Torn Bicep Repaired

On September 6 I wrote about shoulder pain I had experienced for as long as I could remember. Soccer related? Maybe. Age related? Possibly. Now 4 weeks after surgery, after speaking with the doctors I wonder if it was actually the weight lifting that caused this pain, requiring surgery in order to correct the torn bicep tendon. The surgery was successful and based on the doctor’s comment yesterday, she had never seen anyone recover so quickly from a bicep tenodesis. Currently I am about a month ahead of where she thought I would be when I spoke with her yesterday.

While I am still limited to 12 ounces when lifting things with my left arm, 3 weeks of physical therapy have been very beneficial so far. We have been working on strengthening the shoulder and bicep, since they work together. Unfortunately, strength training using weights will have to wait until the start of 2014, as I must give the actual repair time to heal. While the physical therapist didn’t release me starting running, my doctor did, during my visit yesterday. So I look forward to getting back on the trails and starting to build my weekly miles up again.

The current pain level is minimal. What pain I do have is associated with the physical therapy I have been going through. Last Thursday, Rob worked my shoulder over and it’s been sore, but that soreness is associated with the stretching and strengthening work we did. Time will tell if the sharp, shooting pains I had prior to surgery have subsided, but I can only guess they will. Based on the opinions I have heard, I will make a full recovery. Thankfully due to my plant based lifestyle my recovery is ahead of schedule.

I am sure there will be many who don’t attribute my recovery to my diet, but I am a firm believer that changing my diet has provided me quicker recovery times, not only when working out, either running or weight training, but also this surgery, as well as a meniscus tear I had in 2012. I don’t plan on making these surgeries part of my yearly routine, but having the ability to recovery quickly has been wonderful. Hopefully with the strength training I have planned come January, along with starting to build running stamina, the outlook is bright!

I do have one more appointment scheduled with the doctor, as well as 5-9 weeks of physical therapy remaining, depending on the progress I make each week. That’s a good thing, as I have some big events planned in 2014 including the Endeavor Team Challenge, Tough Mudder and hopefully my first marathon. Life after 40 has been nothing short of amazing so far!