Easter Ham

So, our family tradition is that my mom makes ham for Easter (and often for christmas, too). Spiral-sliced, delicious ham. It's bizarre, because normally I don't eat ham (even when I was eating meat) at all during the year, but I can't get enough of the Easter ham. We have it for lunch, and then on fresh rye bread w/spicy mustard for dinner that night, or we take it home for sandwiches some other night.

It was a big dilemma for me this year, as I am trying to eat vegetarian (vegan is on hold until I can cook for myself again). A few days before, the bf asked what I was going to do, since he knows how much I love me some easter ham. I honestly didn't know, and I've been holding this veggie eating as an experiment of sorts, so that I'm not locked into "I *have* to", or "I can't". Therefore, the choice was truly mine, and I also don't have well-intending friends/family harassing me - "Oh, I thought you were vegetarian" or whatever. Not surprisingly, I didn't feel a lot of pressure when the time came to decide, and therefore it was very easy to choose not to have any.

I eyed it coming out of the oven, and yeah, it looked yummy, but I honestly didn't even feel a pang of envy. I am definitely, pleasantly, surprised, and happy that I wasn't "depriving" myself. Maybe it helped that we ate spread out in the living room, to accomodate my broken leg (I was comfy in my mom's recliner), so I didn't have to see everyone else eating it, or it hanging out on the table, luring me into trying a slice. I happily ate my broccoli quiche, salad, and buttered roll, and what is even more impressive, didn't completely pig out on Easter chocolate!!!!

I was also thankful, later that day, to be at the bf's mom's house, and not have her question my not eating the chicken that she served for dinner. I was a bit surprised, because she is one of those folks that would question something like this to death. I didn't have any protein, but it certainly didn't kill me. Perhaps the "protein" in my easter chocolate got me through, har har har!

*****

PT this morning - not in tears today, but my body temp dropped afterward, almost as if I was in mini-shock. I don't think my body likes the trauma of having the knee forcibly stretched, or the tendons pulled into taffy. I know it's important and necessary, and my PT acknowledged that I would be sore (like I was the other night), that this was to be expected. That's what the painkillers are for. Tell that to my liver.

I've been working the scar with vit. E oil, and it's looking quite healthy. It oogs me out to be stretching and mushing it around, but I know it's crucial to break up the adhesions. Scar tissue forms in a mishmash pattern, which can cause it to stick to the underlying tissue, and that can cause pain when I try to stretch my knee. The massaging helps to break up the stickiness, and helps to reform the scar tissue into more uniform rows, which is what muscle tissue is supposed to look like.

I've been waking up at night, usually at least once/night, with my outside hamstring tendon going into spasm and forcing my knee to bend. The pain is pretty bad, especially coming out of a sound sleep, and I usually gasp, moan, and try to straighten it out so it can relax. It's not fun. Last night it happened at least twice, and maybe a third time, although I can't remember for sure. I'm worried that my normal sleep patterns will be forever altered by this recovery process. At least I don't have to get the bf up every 4 hours to go to the little girl's room and/or take my painkillers. That was a complete bummer, for both of us. Of course, he wasn't in constant pain, but he is very grumpy when he doesn't get enough sleep. Men, sheesh!

The best news I had during PT is that he said I have more range of motion, even since my session on Monday, so that is terrific. The worst news I had was that I probably wouldn't be able to get back to active yoga until maybe almost July. Hopefully I can get back to gentle stuff before then, and modify like crazy.

Onward and upward...