Nothing

Thats the difference in my weight from last week to this week.

Whew.. It's nice to at least stop the bleeding.

I have been back to work for 2 days now. Yesterday I was so tired when I was done I couldn't keep my eyes open, today is the same. I have gotten through the work days with a little discomfort but my back is totally getting better, I can feel that it is.

The Doc has me back to work with a note saying that I am on a trial, if I experience trouble performing my duties he will mandate more rest for me. After these first 2 days I'm sure I should be fine to stay working.

I just got to get through this week and then Ill have three days off with a long weekend to rest.

I am dying to workout with more intensity, but I'm just not there yet.

Keep pushing on

MM

Getting back into the Swing of things

I played golf for the first time today since the car accident. I started out pretty bad. I'm swinging a lot easier and slower then pre accident so my tempo and timing were a little off.

My first shot went about 20 feet and never got off the ground, the second shot did the same thing. Not a good start but my back was holding up and I was just glad to be outside with some good friends. I ended up with a quadruple bogey on the par 4 1st hole. YIKES!

However, I made it up for it with back to back birdies on the 2nd and 3rd holes! Now that felt really good and lifted my spirits way up! Both holes I played beautifully. I finished the front 9 with a 40 ( 5 over par ) 2 birdies, 3 pars , 3 bogeys and a quadruple bogey.

On a couple of shots, when I tried to swing a little harder, I got a little reminder of my back pain, but it wasn't crippling and disappeared as quickly as it came.

When I got done the 9 holes I felt like I could go and play the back nine as well but I talked myself into quitting at that point. I don't want to push to hard.

So I live to play another day!

MM

Baby Steps

It's one small step for man, one MASSIVE leap for Marcus.... All right that doesn't make any sense but not much has recently.

So my back pain continues to persist but its slowly getting duller and isn't an every waking moment nightmare that it was previously... THANK YOU LORD!. I was wondering if maybe I was just getting used to the pain but no, it is definitely lessening. It's happening at a snails crawl but it is getting better.

Today I rode my bike for about 25 minutes with a little discomfort but it wasn't terrible. Nice to be back in the saddle and break a sweat for sure. It was just a very relaxed pace but pedaling is pedaling is pedaling and thats better than laying on the couch and looking at the stationary bike and feeling sad.

I've started going to the gym again too. Not lifting any free weights but just using some of the machines that support my back. It seems to be helping with my overall recovery. I'm glad I have this membership now because I have access to all this helpful stuff.

My latest visit to the doctor this afternoon went well. He is impressed with my progress and actually told me that I should play golf! WHAT??? I had to do a double take on that one. He says he wants me to keep moving it and the golf swing is a good way to do it. He cautioned me not to swing hard, to just be smooth and relaxed, and if there is any sharp pains to stop. Soooooo guess what I'm doing tomorrow! GOLFING! Actually I'm kind of scared as to what will happen. I pulled out a couple of clubs and took some easy practice swings in the back yard, maybe 10 swings total, I had no problems or discomfort while swinging, but my back did feel like it was starting to tighten up a bit afterwards. Most likely I think it's because I'm using muscles that I haven't used in a while. So tomorrow I'm just going to take it real easy, maybe just 9 holes or less.

I'll be going back to work on Monday! I'm actually looking forward to getting back to work again. Work puts me on a schedule which will help me get a routine going again.

I'll let you guys know how the back holds up during this golfing experiment.

Keep swinging people!

MM

Going the wrong way

That's what the scale is doing... Going the wrong way....

I've gained weight in back to back weeks now. What can I do? I'm sure most of it is just water but it's killing me to see these numbers going up instead of down. I am up 4 more pounds this week. Since hurting my back I've gained 7 pounds over the last 2 weigh ins.

Now for some good news. When I woke up Sunday morning my back didn't hurt at all! I have had pain 24/7 until this moment. I lay there in my bed cautiously optimistic, slowly I slid out of bed and stood up.... No pain! I walked around the house in complete amazement, walked up and down the stairs.... No pain! My happiness was matched by my confusion, how could this be?

I didn't push my luck and try anything crazy, I was just happy to be able to move without pain. After about an hour the pain slowly crept back until my back felt just as bad as it did yesterday. While it sucks that the pain didn't stay away I am so happy for one big reason. Because the pain went away for a short time I now know that my injury is getting better and that there is a good possibility of a future without a back pain issue. That is something that has bothered me a lot over the last couple of weeks, thinking that I might have to live with the pain indefinitely.

For now I'm just hoping to feel that blissful freedom again tomorrow morning.

MM

Went for a walk

Walked about 2km this morning. It is a start. Still experiencing pain but I could tolerate it for a very slow paced 30 minute walk. Pain pill prescription ran out yesterday so I'm going to try things out without them for a while. I've always been of that mindset that if I'm having a pain I want to feel it and know where its coming from and what movement is causing it. Plus the possible side effects aren't worth what seems like just a slight dulling of the pain. Bleeding stomach.... Um.. No thank you.

It felt good to get outside and move but still frustrating having to go at such a slow pace and all the while my back is talking to me as each foot steps down.

So I guess I will monitor if the walking is helping or hurting or doing nothing for my back pain and proceed accordingly. I've started doing a lot of stretching which I think is helping a little bit. I think getting the blood flowing through that injured area, which I believe is the muscles and pain receptors/nerves around my lower back, is helpful to getting things healed up quicker.

The doc says I have to keep moving it so that's what I'm trying to do.

MM

Monday Weigh in and a full nights sleep!

I finally got a full nights sleep in. Actually it was a lot more than a full night as I was in dreamland for a solid 11 hours. Man did I need that. Physically my back still hurts but mentally I am feeling much better.

Well it wasn't at all unexpected but for the first time since I started this blog I have a weight gain instead of a loss. Food wise I was good, but exercise and sleep were non existent this week. To top it all off one of the side effects for the pain killers I've been prescribed is weight gain. Hey thats just "GREAT.." (Yes, that was some Massive Marcus Sarcasm)

So I am UP 3 pounds this week. I do not like seeing that scale go the other way erasing some of the hard work that I've put in. What can I do except try to get better?

I don't like being at home like this. I look at my bike and wish that I could ride it. I went to the movies the other night with some friends just to get out of the house but I was uncomfortable in my seat and it ruined the movie for me. Remember how much I love golf? I've got all this time off work but I can't get out on the course. The golf swing is probably the worst thing I could do right now with my back. ARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!

It's barely been a week so I have to be patient like my doctor says.

Keep on pursuing your goals my fellow bloggers.

MM

It only hurts when I Breathe

Too bad I have to keep breathing. I'm not going to sugar coat it... This really really sucks. It is so frustrating. I can't do any movement without having pain in my lower back. I had to drive to the doctors office and then to the pharmacy this week, very painful to drive. Every bump, curb, twisting to check blind spots, even just steering brings the pain.

Still haven't slept well since the accident. I sleep a couple of hours and then am awake for a couple and then sleep for a couple. I am totally off kilter.

According to my doc the best thing I can do is to keep moving but obviously not do high impact stuff. He told me to do as much as I could tolerate pain wise. I tried riding my bike today, I couldn't even stay on it for 5 minutes. Just the reaching for the handle bars is too much.

So I've been taking lots of hot baths and watching tv and trying to get some sleep. It's nice to be off work but not like this.

One thing my doctor said to me is that my ability to recover will be much better then if I hadn't started losing weight and becoming much healhtier. Which I have to believe is true. If I was still almost 330 pounds with this back pain... Yikes!

MM

Absolute Disaster... Why Me?

Bad news, on Tuesday night I was in a pretty bad car accident. The car I was in was T-boned by a pick-up truck and I snapped violently one way as the car was sent in the opposite direction. I was wearing my seatbelt but that does little for you when the impact is from the side.

At first I felt nothing, I think I was in shock. Then my neck and back started to hurt, I was taken away from the scene on a back board and a neck restraint thing because the paradmedics were worried that I had broken my neck and or back. After spending 4 hours in the hospital it was determined that my back and neck were not broken (thank God)

I still have a lot of pain and discomfort in my neck and back. The only time it does not hurt is if I lay down with my knees bent and stay completely still. This sucks.I am unable to work or exercise and I am taking pain killers....

I can't believe this is happening to me, it's not fair.

My doctor says this could take a long while to heal. my lower back... I need to go lay down.

Another Monday weigh in!

Things are all humming along nicely. I am very happy with myself and what I've been able to accomplish up to this point. This weeks weight loss is 3 pounds.

66 pounds total weight loss so far! Amazing!

My routine is actually feeling very routine now if you know what I mean. The other day circumstances occurred that forced me to miss a work out. No big deal, life happens, but I could feel my body kinda of talking to me like " hey, I'm ready... Isn't this when we workout?... Let's go already....."

Nice to know that my body is craving the habit of exercise. I will indulge it!

I have never slept so well in my life. I fall asleep easily, no tossing and turning, it is awesome.

I am really having trouble trying to describe my overall feeling.... It's like everything is in balance, natural. I wake up refreshed, feel energized, I move easier, I am regular like clockwork in the bathroom, I feel strong, mentally sharp, happy.... Too many non scale victories to mention all of them.

I feel great through and through and there is a pride growing inside of me that is hard to contain.

I hope everyone is doing well

MM