Agelessly Fit

 OK!!!! How did this happen??? How did I turn 64 so quickly?? Pandemic and hip replacement did not deter the celebration! I was surprised with beautiful earrings from Litman's from my fiancé, Marc and being pampered for the day. A nice dinner with a glass of wine topped the celebration! I was blessed with MANY, MANY Facebook messages from friends which truly made my day brighter! I received calls and text messages from family and friends. I am so very fortunate to have so many loving and supportive people in my life! I always take time to reflect on the past year (well, actually I reflect on many more!). I believe that this past year has taught me many lessons and I hope that I will continue to make some subtle changes as I continue to grow. Yup....growth does continue all through life. LESSONS: CHANGE CAN BE OK! The consequences of COVID-19 implemented many changes in our lives. The abrupt closing of the gyms in March deeply affected me. Not only was this a source of additional i...

 It is funny....now that I am forced to do less I remember more the importance of rest days and lighter workouts in a comprehensive fitness program. I have always been one to push it to the max. Before my knee replacement 5 1/2 years ago I worked full-time, taught numerous exercise classes, trained for marathons. The replacement gave me a moment of pause and reset. Of course I couldn't run (right away) so I remembered what I knew before I ran......what, you ask?? I remembered that running was not the only form of exercise that pushes cardio limits. I relearned how to use elliptical and rowing machines to achieve that same euphoric feeling as running.  During this time I remembered that I limited my strength training to the use of free weights in the classes that I taught. As I was recovering I rediscovered using the strength equipment and WOW - what I change I made in my upper body! As I continued to recover and get stronger I was able to incorporate running back into my routi...

My mantra for quite some time has been "Progress Not Perfection"! I believe in this despite, at times, putting pressure on myself for the "perfection" side! I am just over a week postop! And progress is the stage in the game! I began in-home PT on Tuesday 9/8 after a slight scheduling glitch. Jenna, from HCR, came to the rescue and provided my start of care evaluation/visit. She was impressed with my progress at this point and gave me about 5 -  6 new exercises to incorporate to my workouts. She also had me sit in and get out of a dining room chair, with no arms and walk forward. UUUHHMMM....really?? Ok - yes, I did it and liked the challenge. I was a little apprehensive as the chair is much lower than I have been getting accustomed to. Jenna assured me that I would not break protocols by doing this movement so I engaged every muscle in my body and got it done. Did I know she was timing me? Nope! Probably a good thing! I do my exercises like it is my job! Heck, I am...

 Hi all - Finally I am feeling up to writing. As they say - It is a Marathon - Not a Sprint!! So let's get caught up! Last Thursday was "new hip" day! I tried to sleep in at bit as I did not need to be to the hospital until 10AM. I am NOT good about no fluids, etc. but I did as instructed - no chances for me!! Upon arrival at the hospital I said "so long" to Marc. This was a bit stressful. I am used to having loved ones with me while awaiting surgery - it takes the edge off and distracts. In this COVID world this is not allowed. I tried not to allow this to trouble me but honestly it did. The saving grace??? Once in the surgical unit you have one thing after another taking place. Chemical wipe down to remove bacteria; change to gown - so flattering - mine was purple! IV placed - YAY - hunger taken away slowly!  BP monitored - me - sky high! I warned the nurse about this. I have a challenge with the automatic cuffs - they feel like they are blowing my arm off; he...

 Here I am .....about 18 hours from surgery. I need to arrive at the hospital at 10:00AM and due to COVID-19 my fiance is not allowed to wait with me; he actually can't wait at the hospital. He will receive a call from my surgeon to review the surgery, etc. There are visiting hours - one visitor per patient per day between the hours for 2PM - 6PM. Depending on how I do in recovery I may not have too much of a visit! This is "OK" with me as I will be anxious to begin physical therapy! Which brings me to the topic of today's blog. It is amazing to me how different I feel about this surgery. I am actually more nervous about this one. Now...it is not because of the surgery itself or the trust in my surgeon (I would literally travel out of state to have him operate on me!!!) I am nervous that I will do something "normal"and dislocate the dang hardware!! If you don't "know" me too well, I am the ultimate "Virgo". Some would say I am "a...

I can't believe how work and life has kept me from writing in my Blog. But...now...now I need to remain focused and stay "sane"! What better way than to document my journey in hip replacement!?!?!?? When I had my left knee replaced blogging was the best way for me to keep myself "in line" and hopefully to help others facing injuries or surgery. And so it begins...... As a reminder, I had suffered from anorexia in my early 20's. This is a condition/disease that never "truly leaves"; there is always a devil around that can raise it's ugly head, especially when there are significant changes in life. At the time of my knee replacement I was a runner and also taught high intensity exercise classes. I did not want to give that devil a chance to make an entrance into my life. Writing the blog "kept me honest"! It allowed me to think and to act in healthy ways. It also taught me MANY lessons. I learned that "less is more"; that I ca...