Yesterday was a l o o o o o n g day! I went in about noon to have an IV iron transfusion. This is the second time I've had to have it because I no longer have the duodenum, which is where your body absorbs iron from food. My body can make iron, but because I lost blood in the surgery and some with the hematoma, my hematocrit was left pretty low. My body was starting to make up for it, but not fast enough.

It's a pretty long procedure, but not a huge deal, really. It's just ambulatory care, so you go in and get the vitals. They gave me Benadryl in case of allergic reaction. They give a test dose that takes about half an hour, then the full dose over five hours. So LONG day!

But it was worth it! I can stand up and walk across the room without needing to stop and catch myself! Sucks being anemic, but oh well. There are worse things. At least I won't have to do that again for awhile.

I think I'll try to start rebuilding cardio this week. I'm thinking of trying the spin class Tuesday. I'll just let the instructor know that I'll be pacing myself and can't put away the bike. (Still not allowed to lift.)

And in VERY happy news, Hampton is leaving the building...or rather, the tummy. I totally noticed it today! I do have some strange adhesion on one area, right under where Hampton is, that gives me this very strange muffin top look just under my ribcage. It's very attractive. Soon ALL the girls will want the look. I can guarantee! Bikini season, here I come!

(How can I weigh 115 pounds and have a muffin top? Oh yeah, I used to weigh over 230 pounds. Damn.)

Had my personal trainer class today. It went well, except I really wish the instructor would

a) Be on time and start class on time, not 30 minutes late, and

b) Answer questions when they are asked, not tell me not to ask them.

We were discussing proper stretching and how to explain over stretching to a client. I asked, since overstretching can cause tears in the muscle that could result in scar tissue, how would we answer a client interested in body building who might ask why that's "bad" since the way muscles are built is through small tears that are rebuilt stronger and larger so overloading muscles is a good thing.

"Because we're stretching."

"I know, but how would you convince that client that while stretching, that is NOT what we want to do. Why? Is it where the tears take place? What would be an appropriate answer."

Because hey, this might very well come up and I am one who doesn't really like to look like a fool.

"Because that's not the point of stretching, and you never want to damage the muscle."

"But isn't muscle building partially caused by small tears in the muscle?"

"Yes. But we're not talking about muscle building."

Sigh

"I know, but I am asking, how would you explain to a client that the action of causing damage to a muscle in the instance of stretching is BAD, but when overloading muscles to build muscle, it's GOOD?"

"We're not talking about strength training right now, so we should get back on subject."

Thank you for not answering my question.

I'll ask again when we do strength training next week, and I guarantee she'll say we're not talking about stretching. LOL!

I do understand the purpose of a stretch, to relax and lengthen the muscle. But there are men who would ask that question thinking, and I think making a pretty logical leap, that if overloading during strength training is good, then overloading during stretching is also good so my question is...during stretching, is the muscle tear at the attachment area, perhaps?

I'll have to look it up.

Got a cool book today at the book store, "The Concise Book of Muscles." It's concise. There are muscles. It is also a book. I like truth in advertising.

She wanted us to get the anatomy coloring book, but I felt this might be a little more valuable since it shows the muscle, explains the use, gives exercises to strengthen it and stretches to lengthen it. Probably more valuable than the anatomy of the eye...at least to a personal trainer. (I actually have the coloring book in a box from my college daze. I was a Health Major, so took lots o' pre-med classes, and that was a textbook in Anatomy and Physiology, which was only the COOLEST CLASS EVER! We got to dissect cats! I know, that sounds gross, and I don't go around cutting up my pets. They were poor euthanized cats donated by shelter to science, and I don't think that's a bad thing. Better than going into pet food, and we learned a GREAT deal from them. I'd still rather they be no-kill, but I was very thankful to our cat, Spot, who taught me a LOT.)

Got home and went on a c c c o o o l l l d d d 4 mile walk.

Then had dinner.

Now I am studying, or at least highlighting. Later I'll take the highlighted stuff and make up questions, read them into a digital recorder, and put them on my ipod. Yes, I am geek. What do you want to make of it?