Training Log Archive: Charlie

Felt a little stiff and awkward, but it didn't hurt my back, so maybe I can try to recover some of my rowing fitness. Relatively more difficult than I would have liked. The left forearm is usually a weak link, and it is trembling after.

C • New season 2

Around the neighborhood.

Event: WCOC Ansonia Nature Center
 

Rigoletto at Infinity Hall in Hartford. I hadn't been there before, and had perhaps only once been to the opera before. This was arranged by the Italian club at CCSU. Very entertaining, and it helped to have spent some time earlier in the day reading over the libretto.

Around the neighborhood. I seem to be catching up to the local litterers. Only picked up one can, of the familiar blue color.

Early to tell how this injection is going to work out, but I felt relatively better this morning than usual.

C • Good luck with results from... 4

I went to get my spinal injection. This was quite a different experience from yesterday. Yesterday I was at the big hospital outpatient "pavilion", lots of desks with attendants pointing one in all directions, filling out some more forms, waiting a long time, hanging out a bit in one of four exam rooms associated with my particular doc, etc. Probably interacted with at least 12 different people.

Today was a visit to a solo practitioner, one assistant, office in an old house in Avon. Very pleasant, not much paperwork. I had brought the CD of my MRI and we talked about that for a while. When we finally got around to doing the injection, the whole thing was over in somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes, and I was on my way out the door half an hour after I had arrived.

First there was a little novocaine applied, then the steroid injection into the left side of my spine. A little bit of a strange feeling down my leg briefly, more of a bit of pressure than anything else, but didn't last.

He told me I might feel better right away because of the novocaine, but that would wear off, and I might also have some numbness. The effects of the steroid (assuming it works) might kick in after about 48 hours, or might take as much as a week.

Walking out of there, my back and hip discomfort was greatly abated, but I felt a little awkward walking. Almost not noticeable, just a little off. I had a little failure going to step up into the truck, but the second time was ok. Now that I am home I am feeling a bit tired, but my back still feels better. Not feeling like anything active this afternoon, though.

C • Sounds like 2

AOWN: Really handsome and very large black bear came wandering through the yard. R&I agreed that it looke like about 450 lb. shiny coat, big face, a very nice looking animal, and we judged best observed from a distance. He walked around from the field to the west, past the hot tub and around to the middle field, paused for a while by the blueberry bushes - nothing useful to him there, strolled over to the apple trees - ditto, and then ambled down the driveway. Maybe he was making notes of where to come back later in the year.

C • Could you maybe put somethi... 2

Usual session with Eric. Always improves things.

Visit this morning with the spine doc, one Dr Moss. Like many of these guys, the scheduled appointment time is just a suggestion. Perhaps a good sign that there is more or less an empty waiting room, but no reasonable way to estimate when I might be called.

C • Ha--that is dead on, Charlie! 2

I got in at the spine docs at about 9:50, had some more X-rays, met for a while with the jr. spine doc, who did a pretty detailed exam, then with the eminence grise himself. He confirmed that there is some degenerative disc disease, but not a surprising amount. I have no nerve deficits. The worst of it is at L3-L4, where there is a fair amount of inflammation, and that site is consistent with the location of the pain I have. He thinks an epidural steroid injection would be helpful, and I am having one tomorrow. If it works, it may work within a week or so. I am then to go back and see him in 3 weeks. Depending on whether this does what I want, there may be surgical options in the offing, but not now. So generally good news, of course pending how this all works out.

C • Does look like a favorable ... 3

With Rhonda and Lindsay from Pleasant Valley. Just an easy ride. Fairly cool out. HRM acting up badly. Sometimes washing it improves its act.

Session with Eric, moving up to twice a week, at least for now.

9 ring pull-ups. I think this will start to get easier, now that I have evened them out. The right one had been an inch or so lower.