If You Want Something Done, Do it Yourself

After spending hours on the phone trying to find a doctor to remove the two stitches in my elbow, I had accepted that my only option was to go to the ER and waste an entire afternoon waiting for this very simple procedure. But then I started thinking about all the valuable time I've lost as a result of the accident and decided I wasn't in the mood to lose more so I took matters into my own hands. Well, not my hands exactly. I sterilized a pair of manicure scissors and some tweezers, rounded up some alcohol wipes and enlisted my husband to take the stitches out. It went surprisingly well, didn't hurt as much as I anticipated and was finished in less than 5 minutes. So it literally saved the day.

I am so relieved to have those stitches out. They were the last hurdle I needed to get over to really be on the road to recovery. I'm already feeling less pain in my elbow so it was definitely time to get them out. I wish I could say the same about my shoulder. It's been hurting more with each day as it heals, which has been an unpleasant surprise. But I'm off the pain meds and I'm not even taking any of the over-the-counter stuff so I guess that's likely part of it. I had continued the meds at night, but after waking up with another splitting headache, I'm calling it quits. I'll just ice it a couple times a day and continue keeping it as still as possible.

I finally found the motivation to go to the gym for the elliptical. I did 6 miles in an effort to kick my running training back into gear. I doubt the mileage translates accurately, but it will at least give me a point of comparison from workout to workout. I was able to get my sling adjusted nicely to minimize shoulder movement so it was relatively comfortable. I spent 15 minutes on my legs afterward to keep up my strength.

Now that the stitches are out, I'm planning my first trip to the pool this weekend. I'll likely focus mostly on kicking and just try to enjoy being back in the water. If I'm feeling up to it, I'll try a lap or two with one arm to get a sense of what it's going to take to learn. If nothing else, it will at least be interesting!

Elliptical
Distance - 6 miles
Time - 56:48