It’s your birthday.

We gonna party like…

You just got surgery.

Sigh.

I had a birthday tradition going for the last few years, where I take the day off work, drop the kids off at school, go ride my bike hard for 3 hours (75-85 km range), and then hit the hot/cold tubs and sauna at Havn for 3 hours. Let me tell you, that day is perfection.

It paid off in so many ways. Mainly, that I had to work up to that distance on my bike in preceding weeks, which would put me in good form for the rest of the spring and into summer. And just the pure satisfaction of burning a couple thousand calories and then indulging in a spa session is … chef’s kiss.

Anyway, no bike obviously and had to cancel the spa day this year. But I still took the day off.

I’m looking forward to more progress soon, namely stopping the muscle deterioration in my surgical leg, but really my whole lower body. Laying around for 20 hours a day and otherwise just hobbling to and fro on crutches does a real number on you.

So rather than do literally nothing for the next four weeks, I tapped AI for some basic isometric strengthening exercises, and I also found another medical site with some decent guidance.

• Quad Sets: Sit with your leg straight and tighten your thigh muscle, pushing the back of your knee down into the bed for 5–10 seconds.
• Ankle Pumps: Move your foot up and down repeatedly to promote blood circulation and reduce swelling in the lower leg.
• Glute Bridges: Keep your surgical leg straight in the locked brace, bend your uninjured leg, and lift your hips up to engage your glutes.
• Standing Calf Raises: Using a table or countertop for stability, with no more than 30% of your weight on the surgical leg with the brace locked at full extension, raise and lower both legs.
• Heel-Toe Gait: When walking, practice a normal heel-to-toe foot strike pattern, letting the crutches absorb the majority of your body weight.

I haven’t really worked through my feelings or thoughts on my recovery yet. I haven’t set goals for getting back to this or that. To be honest, even starting to think about all the activities I can’t do makes me sad and I’d rather not go there yet.

Right now I just want to recover fully. Whatever train I need to jump on, whatever program, whatever protocol, I’m all in. And just taking it one day at a time, one step at a time, and being fundamentally resolute that I will proceed with rehab with full conviction and determination. Like, there’s just no other way.