Doctor's Orders!

Doctor's Orders!

Yesterday I went to the doctor to get my back checked out. I was really anxious to see what he had to say. 

He checked my spine, had me do some stretches, checked my reflexes, did some other exercise and asked questions about what happened and when.

I told him I did it lifting weights. He reminded me I'm not 22 anymore.

Thanks Doc! Lol 

But he finished his old jokes he still thought I'd be fine to race on race day! What a relief!!!!!!!  

He then suggested 2 options to alleviate my pain: the 1st was an anti-inflamatory medicine that I'd take daily.

The 2nd was a cortisone shot. He said they shoot you in the butt and is an effective way to alleviate the pain.

The last time I got a shot in the ass I was 7 years old! I had to do my best Cedric the Entertainer imitation:

" I'm a grown ass man, Dawg. I'm not gonna call another man 'Delicious,' and I'm not gettin a shot in my ass!"

lol

I didn't really say that, but I was thinking it. Lol I just told him I'd rather take the meds. Lol 

He gave me a prescription for Naproxen Sodium,  an anti-inflamatory drug:



I really don't like taking meds, but I will when I need to, and seeing how my race is 3 weeks away I don't have much of a choice. I prefer to eat healthy foods that fight inflamation like   tomatoes. Not only that, I don't want to get addicted to pain meds. I'm not trying to end up like Pookie from New Jack City! Lol

He said I'm cleared to do some light bike riding and swim. He suggested I wait until next week to walk on the treadmil and to stay away from the weights until I'm 100%.

I don't even want to THINK about weights right now anyway!

Before I talked to the doc, I had planned on walking and staying away from the bike this weekend. He thinks the pounding on the treadmill could aggravate my back, so with that said I decided to use my new toy for the first time today:



My indoor trainer!  I talked about buying 1 a couple weeks ago and here it is. 



The back wheel is lifted and rides on the roller for resistance.  My plan today was to ride at a very low intensity, stopping to stretch every 10-15 minutes or so.

Usually when I ride the indoor trainer, I'm riding at a high intensity, around 90-100 rpm's. Today, I rode at 45-50. Barely broke a sweat. I was just trying to get a feel for the new trainer and my back. This was NOT a workout. It was more a rehab session.

When riding a bike for 3-4 hours, sometimes my back would get stiff and I'd have discomfort because of the riding position, but nothing to the point of severe pain or injury. With that said, I could feel the difference today.  

 I was stiff (as expected) and had some discomfort but no major pain. Pain yes, but not major pain like I had last weekend.  But at the same time, I know that I have to (gradually and gently) work thru it to get better. 

So every so often I got off the bike and did my yoga stretches. I'm convinced that everybody should do some type of yoga because it works wonders!

I alternated a slow ride and yoga for an hour today and felt pretty good when I was done. I'm glad I have the indoor trainer because I'm not ready to ride outside. Maybe in a week, but even that's iffy. I'm not going to push myself to the point if making my back worse by trying to do too much to soon. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Let's just hope they aren't emergency room lights! Lol

Anyway, the trainer is GREAT. It's very sturdy and it felt like I was riding on the road. I switched my gears and the resistance was perfect. Can't wait to really use it fully!

The doc also told me to come back on Monday for x-rays if I'm not better by then.  But I really don't think I'll have to see him on Monday cuz I feel pretty good as I type this.  The swimming and yoga have been a huge help. 

At this point, all bets are off for the race. I do think I'll be at the starting line, but I'll be a participant, not a competitor. There's a big difference between the 2. We're talking about an hour's difference in my finishing time (at least) from before my injury. So now, instead of SAYING my 3 favorite words "on your left!" I'll most likely be HEARING it more than originally planned! Lol 

But that's ok, cuz I'll be happy just to cross the line, and I'm still going to pose like I won that mofo too! damn that! Lol

Next week will consist of more swimming, light rides on the indoor trainer, and maybe walking on the treadmill later in the week. Time will tell!

Thanks for reading! Till next time, peace!