Setback

It snowed on Wednesday - a good excuse to not go running in the evening, but stay in and drink margaritas.....

However, since the melting/re-icing was to occur in the evening, and it is a long, dark and windy road to the rec center where we meet for swim practice at oh-dark-thirty in the morning, I chose to stay home rather than risk my new car down a black-iced roadway.... I chose to do the rowing machine we have instead.

What a mistake.

I didn't do it hard, just trying to get movement in my shoulder-blades for twenty minutes - did that, actually, it took some time to get started - once I started the machine, the alarm on it went off - consistently like a smoke detector - this being 5am, I figured the whole neighborhood could hear it..... turns out it was a warning that the batteries were dying - can't machines just stop working? Why do they have to expend more energy telling you they are going to quit soon, rather than just die already? Especially in the dark (we have no lighting where the machine is), and I have to find a flashlight to get it to stop - there is no on/off button.... just rip out the batteries to get it to quit - what kind of fool machine is that???

I scrambled around and finally got the batteries out, now dirty and full of cat hair and plaster dust for the effort.....(we are renovating our house - in a v-e-r-r-r-r-r-r-y s---l----o-----w---- manner......).

Well, finally got settled and "rowed" for twenty minutes, went upstairs and stretched - feeling fine, then got up for the shower, and felt the beginning of a pinching pain in my neck. As I showered, it intensified. I had too many meetings that and the next day, so couldn't stay home and rest my neck. I went off to work with the sinking feeling I had done it again - found a way to recapture the disastrous, sickening feeling of defeat at my own hands - I've been through this enough that my natural reaction is the equivalent of curling into a ball and thinking woe is me.....

Got home that evening and started the muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory drugs to try to relax my neck and encourage it to move back to the proper position (due to history, my neck and back prefer improper positions.....) - the doctor has told me that once I start these drugs, I need to stay on them for three days to have them saturate the muscles and bloodstream - you can't take them for one day, feel better and quit. They really knock you out, so I generally avoid them except for case of emergency (which means I'm thinking of calling the doctor, and half-comatose is better than calling the doctor.....).

Friday was no better, but I didn't seem to care as much, since all I wanted to do was curl up under my desk.... by Saturday I was moving my neck around hoping to get it to pop back into place, and finally there was a double popping noise, which I hoped was a good sign, but the pain did not decrease at that time.

FINALLY, SUNDAY, the last day on the drugs - happy to be off them, even if my neck didn't feel better and I had to call the doctor..... by the evening I was off the drugs, and though there was still a twinge, I think my neck had returned to a correct position - again, a testament to all the chiropractor and physical therapy sessions I have been through - my neck and spine are so used to being wrong that it has taken a lot of work for them to accept a correct position - it seems that the neck popped back into place, and I don't have to see anybody... what a relief. I hate seeing anyone about this stuff.

Monday morning I got up and did the strength exercises and could do them all without the twinge - I really think it has gotten better on its own.....

I walked home (an hour) rather than run in the evening, since I worked late, and have a slight twinge, but hopefully it's just overuse for the long walk - not an uncommon issue.

Tomorrow morning is the swim, which works the hardest on the neck, so we'll see how that goes... I'm hoping to get the full hour in, but will take it easy if my neck starts acting up....

I didn't run or bike over the weekend due to my wacked out state - the drugs really take it out of you - can't stand that... Also, it seems the anti-inflammatories, in decreasing the swelling indiscriminately all over the body, bring up other areas of contention in the body (knee issue, old broken hand problem, old stress fracture in the foot, nerve issue in the hip, etc.) that should be ignored when normal swelling occurs - I hate these drugs....

My hip was really bothering me by the last third of the walk home today - I've had hip issues for the past year, but not this bad - hopefully, the normal swelling will recur now that I'm off the drugs, and the pain will subside.....

Ah well, such setbacks are to be expected - glad I've got plenty of time to build up the resistance and strength!!!