Right Leg Numbness

Another Kestrel on a grey day last week.

After last week's gym session, I developed pretty bad numbness and tingling down my right leg and especially into my foot (originating deep in my lower right ab/right hip). It had a cold/hot sensation too, like I was just about to loose feeling in my leg. It was worse when sitting and was also aggravated if I lay in the wrong position in bed. It was really annoying and persisted for a few days. This week, it's been aggravated again with the same results. I guess it's an irritation of the sciatic nerve but it's extremely frustrating. I have been trying to rehab the right front of hip/groin/upper thigh problem for years now and this is a new twist in the tale! I am so flipping fed up with it!

....ok, got that off my chest...

The positive of the last week was that I went out birding on Sunday morning and coped really well. I was very careful to walk slowly, regulate my stress and exertion levels, take it gently in every sense of the word and monitor any pain. I was tired in the afternoon but I thoroughly enjoyed the morning in the glorious Autumn sunshine. Monday, I had my early start again and coped pretty well. Tuesday, I was worn out, headachy and short-tempered. Pottery wasn't very productive, lol. Wednesday, I managed another short morning birding, very slowly and gently, and that was fun. I had the usual right upper thigh/groin/hip problems and I was tired in the afternoon. Thursday, I slept until 10:30am and didn't want to do anything! I felt tired and coldy, took loads of Vit C and zinc and hoped that a good night's sleep would sort me out. Thankfully, I woke up yesterday with energy and felt much better than I did last week. I was back at the gym and the session went smoothly, although I kept it fairly light on my hips/legs.

Yesterday's Gym Set:

• 5 mins exercise bike
• Hip/lower back stretches, lat stretches
  
• Glute bridges (10 secs hold) 3 reps then with 7kg dumbbell across hips 10 reps, 10 sec holds + 3 reps single leg glute bridges
  
• Press ups (plus) (at 45 deg angle) 2 x 8 reps
• Hip extension, abduction, adduction with red theraband 10 reps
• Leg press 41kg 10 reps, 48kg 10 reps
  
• Tricep extensions using cable/rope 6kg 10 reps, 8kg 10 reps
  
• Seated rows 6kg 10 reps (kept arms extended so just worked scapular muscles), 8kg 2 x 12 reps
  
• Wobble board 4 mins (5 squats)
  
• Step-ups with 4kg dumbbells 10 reps
  
• Trunk twist using cable weights 4kg 2 x 10 reps
• Bicep curls 4kg 12 & 10reps
• Ab crunch machine 17kg 10 reps
  
• Combo lateral/front shoulder raises whilst sitting on exercise ball 2kg 2 x 10 reps
  
• Both shoulders, front raise, lying on my back 3lb 10 reps
• Reverse ab crunches 10 reps; Plank 3 x 30 sec hold
• Stretching: hips/lower back, hamstrings and chest/pecs
• Note: I continue to carefully but firmly try to stretch out and lengthen the right hip adductor muscles.
  

Today, I've got the numbness and tingling down my right leg and have to keep moving and jiggling it to try to restore feeling. Finding a good position to sleep in last night was hard because every time I got comfortable my hip/leg would start to go numb/tingly again. I feel tired but don't have any significant pain anywhere, which would be great, if it weren't for this leg and foot numbness! Weirdly, I'm also getting numbness/tingling down my right arm and especially in my right hand/little finger (which, having googled it, is probably ulnar nerve irritation or entrapment (Link)).

(I took ibuprofen with lunch yesterday to try to prevent swelling and numbness in the right hip/leg/foot. I also had to take painkillers to sleep due to the pain in the right lower ab/groin/upper thigh.)

Worn Out

I've not really had the energy, weather or opportunity for birding photos this week so it's just a Pied Wagtail on a grey day last week.

It's been a mixed week in terms of energy and how I've felt. As I mentioned in my previous post, it felt fantastic to start the week without the residual tiredness from the Friday gym/pool session. Tuesday, I had a quiet day and then went to pottery in the evening. I think that's the first week I've actually been productive and enjoyed it since I started the evening class in September. On all previous occasions, I've been too tired and/or worn out to function well enough to do anything constructive. Wednesday morning, I was up early and out birding, which was fun. However, by the afternoon, I felt surprisingly drained. I wasn't quite sure what had happened. It was like a switch had been flicked and I suddenly felt 'hungover' with exhaustion (like I used to feel when my iron levels were low).

Anyway, Thursday, I felt tired and drained still. Didn't feel like doing anything. I woke up on Friday morning and could feel I was still running on empty. However, I didn't want to miss another gym session so went ahead. I could feel, even as I was doing my sets of weights etc, that my body had nothing to give. There was no adrenaline and no 'umph'. I came home drained and felt absolutely wiped out through the afternoon/evening. I went to bed at 9:30pm and slept like the dead, nearly 11 hours. I was expecting to feel really awful today. I've been tired and I couldn't have done anything or gone anywhere, but I've not felt ill. I shall need a few quiet days to recover properly, I suspect.

Took painkillers last night for my right upper thigh/groin/right lower ab/right hip soft tissue pain. There's a bit of stiffness today through my thighs and mild pain through my glutes but nothing too bad.

The only explanation I can come up with for the 'crash' through Wednesday/Thursday/Friday is that my stress levels got pretty high on Wednesday morning when I was out birding. I'd been concerned about getting a sighting out as quickly as possible and had found it difficult to regulate the stress through my body. I guess that could have had a knock-on effect. I'd also run a few 100 metres to get to the birds and maybe that had gone beyond what I could recover quickly from....who knows? Either explanation felt rather depressing but there we go. Hopefully, it was just a blip.

I've taken an Iron, Zinc and Vitamin C tablet today in the hope that one or all of them might help....ever the optimist.

The Swim Did Me In!

This time, the raptor is a Peregrine Falcon. It's a distant shot, on a gloomy afternoon, but I was pleased that I got something.

....so....yes, it seemed to take all week to recover from the swim on the 28th. I coped but, basically, I felt drained and depleted all week. I looked like death warmed up. I slept like a log every night and wanted more sleep. On Tuesday, 1st Nov, I had a long day which included 100miles of driving, 4 hours looking for/waiting for a bird to show and then pottery in the evening. I was good for nothing on Wednesday. And, by Friday, I was still worn out and it seemed silly to attempt the gym or pool. I took another recovery day, which did me the world of good.

Having missed the gym on Friday, I was feeling pretty good over the weekend and got out birding on both days. It made a refreshing change to not be drained and exhausted. Monday morning I'm up early for a course at the local college, which runs 9-11am. The early start normally catches up on me in the afternoon, I feel tired/sleepy and worn out. However, yesterday, it was a lot easier to cope with, which just shows how long it takes me to recover from the Friday gym sessions. It's not really until Wednesday/Thursday that I get to around 80% recovered before I launch into it again on the Friday. I guess, on the one hand, it's useful to know that recovery is still prolonged but, on the other hand, it's frustrating. I wish I knew how to speed up that process....

This week, I plan on returning to a normal Friday gym session.

Sunday Evening Update

Thought I'd just check in with how I've faired since the swim. The quick answer is knackered! Yesterday, I was drained/exhausted, didn't want to do anything except sit quietly or watch telly. I was essentially waiting for bed from the moment I woke up, lol. I looked and felt like death warmed up. Today has been a little better although I've still felt (and looked) worn out and not done anything.

In terms of pain, it's been pretty good. No real shoulder pain. There's been the obvious right upper thigh/groin tightness/pain and right lower ab twinges/pain. Some tenderness/inflammation through hip structures. I took painkillers to be able to sleep with the right groin/hip pain on Friday night.

I'm hoping I'll feel a little more normal tomorrow....

1 km (40 lengths) Swim

A beautiful Kestrel enjoying the October sunshine.

I thought I'd better write this blog entry now because I suspect I'm going to be way too knackered tomorrow and probably Sunday.

The last time I went to the pool was July 15th. I'd decided I wanted to swim this week because the muscles etc through my pelvis and right upper thigh/groin are persistently painful and/or inflamed. I didn't want to do another punishing week in the gym.

I did my usual warm up in the kids' pool, then went to a lane in the adults' pool and got going. I had a few niggles through the front of my left shoulder but it was definitely the best it's ever been. I wasn't aware of any pain through my groins/pelvis, which was nice. I took a bottle of squash to have by the side of the pool and took a swig every 8 or so lengths to try to prevent the usual cramps. And, I steadily built up the lengths, alternating breast-stroke and backstroke. It wasn't until length 27 that I had cramp in my left foot and then after that a little in my right foot as well. I kept going until 32 lengths and then decided, why not, I'll go for 40 lengths! I was definitely pushing it by then but it felt like a great milestone to achieve. 1km in about 47 mins.

Since coming home, I've had lunch and taken some ibuprofen. My pelvis/glutes/groins are inflamed and I'm hoping that will minimise the problem. I am worn out and suspect I'll want to sleep this afternoon....

I shall be interested to see how I feel tomorrow, lol.

THREE YEARS

One of the Autumn migrant Northern Wheatears around this month. And, another confiding youngster.

Well...three years. I can't quite believe it really is 3 years since I started this physical rehab in earnest! I was only explaining to someone yesterday about the process I'd been through. I remembered those first 6 months where I was doing 2 hours of physio exercises a day on my shoulders and hips/core. I was basically constantly exhausted and in constant pain. My whole day revolved around the hour in the morning and the hour in the afternoon when I'd do the exercises. I didn't have the capacity to think about anything else. It's only been in the last 6 months that I've begun to be able to expand my focus so that I'm not just planning my week around exercise and recovery.

So, this year has seen the switch to a "less is more" approach with just the one gym session a week and then 'normal life' stuff taking up the other aspects of keeping active/fit. The gym work has definitely helped my left shoulder to strengthen up and function better. My core is stronger. My hips are still problematic (i.e. the muscle/tendon system through the hips/pelvis) in that I'm still getting the pain in the right groin/lower ab, I'm still getting problems with my glutes/soft tissue etc. That's a cause of constant frustration (and pain!), but, I guess it has improved.

Generally, my resource levels have improved a little. My recovery times have improved a little. And that's it really....it's a little by little process. What I wouldn't give for a quantum leap or significant improvement!! The patience that this requires is, well, you get the picture. I think this coming year will take a similar route. Stick with the gym and swimming. I will go back to the GP in the new year if the right upper thigh/groin problem is still around. By that point I will have done a year of the work that the previous physio recommended and, up until now, I'm not sure it has made any difference at all (I've simply learnt how to manage the condition better)!

So....onwards and upwards....

Obvious Improvement

A Meadow Pipit enjoying the October sunshine this week.

Where to begin? It has been a tiring couple of weeks, unsurprisingly. But, I have been extremely pleased with how I've coped. I didn't suffer from the usual headaches, backache and overwhelm. All the physical rehab is definitely paying off - my stamina and strength for dealing with demanding emotional and social situations has really improved.

I guess I'm a bit tired today after the gym yesterday (and the preceding week!) so this will be a short entry. The main thing to note is that the hard rehab work is worth it.

The right upper/inner thigh/groin problem still around.