With surgery scheduled to remove yet another basal cell carcinoma from my right bicep on Wednesday afternoon, I front loaded my workouts to early in the week to get as much accomplished as possible prior to my appointment.
Tuesday morning I ran laps around my neighborhood from 5:30 to 6:30 AM and loved that it’s now daylight when I finish! I realize most people take a picture of their Garmin (affiliate link) with their distance and pace on display, but the point of my picture was to show that it was daylight at 6:31 AM! BTW, my average pace was underwhelming at 10:15.
On Wednesday morning I hit the hill at 6 AM and was treated to a pretty sunrise before the clear and crispy blue sky made its way onto the scene to help me finish my run. After almost an hour of eight 1/3-mile hill repeats, I headed home to lift weights and do a yoga class.
By early afternoon, I was in my dermatologist’s office taking in this view out of his window. My visits with Dr. Ha are like family reunions where we catch up, mostly talking about recent vacations or upcoming plans. When I told him about our June trip to Wyoming and Utah where I’ll be running the Grand Tetons Half and then joining in on some bike tours around the Southern Utah’s National Parks, Dr. Ha asked if Bill and I ever go on vacations where we just sit by the pool… LOL
As my doctor stitched up the one-inch incision on my bicep, he told me not to lift weights for a month. I gave him a sideways you’ve got to be kidding me look, to which he said, “All right, two weeks.” I begged for a week and he just shook his head, probably grateful that most of his patients listen to doctor’s orders better than I do… As he walked out of the room, he turned and told me that if I do lift before two weeks are up, to wrap my arm tightly with an ACE bandage to help support the incision area. He knows me well!
On the way home from surgery, I stopped by the grocery store to pick up milk and fruit. Obeying doctor’s orders, I carried my purchases to the car in my left hand and kept my right arm somewhat relaxed at a 90° angle where it felt most comfortable. Once home, I trained one more client and then took a short nap.
That night I slept on my back to protect my arm and woke up at some point to excruciating neck/shoulder pain on the opposite side of my where I’d just had surgery. Because of the risk of bleeding due to my surgery, I wasn’t supposed to take aspirin or Advil for 48 hours. To make a long story short, Tylenol didn’t cut it and the pain got worse as Thursday progressed.
I suspect that carrying the heavy groceries all on my left side caused me to scrunch up the muscles on that side to keep my body balanced, and that resulted in a knot in the back of my left shoulder which pinched a nerve whenever I moved my head. By Thursday evening I couldn’t handle the pain any longer and took two Advil and a muscle relaxant left over from a previous injury. Voila, that worked and by Friday morning I was feeling pretty good. I continued with Advil throughout Friday and by Saturday I was feeling almost back to normal and have been able to stop taking the Advil.
Yesterday, I ran a solo 10K and pushed myself a little harder than I have been for most of this winter – I just signed up for a fun-sounding 5K on Cinco de Mayo and have two weeks to get ready! I’ve done zero speed work and I’m not at all in 5K shape, but this is going to be another fun race with no expectations. My main goal is to get as many of my running friends as I can to sign up with me.
So far I’ve obeyed doctor’s orders and haven’t lifted – I even skipped planks on Thursday and Friday, but more because of my neck pain than my stitches. Shhh… don’t tell Dr. Ha!
In case you skipped checking in on my blog this past week, here’s what you missed…
- Sunday – Recovering From My 25K And Preparing For High Altitude
- Monday – My Fondest And Funniest Boston Marathon Memories
- Tuesday – 2018 Hungry Mother 25K Trail Race Recap
Looking ahead to this coming week…
- Tuesday – I’ve got a little recap from my spring marathon project two years ago
- Thursday – I’ll be recapping my first coaching experience with the National AIDS Marathon Training Program
In addition to what I mentioned above, here’s a complete run-down of my workouts (completed mostly in our home gym) from this past week…
- Questions:
- Have you ever had a pinched nerve? If so, how did you handle it?
- Do you have any fun races coming up?
- Did you race this weekend?
Have a great week!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on the blue product link and then make a purchase, I will receive a commission for referring you. You will pay no more or less for the product; however, Amazon will show their gratitude for my referral by paying me.
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I’m linking up with Holly at HoHo Runs and Wendy from Taking The Long Way Home for their Weekly Wrap. Be sure to check out not only the hosts’ posts, but the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!
I’m also linking up with Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC for her Training Recap linkup. Be sure to check out how Courtney the other great bloggers joining the linkup are doing on their spring marathon and half marathon training.
I’m glad that everything went well with your surgery earlier this week, but sorry that you felt some pain that night 🙁 Hope that you are starting to feel better.
Thanks, I am feeling so much better!
Everytime I read about your skin cancer, I make a mental note to see the derm. And then I forget. I’m writing it down as we speak. Glad everything turned out ok. Now take it easy!
This time, please do make an appointment, especially if you suspect something isn’t right.
I’ll echo Deb Runs thoughts–if I hadn’t been getting yearly checks, the melanoma located directly above my spine would not have been caught and I would be a statistic. Get checked, you may save your life.
I think Dr. Ha knows you well! Be sure to wrap that arm tightly. 😉 I hope your pinched nerve is much better. A Cinco De Mayo 5k sounds fun. What will they be serving afterward? Thanks for linking!
Unfortunately, they won’t be serving margaritas after the race…
I plan to be good and only work my legs this week and into next week. I will continue with my planks, but I am making modifications so I’m not putting as much stress on my right arm.
I had Mohs surgery in Feb on my nose for a very superficial thing not fun at all. It took way longer to heal than I expected. No stitches so it did not impact my workouts. Of course, that was the first thing I asked. I am yelling at my daughter all the time now about the sun but they don’t listen just like we did not.
Hope yours is all healed now. With all of my skin cancer, I’ve only had the Mohs procedure done on one place on my forehead, and it was long and drawn out with the path checks. My surgeon did such a good job that you can’t even see the scar anymore.
Like Deborah (above) I’ve had Mohs surgery on my cheek and almost had to sit out from a ten miler, but got the ok to run the day before.
I’ve had what I call kinks from carrying heavy things lopsided like you describe. I use a tennis ball to relieve tightness when that happens. Works fairly well and no meds 😉
Oh, I’ve definitely worked out kinks with tennis ball and rollers in the past, and with pretty good success. This was different than any I’ve experienced and there’s no way I could have moved my neck into a position to roll it out. The pain was just too intense. 🙁
I was hit and miss on social media last week, so I didn’t know about your skin procedure. UGH. Hope you have a speedy recovery! I’m doing my first-ever 1-mile race on Tuesday night…it’s part of the events associated with the Drake Relays (for which I ran the 13.1 this morning). The 1-miler should be interesting! Hoping my exhausted body is “recovered” by then LOL
I love that your race today was part of a series of events. Have fun at your one-miler! That sounds like an intense race.
Love your “sideways glance” at the doctor! 🙂
TeeHee! 😀
Nice week of workouts! I just recently had an excision procedure and it just sucks, I’m sorry you had to go through it. Seems like your doctor is pretty reasonable though! Wishing you a speedy recovery
Thank you so much! I hope your recovery is going well, also.
I totally relate about the negotiating w/ my surgeon about working out after surgery. I did the exact same thing last September when I had some melanoma removed from my back. I know he thought I was nuts (maybe I am?).
I think we runners, especially, are a little bit nuts about our workouts, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I like being passionate about my healthy lifestyle!
I love your doctor. It’s really nice when a doc knows you that well! Love the beautifully blue sky in all your photos!
My dermatologist and I have been fighting my skin cancer together for over 15 years so he does know me well! 😀
Glad you’re feeling better. Muscle pain can be so frustrating. I may or may not have scheduled a spot removal for a Thursday ahead of a weekend where I don’t have a run. I’m glad I wasn’t running when I had one on the back of my leg removed as that took forever and a half to heal.
My dermatologist hassles me about my tats, but forgives the outside adventures.
There’s a November Project chapter that meets a block from me. Now that there’s sun I might actually join them on Wednesday morning. It’s such a difference maker
I hadn’t thought about tattoos, but I suppose they do make it harder for dermatologists to see unusual spots on the skin. I hope everything has healed nicely and you don’t find anything new anytime soon.
Same.
It’s part of why I opted not to tattoo over an old spot scar. I think my derm just persoanly hates them too
Ugh so frustrating with your pain. Btu I’m really glad to hear that you are feeling better. I laughed at your exchange with your doctor – it really does sound like he knows you well! 🙂
He knows me a little too well! LOL
Good to hear all went well with your surgery. Hope the nerve in your neck settles down!
Thank you; I am feeling soooo much better!
[…] short in the what I got accomplished this past week in the workout department. If you remember, I promised my doctor that I’d keep a low profile for at least one week, and I did. Next week will be the true […]