Diary: Stryde Femurs with Dr. Paley September 2019

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Day 48 - 4 CM

Hit 4 CM last night, it's a great feeling knowing you are at the > halfway point. Locked in and ready to finish strong.

Pain

Started to feel numbness in my shins, accompanied by random nerve pains that feel like brief/suddden electric shocks. Nothing too intense yet, I'd say the electric shocks are around a level 4 or 5 pain and last for a few seconds. I have an appt with the Dr. tomorrow so we'll see if I need to get meds for the numbness/ shocking pains.

The nagging, dull pains continue to persist. Again, wouldn't describe as painful, more annoying, impossible to ignore, and make it difficult to focus on anything that requires cognitive thinking.

Flexibility

I think I hit my peak flexibility around 3 cm, around the time the surgery pains wore off and the stiffness hadn't set in. Now that I'm at 4 CM I can start to feel the stiffness and I have to work harder during PT to fight it off. The good thing is the results of hard work do pay off, at one point my left hamstring got really stiff, I spent a few days doubling down on hamstring stretches and remediated it.

I'm at about 5 stretches a day. 3 major ones (comprehensive set w/ strength exercises) and 2 quick ones (few concentrated stretches focused on quads and hamstrings.) I try to keep the cadence at every 3 hrs during the day. I make sure to do one big stretch immediately before going to bed to ensure that I start my sleeping loose. I think this has helped with sleeping and avoiding being woken up early from stiffness.

Sleep

Not great but not terrible. Averaging about 5 hrs a night. Will get about an hour napping during the day. Taking Tylenol PM as a sleep aid has helped tremendously.

Mood/ Mindset

I gave up on being productive with side hustles, hobbies, reading, etc. The nagging dull pain and stiffness make it impossible to focus and do cognitive work. I've sort of embraced feeling "isolated and useless" and made PT / stretching my full time job and purpose. To kill time I'll watch youtube/netflix/reddit, things that require almost no critical thinking. I think crossing the halfway point milestone will help me get through this.

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You're on your way, buddy. Keep.Going.Strong.

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half way bro! nice the next half will fly by even faster if it's similar to my experience. keep pushing bro ! good luck

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Quote from: InFullStryde on November 05, 2019, 12:05:37 AMYou're on your way, buddy. Keep.Going.Strong.

Thanks IFS! Trying to maintain that mindset. Going back to your diary every now and then for info and inspiration!

Quote from: Movie on November 05, 2019, 08:18:51 AMhalf way bro! nice the next half will fly by even faster if it's similar to my experience. keep pushing bro ! good luck

Thanks Movie! Your latest video just got me juiced. Amazing outcome bro and I hope to achieve the same results!

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Hey Alchemis,t, great diary awesome progress you're making!  I'm on the same boat in terms of doing this solo, just had surgery yesterday and gotta admit feeling a bit depressed today, it's tough not having any family or friends around at a time like this. I struggled to get out of bed this morning to and could barely walk two steps never felt so pathetic, my legs are in agony. You got any advice?

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Quote from: Nestor on November 06, 2019, 10:58:20 AMHey Alchemis,t, great diary awesome progress you're making!  I'm on the same boat in terms of doing this solo, just had surgery yesterday and gotta admit feeling a bit depressed today, it's tough not having any family or friends around at a time like this. I struggled to get out of bed this morning to and could barely walk two steps never felt so pathetic, my legs are in agony. You got any advice?

Congrats on starting your journey man! I hear ya, doing this solo is a mental challenge. Just know it gets better relatively fast. You've just started your journey, the next 3 weeks will be tough, but it will get better shortly after and you'll back at this and laugh. Avoid idle time where you are alone in your room by yourself where the pain and lack of mobility will get to your head. If you can, talk to other patients, talk to your caretaker if you have one (you should!), distract yourself with movies/shows/videos. Sleep as much as you can to make time go by faster, use sleeping aids as advised by your doctor. Once you get to around the 3 week / 4 week mark, you'll feel better man!

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Thanks man appreciate that. Yeah it really is as much a mental challenge as well as physical. I try and distract myself with you tubes videos etc but it's like my mind is not in the mood. You're right it's important to interact with others, although aside from the PT guys I don't really have many to talk to at the moment, just lying in bed like an upturned turtle unable to move  I cried like a bitch yesterday after I was only able to walk about two steps. The inside of my hips are really sore is that normal?

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I was mostly accompanied through out my distraction phase that really helped my sanity, honestly the days I wouldn't interact with people would make me feel a little off, lonely ... enhanced the pain and fact that I'm really handicapped during that time lol. but yeah youtube, netflix, movies really come through to kill time, it's very normal to feel the inside of your hips really sore in day 2 Nestor, your hips honestly will feel sore for a while. you should make your diary nestor, best of luck and sending positivity your way.

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Thanks Movie appreciate it dude. I had planned on doing a diary but my mood and energy is so low at the moment, maybe I'll try push myself to do one soon. I think one of the reasons you & the likes of IFS made such good progress is by being surrounded by family, I don't care how tough anyone thinks they are doing something like this alone will test your limits. It's tough going being totally confined to a bed for days, I can't wait to get out of hospital hopefully it might lift my mood a little. The past couple of days all I've been thinking is WTF have I done lol

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Dang I can only imagine being alone in the hospital bed, I at least had my girlfriend for support there with me most of the time. I remember I had similar thoughts but not in a regretful manner, more like "haha I'm crazy wtf did I do, oh well no turning back now, let's get it" got to keep a positive mindset bro that's going to help you improve faster. Make the diary ASAP bro! although you may be alone physically you'll feel the support from the forum even if it's through the laptop screen, don't feel down bro, you'll soon feel much better in a couple weeks, time goes fast!