KLEEN LIVING - A log about Life, Training, and Nutrition.

[gphagan1]

Yeah, unfortunately insurance is being slow to approve the injections, if they even will. It is ridiculous how much we pay for insurance to have to fight any time you want to use it for what it is supposed to be for.

That or she was calling you a !!!! Also maybe she was just fishing and couldn't set the hook with you.

Went to dinner last night with @Jimbabwe and his lovely lady. It was great to see him again, he is looking sharp, lean, wide shoulders, traps popping. You can see he has been putting in the work. Anyway, it was awesome to catch up with him in person.

Yeah it really does suck the way insurance companies are. They dictate so much in healthcare what can and can’t be done by your Doctors. It really does feel like they look for reasons to deny more than to approve. It really is a scam. Even when you have Specialists that are at the top of their field and know exactly what we need, they still have to jump through hoops to get procedures approved. Hopefully they will approve it soon, because I do believe those injections will give you some relief.

 

[Dustin07]

Insurance is a scam in a sense, but it's always something you need just in case. In many situations they just have everybody by the balls so you got to keep paying just in case

Yeah it really does suck the way insurance companies are. They dictate so much in healthcare what can and can’t be done by your Doctors. It really does feel like they look for reasons to deny more than to approve. It really is a scam. Even when you have Specialists that are at the top of their field and know exactly what we need, they still have to jump through hoops to get procedures approved. Hopefully they will approve it soon, because I do believe those injections will give you some relief.

its true, but the entire industry is a scam. When we went through my wife's cancer in 2023/2024 I was really grateful to have good insurance. I ended up with around $10-20k out of pocket on over $1 million in billables and I felt extremely grateful for that. Plus they told her the reconstruction is covered for life, so anytime she wants a boob upgrade its free

But then I started looking at the billables, and calculating how much time we spent in the hospital, doctors offices etc. We had a lot of visits, at least one a week for the 3 months or so leading up to the mastectomy. But even with all that accounted for, we were paying over $1,000/hour

so while I"m super grateful that my wife is healthy and alive and that our out of pocket was only about 2.5% of billables, I've talked to a lot of people about it and I actually wonder if what we paid, out of pocket, is probably what the entire treatment is worth. I sorta think the whole thing at $25,000 would have been enough to pay everyone involved very well. Somewhere, someone, billed an extra $900k+ and I have no idea where that money went.

 

[Smont]

its true, but the entire industry is a scam. When we went through my wife's cancer in 2023/2024 I was really grateful to have good insurance. I ended up with around $10-20k out of pocket on over $1 million in billables and I felt extremely grateful for that. Plus they told her the reconstruction is covered for life, so anytime she wants a boob upgrade its free

But then I started looking at the billables, and calculating how much time we spent in the hospital, doctors offices etc. We had a lot of visits, at least one a week for the 3 months or so leading up to the mastectomy. But even with all that accounted for, we were paying over $1,000/hour

so while I"m super grateful that my wife is healthy and alive and that our out of pocket was only about 2.5% of billables, I've talked to a lot of people about it and I actually wonder if what we paid, out of pocket, is probably what the entire treatment is worth. I sorta think the whole thing at $25,000 would have been enough to pay everyone involved very well. Somewhere, someone, billed an extra $900k+ and I have no idea where that money went.

And thank God you had insurance. That's definitely one of those 1% scenarios where insurance is a must. If you didn't have it, things could have been much worse.

I actually pay for pet insurance, it cost me a lot too. And I know 99% of the time it's a scam, because with pet insurance you still have to have the money to pay for everything in full and then you get reimbursed later. But that reimbursement was huge. I got back like $2500 from a $4k vet bill.



As far as what you said about them charging hundreds of thousands extra, your not wrong. It probably wasn't 900k extra but a 1000% mark up on what the services actually are is a fairly normal thing.



If a dr. Visit costs 100, they bill insurance 1000. It's not uncommon at all! My girl does medical billing and my buddy sells medical supplies to surgery (Surgical sales rep) they both see outrageous stuff all the time

 

[Dustin07]

I actually pay for pet insurance, it cost me a lot too. And I know 99% of the time it's a scam, because with pet insurance you still have to have the money to pay for everything in full and then you get reimbursed later. But that reimbursement was huge. I got back like $2500 from a $4k vet bill.

I'm starting to come around on this. being farm raised, mom and dad had sorta instilled a 'max' limit for vet bills. I think back then it was like $750, which now days barely gets you in for a checkup. But I think about this a lot because I have my mut (heeler + collie cattle dog, I'm deeply in love with cattle dogs now) and my wifes pure bread ESA (we don't need an ESA, he just comes from a good bloodline) German Shep. My mutt was cheap, the GSD was very expensive. so its like, where do you draw the line? if the dog needs a $5k surgery and you have alreayd decided $4k is your limit for a dog, do you put the dog down or splurge? it's tough. Especially with our kids being grown and moved out I have to admit these dogs get treated much like kids. (my man card is on the brink here). so insurance at least would help eliminate that tough decision to some degree I think.

If a dr. Visit costs 100, they bill insurance 1000. It's not uncommon at all! My girl does medical billing and my buddy sells medical supplies to surgery (Surgical sales rep) they both see outrageous stuff all the time

man thats so true. I remember one of my bills was like:
hospital billed = $8000
insurance allowed pricing = $4,250
your portion = $4,250 (it was a post mastectomy blood / gene test that isn't covered)

so I'm like everyone here is just full of ****. the hospital bills double, the insurance says na bro, we payin' half. and then insurance looks at me with a wink and says "you get this one, I'll buy the next round"

 

[gphagan1]

its true, but the entire industry is a scam. When we went through my wife's cancer in 2023/2024 I was really grateful to have good insurance. I ended up with around $10-20k out of pocket on over $1 million in billables and I felt extremely grateful for that. Plus they told her the reconstruction is covered for life, so anytime she wants a boob upgrade its free

But then I started looking at the billables, and calculating how much time we spent in the hospital, doctors offices etc. We had a lot of visits, at least one a week for the 3 months or so leading up to the mastectomy. But even with all that accounted for, we were paying over $1,000/hour

so while I"m super grateful that my wife is healthy and alive and that our out of pocket was only about 2.5% of billables, I've talked to a lot of people about it and I actually wonder if what we paid, out of pocket, is probably what the entire treatment is worth. I sorta think the whole thing at $25,000 would have been enough to pay everyone involved very well. Somewhere, someone, billed an extra $900k+ and I have no idea where that money went.

Yeah that is definitely a situation where having insurance was a necessity, and thankfully it sounds like you have good insurance. That’s the kind of scenario that is why we have to have insurance…we hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. And it’s those very serious procedures and treatments for the serious conditions that you’re glad you have it. And on that note, I think it’s awesome how good she is doing and the lifetime free boob upgrade is my kind of perk.

 

[Dustin07]

Yeah that is definitely a situation where having insurance was a necessity, and thankfully it sounds like you have good insurance. That’s the kind of scenario that is why we have to have insurance…we hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. And it’s those very serious procedures and treatments for the serious conditions that you’re glad you have it.

I do feel really blessed and its one of the reasons I often keep these types of complaints to myself because even though I think tom foolery is afoot, I am so grateful to have been taken care of. The insurance companies raise our rates every single year so it's a big pain for Dad. he ropes myself and one co-worker into it to help observe things, but every single year he has to put it out to quote to let all the big local providers know they have to earn the business. They always come back with 20% premium hikes and then end up at "more reasonable" 6%-9%. As a company I believe our situation is that we cover the ins for the employee and give them the option of adding family to the plan if they want, so it's like $350k/year we spend now for employee insurance. 20% hikes are gross at that level!

And on that note, I think it’s awesome how good she is doing and the lifetime free boob upgrade is my kind of perk.

haha yeah its true. we were watching botched or something before her surgeries and this chick had 6500cc knockers with a pump installed so she could grow them a bit herself wheneer she wanted like the old reebook sneakers with the pump on the tongue

so when we were in the doctors office talking sizes and CC's and this and that they say something like 650 cc and I go, you need to add a zero to that, ser.

after it was all said and done my wife is like "maybe I could have gone bigger"

 

[Hyde]

When I tore my bicep tendon, my insurance didn’t cover it. So my ortho skipped the MRI since we were both 100% confident it was off the bone entirely, and I paid his out of pocket rate and for the surgery facility, hardware, aesthetic, all of it. He charged me something like 1,750 for his work as service to society & 2,300 for the OR + supplies, then 2-300 for the hardware. About $4,300 was my out of pocket total to get fixed - the insurance billable rate for the OR alone would have been 28,000 they said.

And when my son needed a helicopter ambulance lift to a local children’s hospital 40 miles away, it was 30k. I worked in aviation with private pilots every day; a private flight that short isn’t more than 2k.

They are literally charging 10x the out of pocket rates to insurance.

 

[Dustin07]

When I tore my bicep tendon, my insurance didn’t cover it. So my ortho skipped the MRI since we were both 100% confident it was off the bone entirely, and I paid his out of pocket rate and for the surgery facility, hardware, aesthetic, all of it. He charged me something like 1,750 for his work as service to society & 2,300 for the OR + supplies, then 2-300 for the hardware. About $4,300 was my out of pocket total to get fixed - the insurance billable rate for the OR alone would have been 28,000 they said.

And when my son needed a helicopter ambulance lift to a local children’s hospital 40 miles away, it was 30k. I worked in aviation with private pilots every day; a private flight that short isn’t more than 2k.

They are literally charging 10x the out of pocket rates to insurance.

yeah they required my grandpa be taken by ambulance from hospital to assisted living facility ACROSS THE STREET even though he was able to walk. But the crazy thing is I'm shocked your insurance wouldn't cover the bicep injury! 20 years ago when I blew out my ACL and then my clavicle surgery for the steel plate, my out of pocket was peanuts. I don't know how much it was, but I know how poor I was and the medical aspect of it was never a strong memory for me. things have changed a lot over the years. I know our health care coverage in WA here for our employees tripled the year after the affordable health care act was enacted.

 

[gphagan1]

When I tore my bicep tendon, my insurance didn’t cover it. So my ortho skipped the MRI since we were both 100% confident it was off the bone entirely, and I paid his out of pocket rate and for the surgery facility, hardware, aesthetic, all of it. He charged me something like 1,750 for his work as service to society & 2,300 for the OR + supplies, then 2-300 for the hardware. About $4,300 was my out of pocket total to get fixed - the insurance billable rate for the OR alone would have been 28,000 they said.

And when my son needed a helicopter ambulance lift to a local children’s hospital 40 miles away, it was 30k. I worked in aviation with private pilots every day; a private flight that short isn’t more than 2k.

They are literally charging 10x the out of pocket rates to insurance.

Yeah it really is a shame too, because a medical situation or emergency is a lot of times when a person is down and maybe even missed work. Just looking at an itemized hospital bill after only two or three days is an eye opener, but they know you’re over a barrel so they’ve got you.
That is very cool though that your Doctor worked with you on getting the procedure and a fair bill, that’s rare these days.

 

[gphagan1]

I do feel really blessed and its one of the reasons I often keep these types of complaints to myself because even though I think tom foolery is afoot, I am so grateful to have been taken care of. The insurance companies raise our rates every single year so it's a big pain for Dad. he ropes myself and one co-worker into it to help observe things, but every single year he has to put it out to quote to let all the big local providers know they have to earn the business. They always come back with 20% premium hikes and then end up at "more reasonable" 6%-9%. As a company I believe our situation is that we cover the ins for the employee and give them the option of adding family to the plan if they want, so it's like $350k/year we spend now for employee insurance. 20% hikes are gross at that level!


haha yeah its true. we were watching botched or something before her surgeries and this chick had 6500cc knockers with a pump installed so she could grow them a bit herself wheneer she wanted like the old reebook sneakers with the pump on the tongue

so when we were in the doctors office talking sizes and CC's and this and that they say something like 650 cc and I go, you need to add a zero to that, ser.

after it was all said and done my wife is like "maybe I could have gone bigger"

Sorry Kleen not meaning to derail your log, but Dustin’s boob pump story got me to thinking.

 

[MrKleen73]

Well I had some quotes then you all covered just about everything I was going to add to the conversation. LOL

@gphagan1 Speaking of insurance, that shirt is totaled, the air bags deployed...

 

[MrKleen73]

I don't have much of an update as I am allowing this midback issue to clear up before doing anything even remotely challenging. I have just been trying to keep it moving. I am also going to get myself a cervical neck stretcher to take with me, Just basically a neck cradle where lie down and put it under your neck, and is uses gravity to stretch your neck around it to return the natural curvature. AI says it is an effective for this, and better than the cheaper manual neck stretchers that don't reinforce the natural curve. Not better than the higher end cervical stretchers but those are all $350+. My plan is to take the most effective things they are having me do for PT and once things are getting better do them on my own and just go in for some maintenance adjustments. I do not want to do 2-3 visits a week and 38 visits like they want for this. That will damn near use up all of my visits.

I am going to do some mobility drills, stretching, and corrective exercises. Then go for a walk with my dog here shortly. Do at least something to make a little progress.

 

[Hyde]

If you haven’t tried it, if you are getting inflammation somewhere in the actual neck/spine then icing it for 10-20 minutes will directly & effectively pull that down. I have used this a lot with my damaged facet joint and it’s way more effective than systemic compounds like ibuprofen, curcumin, naproxen, cissus. Not to say those don’t work or help, but nothing beats locally applied ice.

If it’s muscle, apply a round of heat first, but if joints only ice.

 

[MrKleen73]

If you haven’t tried it, if you are getting inflammation somewhere in the actual neck/spine then icing it for 10-20 minutes will directly & effectively pull that down. I have used this a lot with my damaged facet joint and it’s way more effective than systemic compounds like ibuprofen, curcumin, naproxen, cissus. Not to say those don’t work or help, but nothing beats locally applied ice.

If it’s muscle, apply a round of heat first, but if joints only ice.

Great advice, I need to give that a shot before bed, see if it can get me through the night without getting too inflamed.

Sunday night was horrible, I had some serious heartburn, and my back was pissed after the drive up. So sleep was minimal.

Yesterday after work I went to the hotel gym, rode the recumbent bike, then while nice and warm I went through most of my exercises that I could do there for my neck and back. Then I took great care to pile the soft ass pillows up in a way that supported my upper back and neck without putting a lot of pressure on the thoracic issue. I actually slept pretty good, which was nice.

Nutritionwise, I fasted until about 8:30 before having dinner. Gave whatever had my stomach so pissed off time to clear out. I will likely end up doing the same thing the rest of the week.

I weighed myself Sunday and I am 211, but it is a softer 211. I don't know if I will come home lighter or not but will most likely be doing the OMAD while here. Yesterday it was colder than a witches titty in a brass bra in a snow storm. So I didn't walk to the office, this morning 34, not as bad but I chose to drive in. I will probably walk in Wednesday and Thursday since it will be warmer. As an example of the bipolar nature of our weather, it is 34 this morning and we are expected to hit 93 by Friday.

 

[Jimbabwe]

It was so nice being down in Texas after the brutal winter up here. I almost forgot what it was like to see the sun.

 

[gphagan1]

Great advice, I need to give that a shot before bed, see if it can get me through the night without getting too inflamed.

Sunday night was horrible, I had some serious heartburn, and my back was pissed after the drive up. So sleep was minimal.

Yesterday after work I went to the hotel gym, rode the recumbent bike, then while nice and warm I went through most of my exercises that I could do there for my neck and back. Then I took great care to pile the soft ass pillows up in a way that supported my upper back and neck without putting a lot of pressure on the thoracic issue. I actually slept pretty good, which was nice.

Nutritionwise, I fasted until about 8:30 before having dinner. Gave whatever had my stomach so pissed off time to clear out. I will likely end up doing the same thing the rest of the week.

I weighed myself Sunday and I am 211, but it is a softer 211. I don't know if I will come home lighter or not but will most likely be doing the OMAD while here. Yesterday it was colder than a witches titty in a brass bra in a snow storm. So I didn't walk to the office, this morning 34, not as bad but I chose to drive in. I will probably walk in Wednesday and Thursday since it will be warmer. As an example of the bipolar nature of our weather, it is 34 this morning and we are expected to hit 93 by Friday.

Hopefully everything will start working out better for you and you will be able to enjoy your business trip.
Our weather here in Georgia has been bipolar too. Saturday we were at my 10 year old Grandson’s baseball game and it was 80 and sunny just a beautiful day. This morning it was 28 and we may get into the 40’s. Ha, an we had freaking snow a little yesterday, didn’t stick, but that was cool…..

 

[Hyde]

I think it’s been a wild swing for a lot of the country. We had 70s and sunny Saturday, 60s with torrential rain & tornado warnings Sunday, and it was 11* with snow covering everything yesterday morning and -2 bitter winds (same today). Supposed to be 70s this weekend

 

[MrKleen73]

Hopefully everything will start working out better for you and you will be able to enjoy your business trip.
Our weather here in Georgia has been bipolar too. Saturday we were at my 10 year old Grandson’s baseball game and it was 80 and sunny just a beautiful day. This morning it was 28 and we may get into the 40’s. Ha, an we had freaking snow a little yesterday, didn’t stick, but that was cool…..

View attachment 259437View attachment 259438

Now that is what i call being Bewitched by a breast.

I think it’s been a wild swing for a lot of the country. We had 70s and sunny Saturday, 60s with torrential rain & tornado warnings Sunday, and it was 11* with snow covering everything yesterday morning and -2 bitter winds (same today). Supposed to be 70s this weekend

Yeah, it has been pretty wild, I am happy to be up here where it is dryer if Houston got as cold it would feel so much colder down there.

 

[MrKleen73]

My back seems to be doing decently, did a lot of walking, then some core work, and neck exercises yesterday. I am still holding off on training until I feel I have cleared the hurdle so to speak. I am leery of pushing before ready and being back in the same situation. For a little bit last night I had that little 9volt battery style buzz coming from my neck down the trap towards the rotator cuff, no pain just a buzz more like a weaker battery but still the little shocking tingle. I think it is because the configuration of this visitor desk at work has me with my head turned right almost all day. Either way, little things like that still let me know I need to be careful. While things have improved with the 2 visits, they should get even better getting more adjustments and traction to open the neck up.

The stiffer bed seems to be helping a little. I may take the pillow top we added to the bed and place it under the mattress. We only got it to get a little more cushioning between my heavy self and the wood platform under the mattress. It was hurting my tailbone during prep when I was really lean and injured the sacral joint.

I will be heading home tomorrow hopefully around noon, I am definitely ready to be back home, and have access to things. Plus I am ready to get back into the chiro and get things improving further.

 

[Dustin07]

Hopefully everything will start working out better for you and you will be able to enjoy your business trip.
Our weather here in Georgia has been bipolar too. Saturday we were at my 10 year old Grandson’s baseball game and it was 80 and sunny just a beautiful day. This morning it was 28 and we may get into the 40’s. Ha, an we had freaking snow a little yesterday, didn’t stick, but that was cool…..

View attachment 259437View attachment 259438

we got that big snowfall friday, which in theory is 32f but I checked the temp history on the govee thermometer I put in our greenhouse. Friday night/ Saturday morning 34f low. Saturday afternoon, over 70f. lol. and every day since, the low temp has increased noticeably, so I am guessing our region even though we will probably be gray and rainy for a while, our low temps are probably done for the year.

 

[gphagan1]

My back seems to be doing decently, did a lot of walking, then some core work, and neck exercises yesterday. I am still holding off on training until I feel I have cleared the hurdle so to speak. I am leery of pushing before ready and being back in the same situation. For a little bit last night I had that little 9volt battery style buzz coming from my neck down the trap towards the rotator cuff, no pain just a buzz more like a weaker battery but still the little shocking tingle. I think it is because the configuration of this visitor desk at work has me with my head turned right almost all day. Either way, little things like that still let me know I need to be careful. While things have improved with the 2 visits, they should get even better getting more adjustments and traction to open the neck up.

The stiffer bed seems to be helping a little. I may take the pillow top we added to the bed and place it under the mattress. We only got it to get a little more cushioning between my heavy self and the wood platform under the mattress. It was hurting my tailbone during prep when I was really lean and injured the sacral joint.

I will be heading home tomorrow hopefully around noon, I am definitely ready to be back home, and have access to things. Plus I am ready to get back into the chiro and get things improving further.

Your Chiropractor should be able to continue to give you relief through the adjustments and traction. That buzzing and tingling was more than likely a pinched nerve, which I know you know that, and your chiro should help that for sure.

 

[MrKleen73]

I just had my review, and was told again that I am at the top of the heap in my office. I got the highest level of "exceeds expectations" on every item in the review. I won't find out my numbers until next week some time, but I am hoping for another big raise and bonus this year. Either way, it feels good to see that my efforts are not only being noticed, but keep me on the top of the mountain so to speak.

 

[MrKleen73]

@gphagan1 Oh yeah, it is just a baby feeling of what is normally pain. I see it as progress. I definitely feel the traction has done the most for me to the point I am considering buying a neck traction device.

 

[gphagan1]

I just had my review, and was told again that I am at the top of the heap in my office. I got the highest level of "exceeds expectations" on every item in the review. I won't find out my numbers until next week some time, but I am hoping for another big raise and bonus this year. Either way, it feels good to see that my efforts are not only being noticed, but keep me on the top of the mountain so to speak.

Congratulations

 

[Dustin07]

I just had my review, and was told again that I am at the top of the heap in my office. I got the highest level of "exceeds expectations" on every item in the review. I won't find out my numbers until next week some time, but I am hoping for another big raise and bonus this year. Either way, it feels good to see that my efforts are not only being noticed, but keep me on the top of the mountain so to speak.

not a person here would be surprised to hear it! Just read your log the past year and you had laser focus on it, congrats!

 

[MrKleen73]

Congratulations

Thanks!

not a person here would be surprised to hear it! Just read your log the past year and you had laser focus on it, congrats!

Much appreciated! I have to kind of look there for my successes this year. Fitness goals have not done well, but I feel I am about to be able to put in some work. Only doing rehab stuff recently has been a challenge but it seems to be working. I am going to start reintroducing cardio other than just walking and see how my hips do with it.

I am still struggling with diet, but it is mental. I know what I need to do, I just have to decide I am going to do it, and not just try. The honest truth is, I am just having an issue finding that resolve right now. I have stepped so far out of my fitness focus once I started feeling a bit helpless to the situation. I just need to mentally reset. For right now, I am making a goal to drop between 5-10lbs by April 18th which is my step-mother's wedding. Man that sounds so odd. Since pushing exercise is limited, I am going to focus on some fasting, and adding the cardio back in. Outside of that, just focusing on getting back to the gym regularly even if only for movement, and cardio.

 

[Dustin07]

sounds like a reasonable target to get the train back on the tracks!
IDK man, life is funny. sometimes I think its all about minimizing the downswings, cause the motivation bug will hit you hard again soon. so anything you can do in the meantime while avoiding complete burnout, will make sure you have a good foundation to launch from as you figure out what the next goal is.

You have been super goal driven the past couple years, with the fitness side of life it sorta seems like maybe you haven't felt a clear cut goal (not to mention the injury struggle), but this April deadline you gave yourself seems like a good way to get some traction. good luck!!

Man that sounds so odd.

that was a bit of a brain teaser for me lol

 

[PolishHamm3r77]

Thanks!

Much appreciated! I have to kind of look there for my successes this year. Fitness goals have not done well, but I feel I am about to be able to put in some work. Only doing rehab stuff recently has been a challenge but it seems to be working. I am going to start reintroducing cardio other than just walking and see how my hips do with it.

I am still struggling with diet, but it is mental. I know what I need to do, I just have to decide I am going to do it, and not just try. The honest truth is, I am just having an issue finding that resolve right now. I have stepped so far out of my fitness focus once I started feeling a bit helpless to the situation. I just need to mentally reset. For right now, I am making a goal to drop between 5-10lbs by April 18th which is my step-mother's wedding. Man that sounds so odd. Since pushing exercise is limited, I am going to focus on some fasting, and adding the cardio back in. Outside of that, just focusing on getting back to the gym regularly even if only for movement, and cardio.

You got this!!! Baby steps are still progress

 

[Segansational]

I just had my review, and was told again that I am at the top of the heap in my office. I got the highest level of "exceeds expectations" on every item in the review. I won't find out my numbers until next week some time, but I am hoping for another big raise and bonus this year. Either way, it feels good to see that my efforts are not only being noticed, but keep me on the top of the mountain so to speak.

Congrats man. I just hope it turns into actual returns for you. Too many times it's like that meme,

"You've exceeded expectations. So that means you get your standard cost of living raise."

LOL

Thanks!

Much appreciated! I have to kind of look there for my successes this year. Fitness goals have not done well, but I feel I am about to be able to put in some work. Only doing rehab stuff recently has been a challenge but it seems to be working. I am going to start reintroducing cardio other than just walking and see how my hips do with it.

I am still struggling with diet, but it is mental. I know what I need to do, I just have to decide I am going to do it, and not just try. The honest truth is, I am just having an issue finding that resolve right now. I have stepped so far out of my fitness focus once I started feeling a bit helpless to the situation. I just need to mentally reset. For right now, I am making a goal to drop between 5-10lbs by April 18th which is my step-mother's wedding. Man that sounds so odd. Since pushing exercise is limited, I am going to focus on some fasting, and adding the cardio back in. Outside of that, just focusing on getting back to the gym regularly even if only for movement, and cardio.

The good thing is we know - and I'm sure you do as well - that you CAN do this. You've proven when you lock in you can achieve your fitness goals. They just may look different today then a year or two ago, and that's OK.

I think a weight loss goal while unable to train hard and heavy makes a lot of sense. No need to be extreme goals either right now while attention is still elsewhere. A steady weight loss goal over several months to get you back on track, then feeling good and seeing physical changes will set you up for that motivation to hit you.

 

[MrKleen73]

sounds like a reasonable target to get the train back on the tracks!
IDK man, life is funny. sometimes I think its all about minimizing the downswings, cause the motivation bug will hit you hard again soon. so anything you can do in the meantime while avoiding complete burnout, will make sure you have a good foundation to launch from as you figure out what the next goal is.

You have been super goal driven the past couple years, with the fitness side of life it sorta seems like maybe you haven't felt a clear cut goal (not to mention the injury struggle), but this April deadline you gave yourself seems like a good way to get some traction. good luck!!


that was a bit of a brain teaser for me lol

Thanks, yeah it isn't easy for me to go through the motions, I need to be doing things with intention, or likely I will neglect doing them at all. lately I have had intention, but my only intention has been recovery. It isn't exciting or glamorous, but required.

You got this!!! Baby steps are still progress

AMEN it is hard to recognize these little steps sometimes and feel like you are still spinning your wheels. I had to let the other goals go for a bit. They were too lofty and didn't allow me to appreciate the small steps in recovery. Thank goodness I am having a mental shift now.

Congrats man. I just hope it turns into actual returns for you. Too many times it's like that meme,

"You've exceeded expectations. So that means you get your standard cost of living raise."

LOLThe good thing is we know - and I'm sure you do as well - that you CAN do this. You've proven when you lock in you can achieve your fitness goals. They just may look different today then a year or two ago, and that's OK.

I think a weight loss goal while unable to train hard and heavy makes a lot of sense. No need to be extreme goals either right now while attention is still elsewhere. A steady weight loss goal over several months to get you back on track, then feeling good and seeing physical changes will set you up for that motivation to hit you.

Thanks, unfortunately, I don't think it will be above the standard raises in the country, but high for what my firm tends to give. Not really complaining, they did give us an additional 4% about 3-4 years ago to help with inflation.

Thanks, yeah I know I CAN do this, it is just a matter of doing it. Speaking of, I fasted all day then had about a 1200 calorie dinner yesterday.

Agreed, it is the only real thing I have control over right now. It doesn't require any intensity or even exercise so I can work towards this regardless of my ability to train.

It is wild how many injuries I have been able to train through over the years but this dang nerve thing broke through that mental toughness. Even when it is not excruciating, it is horrible because it just touches your soul! I am so happy I am finally starting to get some relief, and feeling like I might be able to get back to enjoying training again.

 

[Dustin07]

Thanks, yeah I know I CAN do this, it is just a matter of doing it. Speaking of, I fasted all day then had about a 1200 calorie dinner yesterday.

Agreed, it is the only real thing I have control over right now. It doesn't require any intensity or even exercise so I can work towards this regardless of my ability to train.

I remember like a year or two ago going down some fasting rabbit holes since initially my only exposure to it outside of religous upbringing, was you guys throwing in fasts here and there around a barbell centric goal. Of course what I encountered was 'regular' people who didn't necessarily lift, they were combining their fasting protocols with "walking 30 minutes a day" type stuff. But I kept seeing people running pickle fasts, or pickle juice fasts etc and doing many many days, if not weeks in a row with incredible results.

obviously there is give and take, but I still find it sorta crazy how little food humans actually need to thrive in short bursts. Nuances aside, I always find fasting to be an interesting protocol.

It is wild how many injuries I have been able to train through over the years but this dang nerve thing broke through that mental toughness. Even when it is not excruciating, it is horrible because it just touches your soul! I am so happy I am finally starting to get some relief, and feeling like I might be able to get back to enjoying training again.

right on!!

 

[MrKleen73]

I remember like a year or two ago going down some fasting rabbit holes since initially my only exposure to it outside of religous upbringing, was you guys throwing in fasts here and there around a barbell centric goal. Of course what I encountered was 'regular' people who didn't necessarily lift, they were combining their fasting protocols with "walking 30 minutes a day" type stuff. But I kept seeing people running pickle fasts, or pickle juice fasts etc and doing many many days, if not weeks in a row with incredible results.

obviously there is give and take, but I still find it sorta crazy how little food humans actually need to thrive in short bursts. Nuances aside, I always find fasting to be an interesting protocol.


right on!!

I can see why they might want to do pickle juice, it provides the sodium missing when fasting, but for me the vinegar makes me piss like a racehorse so I am not sure it would help with keeping hydration solid over just drinking fluids and adding in some table salt. It would taste better though.

 

[Dustin07]

I can see why they might want to do pickle juice, it provides the sodium missing when fasting, but for me the vinegar makes me piss like a racehorse so I am not sure it would help with keeping hydration solid over just drinking fluids and adding in some table salt. It would taste better though.

Yeah I've gone all three methods, I have 'treated' myself to a shot of pickle juice at night when a fast felt particularly boring but I feel like thats a slippery slope because it almost seems to encourage ghrelin in me rather than satiate. The salt method has been an easy go to in my house since the wife is also in on it, and lastly I have typically kept gatorade zero on hand as an extra 'treat' electrolyte on fasting days where I felt like I wasn't getting enough, although that one is probably my least favorable if I was legitimately just trying to keep things as clean/natural as possible. everyone has their own opinions on artificial sweetners.

 

[MrKleen73]

I meant to update this earlier, but they got me a "Neck brace" to help put the curve back into my neck which to be honest I was super confused how a neck brace would bring back the curve in my neck by supporting it. I even asked him and then he was like, well it isn't just a neck brace, it is made to force the curve back into your neck You will see when we fit you for it. So we go to do the fitting and he places it around my neck and snugs it up tight enough it is pressing on my jugular a little bit then he started twisting something. I feel my head being pulled up like and away from my shoulder to where the whole neck is just stretched out about as far as it can be semi-comfortably. It was at this point he says: Okay so when we do this you will start with 5 minutes, then you can add a minute every day until you are at 20 minutes. I was like okay cool. The he starts pumping up the neck brace and it started pushing the back of my neck forward forcing the curve back into my spine. Suddenly the 5 minutes didn't sound as easy. So I went home, put on the brace, pumped it up and set my timer. HOLY CRAP! I was so ready to take it off by the time the 4 minute mark showed up, the last minute was just me waiting to take it off. It is definitely a lot more aggressive of a treatment than I thought it would be. Not so much painful as uncomfortable, and lots of pressure.

Anyway, he told me if use it everyday my improvements will be much faster, so now I have something at home that really feels like it is doing something. It not only provides traction but pressure on the spine to move the vertebrae back where they should be. I feel like this could be a big part of recovery, and also something I can fall back on once feeling better rather than burning up all of my visits on more maintenance type of things.

 

[Dustin07]

ironically when he says add 1 minute a day my head is like "sweet, linear progression, lets do this!" but man that brace does NOT sound comfortable. I hate anything around the neck like that.... hopefully this thing helps

 

[MrKleen73]

ironically when he says add 1 minute a day my head is like "sweet, linear progression, lets do this!" but man that brace does NOT sound comfortable. I hate anything around the neck like that.... hopefully this thing helps

Yep, I am stoked to see what it can do. I can be uncomfortable for a while daily if I can get my ability to train back. Opening those crimped areas is the key, so I am all in.

 

[Dustin07]

hopefully its one of those things that one day you wake up and after a few hours all the sudden you realize, hey... there's no pain! this is what mobility feels like! lol

 

[Hyde]

Man hopefully this brace really gets things going the right way; it sounds very promising.

 

[gphagan1]

I meant to update this earlier, but they got me a "Neck brace" to help put the curve back into my neck which to be honest I was super confused how a neck brace would bring back the curve in my neck by supporting it. I even asked him and then he was like, well it isn't just a neck brace, it is made to force the curve back into your neck You will see when we fit you for it. So we go to do the fitting and he places it around my neck and snugs it up tight enough it is pressing on my jugular a little bit then he started twisting something. I feel my head being pulled up like and away from my shoulder to where the whole neck is just stretched out about as far as it can be semi-comfortably. It was at this point he says: Okay so when we do this you will start with 5 minutes, then you can add a minute every day until you are at 20 minutes. I was like okay cool. The he starts pumping up the neck brace and it started pushing the back of my neck forward forcing the curve back into my spine. Suddenly the 5 minutes didn't sound as easy. So I went home, put on the brace, pumped it up and set my timer. HOLY CRAP! I was so ready to take it off by the time the 4 minute mark showed up, the last minute was just me waiting to take it off. It is definitely a lot more aggressive of a treatment than I thought it would be. Not so much painful as uncomfortable, and lots of pressure.

Anyway, he told me if use it everyday my improvements will be much faster, so now I have something at home that really feels like it is doing something. It not only provides traction but pressure on the spine to move the vertebrae back where they should be. I feel like this could be a big part of recovery, and also something I can fall back on once feeling better rather than burning up all of my visits on more maintenance type of things.

I’ve had to wear one of those braces before. If it’s the same thing, it felt like it was decompressing the spine. It really helped with a bulging disc. Yeah that should help take some pressure off of those nerves, really help align your neck, and get the blood flowing to heal faster. Ha I called it neck traction too. It actually starts helping pretty quick.

 

[MrKleen73]

hopefully its one of those things that one day you wake up and after a few hours all the sudden you realize, hey... there's no pain! this is what mobility feels like! lol

That would be awesome, last night I actually had the icing pad frozen and boy did that change things, the cold was penetrating deep into the tissue since it was being pressed into my spine. It felt like a really good ice treatment, cold enough to almost burn, it had to help with inflammation.

Man hopefully this brace really gets things going the right way; it sounds very promising.

Yeah, I have definitely not felt anything that really felt like it was trying to move my neck besides this. and the traction machine helped a good bit the first time I used it, but this feels more direct about trying to push the curve back into my neck.

I’ve had to wear one of those braces before. If it’s the same thing, it felt like it was decompressing the spine. It really helped with a bulging disc. Yeah that should help take some pressure off of those nerves, really help align your neck, and get the blood flowing to heal faster. Ha I called it neck traction too. It actually starts helping pretty quick.

Love hearing this, yesterday was my 2nd day and it felt pretty good. My neck is a little sore today, so I think things might have actually moved a little. Did you ever get any soreness from it? It isn't a bad soreness just a little bit of something a little stiff.

I don't think I mentioned it, but Monday he and I talked about training, and we decided if things have improved over the week I should go do a little testing of movements this weekend.

Last night we got another crack out of the side of my neck that refuses. Also had my range of motion checked and my ROM is limited on the right side. Imagine that... LOL but I didn't realize b how much compared to the left side.

 

[Smont]

Sorry bud, I hope you get this fixed up. Anything with the neck is a bitch to deal with. I can remember having to pull myself over on my stomach to get out of bed when I pulled some neck muscles. It's happened a few times. And this wasn't even anything serious and it took weeks to resolve itself. Nothing is fun when your neck hurts just from turning your head left to right

 

[Segansational]

Wow, crazy stuff man. Hope this helps you and gives you the relief you need. Are you doing any exercises though to also help strengthen the neck musculature to maintain the position when not wearing the brace?

 

[gphagan1]

That would be awesome, last night I actually had the icing pad frozen and boy did that change things, the cold was penetrating deep into the tissue since it was being pressed into my spine. It felt like a really good ice treatment, cold enough to almost burn, it had to help with inflammation.

Yeah, I have definitely not felt anything that really felt like it was trying to move my neck besides this. and the traction machine helped a good bit the first time I used it, but this feels more direct about trying to push the curve back into my neck.

Love hearing this, yesterday was my 2nd day and it felt pretty good. My neck is a little sore today, so I think things might have actually moved a little. Did you ever get any soreness from it? It isn't a bad soreness just a little bit of something a little stiff.

I don't think I mentioned it, but Monday he and I talked about training, and we decided if things have improved over the week I should go do a little testing of movements this weekend.

Last night we got another crack out of the side of my neck that refuses. Also had my range of motion checked and my ROM is limited on the right side. Imagine that... LOL but I didn't realize b how much compared to the left side.

Yes, I had a little soreness the first week, but by the second week I could tell it was really helping. I will say, and I know you know, but stay well hydrated, it really helps. As I increased time, after I would take the brace off, sometimes I would get like this tingling rush in my head, and then it would feel so good. It makes you feel like a new man after suffering so long with neck pain.

 

[Dustin07]

I don't think I mentioned it, but Monday he and I talked about training, and we decided if things have improved over the week I should go do a little testing of movements this weekend.

Last night we got another crack out of the side of my neck that refuses. Also had my range of motion checked and my ROM is limited on the right side. Imagine that... LOL but I didn't realize b how much compared to the left side.

as I was reading it I was thinking about how that particular region always seems to be touched on with nearly any upper body movement a person can try. makes training near impossible without flaring it up when its sensitive it seems like. are you able to do any lower body machine work without bothering it?

Sorry bud, I hope you get this fixed up. Anything with the neck is a bitch to deal with. I can remember having to pull myself over on my stomach to get out of bed when I pulled some neck muscles. It's happened a few times. And this wasn't even anything serious and it took weeks to resolve itself. Nothing is fun when your neck hurts just from turning your head left to right

You ever do that move where you take on hand to the back of your own head to like pick up your head off the pillow in the morning? That was my big move last fall. like roll over onto hand, lift head, make momentum to try to lift body out of bed without engaging neck lol

 

[Hyde]

I know you know, but stay well hydrated, it really helps.

Just wanted to second this very important & useful advice: hydration really matters for impinged nerves in the spine!

If you keep the discs more hydrated, the extra space it creates helps put less/no pressure on whatever nerve was too close previously.

 

[MrKleen73]

Sorry bud, I hope you get this fixed up. Anything with the neck is a bitch to deal with. I can remember having to pull myself over on my stomach to get out of bed when I pulled some neck muscles. It's happened a few times. And this wasn't even anything serious and it took weeks to resolve itself. Nothing is fun when your neck hurts just from turning your head left to right

Thanks, and i agree 100%.

Wow, crazy stuff man. Hope this helps you and gives you the relief you need. Are you doing any exercises though to also help strengthen the neck musculature to maintain the position when not wearing the brace?

Yeah, and I looked at the actual name of the device and it is a therapeutic collar, they called it a neck brace to me at first but not something you wear for extended use and he told me I needed this was not to be worn during any activity at all. I am assuming the stretched and pushed nature of it makes unintentionally moving your neck a risk somehow.

For the neck we do stretches and some band work, they also have a neck exerciser on the wall. Basically a soft pad attached to a bowed piece of metal mounted on the wall and you stand to where there is resistance on your head from squeezing the bowed metal towards the wall. We do both sides, and then to the rear with a chin tuck. It is a pretty good movement, and something I can use bands to work the neck similarly when not there.

Most of it is meant to open the neck more so than strengthen. They already told me that my neck itself is actually very strong when engaged. We have to do some pressure test to test the strength, it measures the total pressure i can apply with my neck in each direction. It was actually funny and we were laughing when she had me press my neck against the device as hard as i could and it pushed her so hard she took 2 steps back and was like you have a very strong neck. Then spent the rest of the test giggling that she had to fight hard to stand still to get the measurement. However some of the smaller less developed ones are what we are working on with most movements we are doing. This also leads me to think I will be able to brace without pain or perhaps only slight discomfort during a moderately challenging set.

Yes, I had a little soreness the first week, but by the second week I could tell it was really helping. I will say, and I know you know, but stay well hydrated, it really helps. As I increased time, after I would take the brace off, sometimes I would get like this tingling rush in my head, and then it would feel so good. It makes you feel like a new man after suffering so long with neck pain.

Excellent, I asked the chiro yesterday as well and he said it was to be expected, and basically shows were getting some effect. Good point on the fluids, I haven't been focusing on them since not really training. So I will start increasing my water intake today.

as I was reading it I was thinking about how that particular region always seems to be touched on with nearly any upper body movement a person can try. makes training near impossible without flaring it up when its sensitive it seems like. are you able to do any lower body machine work without bothering it?



You ever do that move where you take on hand to the back of your own head to like pick up your head off the pillow in the morning? That was my big move last fall. like roll over onto hand, lift head, make momentum to try to lift body out of bed without engaging neck lol

Yes, it certainly does get touched on just about every upper body movement which is why my training was abysmal for the last 4-6 months. Well couldn't even call it training just trying to get in to keep from losing all of my hard earned muscle. Unfortunately for a while there it didn't matter what i was working if I had to brace moderately hard the pain from my neck would flare up. I tried not to whine about it too much or make it sound like I needed people to worry about me, but it was pretty bad. My intent is to try to reintroduce working them first, seeing how bracing does for me. Also at the time my sacral joint was also flaring up pretty bad so it was a compounding situation that felt like all options were off the table there for a little while. I have a feeling at the minimum I can probably start some isolation type of movements for lower body, but leg press might be pushing it.

The good news is that I noticed yesterday that I am not guarding with every movement. I am not intentionally doing every day things slowly and gingerly. I was bracing before every movement, moving slowly, being careful if bending over at all, trying to limit neck movement or a lower back flare up and my body has got comfortable doing things more normally. I can just bend over without bracing my hand against my legs, or drop down into a body weight squat without having to brace and move slowly. These are all major improvements. While the gung ho pushes to hard intensity monger in me wants to floor it, the logical side is saying "Hey, lets not overdo this right now. Starting training again this week, or next is not as important and not regressing on the progress we have made. When i told my chiro about my propensity to accidentally push too hard he told me I was doing the right thing by being cautious.

Not exactly that one but for a while there getting out of bed was not easy, twisting to put my hand down to push off was a major problem. Recently I have gone back to simply bring my feet up kicking out a little and letting the momentum sit me up in bed while having my core and neck braced. Again doing things much less gingerly now that I can brace and my thoracic area is not in constant pain.

Just wanted to second this very important & useful advice: hydration really matters for impinged nerves in the spine!

If you keep the discs more hydrated, the extra space it creates helps put less/no pressure on whatever nerve was too close previously.

Thanks again, I had not really stepped this up and since not training was probably not drinking enough. So I am going to make it a point of focus going forward.

We also got the approval finally for the injections, I have to admit I don't see how this could break up scar tissue. I think she stuck me about 8 times all over my thoracic region. I thought this might be something where they use the needle over and over to break up scar tissue, but I just don't see how this would work to break up scar tissue. I feel like if anything it just removed the pain in the area temporarily. Right now it is not an extra charge so I am cool with that, but I am just not sure I see how this could be breaking up scar tissue unless there is something I don't know about how Novocain / lidocaine acts in car tissue.

 

[Dustin07]

The good news is that I noticed yesterday that I am not guarding with every movement. I am not intentionally doing every day things slowly and gingerly.

thats what I was hoping for, awesome!

going to be interesting to see what results you get from the injections.

 

[gphagan1]

Thanks, and i agree 100%.

Yeah, and I looked at the actual name of the device and it is a therapeutic collar, they called it a neck brace to me at first but not something you wear for extended use and he told me I needed this was not to be worn during any activity at all. I am assuming the stretched and pushed nature of it makes unintentionally moving your neck a risk somehow.

For the neck we do stretches and some band work, they also have a neck exerciser on the wall. Basically a soft pad attached to a bowed piece of metal mounted on the wall and you stand to where there is resistance on your head from squeezing the bowed metal towards the wall. We do both sides, and then to the rear with a chin tuck. It is a pretty good movement, and something I can use bands to work the neck similarly when not there.

Most of it is meant to open the neck more so than strengthen. They already told me that my neck itself is actually very strong when engaged. We have to do some pressure test to test the strength, it measures the total pressure i can apply with my neck in each direction. It was actually funny and we were laughing when she had me press my neck against the device as hard as i could and it pushed her so hard she took 2 steps back and was like you have a very strong neck. Then spent the rest of the test giggling that she had to fight hard to stand still to get the measurement. However some of the smaller less developed ones are what we are working on with most movements we are doing. This also leads me to think I will be able to brace without pain or perhaps only slight discomfort during a moderately challenging set.

Excellent, I asked the chiro yesterday as well and he said it was to be expected, and basically shows were getting some effect. Good point on the fluids, I haven't been focusing on them since not really training. So I will start increasing my water intake today.


Yes, it certainly does get touched on just about every upper body movement which is why my training was abysmal for the last 4-6 months. Well couldn't even call it training just trying to get in to keep from losing all of my hard earned muscle. Unfortunately for a while there it didn't matter what i was working if I had to brace moderately hard the pain from my neck would flare up. I tried not to whine about it too much or make it sound like I needed people to worry about me, but it was pretty bad. My intent is to try to reintroduce working them first, seeing how bracing does for me. Also at the time my sacral joint was also flaring up pretty bad so it was a compounding situation that felt like all options were off the table there for a little while. I have a feeling at the minimum I can probably start some isolation type of movements for lower body, but leg press might be pushing it.

The good news is that I noticed yesterday that I am not guarding with every movement. I am not intentionally doing every day things slowly and gingerly. I was bracing before every movement, moving slowly, being careful if bending over at all, trying to limit neck movement or a lower back flare up and my body has got comfortable doing things more normally. I can just bend over without bracing my hand against my legs, or drop down into a body weight squat without having to brace and move slowly. These are all major improvements. While the gung ho pushes to hard intensity monger in me wants to floor it, the logical side is saying "Hey, lets not overdo this right now. Starting training again this week, or next is not as important and not regressing on the progress we have made. When i told my chiro about my propensity to accidentally push too hard he told me I was doing the right thing by being cautious.

Not exactly that one but for a while there getting out of bed was not easy, twisting to put my hand down to push off was a major problem. Recently I have gone back to simply bring my feet up kicking out a little and letting the momentum sit me up in bed while having my core and neck braced. Again doing things much less gingerly now that I can brace and my thoracic area is not in constant pain.


Thanks again, I had not really stepped this up and since not training was probably not drinking enough. So I am going to make it a point of focus going forward.

We also got the approval finally for the injections, I have to admit I don't see how this could break up scar tissue. I think she stuck me about 8 times all over my thoracic region. I thought this might be something where they use the needle over and over to break up scar tissue, but I just don't see how this would work to break up scar tissue. I feel like if anything it just removed the pain in the area temporarily. Right now it is not an extra charge so I am cool with that, but I am just not sure I see how this could be breaking up scar tissue unless there is something I don't know about how Novocain / lidocaine acts in car tissue.

Yeah those injections do help with scar tissue as well. They relax and help soften the tissue, and then start to break up any adhesions. Although not as quickly or as aggressive as say an ART therapist, so gentler and more time. Over time that’s part of the pain relief as well, not just the numbing. Of course we all are different, so it’s hard to put a time frame on it, but it sounds like you have a good team that know their stuff and you should get progressively better. And like Dustin said you will feel so good when it’s better….it truly is like you get set free from the bondage of pain.

 

[Dustin07]

it truly is like you get set free from the bondage of pain.

thats a good way to put it. that constant nagging pain is such an exhausting and taxing experience.

 

[MrKleen73]

Yeah those injections do help with scar tissue as well. They relax and help soften the tissue, and then start to break up any adhesions. All though not as quickly or as aggressive as say an ART therapist, so gentler and more time. Over time that’s part of the pain relief as well, not just the numbing. Of course we all are different, so it’s hard to put a time frame on it, but it sounds like you have a good team that know their stuff and you should get progressively better. And like Dustin said you will feel so good when it’s better….it truly is like you get set free from the bondage of pain.

I am already there, and it is not even completely gone yet. Right now the fear stems from possibly re-aggravating it when I start training again. I will have to re-enter slowly and methodically. Not something I am good at, but I am already doing much better with the mindset I have and not wanting to push before being ready.