Daily News Archives
May 2004
05/31/2004 - Shoulder frustrations.
05/30/2004 - Relaxing this weekend; Suit pictures are up.
05/29/2004 - Busy, fun day ahead.
05/28/2004 - Weekend plans; Daily pictures to return soon.
05/27/2004 - Shoulder physical therapy this morning.
05/26/2004 - Shoulder pain continues - surgery inevitable?
05/25/2004 - Shoulder physical therapy this morning.
05/24/2004 - Umm, yesterday was awesome, too!
05/23/2004 - Yesterday was awesome!
05/22/2004 - Saturday plans.
05/21/2004 - Today is Lisa's and my 10-year anniversary!
05/20/2004 - Running late for physical therapy.
05/19/2004 - More on physical therapy; Core strength; Posture.
05/18/2004 - Report on my first day of physical therapy.
05/17/2004 - First day of physical therapy.
05/16/2004 - Cardio improvements; Swelling going down.
05/15/2004 - Adaptation and breaking plateaus.
05/14/2004 - Starting Physical therapy on Monday.
05/13/2004 - Shoulder update: Physical therapy.
05/12/2004 - Going to see my Orthopedic doctor this morning.
05/11/2004 - I can do cardio again!
05/10/2004 - Post-op follow-up visit today.
05/09/2004 - Still swollen; Daily pictures.
05/08/2004 - BLOATED!
05/07/2004 - Shoulder feeling great; The light at the end of the tunnel.
05/06/2004 - Swelling below my lower abs; Still can't flex.
05/05/2004 - One week down, one to go; Shoulder update.
05/04/2004 - More improvement; Update on the new web site.
05/03/2004 - Still improving; Feeling a little cranky.
05/02/2004 - First day with no pain meds went well; Relaxed diet.
05/01/2004 - Slight Oxycodone reaction; Good overall improvement.
May 31, 2004
Two more weeks of physical therapy on my shoulder and then I go back to my orthopedic doctor. My shoulder has really been hurting the past couple of days. I need to see the P.T. through to the end, but at this point I think it's just more wasted time. I just want to have the surgery done as soon as possible so I can get back to my life. After 6 months of not being able to work my upper body, the muscle I managed to put on before the injury is all but gone. It's frustrating to think of the progress I could have made by now... I'm trying not to be discouraged, but sometimes it's pretty tough.
I'm off to do cardio (what else). Have a good day.
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May 30, 2004
I hope everyone is having a good weekend, we sure are! I'm off for some more rest and relaxation - enjoy your day!
Oh, I got the suit pictures posted last night.
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May 29, 2004
I've got all kinds of things to do today, so I'm going to keep this short and go get my cardio in. I'll probably be posting some new pictures later today on the forum after I pick up my new suits. Have a great day!
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May 28, 2004
Ah... Friday! I'm ready for a nice, relaxing 3-day weekend. Tomorrow I'm going to clean the house, go grocery shopping with Lisa and then watch DVDs (Return Of The King!)
My new suits and blazers are ready to go, so I'll also be swinging by my clothier to pick those up. Most of you have only seen what I look like wearing shorts, so I might throw some pictures of me "dressed to the nines" up in my thread in the Media Gallery on the forum. I'm trying to get in for a haircut today, so we'll see.
I think that I'm pretty much recovered from my hernia surgery. There's still a little swelling and a slight tinge of pain when I flex really hard, but other than that I'm feeling great. I'm planning to resume my daily pictures on June 6th. I go back to my doctor on the 7th, where I expect to get the "all-clear" to resume weight training. Now I just need to get this shoulder problem resolved and I'll be back in business 100%.
Time for my workout - have a great day!
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May 27, 2004
I'm rushing around trying to get to physical therapy on time this morning! Have a good day...
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May 26, 2004
Unfortunately my shoulder has really been hurting over the past few days and all I have been doing is the physical therapy exercises. I told my physical therapist about the pain when I saw her yesterday morning and she seemed concerned. I have 5 more sessions (a little over 2 weeks) left and then I go back to my orthopedic doctor. I'm going to stay positive and hope the physical therapy works out, but physical therapy is the last option before surgery and I suspect that when all is said and done I'm going to need surgery to correct the problem. I'm so tired of dealing with this frustrating injury, and am willing to do anything I can to get it resolved. If I have to go under the knife then so be it.
Time for cardio and then meetings at work. Have a good one.
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May 25, 2004
I've got to get out the door for my physical therapy session. Have a great day!
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May 24, 2004
Lisa and I had so much fun on Saturday that we decided to keep the 10-year anniversary party going all weekend. Sunday we went out again all day and I bought a couple new tailored sport coats and blazers, a few pair of tailored dress slacks, a few dress shirts, a couple of very nice silk ties, a bunch of dress socks, a new belt and a great pair of Italian split-toe calfskin leather dress shoes. It's funny because usually Lisa wants clothes and I want techie type stuff, but this year I got all the clothes and she got a new computer! Anyway, after spending all that money I really needed a drink so we went to Bennigan's where had my first hamburger and fries in over 12 years! You think hamburgers taste good? Try not having one for over a decade. My god. I washed it down with a couple of Sam Adams beers and it was fantastic. After that we came home and I tried on clothes for a few hours (everything but the suits - they won't be ready until next Friday). For dinner we had pizza and wine. Yeah, I'd say we lived it up for our 10-year anniversary alright! I'm glad I did an extra 9 miles on the elliptical yesterday morning! Surprisingly I'm just holding about 3-4 pounds of water and don't look any different (except for the swelling from the operation, which is almost gone now). Today it's back to business: clean eating and working out. I'm off to do my cardio, have a great day!
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May 23, 2004
Lisa and I had a very wonderful and very decadent day yesterday! We spent the whole day together celebrating 10 years
of marriage with lots of shopping and eating! 
First Lisa helped me pick out a brand new wardrobe--something I've been needing to do for a long time now. Sure, I've picked up a few things here and there after losing all the weight, but yesterday we were finding cool clothes left and right! I wound up with 10 new shirts, 4 new pairs of pants and jeans, 4 new pairs of shoes and a new pair of shorts. After we finished clothes shopping we went to Costco, came home long enough to shower and change and then went out for a fantastic dinner! The food was great and we ate like absolute PIGS! I had a margarita, wine, salad, steak, lobster, a baked potato, lots of bread, butter, a huge piece of cheesecake with chocolate dripped all over it and 2 Irish coffees! After dinner we came home, had some freshly ground Blue Mountain coffee and watched a DVD. Awesome day!
Of course this morning I'm feeling pretty bloated. Even though it's Sunday I'm going to go ahead and do 50 minutes on the elliptical and sweat some of this water off!
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May 22, 2004
Lisa and I had a great time celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary yesterday. Thanks
for all the well-wishes! The celebration continues tonight, as we'll be going out to eat and
stuffing ourselves with all kinds of "horrible" foods and drinks. 
Lisa no longer has to work on Saturdays (she got a big promotion at work - go Lisa!), so we get to spend the whole weekend together. Today we're going to clean the house and then go to Costco for our monthly supply of chicken, salmon, shrimp, tuna, coffee, and so on, but right now I've got to go do my cardio and shoulder rehab exercises.
Have a great day, see you tomorrow!
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May 21, 2004
Today's a very special day for me and Lisa: 10 years ago we were married! I know it sounds a little corny, but Lisa's truly the center of my Universe; without her by my side I'd be completely lost. She's always stuck with me through thick and thin (pun kinda intended), and has always supported me in everything I do. I love her every bit as much now as the day we were married. Thanks for the best 10 years of my life, Lisa. Here's to the next 10!
We'll be having our normal weekly cheat meal tonight, but tomorrow night were going out to celebrate (I figure a 10-year anniversary deserves an extra cheat meal, right?!) Our jobs won't allow for any time off right now, but this July we'll be going on an all-out romantic adventure to a yet-to-be determined tropical location. I'm really looking forward to what will be my first real vacation in over five years!
I've got a monster day at work ahead. Have a great Friday!
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May 20, 2004
Sorry, no time to write this morning - I've got to get to the rehab center for physical therapy for my shoulder and I'm running late!
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May 19, 2004
I've had two physical therapy sessions so far, and I've learned quite a lot in that short amount of time. I've been doing some no-weight exercises that are helping to strengthen muscles in my back and shoulder that I've never used before (or haven't used in many years). Those muscles are really sore right now, which goes to show how little I've used them in the past because no weights are involved! It's all part of working on building my core strength, which will help prevent injuries and also help improve my posture. A big part of what we're working on is trying to get me to hold my shoulders differently. I didn't even realize how I tend to pull my shoulder blades up and out so much, especially when lifting. We're focused on trying to keep my shoulder blades down and back, which should help reduce or eliminate the impingement and tendonitis.
Some other things that my therapist has me doing include: light-weight strengthening exercises similar to the rotator cuff exercises I've been doing for a while now; spending time on a machine (sorry, don't know what it's called) that I crank forwards and backwards in a circular motion using my arms and shoulders; ultrasound therapy and ice packs.
Over the past few days I've been really careful of my posture when I'm sitting in my chair all day. It's amazing how poor my posture is when I'm at my computer. I'm constantly catching myself slumped down, hunched forward, craning my neck forward and generally sitting with no regard to proper posture. Now that I'm paying attention to how I sit I've noticed that I'm already starting to sit correctly more often without much thought. I still catch myself slumping after I've been at the computer for a while, but I'm getting better.
I really hope all these things I'm doing will finally free me from the shoulder pain I've been living with for the past 7 months. I'm finally starting to realize how critical proper posture and core strength are when it comes to preventing injury. You can't throw around heavy weights, especially at my age, if your body's core strength is not prepared for the demands such activities place on the body. The important fundamental concepts of core strength and proper posture are something many weight lifters, myself included, are largely ignorant of. Look for more information on these subjects in future Daily News articles, but in the meantime I encourage you to do some research on your own.
I'm off to do my cardio - have a great day!
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May 18, 2004
My first day of physical therapy went really well. The physical therapist who worked with me really knows her stuff! I learned quite a few surprising things about my rather poor core strength, and also some problems with my posture. We talked, did some exercises, some ultrasound treatment and then iced the shoulder down. I don't have time to get into details right now, because I have another session this morning at 7:00 AM. I thought the sessions were going to be on M-W-F, but they are actually going to be Tuesdays and Thursdays, so expect short updates on those days for the next month.
Have a great day!
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May 17, 2004
Today's my first day of physical therapy for my shoulder. I have to be at the rehab center by 7:00 AM, so I'd better get moving. Have a great Monday!
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May 16, 2004
Yesterday's aerobic-level cardio was my best cardio workout since my hernia surgery. I went 8.9 miles in 50 minutes with an average heart rate of 155 BPM. Far from my best, but much better than last Thursday's aerobic-level cardio workout. Thursday's workout was terrible (for me): 8.4 miles in 50 minutes with an average heart rate of 160 BPM. I feel like I'm bouncing back from the surgery very quickly now.
The swelling in my abdominal area has also (finally) started to go down quite a lot over the last few days. I expect that I'll be able to
resume my daily pictures within a week or so. I've actually enjoyed not having to take them for a while. After
1.5 years, I needed a little break anyway.
Time for some yard work. It needs it - I have not been able to do yard work for 3 weeks!
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May 15, 2004
Yesterday I did my first HIIT cardio workout in a couple of weeks and I sure felt it! My heart rate was much higher than normal on my lower intervals, and it took longer than normal to come down after my 90%/100% intervals. I also sweated quite a bit more than I usually do. Additionally, my heart rate was much higher than normal when I did my aerobic-level cardio sessions earlier this week. I'll probably have especially good fat-loss results over the next couple of weeks because after a two-week layoff I'm shocking my body again. Noting these changes really helps reinforce the notion that our bodies are extremely good at adapting to routine. My body had become very efficient at performing my HIIT and aerobic-level cardio workouts because I do them so often, and always on the elliptical. If you are in a plateau, try switching to another exercise and/or a new cardio routine. You might even want to consider taking a week off if all else fails. Keep your body guessing!
Today I'm doing a 50-minute aerobic-level cardio session and I'll bet my heart rate will be lower than it was just a few days ago because my body has already begun to adapt to my workouts. Check my food/workout log tomorrow and see!
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May 14, 2004
I'm going to start physical therapy sessions for my right shoulder on Monday. Each session lasts about an hour. Because of my work, the only time I can fit the sessions in is the very first thing in the morning. I have to be at the rehab center at 7:00 AM, so you can expect my Monday, Wednesday and Friday updates to be very brief for the next 2-4 weeks. I'm going into this with a very positive attitude. I know this therapy will make it possible for me to continue my weight training, finally free from pain. I'm very excited!
I'm off to do my cardio. Happy Friday!
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May 13, 2004
I saw my orthopedic doctor yesterday for a follow-up on my shoulder. I told him that on most days it has felt really good, but of course I was also not doing any kind of working out due to my hernia surgery. I mentioned that even though it felt good most of the time, there have been a couple of days over the past month that it hurt a little bit. Because I'm still feeling occasional pain, I get the feeling that if I were to start hitting the heavy weights again the problem could return. The doctor ran me through some range of motion tests and felt my shoulder as I moved it and said that he wants me to see a physical therapist three times per week for the next 2-4 weeks. He said physical therapy is the last step before surgery would be required, but he also said that he felt quite confident that physical therapy would get my shoulder back to 100%. Because I can't lift for another month anyway, the timing is good: all I have to lose is a few hundred bucks, and I may be able to resume heavy upper body weight training in just a few weeks without resorting to surgery. Time-wise it's going to be very difficult for me to see the therapist three times a week for an hour each session, but I'll figure out a way. It's worth it!
I'm off to do cardio, have a great day!
Oh, word has it that the CMS for the new web site will be ready by this Friday! Once I have it, I'm going work as quickly as I can to get the new site up! More to come...
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May 12, 2004
I've got to hurry and get my workout in this morning because I've got an appointment with my Orthopedic doctor in a little while. I'm not sure what's he's going to do, but my shoulder is feeling pretty darn good (as it should - with the exception of yesterday's cardio session I have not done anything physical in 2 weeks).
Have a great day!
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May 11, 2004
I met with my surgeon yesterday for my 2-week hernia post-op and he said I'm healing up great! He gave me the go-ahead to resume cardio workouts (even HIIT), and to lift up to 40 pounds. I can't do weight training with such a small amount of weight (40 pound squats? Heh...), and ab work is out for now, but he said I should have the all-clear to resume heavy weight training and ab workouts after I see him again in one month. That's cool - I'm going to be patient, be thankful I can do my cardio workouts and continue to rest my shoulder. By this time next month I should be back in action 100%!!
I asked him about the swelling around my mid-section and he said it was totally normal and would probably
last about 6 weeks. As I said a couple of days ago,
I won't be posting daily pictures again until the swelling is gone, and that may take another 4 weeks.
I know many of you are eager for me to resume my daily pictures and I will as soon as the swelling is gone. Until then you'll
have to be patient, just like me.
May 10, 2004
It's back to the surgeon today for my post-op follow-up visit. I hope he gives me the go-ahead for at least aerobic-level cardio! I've got a lot to do today and I'm going to have to take a few hours off from work to go see the doc, so I'd better cut this short and get to work. I hope you have a great day!
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May 09, 2004
It's amazing how long the swelling lasts after surgery. It's been 1.5 weeks since I had my hernia operation and my waist is still really swollen. My waist measured 30 inches on the day of my surgery, and it swelled to 32 inches the day after the surgery and is still over 31 inches. I've been getting quite a few emails from people who want me to resume posting my daily pictures despite the fact that I'm still recovering from my surgery. My decision stands: I won't be posting pictures until the swelling is gone because there is nothing I can do about it and there's no educational value in posting pictures showing my post-op swelling. Please respect my choice and stop emailing asking me to resume posting my daily pictures before I'm ready because it just ain't gonna happen. Thanks.
I'm going to see the surgeon tomorrow for my follow-up, so maybe he'll give me permission to do cardio again! I hope so...
Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful moms out there. Relax and enjoy your day!
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May 08, 2004
Talk about post cheat-meal bloat! I'm holding about 4 pounds of water right now. I feel bloated and miserable this morning and I can't even do cardio. Hopefully I'll have the all-clear for cardio from my doctor next week. I never thought I'd say this, but I really miss doing it!
Have a great Saturday!
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May 07, 2004
One good thing about the rest I'm being forced to take is that my shoulder has zero pain right now. I'm going to see the orthopedic doctor again this coming Wednesday and it will be interesting to see what he says/does. Because of my hernia surgery I won't be able to lift weights again for at least another 4-5 weeks, but when I do I am sure that I'll be able to finally resume my upper body workouts! I'm going to go light for a few weeks and hope the pain doesn't return. With my hernia taken care of and my shoulder pain-free, I'm going to feel great when I get back in the weight room. My power rack is lonely and it glares at me every time I walk by my home gym...
Well, I'm in good spirits this morning! It's nice to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's been a long and difficult six months.
Have a great Friday!
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May 06, 2004
Hernia surgery sure causes a lot of lasting localized swelling. I was looking at myself in the mirror this morning and the area just below my belly button (already a "problem" area for me) is still really swollen. Even if I could take pictures right now, they wouldn't be an accurate assessment because of all the swelling (not to mention I still can't flex my abs at all). I hope things return to normal soon - it's a little depressing looking so out of shape even though I've not put on any weight!
Today's going to be a busy day, so I'd better get breakfast in me and get to work. I hope your day is a good one!
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May 05, 2004
It's been one week since my surgery and the closer I get to next week the more excited I'm becoming about being able to workout again. I know I'm not ready yet, but hopefully with another week of recovery I'll be able to do cardio and resume my daily pictures. Unfortunately it's going to be another five weeks (or more) before I'll be able to lift weights again. Hopefully I'll be able to resume upper body lifting as well. I'm going to see the orthopedic doctor again next week about my shoulder. It's feeling really good right now. I think this total rest has helped it.
I've got to get to work now, but I'll be on the forums later today or tonight. Have a great day!
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May 04, 2004
I'm feeling much better now. The soreness is minimal and the steri-strips fell off. It still hurts if I strain myself in any way (cough, sneeze, flex my abs) but other than that there's not much discomfort. I've still got some pretty bad swelling in the testicle region, so I'm going to call my doctor about that today just to make sure there's nothing wrong. I know some swelling/bruising in that area is normal, but I don't know how long it should last.
An update on the new web site: Hipercom had some personal changes that created some additional delays. Thankfully everything back on track now. I'm told the CMS will be handed off to me in about 2 weeks. Once I have it I'll work very hard to get the site ported over to the new database-driven system as quickly as I can. Thanks for your continued patience. The wait will be worth it!
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May 03, 2004
Things still seem to be going well with my recovery. Unless I cough or sneeze, the pain is pretty much just a constant dull ache now. It's more annoying than anything else, and it has a long-term grating effect (read: I've been a little cranky). Any enjoyment I had from taking a few days off from working out is gone, and now I just want to get back to my fitness program. It's going to be at least another week or two before the surgeon will allow me to do cardio again, so I'm just going to stay busy with work and follow his instruction to the letter.
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May 02, 2004
Yesterday was my first full day without pain medications and it went very well. The pain is really starting to become less of a problem now. I can get up from a chair and turn over in bed with just a little discomfort, and I can walk short distances. It's still far too painful to flex my abs (even slightly), laugh, cough, or blow my nose. The swelling has gone down quite a lot, and the wound looks good (no redness or bleeding). My left testicle had me a little worried -- it is swollen, a little painful and red. I was reading some information the doctor gave me and it mentions that swelling in that area is normal. That's a relief, to say the least...
I've been using my surgery recovery as a convenient opportunity to relax my strict diet a bit. After 16 months, I think I deserve it! I have not gone overboard at all and I'm still eating pretty healthy, but I've been enjoying daily servings ice cream, chocolate-covered nuts and/or popcorn. I have not gained any weight so far, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a few extra pounds on me by the time I can do cardio/take pictures again.
Well, I've got a tough day of lying on my ass and watching DVDs ahead, so I better get started. See ya!
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May 01, 2004
I had a little reaction to the Oxycodone yesterday. When I got out of the shower I had a pretty bad rash all over
my upper body, and my left arm was particularly bad. I didn't take any more after that and this morning the rash is gone except a
little bit on my left arm. Thankfully the pain is more tolerable now and I can get by without the Oxycodone. No, the
rest of the Oxycodone is not for sale.
I'm still really bloated from the surgery but my weight is returning to normal and the pain is far less severe now. I'm going to rest this weekend and do everything I can to make my recovery fast and complete. I see the surgeon again for a follow-up on May 10th.
Have a great day!
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