a 3D CT at the end of October to make sure a wire has not come loose and a bone has not dislodged. Always keeping it interesting over here.
Recently, I went to my Dermatologist to get my 6-month mole check. I go every 6 months because she usually finds a couple suspicious moles or freckles and my Mom had skin cancer, so I want to prevent any future issues. (If you have never had a skin check, set it up today!) She took a good look at my scar and noticed that the middle was not healing correctly and was raised more than it should be. I have been using Mederma Scar Cream, Frankincense Essential Oils and Vitamin E. She informed me that the only clinically proven treatment for scars is silicone and suggested ScarAway patches. I have started to use them and can already noticed a difference. She also told me to massage the scar and try to push down the raised skin. This does hurt to touch but I am trying to do everything I can to help it heal correctly.
For a happy story, this month I finally ventured back out to the lake with Jim and we found the Nashville “Beach”! We brought floats and went out into the water. It was one of my favorite days this year. Since then we have gone back a couple of times, including once with my girl friends and plan to go many more. I am not comfortable swimming yet because of the pressure it puts on my chest, but I did lean on a float in the water. I felt fine while I was in the water but was in a good amount of pain after getting out. When my arms relaxed back down, my chest was throbbing and my shoulders and neck were sore. Again, this is going to take time but thankful for the baby steps.
September 1, 20202 – #RedAlertRESTART
Check out this video of Nashville venues that took part in the #RedAlertRESTART event that happened on September 1st. This event was coordinated by #WeMakeEvents to draw attention to the desperate need for action by congress to help the live events industry. Touring Career Workshop also coordinated a parade through Nashville this same day. I participated in the parade and was overwhelmed with emotions when I pulled in to the lot and passed a line of tour trucks and buses. It was amazing to see how many people came out for the event and it was also heartbreaking to be amongst so many friends and colleagues who are having such a hard time right now due to the pandemic. Hopefully everyone will where a mask, this pandemic will slow and we can all get back to work soon.
Now it is time to tell you all about my ELIMINATION DIET!
