7 1/2 Months Update: A New Commitment

In this Update:

• Need for new commitment
• Santos Single-Track Adventure
• OPM Appeal

Need for New Commitment

This realization is actually nothing new as I have struggled with this issue before. Over the last two weeks I have been so stressed and busy with work, school, and other obligations that I didn’t have the time or energy to do much in terms of structured rehabilitation.

I love my job as ED nurse but the demands and needs of the department do not leave much time or energy for anything else. First of all, we have to work every two weeks an additional 8-hour shift to make up 80 hours per pay period, and for some reason, this additional shift always screws up my schedule. Secondly, I now have jury duty pretty much every other week for the next year. This is especially fun when I work until midnight the day before, just to be at the downtown courthouse at 08:45 am. I had my first day today and I am EXHAUSTED! Thirdly, I am still in graduate school until the end of 2019, which demands a significant amount of time as well. In addition, I just had to re-commit to teach the PMDB (Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior) class at our hospital on a regular basis. This is a mandatory class that has to be taken by all staff members working at my facility, and classes are eight hours long and scheduled at least twice a month. This is in addition to full-time work which is a mid-shift (11 am to 11:30 pm), mind me not. So, when should I commit to rehab?

I admit that I am struggling with this. I am trying to stick to my rehab stretches but I haven’t done much in terms of working out. I am overall feeling a tad “creaky”, including my lower back. Not pain, which I am grateful for, but I can feel the effects of not exercising. I do run around at work a lot, but that doesn’t substitute for a structured workout. So, starting this week, I will go to a gym (preferably three times a week) and follow a workout regimen that is initially body-weight based. Once I feel ready, I will add weightlifting to the mix to finally get strong again. My fiancé is very knowledgeable and fit himself, so I will have him come up with my initial workout plan, which I can follow safely. This will be hard due to the above-mentioned challenges but I didn’t go through this nightmare to start neglecting my new back. I am also considering a career change to a more consistent schedule and less stress, even though I would certainly miss the adrenaline and crazy situations in the emergency department. We’ll see…

Santos Single-Track Adventure

Remember my new mountain bike? I didn’t really have the chance to take my new ride out into the woods until last Saturday: Ralf and I met up with some dear friends at Santos, where a network of 100 miles of single-track mountain bike trails spans like spaghetti throughout the Ocala woods! I must say that at least to me, those trails where rather technical but also so much fun!

I rode many trails in the various Florida woods in the past, but this is only my second time to explore true single-track trails. I have to work on my timing though, as I was thinking to myself “oh, a rock, let’s ride around it… CATUNK…oh, well, next time…”. In the later portion, there were also some scary drops involved, and a I decided to walk my bike through a couple of them, rather than ride it out, lol! We clocked out at 28 miles, of which 8 were on the paved trail back to the parking lot. After that, I was toast…

The day after I was quite sore (especially the thighs and shoulders) but I can’t wait to do it again!!!

Unfortunately, the GoPro didn't capture any of the more technical trails but this is a small clip from the beginning...

OPM Appeal

So, here goes nothing! I submitted my appeal request to OPM and hope that I was able to make my case. The discrimination and unethical practices of health insurance companies, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, are infuriating! It is beyond comprehension how they get away with all this, covering one person while denying another – for the exact same procedure/disc! But I am not giving up!