Scaling Back

What say we scale back the mileage, and give the body (and mind) a bit of a recovery week? 

Funny how that all worked out at a time when a small setback was on the verge of staging an appearance. Yes, you heard that correctly, a small setback almost became a reality in my Road to Recovery strategy this week (full details on what lead to my recovery situation HERE). Care to hear what happened?

Monday
I was out the door by 5:00 and did 3 easy miles in the wee hours with my friend, Barb. The air was crisp, but felt nice (still experiencing fall-like temps in the early mornings). Never miss a Monday!

How about a driveway selfie?

I worked the majority of the day, then the hubby and I were off to the Iowa State Fair for the evening. There was some walking at the fair (probably at least a good 1-1.5 mile round trip from the our parking spot just to the entrance gate), so there was plenty of movement.

I was a little bit country, he was a little bit rock'n roll

**side note** While at the fair, we saw an awesome band, Hairball (check out their website HERE). We've seen them three other times, and they give an amazing show. Based out of Minneapolis, they travel and perform extensively in the Midwest (but also do a lot of national venues as well). Their claim to fame is their stage show...they have three lead singers who take turns impersonating famous lead singers of "hair bands" of yesteryear. We're talking elaborate costumes and lots of pyrotechnics as well. It's like seeing 15 different bands all in one evening...including Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Journey, Van Halen, Twisted Sister, Queen, Guns & Roses, AC/DC, Prince, Poison...just to name a few.

Tuesday
Three miles in the early morning, and a couple bonus miles in the evening. Nothing too crazy.

Another beautiful sunrise....

Wednesday
The struggle bus was late leaving the station, but the ride went smoothly once we hit the road. I didn't fall back to sleep, but just could not get my buttocks to move. I finally made it out the door around 5:30, and did 2.5 miles (just as the sun was rising) and 1/2-mile jaunt with Max in the afternoon.

I'm not always in the happiest of moods #reality

As mentioned in previous posts, the suture scar has continued to drain... not a lot, but it is still not completely closed. Earlier in the week, while gently applying pressure to the drainage site (literally, it's like the size of a pin head), a huge burst of fluid erupted. On Wednesday, I also noticed the skin had a faint tinge of pink over the knee cap (panic attack #1). I called the surgeon's office and was instructed to keep the opening covered, apply some anti-bacterial ointment, and to discontinue expressing the fluid (previously, I had been told to gently press--not squeeze--along the scar to help the flow of the fluid to work its way out).

Can you see the tinge of pink at the bottom of the scar?

Thursday
I was relieved to see the drainage had dramatically decreased (returning to its normal smear on the bandage, only needing changing a few times a day). I headed out, and got a text from Barb, that she was on her way to meet me! What an amazing surprise! We hadn't chatted since our walk on Monday, so I wasn't expecting to see her at 5:00 a.m. We knocked out a #5Kat5 and called it good.

Another early morning conquest complete

Throughout the day, the knee was intermittent "normal" looking and then it would have that pink tinge (panic attack #2). There was no pain involved, and the drainage appeared to not be an issue. As a precaution, though, I called the surgeon's office again, and they recommended a Friday morning appointment to give it a check before the weekend.

Friday
I did an easy 3-mile walk in the early morning. All looked and felt good. And check out that waning crescent moon? Venus was also high in the sky (near the moon) at 5:15ish when I headed out (though it's not in the picture).

By the light of the (crescent) moon

The surgeon was out, but I was able to see his PA (whom I had met while in the hospital following the surgery seven weeks prior). He was not concerned about infection, but wanted some blood work done (to have a baseline) in case things didn't improve (spoiler: the blood work came back normal, so no sign of infection). He also called in a prescription for a seven day round of antibiotics, just in case there's any impending infection in the works.  He advised me to try to scale back my extensive walking (which, fortunately, I was already doing this week anyways).

Saturday
My body has been feeling so tired this week, even with the scaled back mileage. Without setting my alarm, I didn't wake up until around 8:00...talk about a 3-hour delay in starting my day! I walked to my sister's place, and her and I walked about 3.5 miles together (adding in the distance from my door step to hers, my total mileage came it around 5 miles).

That's right! I'm wearing sunglasses because I got out the door much later than usual

Sunday
I awoke to the rumble of thunder (off in the distance), and there was a rampant pitter-patter of rain on the skylight above me. Ugh. Seriously, Momma N? Sunday was Day 35 of my Road to Recovery walking streak...I have "rose and shone" every morning, not always bright but always early, and walked a few miles in the pre-dawn hours. And, all of these pre-dawn miles have been outside. I had to introduce Voldemort (my lovely 6-inch suture scar) to Millie (the dreaded treadmill who has been sitting dormant since a cold, rainy day back in March). Again, I was reminded how much I loathe the 'mill...especially for walking, because it takes much longer to get the job done. Alas, since I'm scaling back the mileage, I did a mere two miles (instead of the usual 3 miles) and called it good (which still took nearly 30 minutes). Although I was safe from lightning, I did not stay dry (hello, major sweat fest indoors in between the central air cycling). Glass half full, right?

Hello, Millie...remember me?

So, this week was a much-needed scaled back week in terms of mileage...total mileage is around 30 (at the time is post goes live). That's a reduction of 12 miles from the previous week. My gut was telling me that my mileage (even though it was all from walking) probably needed to be cut back a bit...funny how the PA told me the same thing. Over all, I am feeling great, though, just annoyed this suture site is taking so long to thoroughly heal....but it is almost 6-inches in length, and that's a pretty substantial size. Although I didn't mention it, I am still doing my daily planking and push-ups, as well as some strength training here and there.

In case you missed them, here's my blog posts from last week:
**Upping the Mileage
**Ever Played the Fueling Guessing game?

Road to Recovery update:
Mobility is still improving, but the gains aren't quite as obvious. I'm still able to walk "like normal" and I can walk pretty fast. Descending the stairway is still a little tricky, but has gotten much easier in recent weeks. Getting in/out of the car is much easier, but climbing in the backseat is still a challenge for my long legs.

Range of motion has improved, but is also plateauing a bit. The suture site feels really tight at times, making it difficult to bend my knee as much as I'd like.

The suture site is fading in color, but is still looking pretty ugly. Again, it's almost 6-inches in size, so it will be a prominent "feature" for some time. I'm continuously applying raw shea butter to it and massaging it throughout the day to stimulate the circulation. The knee is a high-maintenance area for a scar of this size since it's in constant motion (bending). It's a delicate balance between bending the knee to keep the joint from getting stiff, but being careful to not put too much tension on the healing scar. Fun situation, huh!

In other news:
My #FridayFashionFlair post (on My Instagram page) drew a lot of attention. I am totally obsessed with the cold shoulder craze right now...anyone else? This purplish top is a great option when I'm "going casual" without looking sloppy, especially for work. Of course, you all know I love my bejeweled sandals. And, I never leave the house without lipstick, right? Play along...post YOUR Friday outfit (or any favorite fashion piece), use the hashtag #FridayFashionFlair, and tag me (@runningonthefly), so I can see what kind of a look you're rocking.

And, last of all, we took the son back to college this week. He graduated from a community college in May, and is continuing his education at the University of Iowa, the hubby's and my alma mater. Go Hawks!

All moved in!

So, that's another weekly wrap! Tell me about your week...hot summer temps still? Cool mornings? What's the longest outdoor walking streak you've done? Have you ever dealt with an especially difficult suture scar?


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