Clavicle Break: Week 2 (June 30, 2018 - July 6, 2018)

Pain Level: 1-8, and tempered by Norco 5/325.
Discomfort Level: 10
Attire: Workout shorts and a sling.
Sleeping: Recliner.
Nutrition: Higher than normal calories to maximize healing, with supplements geared towards bone regrowth.
Mobility: Very low.
Physical Therapy: None

Week two is honestly a bit of a blur.

We did make it to my doctor to have the stitches removed.  This happened later in the week.  Getting there and back again was... unpleasant.  Not terribly painful, but certainly unpleasant.  Once there, they were able to pull all but two stitches, which were too deeply embedded.  They advised continued use of the bandage, wrapping, and antibiotics.  Another appointment was scheduled for the following week.

I lived in the recliner again this week.  Getting up only to shower and use the restroom.  It was very easy to aggravate the collar bone, shoulder, ribs, and arm.  So I just avoided moving as much as possible.

I binge watched The Office, Seasons 1 through 9, and then moved on to Supernatural.  I tried to go upstairs and build Legos with my son, but I couldn't take the position for long before I had to head back to the recliner.  I wasn't able to do this until late in week three.

Showers were easier because my wife found a waterproof sling that I could use.  That stabilized things enough that the pain was less than it had been, though I still dreaded them.  As such, these first two weeks saw me in the shower every other day, at most.

We continued to change the bandage on my arm daily.  Every day, the old bandage was a little less stained than the previous day, and there was no sign of infection.  It was looking like the doc did a decent job.  It's going to make for an ugly scar, but it didn't look like it would be infected.

I was also able to shift my thinking from weight loss to recovery this week.  I ate a lot more for every meal than I had since I started training, in hopes of sufficiently feeding the mechanisms involved in bone healing.  I'd read multiple places that bone growth requires at least an additional 600 calories.  I intended to provide.  I did some research on supplements and good foods to promote bone regrowth.  For foods, I basically landed on lots of whole foods, including fruits and vegetables (dark leafy greens).  For supplements, I landed on Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM, plus multi-vitamins to round things off.

I also started practicing the concept of front loading the day with a relatively big breakfast, smaller lunch, and even smaller dinner.  While it didn't really apply to my current sedentary state, the idea is to provide more calories for the active day, and reduce calories right before bed.  So, I started aiming for a percentage of calories per meal at about 45/35/20.

The cramps in my left deltoid did not return this week, though the sharp pain in my right side remained - again, only when I moved my right arm in a specific way.

I started looking forward to the Tour de France, which started on July 7th.  I not only hadn't given up on cycling, but I started to feel all the more determined to get more involved and knowledgeable about it.

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