Just when I thought the weather change has arrived indicating Chinese New Year is around the corner, it has changed again. Global warming?
Even the birds know it. When it rains in the morning, they don’t get fed and they come right up to the terrace boldly, waiting for seeds to be put out at the table instead of in the tray on the wall. This morning I woke up to cloudy skies again. The breeze is cool and rather strong.
Another wet day ahead?
It’s without a doubt that I have gained weight when M1 was back for her Christmas holidays. Every day was an adventure in meals and race against time to check off her ‘To Eat’ list.
We did pretty good; covered almost all except for a couple of items: Dim Sum and Assam Laksa. She managed to check off the first item immediately upon arrival back in the US. But the second item will have to defer until her next return.
Sadly, not only my waistline expanded, I think my fingers too! I have fat fingers now. And there’s no excuse calling them muscles because gym session has not been excessive. The eating was plus I have been drinking my coffee with creamer and sugar again. Bad.
It’s very obvious because I cannot wear my rings anymore especially the few designer rings that I like. I tried; they were too snug for words and I had quite a battle to remove them.
Looks like I have do something about my fat fingers if I want to start accessorising again. But with Chinese New Year around the corner and no gym for the next two weeks, I am facing an uphill task ahead.
Sigh…
You know the holidays are definitely over and Chinese New Year is around the corner when the heat has arrived. The weather has suddenly changed. Last week, it was still very cool and even rained. Heavily at it too.
This week with everything settling into routine, the girls back in school and us back to work, the heat has crept in. Yesterday at gym, the humidity and the heat was really stifling, even indoors. As a result, the session became very taxing.
On the home front, the garden is thriving. Birds of different species come together and eat the seeds we put out. And big birds would just lounge on the dry deck!
It’s heartwarming to see such harmony but the heat… getting unbearable. Sigh.
M2 snapped this huddle from the kitchen
The birds have been coming daily and it sure is nice to have my coffee with chirping in the background. Sometimes it is not just the birds that visit.
Yesterday somebody’s cat was lurking ready to pounce on the feathered ones. And the squirrel, I suspect it’s Sammy, the one who eats Rooney’s leftover senior citizen food, was present too, stealing in some bites! Why? Did Rooney not leave any crumbs behind?
Maybe it’s the taste of the birdseeds for it certainly can’t be the birdhouse because I don’t see any of these critters chilling in front of it. Whatever it is, I am just simply glad they are visiting on a daily basis and thoroughly enjoy them.
I am happy to say that my wrist and thumb are good again after all that rest and therapy. At my second to last therapy session, the pain has subsided totally despite playing a round of golf in Ipoh over the weekend. It was indeed very encouraging because no pain was felt nor was there any aggravation.
In fact, during gym on Monday I was back to my normal routines that involved the hands. There were no problems doing push ups. And in order to maintain this progress, I have to continue the hand and finger exercises to strengthen the muscles. But it sure looks like I am ready for golf again. Yay.
The weather has changed. I would say it’s the beginning of the rainy season. And when it rains in the evening, official pet number one does not get to come out to play in the garden, like last night. Poor fella.
If it rains during the day, neither does the tortoises. The birds would also not get their food. Sad. Golfers too, do not appreciate this kind of weather. Hubby has had a couple of morning games delayed due to rain. I would be agitated too if caught in this situation.
But it sure is nice for me to be horizontal on the sofa in the living room. With a nice read in hand and my hot tea within reach, I actually enjoy such days because the temperature is just so comfortable to relax and not move. Most of the time, I would fall into a slumber.
Today will be the first day that I will play a full 18-holes of golf. After a 57-day lay off, I think I am ready now. I started out with the driving range, working on my swing again, then a nine- and seven- holes outing. The 7-holes was due to darkness, hence we could not complete the remaining holes.
The wonder gel has worked wonders for the knee so that’s one less problem to worry. The wrist? It’s good too but the thumb, I still have to be careful because the pain does not seem to go away. But then again, at the gym last night, I did 500 reps of everything. Everything that involves the hands, core and legs, and I held up. Thank goodness. Just a little sore here and there but generally okay.
So let’s see how I fare with this full steam ahead step.
I was worried that the pain in my left knee would be a setback for me to go back to being active again. I have to do something about it if I am not opting for an MRI scan and undergoing a new therapy session.
It’s coincidental to note that I stumbled upon a sponsored ad for an osteoarthritis gel that specifically treats the problem I am facing. So I went to the pharmacy to inquire about it. But the pharmacist recommended another brand which was just as good. For a slight price difference, the Atroxene gel is twice the volume of Flexiseq but equally good, if not better as it has better active ingredients.
So I have been applying the gel for the pass three days and the results are pretty amazing! Put it this way, it seems to be a wonder gel for I have not felt any pain at the knee. While it may feel like an instant cure, I should still be careful not to aggravate the knee.
Would this be a permanent solution or a temporary remedy? Only time can tell.
It was encouraging when I went to the driving range last Thursday night. So over the weekend, I decided to take a step further and played nine holes. It felt good!
There were definitely some distance issues but like I said, this problem can be fixed. Overall, I was pleased. However, a new problem crept up. I cringe thinking about it. It’s my knee this time. Thank goodness we took the buggy instead of walking the whole nine holes.
There was pain, sometimes excruciating when walking on uneven terrain and this does not look good. And to confirm my fear, last night during gym, I just couldn’t do certain routines involving the legs. Sigh…
Speaking of gym, the hands and upper body worked fine. I was back to using my usual four pounder dumb bells. And was even doing some upper body routines on the weight system. But the knee…
I am having a follow-up therapy this morning and will be discussing this new development with my doctor. Sigh…
It has been past a month since I last held a golf club, 21st August being my last game played at Raffles Golf Club in Singapore. Amazingly, despite such a lengthy break I don’t have any withdrawal symptoms for the game. Have I lost my passion? Save for a couple of bouts chipping in the garden at home, I don’t have the urge to quickly head back onto the golf course. Maybe my virtual games and work at the office kept my mind busy to quell any thoughts.
The treatment for my left hand has progressed well. I have done 12 sessions already! It was after the tenth session that I could feel a big difference in the overall mobility of the hand. I am pleased, very pleased. One of the main factor to this progress is the discipline to do the home exercises, ice the hand and of course, going for treatment three times a week. As there has been improvements, treatment is now down to twice a week.
When I first started, the pain level was 6/7 out of 10, 10 being very painful. As of yesterday before my twelfth session, it’s down to two. I foresee by next week, this will improve further. Although my doctor has approved for me to continue the garden chipping activity, going to the driving range is still off limits. I am also encouraged to hold 1kg dumb bells to increase the muscle strength and this I will do during my once-a-week gym sessions.
Recovery from an injury sometimes can be long and arduous. A simple injury like mine has taken this somewhat long journey, what more an injury of a more complicated nature? But with discipline and patience, I feel my journey has not been that difficult or taxing. I am not counting the days yet to when I can play my first pain-free game, I just want to be totally healed. No rush after such improvements.
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