It's Been Awhile...

... since I posted anything

... since I was able to run (with the exception of a few 3k runs in November... it's been 13 months!)

... since I was able to sit on my bike saddle, let alone go for a ride (4 months)

... since I was able to swim

... since I was able to enjoy my yoga practice

... since I've seen the inside of my office (I'm off work)

It seems that I do indeed have a sports hernia aka athletic pubalgia... aka complete and total pelvic dysfunction that keeps me from being able to sit for longer than about 5 minutes, makes driving horrible and ( it feels like my adductors and most of my left groin area is being ripped apart...) prevents me from doing any and all of the physical activities that I love... and which keep me sane (most days).

Three specialists later, I have surgery booked for July 27th.  It cannot come fast enough.  I'm still awaiting two MRI studies as well... just to make sure that nothing else is torn, broken, or otherwise capable of rendering me useless for any longer than necessary after post-surgical recovery.

I have passed the point of sitting and crying (well, mostly... but I still have my moments - just no longer daily) and now consider my thrice weekly physiotherapy visits my new training sessions.

Today I was able to water run.  In the shallow end.  For five minutes.  It was not pain-free...  However, I choose to say "I RAN TODAY" (that's called self-delusion, folks...) ;)

Following my water run, I was able to swim.  Two strokes.  With a flutter kick.  Of all of the sports that I miss, it is lack of swimming that breaks my heart the most.  I waited 40 years to learn how and now that I can swim... I am terrified that I will completely fall apart if I take time off from the pool.  Flutter kick is just about impossible right now and so is swimming with a pull buoy between my legs... aargh!  However, I choose to say "OH GOOD, I HAVE NOT YET FORGOTTEN HOW TO SWIM" (I think that is called desperation)

Today I was able to sit on a physio ball and while maintaining good pelvic stability, lift one leg at a time from the floor.  Not overly dramatic, I know... and yet,  I choose to say "WOW, MY CORE STABILITY IS IMPROVING" (actually it is - I couldn't do that last week...)

I'm so lucky that I have a great physiotherapy clinic with fantastic staff who really care about their clients. I love them all dearly.  I also wish I did not have to see them quite so often ;)

I look forward, with great anticipation, to the day I can get up early and hit the pool with my friends (I miss them terribly) and ride my beautiful bike (even if it's on the trainer) and go for a (gasp) 5k run... until then, I'm reading, blogging and generally trying to keep myself as well-conditioned as possible, prior to surgery in 3 months.

This lack of training has given me the opportunity to work on my baking and sugar craft... I even started a new blog dedicated to that - Adventures in Baking - http://suebakes.blogspot.ca and you can see a selection of my sweet creations posted there... because behind every cake, there is a story... Maybe by the fall, I will be able to bake myself a cake to celebrate my return to an active lifestyle...  :)