The knee & the shoulder (148.6)

My knee is still swollen.  It can feel fine when I walk, and then if I step wrong or do something else weird (which I can pinpoint exactly), the tendons will hurt again.  I wrapped it, iced it, and elevated it last night.

I didn't rest it on Tuesday.  I overdid it.  My thought process was--it's not that bad.  I've never had knee problems and I'm sure it will heal quickly.  I didn't injure it exercising so it can't be that bad.  And, I hadn't worked out in forever and just wanted to BE at the gym.  So, I took a weights class.  I used very light weights on squats and no weights on lunges.  I didn't go as deep as usual.  It didn't hurt once during the class.  Then I walked--slowly, between 3 - 3.3) on the TM for 45 minutes while I watched an episode of Lost on Netflix on my phone.  It didn't hurt.  I stretched gently.  I went home and wrapped it, iced it, and elevated it.

Obviously, Tuesday's workout was stupid, because it was really swollen yesterday.

It doesn't hurt that bad, and a lot of the time it feels normal.  But it is swollen.  So I know there's damage in there of some kind.

I'm getting some KT tape tonight and will have my friend who's a PT help me tape it.  I'm not working out again until it's 100%.  Which better be soon because the weather is finally going to get nice in a couple of weeks and I want to be out there running.

I did notice yesterday that when I sit at my desk, I often cross my legs and I tend to let my lower leg drift to the side, which puts pressure on the sides of the bottom knee.  I am trying really hard not to cross my legs at work. It's as hard habit to break.

Also, my left trapezius muscle is tightening up again, and so is my neck.  I had this problem a few years ago and went to a PT for it.  I know it's work related because it's fine at home.  When we moved into our new office in February, I got a new chair like my old one (I only had to pay $30--the office paid $200 and I had a coupon for Office Depot and saved $100).  My arms are level at my keyboard.  My monitor is at the right height.  I don't know what the problem is.

I have started stretching my chest again, lying on the floor with a rolled towel under my spine.  It's not as bad as it was before, but it can really hurt after working a full day.  I've only been at work an hour today and it hurts a little already.

I have also decided to back down to once a month acupuncture (b/c the sun is out more and the weather will be warmer & I can run more, I feel like I can switch to maintenance treatments now).  And then add a massage once a month.  My first massage is April 26 (first available that fit my schedule--April is a busy month).  One hour massage is the same cost as acupuncture ($65).

I'm going to a massage therapist that the owner of our office goes to.  He even gave me a gift certificate so my first one is free.  He is THE best person ever.  Seriously, we are beyond blessed to work in this office (it will be one year on April 18--can you believe that?!)

I think the massage will help a lot with my back & neck issue.  It's cheaper than PT, which my insurance doesn't cover until I reach my $2500 deductible, so I'm not doing PT.

Getting older can really suck.  My body has put up with office work for decades.  Now it decides it doesn't like it.  And I have to figure out how to make it last for another couple of decades (unless God has some plan for me not to work anymore, which I don't foresee but who knows). 

Mark's back has been good and bad since his procedure. It tends to hurt worse on long, stressful days.  Stress has a huge amount to do with how much pain he has.  His PT has had him work on his core muscles--somehow Mark doesn't relax his core the right way and it's always tense, which puts stress on his lower back.   I don't really understand it.  He has breathing exercises he's supposed to do, but I'm not sure how much he's doing it.  He sucks at "compliance" and isn't all that proactive most of the time.

He also is the kind of person who thrives on stress--I don't know how else to put it.  He rarely allows enough time to get ready or to get from one place to another (his sense of time is skewed--I think it's a right brain thing; Sophie is the same way). He is almost always in a hurry.  He must somehow get a rush or is addicted to the stress hormones.  I HATE stress hormones and I do everything I can to not be put into a position where I have to hurry.  I do fear for him, that the stress is horrible for his heart.  But I can't change him, and he's not changing himself.  I don't nag him about it anymore.  Nagging just makes it worse.

This is the second time in a week I've seen 148.6 on the scale. Wednesday will be 180 days of abstinence.  I'm very happy with how things are going right now.

I'm also still tapering off of wellbutrin.  I'm now at skip three days, take one.  I will do that for about another week, then will do skip four days, take one for a couple of weeks then I'll be done.  It takes four days for wellbutrin to be completely out of your system.  It is an easy drug to wean off of (as opposed to other SSRI's, which can be brutal).  I have felt a faint brain "zap" a couple of times when I switched from skip two days to skipping three days but it wasn't bad or long.  I haven't felt any depression from it. I'm guessing I'll be back on wellbutrin in the fall.  I'm still taking lamictal 75 mg, which has been a miracle drug in stabilizing my moods.