Day 54: Regaining Additional Freedoms

I slept significantly better last night. I only woke up once and that was not until after 4:00a. Every other night I have woken up at or before 3:00a. I also slept deeper than I did the previous night, getting 4.5 hours of deep sleep according to my UP24.

After going for a walk and making my morning protein shake I decided to try brushing my teeth, flossing and using mouthwash for the first time by myself. 

I was able to complete all three tasks without help which felt great. That was the first time that I have used floss in 7.5 weeks. My dentist is going to hate me the next time I have to see him.

Regaining that little freedom means that I can now go back to brushing my teeth twice per day instead of once every few days.

I drafted the Facebook article that you said would be helpful. It will be live tomorrow morning once I have a chance to edit and prep it.

I tackled another five thank you cards for a total of 20 thank you cards over the last few days.

I headed next door to the gym for another session on the stationary bike. This time I bumped it up another resistance level and added another five minutes for a total of 25 minutes. While hard it feels good to get back into the gym to sweat again.

I used the time on the stationary bike to finish watching a Google Hangout with Kelly Starrett about his upcoming book, Ready to Run. While I historically have not been a runner, as I recover from these injuries I may take up running thus my interest in this new book.

After riding the stationary bike I came home to complete the home PT program that the physical therapist gave me yesterday. It involves using the shoulder pulley and doing a number of other exercises such as weightless bicep curls. I gave myself a goal of achieving 25 reps of each exercise which I was able to do.

I finished Spartan Up! today, transitioning to Becoming a Supple Leopard. I am hoping to get through another 3-4 books before returning back to work part-time. Reading has been a nice way to spend my late afternoons.

Laura tried working from home for a full day today. She was not feeling well so that slowed her down a bit. It was good for her to start getting settled into working from home. Tomorrow she will have to go into her office for a bit before the move this weekend.

I reluctantly grabbed the mail after nearly a week of not getting it. There were several more medical bills in the pile. Additionally I received the DMV recertification form. I am currently banned from driving so this form will need to continually be submitted to DMV by my neurosurgeon or neuro oncologist. At least that was balanced with a few more cards from friends which were nice to receive.

Tonight we finally (almost) finished all of the meals that were delivered or sent over the last couple of weeks.

I showered by myself for the first time since the injuries. I was able to reach everywhere except my back. I still have no backward mobility in my shoulders. But, I consider this a big win along with brushing my teeth earlier in the day.

This means that I will bring this week to a close being able to get dressed, brushing my teeth and (mostly) taking a shower by myself. All small wins that are starting to add up.

I still have a lot of mobility and strength to gain back over the coming months. These freedoms come with limited mobility and discomfort. It is encouraging though to be able to do it myself after having to lean heavily on Laura and, while she was here, her mom.