Sweet Spot

My lovely and impossibly busy sister says she enjoys taking time to check in on my ramblings every day. Perhaps, contrary to previously stated intentions, I ought to go ahead and make more frequent entries than just once a week. You are sweet, Cami! Flattery will get you anywhere.

I went to the gym today for the first time post surgery with my buddy of 30 years, Brian. I could brag that we were there from 10:30 to 1:30, and we were, but it was much more a function of two old retired buds catching up on any and everything than of the effort we put in. None-the-less, I did turn the crank on a spinning bike for 20 minutes or so and then did a resistance circuit with Brian. He asked me if the bike hurt. I thought about it and said yes and described the general, dull ache. Then he asked how it feels when I am not on the bike. Oh. Hmm. Yes, there is a general dull ache. Good point! Cool!

In fact, the hardest effort of the day was putting on a sock and gym shoe. Bending over far enough to put on a sock and tie a shoe is still getting to where the hip pain starts to get sharp. There was nothing like that on the bike. And after 20 minutes on the bike I could walk with less limp than just before, particularly if I was conscious of trying to do so. I realized, in trying, that to some extent my limp is a habit reaction from before the surgery to hip pain . But limping no longer helps, in fact it makes things a little worse.

Shucks. There is a big sweet spot between somewhat painfully putting on a shoe and using it with exertion almost pain free, one that I can fine tune a steady recuperation into. No excuses!