I was able to lift this weight 10x in a row! I am finally feeling like I am gaining back some of the strength I had before surgery. This is the 3rd time I have had to ‘start over’ with light weight and limited movement due to health issues.

In January 2019 I had surgery for breast cancer, followed by several weeks of radiation. This was setback #1 (that is not a hashtag kids). I had limited range of motion in my arms & also ended up in PT for cording (lymph system trying to reconnect incorrectly). I was fatigued by the radiation, which didn’t affect me until a week or so after it ended. This first experience was my eye-opener – my physical activity is IMPORTANT, especially as something to fall back on when things go awry.

#2 In early 2020 I broke my foot (landed wrong dropping from the rig in the gym – oops) and was in a boot for ~10 weeks. I spent my time in the gym working on upper body stuff (yet still cannot do a strict pull-up). Occasionally I could modify the WOD (workout of the day) and participate with others but most days I was on my own.

#3 Now – full open surgery with a scar from above my bellybutton to almost as low as they could go without starting to slice me in 1/2. This kept me out of the gym completely for 4 weeks, but I was walking daily for short distances. Once I could drive & walk enough to get in the gym I used the treadmill there, usually during a scheduled class. I was released to start back with weights after 8 weeks & have been super slowly getting back to what I could do before surgery. This recovery has taken way longer than I thought it would.

Each of these setbacks has been just as mentally challenging as physical for me. Limiting the stress reduction of exercise causes me stress. This time is the hardest & I am having difficulty being patient with my progress, giving myself enough time to heal. I have a huge fear of ending up in the hospital again for a hernia repair because I pushed myself too much (I’d rather not be a patient again – totally sucked – do not recommend). But I also want to feel normal again – what ever that means now?

My focus has changed. When I started at UDCrossFit (2018), my main concern was survival – followed by how do I keep up with the younglings. My weights, my times, my gymnastic skills were (still are) usually behind most of the class. I used to compare myself to everyone else, fret over my scores not being close to theirs, not being able to Rx a workout (complete it as written) and usually scaling the weight, reps or movements. NOW it is just about me, my health, my own progress and scaling is okay. I won’t give up trying to catch up to the kids and improving but it’s okay now when my score is at the bottom. I just need to keep moving!

I am so grateful for our coach who has worked with me during all these setbacks. I think we could probably write a book “Scaling for All Occasions”. I’m lucky to have tons of support from the other members too.