Better Faster Stronger

They say all good things must come to an end, right?

Well, I beg to differ. I think this is true not only for good things, but also difficult things as well. That said, I had another week of decent milestones, accomplishments, and victories on my continued Road to Recovery (complete story HERE, on my blog's new Road to Recovery page).


For starters,  I am ecstatic to be back in a routine with my fitness. I have been doing leg lifts (50 on each side, plus some single-leg balance holds) during the three IV in-home infusions each day. Getting back outside, though, and actually feeling like I was legit moving and grooving has totally given me a new lease on this thing called "recovery." Granted, my mileage may seem a bit aggressive, but it is walking mileage. I'd never attempt this daily stuff if I was running all of these miles.

Monday
I ended the day with a total of six miles! That's definitely a post-op PR! I did a couple of miles in the wee hours, some throughout the day with Max (in 1/2 and 1/3 mile increments), and a few miscellaneous ones in the evening. Those miles were in addition to the leg lifts, planking and some push-ups and strength work for my arms. Never miss a Monday!

I'm pretty proud of what my legs and feet are capable of doing

Tuesday
I was out the door around 5:30, and what the WHAT? It was 64-degrees! I love the cooler temps, but I'm not ready for them just yet. After all, my summer has been kind of jacked due to the past six weeks or so, and I haven't been able to enjoy the heat (and humidity) as much as everyone else. None the less, it still was a beautiful morning and a fantastic day.  Total miles came in at 5.5.

Yes, a long-sleeved shirt...in JULY!

Also, on Tuesday, I had an appointment with my Infectious Disease doctor. He was very impressed with how well my leg is healing (he hadn't seen it since I'd been discharged from the hospital). He said my blood levels were still looking good, and that I was to finish the last couple days of IV infusions...and the home health nurse could remove the PICC line Friday morning!

Wednesday
I could feel some of the humidity returning. I dug out my race shirt from my first marathon, the 2013 Quad Cities Marathon. Ahhh, the memories! Obviously, I will not be returning there this year, but I have so much love and warm fuzzies for that event. Total (cumulative) miles came in at 6.

Thursday
Warm temps returned, and I was happy to greet the new morning with a smile and a thumbs-up. Seriously, why did I not think of these early morning walks until just recently? Even if I can't run, it feels so good to be outside in these calm and quiet moments of the day. Total miles for Thursday were 5.

Friday
Oh, did it feel strange when I headed out at 5:30 with Linus (my PICC line) for the last time. I did a fast-paced 2-mile walk and headed back home to get ready for the nurse's arrival.

I even did a quick plank...

Although I was eager to have the IV infusions over and done, it was kind of surreal to realize it really was going to happen. What had become my new normal was going to change again...and I'd be transitioning back to a more "normal" normal for me. The nurse arrived, and took my vitals (as was the usual protocol). She got her stuff laid out and removed the dressing over the PICC line site. I looked away because I didn't want to see it happening. The next thing I knew, she told she she was done and I had not felt a thing. Then she showed me what it looked like...16 inches long! I must have misunderstood the nurse at the hospital when she told me the line would be about 6 inches (and I thought that was freaky). Had I known she actually said the PICC would be 16-inches, I would have definitely needed full anesthesia to handle the initial insertion. Ignorance is INDEED bliss.

Thursday night was the last in-house infusion...and Friday morning, Linus was history

Saturday
Apparently, my body is a lot more fatigued than I'm aware...I woke up at 5:00 a.m. and laid back down for "just a few minutes" before grabbing my shoes and heading out for my ritual early morning walk. The next thing I know, it was 9:00! OOPS! Instead of my usual long walk, I took Max out for a 1-miler.

A mile with Max

Saturday was such a beautiful day in Iowa! The temps were pleasant, the humidity practically non-existent, and the sunshine was unbelievable! I went for a long walk after lunch, and it felt so good to feel sweat running down my back (with the PICC line gone, I now have free reign and sweating is allowed). My poor flower gardens were badly in need of some TLC, so I spent a couple hours weeding, dead-heading, and cutting down some spent day lily stems when I returned from my walk. Garden squats, anyone? I ended the day with six total miles (and plenty of sore muscles).

Sunday
Again, I fell back to sleep for a bit and didn't get out until 6:00 a.m. Fortunately, the sun wasn't too high in the sky yet, so I did get to see it rise. A 3-mile power walk was a great start to my day, and I did more garden work in the afternoon.

Look at that sunrise!

Overall, it was a busy, active week. My total (walking) miles came in at 32 (at the time this post goes live), but there will be an additional 3-4 miles on tap for later in the day. I'm still doing the leg lifts (100 each leg) and balance holds (2x30 seconds for each leg), but have scaled those back to just twice a day now. I think the 3-week IV infusion "boot camp" was long enough to get the muscles in condition ...besides, my hamstrings and quads have been on fire from all of the extra walking. The daily planking is still a constant routine, and I'm doing strength work on my upper body and push-ups regularly. The only thing really missing from my life is the running, but the walking has been a great replacement for now.

In case you missed them, last week's blog posts:
*Epiphanies Aplenty
*Running Fluff on the Frugal
*What's there to Runfess?

Road to Recovery update
***IV in-home infusions ended on Thursday evening, approximately at 10:10p.m. Originally, our plan was to continue the in-home infusions for two weeks (following my hospital discharge) and then do a week of orals.That all changed when my doctor had a death in the family and had to reschedule my follow-up for the past week instead. No big deal. All told, I administered 64 infusions all by myself (UGH!). I still have a couple follow-up blood draws (to ensure the infection is, indeed, completely gone).

***Mobility is improving daily. The skin around the suture site is tight, though. The surgeon reassured me the skin will stretch in time, but it's best not to force it. None the less, I can walk like a normal human being most of the time now.

***Range of motion is improving daily as well. As mentioned, as the skin around the suture site continues to heal, the range of motion increases. I'm a tall gal (with long legs), so I have to bend my knees more than most people for simple things like getting in/out of a car.This has been the most challenging of everything...but I'm happy with how things are progressing.

The latest pic of Voldemort

***The suture site looks better than I thought it would, though still a bit scary. Voldemort is the most appropriate name (thanks, Deborah!). I don't need to keep it covered all the time, but it's a definite security blanket thing for me when it IS covered. I'm so paranoid about tripping and falling on it. Also, compression is not mandatory but recommended to help keep things nice and tight (plus it feels good). I have figured out it's best to vary the degree of compression (and the "length" of my leg that is covered) to avoid getting "divots" in the flesh.

In other news:
Did you catch my #FridayFashionFlair this week? A lot of peeps were intrigued with the chunky statement necklace...which is actually a belt. Have you ever tried that? I hope you're following me on Instagram, and if so, I invite you to play along...post your Friday outfit and tag me (@runningonthefly). I'd love to see what YOU'RE wearing.

...and speaking of fashion....I may have forgotten to remove the "off-to-work-I-go" earrings the other night for my evening walk. OOPS. But don't they add a bit of flair to my workout outfit?

Lastly, I added a new page to my blog, called The Road to Recovery. It's a place with all the related blog posts documenting my current reality. Check it out if you're new to my blog and wish to learn more. You can click HERE or click on the menu bar at the top (under the cover photo).

So, how about you? Was your week full of activity? How's your weather been? Have you ever inadvertently worn your "fancy" earrings with your workout clothes? 

I'm linking up with Deborah (on behalf of Holly and Tricia) for the Weekly Wrap. Please join us!