So it’s been 2 ½ years since I got my new diamond-like PyroTITAN Humeral implant (diamonds are a girl’s best friend after all!!) I’d be lying if I said it was an easy journey but it was definitely worth the initial pain for the end result.
Given the number of surgeries I’ve endured, I should know better than to believe the promised recovery times that surgeons give. This time was no different, despite spending 3 months in a sling without being able to lift a finger so to speak, I assumed that my diligent adherence to physiotherapy protocols meant that my 6-month post-op visit would result in full clearance to return to life and, you know, sport and stuff! Granted, by 6 months I was back in the pool, riding my bike and running the trails ….. but the distances and efforts were very very short and made me sore and exhausted.
The COVID pandemic had interrupted my training for IRONMAN AUSTRALIA at Port Macquarie in 2020 and so I had a non-refundable entry to the 2022 race (16 months post-op). I love a challenge and so Steph (my long-suffering physiotherapist) worked with me to prepare as best I could. We worked on the ‘less is more’ principle with a slow steady build rather than the usual periodised training. I was surprised at how much you utilise your shoulder during cycling particularly when climbing out of the saddle and had to ensure adequate recovery time between swim sessions, but my strength and range of motion continued to improve and motivated me to persevere.
I finished IRONMAN AUSTRALIA 2022 happy to receive my medal but sore and vowing to retire from racing. In retrospect, the 3.8km swim fatigued my shoulder and made the bumpy storm-damaged roads a torturous affair that physically and mentally rattled me.
Now I forgot to mention that somewhere along the way I had got caught up in race fever and had accidentally entered IRONMAN CAIRNS for June (18 months post-op) unaware of the hurt I would be in at the Port Macquarie event. Mother Nature intervened here and rather than sticking to my proposed training plan I spent 3 weeks resting and recovering and the next 3 weeks bedridden with flu symptoms. The preceding convalescence and smooth roads made for a much for pleasant race experience and while the finish time was not what I had hoped for, I really did enjoy the event with its spectacular location.
Fast forward to 2023 and I have finished 3 IRONMAN distance races with my new shoulder and am smashing myself in preparation for IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS in Kona, Hawaii. This surgery has been a life-changing opportunity for me, but to be honest… sure the return to racing and adventuring has been awesome but the biggest win of all is being able to do simple day-to-day tasks like hanging out clothes, wearing a normal clasp bra that I can do up myself, brushing my hair, reaching that shelf, and spinning a spanner all without pain. (oh, and I can almost do a chin up/pull up – still working on that but won’t be long!!)
tommy the travelling turtle 