Benched!

I’m not going to lie.  Recovering from a hernia operation is tough.  I like to stay positive and look for the bright side in every situation.  And there is a bright side here; once I’m through this I can get back on the fitness track that I value so much.  But I can’t help but chirp a bit right now. 

The big difference between the hernia surgery and hip surgery is I could use my core for the hip recovery.  Yes, I had to take it easy for a couple of weeks before starting hip PT.  With the hernia, I’m benched for quite some time; Probably 4-6 weeks.  And here I must avoid using my core.  I admit, it’s a little disheartening because I’m pretty much sidelined beyond walking and there is no PT here.  In fact, I can’t go back to my PT for my hip until I’m much more recovered from the hernia surgery.  What I thought would be a bump in the road is more like an uphill climb (without using my core).

I will say in the beginning, everything hurt.  It’s been about a week and a half and I’m definitely in less pain.  At first, every clearing of the throat, cough and unintended shift was an adventure.  The first night, I had a two-and-a-half-hour case of the hiccups.  Oh, so fun!  Fortunately, I was able to keep myself from sneezing for a week.  Thank goodness.

So now what?  Well, I wait.  I’m doing things to keep myself motivated.  I’ve started to acquire hardware for a garage gym.  A very good friend helped me build shelves in the garage prior to surgery so I could clean up and organize to open up some space.  We’ve managed to acquire single and pairs of hex dumbbells in various weights.  We also purchased used 35# and 45# bars and have some plates on backorder.  Once those are all here, we’ll look to acquire a rack that works best in the space.  So, I’m planning to be back and am making a commitment to it.

Yes, it’s tough at the moment but I’ve said many times that I’ve been playing for the big picture and must continue to do so.  I fully plan to compete next year both in running and CrossFit and must (and will) play it smart so I can realize those goals.