whynotboth.jpg

Stitches out of my face this morning. As much scary as it was painful. I told the assistants hey, I might shake a little. The surgery on my eye is one of the only things I remember from when I went into the ICU.

At one point while removing the stitches, the assistant said, "Let us know if you need a break." So we took a break. She said, "Okay, ready to continue?" I said, "NOPE."

Left side this morning, next after stitches were out.



After the stitches were out, she came back in and said the doctor wants her to take some pics. I said, Oh, am I going to be in the magazine? She said no, you don't want to be in the magazine for this. I said oh, that's where you're wrong. So when she left later to check with the doctor, she said, "I'll make sure to ask about the magazine."

My eye will be fine. Everything is healing well. After the wounds have more fully healed, the doc will have me massage the scarred site beneath my eye to break up the scar tissue. He says scar tissue naturally constricts, so massaging the scar early on will keep my eye from gradually being pulled down and looking droopy.

Energy and focus is coming back. I can go up and down stairs without getting vertigo. I'm very tired and I get awful headaches, but that is just part of the healing process.

Frequent bouts of anger and anxiety. But the self-guided meditations have been immensely helpful dealing with such things. As is investing in my healthy relationships. Feeling overwhelmed doesn't have to be overwhelming. I can just feel it and share it with someone.


Ready to go back to the gym when I have approval. I have to be careful for a little while longer lest I rupture the freshly healed wounds. I'll surely have lost some gainz and it will take some time for me to have the same WIM. But I look at it like when Aidan came back. Lots of leaks, this will be a good opportunity to rebuild better than before.

Good luck big homey. Hope you're back lifting soon. Luckily you don't need a face to larson press.

As long as you don't go dadding you will continue on the gainz train. Too much heart not to.

Wounds still healing but they are getting better. Looks like I will have a rad scar above my lip. Eye is still healing. One more week and I followup with the surgeon. Seeing a dentist tomorrow about fixing my teeth. Headaches have subsided. The doc gave me some valium so I've been sleeping like a baby.

Trauma surgeon's big "Uhhhhhhh.............." for me was that I need to TAKE IT EASY. I was doing the workaholic thing where I insisted on trying to finish jobs on normal terms. At the end of the day, I'd have massive headaches, huge fatigue, overwhelming anxiety. He said some of that is from the concussion alone. But some of it's also due to me not functioning at an appropriate pace for someone recovering from a concussion.

He said listen, if you broke your arm, you wouldn't try to lift something too heavy too soon, right? Same way with your brain.

So I have some extensions with clients and am just doing what I can each day. Which is surprisingly a lot. It's shown me that taking time to slow down and take breaks might be a healthier lifestyle in general

I asked him about when it would be okay to get back to working out. He said until he gives me the okay, I'm not allowed to do anything more than walking. I still do splits and back bends and stuff every morning so mobility will be okay whenever I can go back to the gym.

Also a publisher has expressed interest in my book. This calls for e-fives all around.

Thankfully you're listening to your trauma surgeon at least! Seriously you will heal quicker and easier if you listen to what he's saying.

E five!!! Congrats

I'm a recovering workaholic! Call it a relapse...

TY

*high-five* - tell that publisher your legions of fans need to know what happens so they have to publish it ASAP.

There are literally dozens of people waiting!

Congrats on the book and the healing progress!

TY Floppy.

I recently got to review the details of my injuries.

Orbital fracture
Subdural hematoma
Concussion
Road rash EVERYWHERE

Three weeks later I find myself thinking okay, I should be back to normal soon...

Nope. This is going to take a while.

I have no choice but to take everything pretty slow. I couldn't move fast if I wanted to. But it's kind of left me thinking oh, this might be a healthier way of life anyway.

I hired an extra assistant to help with clients. Might keep her on indefinitely, too. Just makes everything a lot easier.

Last night I missed a deadline. And for a minute, I thought about staying up until 2am to finish. Typical workaholic tendency. I'll get drunk just this once...! Then I thought about what kind of story I'd rather share with my support group next week.

1) I relapsed
2) I took care of myself and asked the client for an extra day

So obviously I worked on the project for a while longer...then realized what I was doing and did #2.

Someone gave me a free assessment and adjustment at a chiropractor, so I went to see them today and see if this snake oil is magical. Just an assessment today. Snake oil next time.

The face has a pretty remarkable ability to heal, I hope you make a full recovery.

Good job asking for the extension, and staying away from the liquor.

Grats on the publisher! I didn't know or forgot that you are writing a book, what is it about?

BGP,

I was making an imperfect analogy. I don't actually drink. I am comparing a workaholic to an alcoholic. I see giving in to workaholic behaviors as the same as being an alcoholic. I often refer to the group I go to as Dry Drunks Anonymous.

My face already looks a ton better. Unfortunately, the doctors say my face will almost certainly be stuck in some form of duckface until I die



I will PM you about the book. It's Young Adult. The elevator pitch is Orphan Black meets Battlestar Galactica set in high school.

Another followup with the surgeon this morning. Everything is healing well. There will be another followup in three months to see if the facial scars will need some sort of laser treatment to break them up.

He also gave me the okay to resume "normal" activity and return to the gym. Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.... ..................................

Restarting Strength D1
LBBS
225x5x2, 225xAMRAP=15

Monte threatened to end our friendship if I didn't hit 15 reps. I had more in the tank but cut it off to let him know I have the power.

Having said that, I was instantly tight and sore in my adductors and hamstrings as soon as I got out from under the bar.

Comp bench
225x5x2, 225xAMRAP (TNG)=12

More in the tank there, too. But only physically. My body is fine, but my brain is still healing. Mental fatigue was too much, so I called it at 12 and moved on to some bro stuff.

No need to push it too much too soon. Just wanted to get back under the bar, even if it was light weight.

Life is good. WIM.

This is how a true legend of the Iron Game gets back at it. None of this EVgonnaEV bullshiet 135x5 when coming back from vacation or injury. I mean he just logged more 65x10 RDLs. Can't be real life.

Ooops that went over my head! Makes a lot of sense now. Face looking much better and nice lifts.

Attaboy

Heart of a champion, face of a tomato can

I spent most of my life engaging in codependent behaviors. I attached myself to abusive narcissists and killed myself to be good enough for them. This is always a losing proposition.

I didn't realize I was recreating the dysfunctional relationships from my family of origin. I didn't realize I was desperate to relive those relationships and finally get them right. I didn't realize that I have no control over these people.

I didn't realize that I was addicted to the crisis that comes from trying to have a healthy relationship with people who are incapable of providing one. I didn't realize that the obsession I felt even if I broke away from these abusive people was it's own kind of withdrawal.



I used to look at substance abuse addicts and think WTF. Why? Why? Why would you do this to yourself? To the people you love? I didn't understand them. But now I see that healthy people look at codependent people the same way. They are baffled when we continue to stay with abusive partners. When we continue to work for abusive bosses/companies.

(Fortunately, those healthy people are there for us when we finally do break free)

I broke the cycle once I chose to take an honest look at myself. I stopped seeing myself as a victim. I took responsibility for my choices. My self-care. And the people I invite into my life.





The above video interested me because the title made me suspicious. I regularly attend Al-Anon, which teaches that trying to manage a dysfunctional person's behavior is equally dysfunctional. It is a part of the problem.

But her analysis and advice was fascinating, because as she points out, narcissism and/or people who display NPD traits are on the rise. We will inevitably work with or for narcissists. So how do we continue to live healthy personal and professional lives?

225x15 after a break sounds like DOMS for days to me. Does a Duckface Lion experience such things?

I do have a bit of DOMS, but nothing 24 hours of lethargy won't cure.

W1D2 RS

Nothing special. Did not AMRAP.

LBBS
235x5x3

Bench
230x5x3

W1D3 RS

LBBS
245x5x2
245x10

Comp bench
235x5x2
235x10 (TNG)

Continuing to +10 squat and +5 bench each session.

For now I am saying a max of 10 reps on the third set rather than AMRAP. These sets sometimes feel like negative RPE, but that's is a good thing at this time. I might add a belt when I get to 275+, but so far I am doing everything beltless and it feels good.

At something like 40-45% through writing this book. Hype. The book gainz continue.

Most importantly, beard gainz are at an all-time high.

WIM.

W2D1 RS
LBBS
255x5x2, x10

Comp bench
240x5x2, x10

W2D2 RS

LBBS (beltless)
265
x5, x5, x10

Still EZ.

Comp bench
245
x5, x5, x10 (TNG)

Bench is getting harder...

Quite refreshing for a session to only take about 1.5 hours with 40 reps of back accessories at the end. Could take even less time if it didn't take me half an hour to hobble from the squat rack to the bench.

I talked with a 40yo oly lifter after I squatted. He placed in a couple of competitions but busted his patella tendon so is now building back up. He complimented my LBBS. I said I wish I could give similar feedback on his oly lifts, but I have no clue about any of it. Brief neckbeard chuckles ensued. So then we discussed lifting in general and how our injuries humbled us.

W2D3 RS

LBBS (beltless)
275x5x2, x10

New phone. I recorded the x10 set but the video vanished so essentially the set never happened.

Everything feels good. I'll be pleased if I can keep this up and get to 300+x10 beltless.

Comp bench
250x5x4

Supposed to be x10 on third set but an old problem reappeared where I had trouble keeping the bar over my elbows, so I cut it at x5 and did another set.

Weighted chins
+40x5, +60x5x3

A far cry from PR territory of +90x5 but it's coming back.

I saw a guy from the PL gym I was going to when I had the accident. I asked him if he knew Xen, the guy who called the EMTs. He said yeah, so I asked if he would please let him know I'm okay. This guy was unaware of the accident, so we briefly discussed it, then I listened about his lifting in general. He's an enormous powerlifter in his mid-20s but is going to just show up for a 10k in a couple of days and consider it a job well done if he gets it in under an hour.

Then when I was benching, a HUMANGOUS bodybuilder asked if I compete, because my bench form is exactly what he tries to get his clients to emulate. The topic quickly shifted to his career, his training, his diet, his nutrition... I could tell the guy tends to have one thing on his mind LOL. Well, maybe two things. After we finished chatting, he went over to chat with a gorgeous shortish girl in equally stunning shape.

I have been pleasantly surprised by how genuinely friendly people are (or at my perception of them) now that I am genuinely friendly myself instead of preemptively suspicious of anyone who shows me kindness. Could be both. Good times.

WIM.

W3D1 RS

Went in a day early because it is gf's daughter's birthday tomorrow.

LBBS
285x5, x5, x10

135x25

CARDIO.

Comp bench
255x5, x5, x7+f (TNG)

135x30

Meant to stop there at x25 but got carried away ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

curls and face pulls