The hardest part for me recovering is not the pain, and it is not the throbbing or swelling of my arm, but the fact that I cannot go about my normal routine. I am a lifter. I go to the gym and lift heavy, lifting with a rotation of push, pull, leg, and full-body days. However, I have been doing leg and cardio every day because of the lack of weight I can put on my arms.

When I go into surgery, the most annoying thing is resting; because I wouldn't say I like to rest. I like to go. I used to think resting restricted me from doing my daily activities.

I realized there is a misconception between restricting and living. Although there are very few activities I can do with my arms, I can try new things and replace the upper body with legs, cardio, or abs. This is not restricting; these days helps me continue to live my everyday life. I have been frustrated before my workouts, thinking it is a burden not to work on my upper body; however, I have been so grateful afterward to exercise.

I can not do planks, hold weights, or push or pull with my left arm. However, I still want my body to feel good, so I do the things I can do because I can work out.

I remember doing Tone It Up workout videos with my mother, and they would always say, “You never regret a workout.” Which is so true.

Working out is part of my life, and I never want to stop; because it helped me find myself and embrace my disability. Every surgery, the one thing I am eager to get back into is the gym. I do not have to stop; I have to modify; to keep going.

Whatever you love, rather it is making music; or working out, or painting, there are always new ways. You have the potential to fight that limitation. Society limits you, but you have the potential to keep on pushing; but not too hard.

It can be frustrating; it can be restricted; however, I can think of it differently. I am fully functioning except for pain; however, I am not at moments of my surgery. I have been lifting with my legs, going to the gym still; however, using machines that do not require a grabbing motion, for example, the barbell or dumbells.

The most important advice on the road to recovery is to remember that what you love is never lost. I have been working on my core strength and my leg strength to gain the ability to use my arm again. But taking it slow is key. If you push back too hard, you may never move forward.

Understanding that you will never lose your activities is always something I firmly like to hold on to.

It is about progress, not about miracles. I know the effects of my surgery, and I am thrilled with the outcome. I do not want to mess up my procedure by pushing myself into a road that I know would take me back. However, I do not want to sit and waste all my progress working on exactly for this surgery. We can keep going; and further our progress, even with little modifications. I will have stronger legs now, that’s all; then I will get back to my normal push, pull, leg cycle!