Be Boring!

It’s been 4.5 weeks since my rotator cuff surgery. Things have gone pretty well, there’s been relatively little pain and discomfort compared to many folks I’ve talked to who have gone through a similar surgery. (I hurt it lifting a lawnmower but I think there were lots of miles on the chassis beforehand!)

My physiotherapist says I can start exercising again on my indoor bike, but I should not put any weight on my left arm. So, I bought a sling to remind me not to rest on my left hand. Hopefully my shoulder will be back to normal after 3-4 months of physiotherapy. And who knows? Perhaps completing Ironman #10 is possible in 2020! 

If you need some motivation to try to be a little healthier, let me share a little anecdote. Two days before surgery, I was sitting in a small office with the anesthesiologist who would be present during my surgery. He was going over my health history with me. The physician realized I was on no prescriptions or medication and my blood pressure, cholesterol and heart rate were fine (I turned 60 this year.) Then he raised his eyebrows and commented, “well, this surgery is going to be boring.”

I credit my wife Barbara for much of my lifestyle choices over the last 25 years (our diet and exercise routines.) I’ll never be an award-winning athlete or a 6-pack Instagram model, but as I age, I’ve noticed my peers are starting to be hampered by issues like Type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure. My genetics isn’t perfect;  dad developed diabetics around my age. And because of my tendency to consume extra calories when I am stressed or bored, I have recognize there is a 400 lb guy inside me always trying to get out. 

But I want to spend the last part of my life as a healthy and active individual: body, mind and spirit. A friend said “the lifestyle choices you make in your 50’s and 60’s, will impact your quality of life in your 70’s and 80’s.” 

So, be boring!