[battery]

I WENT CLIMBING!!

I went out with the family, glorious clear blue skies, early start and a parking space in the close parking (easier with small person). I was just pleased to be out but when I put that pad on my back it felt so nice, the familiarity of it was so comforting.

Went out with no expectations but did lots of lovely moves on lovely grit and even ended up on top of the block a couple of times.

The weakness in my shoulder was obvious but only once did I have a moment with the movement - I'll take that!!

One thing I hadn't thought about was the fact that it's not just my shoulder that is weak - my whole body hasn't climbed for 6 months and I hurt now!!

YYFY

[reeve]

So good to read that

[Fiend]

Two wad points in less than a week for you, sheesh. Great stuff battery. Take it steady and enjoy all the normal post-climb aches.

[battery]

Two wad points in less than a week for you, sheesh. Great stuff battery. Take it steady and enjoy all the normal post-climb aches.

Two wads from Fiend feels like a YYFY in itself!

[Fiend]

Credit where it's due for people pushing through frustrating injuries and making progress 

[fatneck]

Great to hear Rach! Well done for sticking with it and keeping us all updated - inspirational and heart warming

[battery]

Progress, exercise and testing my shoulder out has been seriously hampered by a truly bonkers period at work but last night I managed to the wall and was chuffed to bits with the progress. I climbed a black and found it was stamina that was preventing me getting to the top of more. I was also beyond happy when doing my warm ups and stretches, one of which is laid on my back stretching a.straight arm above my head and my fingers touched the floor - it wasn't whole hand, it was definitely just fingers but it felt like a milestone.

[Fiend]

 

[battery]

The roller coaster of recovery is a bit of a fickle bastard at times.

Good bits

A new physio who is a shoulder specialist and is proper excited about treating me. She takes everything I say really seriously and is keen to get me back to where I want to be. She is seeing the whole system, not just the shoulder which is interesting too so at the moment working on freeing up the top of my spine which just doesn't move - I suspect this is something that I have had for a long time that has been exacerbated by the shoulder but I could be wrong.

Discharged from the consultant which means one less appointment to fit in and one less trip to the hospital. But more importantly it means they are confident that the capsular release worked and that surgery is not required.

Chances of redislocation continues to be slim, mobility and strength and of course my confidence in using it are improving.

Crap Bits

Germ ridden children have taken up a lot of my time both looking after them being ill and passing on their germs so I have been ill, not climbed for almost a month until today.

NO STAMINA

It's not just my shoulder that hasn't climbed properly for most of the year, neither has the rest of my body.

Anything that is pretty basic movement and close in to the body I am fine with, anything that requires a bit of extension and therefore stability in the shoulder there isn't a hope in hell of doing. Undercuts don't work. Pressing feels like a mental block more than physical (understandably so) but then when I force myself to do it it hurts afterwards. Getting a bit fed up of puntering around on blues and blacks at the wall, getting half way up them and being boxed, getting on reds and being scared out of my wits.

The setting at the Depot in Manchester is not suiting me at the moment, Blochaus seems better and to be honest I prefer the vibe there too, it's a great wall where you don't get practically elbowed out of the way by some 20 year old muscle-fest in a baggy vest as he proceeds to try and demonstrate to his mate who he's dragged along how to climb a problem which he dogs. I normally take great delight in showing these people up but at the moment all I do is reinforce their stereotype opinions of 40 something year old women.

Determined to end on a positive - mountain biking is going really well! I'm loving it and improving my skills, because everything is pretty central my shoulder is coping well with it and we have had some fab trips out as a family doing it - the kids love it!

As we approach the end of the year thanks to everyone who has offered support, commiserations, kicks up the arse and advice this year, it's appreciated.

[Fiend]

Blochaus is a good addition to the Manc walls repertoire and invariably quieter although you do get the occasional 40 something bonehead in a rather well-fitting vest punting off their reds. I've not been for a few weeks due to the cold snap. At least there's somewhere to go to find a style and spaciousness that suits you!! I hope you can continue to do good work on the shoulder!

[battery]

If I ever spot you down there I will be sure to say hello!

[edshakey]

you do get the occasional 40 something bonehead in a rather well-fitting vest punting off their reds.

Can't believe this isn't on the front page of their website. Combined with

it's a great wall where you don't get practically elbowed out of the way by some 20 year old muscle-fest in a baggy vest as he proceeds to try and demonstrate to his mate who he's dragged along how to climb a problem which he dogs.

you're doing their PR department's work for them!

[webbo]

you do get the occasional 40 something bonehead in a rather well-fitting vest punting off their reds.

Can't believe this isn't on the front page of their website. Combined with

it's a great wall where you don't get practically elbowed out of the way by some 20 year old muscle-fest in a baggy vest as he proceeds to try and demonstrate to his mate who he's dragged along how to climb a problem which he dogs.

you're doing their PR department's work for them!

Or they could just say “ Middle aged knackered climbers with bad dress sense don’t worry this is the wall for you”

[battery]

Physio session a couple of weeks ago was highly amusing and very successful - I mentioned that I couldn't hang without taking a bit of weight through my feet. She spent some time doing some very weird stuff to mobilise my spine (which apparently didn't move in any direction), hammering certain muscles and getting me to attempt to hang from the only place in the NHS medical centre treatment room that we could find to vaguely be able to hang off - the door frame! The result was incredible followed by me hammering the finger board and ending up in pain again, backed off and it sorted itself out.

Back at the physio yesterday. I described the latest set of annoyances, aches and pains and after telling me off for trying to do too much too soon and looking at my movement she said everything I was saying is what she would expect, it's all good, my knackered shoulder actually moves better than the other one and it is just going to take time. I was discharged.

I was a bit taken aback, I really value having that support and reassurance there and I don't want to be discharged until my shoulder is completely back to normal (or new normal!). But it is just a case of time now, keep doing what I'm doing, keep building it up and listening to my body. I know I should be pleased at the milestone but I actually just felt a bit at sea initially. Husband reminded me that we can always pay for me to see a physio if needed which cheered me up along with the realisation that I don't have to try and fit physio appointments into my schedule any more.

Climbed last night a did pretty well. Getting more confidence in it. Moves that I initially back off from because of my shoulder I am making myself do again and try to work out if it is genuinely my shoulder that is saying no or my head - most of the time it is head so progress is good on that one. What I have realised is that I am incredibly nervous of any foothold that is even vaguely slopey.... not surprising as that was the cause of the accident but tough to work on without just having a bit of a miserable time forcing myself to do things that scare the shit out of me. 

[sheavi]

Part of the role of a physio is to empower people to manage their own recovery.  Sounds like your physio has done a great job and has faith in you to self-manage the remainder of your recovery.  Good luck!

[battery]

Been a good while since I posted.

People have generally stopped asking how my shoulder is but if they did I would say 'it's getting there', but the other day it hit me - maybe this is it? I am not sure if that news filled me with joy or dread, it certainly wasn't the emotional realisation that I thought it might be.

It went through a period of being very stiff, all muscular but really painful and annoying, but that seems to have settled now. Strength is coming back and the warm up with the theraband before climbing helps loads. There's still moves that I am nervous of and hesitate on but often when I try them I find it's mental rather than physical.

The 12 month anniversary passed without emotion which surprised me. Not sure if I have dealt with it or detached myself from it, I suspect it's the latter. My mental health has taken a bit of a battering lately and I wonder if this was just one thing I didn't have the resilience for.

There are things I can't do, but it is improving. I think there is still work to do, I am hopeful that there's some more gains to be had.

Rereading this is sounds very flat, but I am in a hopeful place right now and pleased with how my shoulder is going and my climbing is progressing. Having said that I don't think I will ever be able to do a press/rock over with my left arm ever again!!

[SA Chris]

To me it all sounds cautiously positive? Anyway, at least you are getting on and doing stuff, and it's springtime...

[steveri]

Stay positive and keep checking in! I have a persistent shoulder problem and similarly thinking 'is this it?'. Mine wasn't an accident or particular overuse thing but just found myself with a persistent soreness that really affects full reach pulls. Might be tied into palindromic rheumatism. No shouldery dynos or parkour nonsense for me, but I didn't need much excuse to ditch these. I realised belatedly that not every problem has to be set for every climber. If people like the things I don't, that's ok. I need to get better at pulling on ratty crimps and they don't tend to set those indoors. I'm happy enough, did a 6C Saturday after a couple of fails and that seems fair to me approaching 60 and not putting that much effort into training. There's a world of climbing out there and more than enough to go at if I write a few things off. Or we could both get better and come back stronger than ever.

[battery]

To me it all sounds cautiously positive? Anyway, at least you are getting on and doing stuff, and it's springtime...

Definitely feeling psyched for a summer of climbing and adventures, cheers as always.

[battery]

Stay positive and keep checking in! I have a persistent shoulder problem and similarly thinking 'is this it?'. Mine wasn't an accident or particular overuse thing but just found myself with a persistent soreness that really affects full reach pulls. Might be tied into palindromic rheumatism. No shouldery dynos or parkour nonsense for me, but I didn't need much excuse to ditch these. I realised belatedly that not every problem has to be set for every climber. If people like the things I don't, that's ok. I need to get better at pulling on ratty crimps and they don't tend to set those indoors. I'm happy enough, did a 6C Saturday after a couple of fails and that seems fair to me approaching 60 and not putting that much effort into training. There's a world of climbing out there and more than enough to go at if I write a few things off. Or we could both get better and come back stronger than ever.

Sorry to hear of another member of the dodgy shoulder club.

This was a good realisation for me, at the wall at Christmas I was trying something and getting really cross that I couldn't do it due to my shoulder and husband just said - well there's loads of other problems. Not sure why I needed telling this but it's taken the pressure off load!

[SA Chris]

I have a persistent shoulder problem and similarly thinking 'is this it?'. Mine wasn't an accident or particular overuse thing but just found myself with a persistent soreness that really affects full reach pulls. Might be tied into palindromic rheumatism. No shouldery dynos or parkour nonsense for me, but I didn't need much excuse to ditch these. I realised belatedly that not every problem has to be set for every climber. If people like the things I don't, that's ok. I need to get better at pulling on ratty crimps and they don't tend to set those indoors. I'm happy enough, did a 6C Saturday after a couple of fails and that seems fair to me approaching 60 and not putting that much effort into training. There's a world of climbing out there and more than enough to go at if I write a few things off. Or we could both get better and come back stronger than ever.

Like we are cut from the same cloth. Except I'm only approaching 54. Even scratching my lower back with my right hand annoys my shoulder. And I've never heard of palindromic rheumatism.