No Pain, No Gain
There is a certain amount of irony to what I have been going thru for the last 10 weeks or so. Understanding that there are 52 weeks in a year I know that I have a long road ahead of me. I know it’s been a while since I have written a blog and this one will not bring any more clarity to anyone that has been a part of my life since 2009.
The Build-up
This is more for those that for whatever reason I have not been in contact with. As everyone very well knows I love the gym. I love to work out. I love personal competition. So to know that about me you know that after my surgery I was effectively robbed of one of my life’s great pleasures. The Doc told me that it would be rather hard for me because I was into bodybuilding but the truth of his words never really hit home until I woke up in the hospital bandaged up with a sling/brace that would be my personal prison for the next 9 weeks.
The Reckoning
I will say that not being single at the moment that I woke up didn’t suck at all. My wife was right there by my side as I opened my eyes for the first time to realize the true extent of my condition. It took me all of 3 minutes to realize that it would REALLY suck to have to go thru this alone. Having half of your body taken away from you in an instant isn’t something that you could get used to with ease. At first I had very big plans of what I would do to stay in some sort of physical condition. That was ceased when I was told by the Doc that under no circumstances was I to move my arm or let the muscles in my shoulder fire for any reason. For those of you that work out……….this is almost an impossible task. I have spent the better half of 20 years training my muscles to fire. To learn my body to the point that I could focus in and feel like I am working each and every fiber at a singular level. Now I can use them at all?
The Reality
WOW!!! That was my very first sentiment as the pain killers wore off and the scaline block allowed the nerves in my arm to feel once more. The pain was as intense as I have ever felt and I knew at that point that any attempt to try to be Johnny Fitness was out the damn door. All I could focus on for that first week was not to miss the appointment with my pain killers, lol. Having never been put to sleep I didn’t know what to expect. So I came out of it looking and feeling way way bloated. I was told that they stick a tube down your throat to ensure that you stay asleep. Well apparently because of my size they decided to put more gas in me than could come out. For the first 3 days I had hiccups nonstop and had to return to the ER.
At 3 years old hiccups are cute………………..at 30 years old they become violent and painful after about 12 hours or constant jerking of your internal organs. I won’t take you through the long version of 
that ordeal only to say that I hope it never happens again.
The Substitute
Week one after the surgery I had my follow up with the Doc and with very little convincing he turned my 4 weeks of convalescence leave into 6 weeks. Dr. Dalleyrand is a good dude by all measure as far as being understanding when he realizes that you are a gym rat that will be house bound for 6 weeks.
Like everything else about me I like a good challenge. After about 2 weeks and realizing who my REAL friends, were I started to cheer up. (Nothing like a lil’ old personal tragedy to separate those who REALLY care and those that SAY they care. But later on that….) I decided to focus my energy on something more in a positive direction. I decided to create another division of my company Physical Innovations. I won’t disclose too much right now but those that are in the know are VERY excited about the opportunity to be involved in something that will be very lucrative. As my wheels started to turn and various trips to the book store yielded me unlimited power I began to forget about my deteriorating physical condition. I got smarter on the things that I needed to be successful and it looks to be paying off in spades. Now my obsession is not with the gym and what it can do for me, but what I can do for the gym and other individuals who have the same passions that I have. These are exciting times indeed.
The Support
This is that part that is kind of hard to talk about. It forces me to eat a very large slice of “humble pie”.
I am EXTREMELY appreciative for everyone to include those that called daily, those that called occasionally, those that called very little those that called once and those that called none what so ever. I will explain this in depth right now. There is a certain amount of comfort in sharing a laugh with a friend, especially when you are going through a very rough time. I had friends and acquaintances that called me just because they knew that I had surgery. Those that called daily understood that I wasn’t the type that needed daily support but appreciated it never the less. Those that called occasionally wanted to let me know that I was on their mind and I had their support if needed. Those that called very little didn’t want to bother me because they know I don’t like being looked at as a liability. Those that called once wanted me to know what was going on outside of my 6 week bubble and keeping me in the loop. (I really think they coordinated the calls, lol). Those that didn’t call at all during that 9 week period (especially on my Birthday which was beautiful thanks to a very gracious 9 year old host and her helpers) really forced me to look at the nature of my relationship with them and realize the actual level of importance and the value of my friendship to them. Touché’ BTW E-mails count as communication, lol. So those that at least e-mailed are off the hook HA HA.
When someone finally reveals themselves to you, believe what they are SHOWING you and not what they are TELLING you. -Leeola
Somewhere I know Lee is smiling because we talk about this a lot, lol. I will say that I have learned a very valuable life lesson. I guess that the old adage is true that you NEVER stop learning till our dead. I wonder how one would have felt knowing that I had surgery and lived over a thousand miles away but I decided to never answer a text or a phone call and never returned a message? Would they have wondered if I had actually survived? If I had complications? Hummmmmmmmm…………. Food for thought for those of you that DIDN’T seem to care very much even when I was the one doing the calling.
The Finale’
I know that this is going to sound cliché’ however I feel that 2009 will be one of my be
st years yet despite my physical setbacks. I already have motion back in my arm (even though due to atrophy its 2 inches smaller than my left at this point) and I am expected to make a full recovery sometime this year. I will pick up my son for the summer and we will have a blast (hopefully get some serious road time in) and I will return him to TX feeling like a million bucks. By the time august rolls around I will be in decent condition and well on my road back to the condition I once held and probably even better. My new division should be growing like a weed with no signs of being affected by the so called recession.
Hang on to your hats folks…………………once this train picks up speed, it has ZERO intentions of slowing down until it reaches its destination. TBD
Nine
