Surgery Tuesday

[Sparky]

This is VERY true with a DBT rupture and repair. It needs to heal up in the immediate term and it really is one of those things where pushing yourself can be more than just counterproductive--it can lead to a lot of complications and even re-injury. That's one of the hardest things to get your head around with this surgery--that it's a marathon and requires patience. Don't lift more than your surgeon clears you for and don't push harder than your PT advises/teaches.

Once you are past that PT phase and are released to do your own lifting/rehab, you'll get some general guidance on how to do that and how to ratchet it up. There is some "no pain, no gain" involved there as it will almost certainly be uncomfortable in spots and you do have to push through it. But you have to do it smartly, slowly, and it small bites. I remember going over to a lady at the gym when she was putting away a 20 pound curl bar and asking if she was done with it. She kind of laughed thinking I was kidding or picking up on her. I said, no . . . I am serious . . . I'm rehabbing a bicep rupture . . . and I proceeded to grit my teeth and sweat bullets doing reps with it.

It's a slow, painful, frustrating slog . . . but the nice thing is that you see small improvements every day and you'll feel much more back to normal in a few months.

I'm already struggling with not using the arm. Old habits I guess.

[Ramsker]

I'm already struggling with not using the arm. Old habits I guess.

Wait til you drop something or someone else does and you reach for it really quick with the repaired arm. That'll wake you up in the morning. Pretty much everyone I know who had the injury did that at least once.