My recovery from labral tear repair and biceps tendon reattachment has progressed okay, one quarter of a planetary orbit post-op. Although a quarter of an orbit seems an appropriate signifier considering my current level of external rotation. While I am able to pick up weights of about 10kg from ground to shoulder height, my plan of developing supreme leg strength through a rehab period regime of back squats has been dashed by my inability as of yet to be able to get my upright forearm past the line of my body. At least I'm getting really good at goblet squats.

Day to day activities are mostly back to normal. I've ridden my bike and driven the car and pruned some trees and doing any of these for long periods needs a beer afterwards. At the twelve week mark my rehab program was progressed to include a whole new array of light/no weight stretches, poses and exercises. No existing exercises were removed from the program. If you ever need to rehab a joint I strongly recommend against ball and socket types. You really take for granted the range of movement available during flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, medial rotation and lateral rotation. There's plenty of time to reminisce about it when you're spending your free time in the evenings lying on an exercise mat with your arm up your back and your opposite knee cocked and then rolling on top of your own arm in the hope that six months from now this painful activity is what permits you to apply sunscreen to your upper back by yourself.

Post surgery rehab truly is the least rewarding form of resistance training. Cold sweat runs down your forehead, your muscles ache and beg off, the minutes pass by and the only reason your knuckles are close to where they're supposed to be is because your entire wrist is flexed skywards. I have four booklets of movements and stretches. I barely remember how much pain I was in before the scalpel came for me, but it wasn't as much as this.

But I'm not complaining. At least this dictionary of shoulder exercises gives me something to structure a workout around. Things are getting better every day week. Nothing pops when I cut up vegetables anymore. The surgeon and physio claim that I'm half way through. I'm never playing social basketball again.

I had the dream again... I think I'm playing basketball, but actually I'm anesthetised, topping up the bank accounts of members of the ATO's top 5 income earners while they re-attach my tendons to the wrong parts of my skeleton.

In the six weeks since I have been following the booklet of arm rehab advice. The exercises primarily involved using my good arm to swing around my bad one.

This was the shittiest beard I could find on a Lego head.

The goal is not 360 degree swivel articulation like the Lego dudes. I'd take what I had before back.

My favourite exercise was the one where I used a wooden spoon to push and stretch my arm away from my body. The physio couldn't have known that I would have the Official Bradism Long Wooden Spoon For Tall People in my kitchen.

Combined with my discipline for rehab, I quickly regained mobility and strength. After a few weeks I felt like I could win an arm wrestle against a toddler.

I saw my surgeon today who refreshed my memory on how good he was at cutting into people and re-attaching tendons to the wrong parts of skeletons.
Maybe I asked too many questions because he charged me an $8 gap.

I asked if I would be able to dunk a basketball after 6 months and he said yes! That will definitely make this worth the investment...

Sometimes I think I'm feeling nostalgic about those early days of rehab. Sitting in the backyard listening to audiobooks and drinking cups of soup. Watching NBA playoffs on the couch. Excused from having to work and write and exercise and needing to floss and (briefly) shave. In reality I know that nostalgia for days in pain is really just nostalgia for days in pain where I didn't also have to work eight hours a day.

Now the pain is starting to fade, and I can use the wooden spoon for its intended purpose again. I'm looking forward to a return to the gym and the writing desk and maybe the basketball court, and putting this behind me - which I can currently do to about 50% of normal range of motion. I can move on and embrace the future. Yay!

31 days post op, my recovery from labral tear repair and biceps tendon reattachment has progressed well. I haven't worn a sling for nearly two days now, and most of the fortnight before that it was just when leaving the house. My rehab exercises have progressed from handshaking practice to also include "touching my butt", "pretending I'm an elephant" and "rock the wooden spoon." (The wooden spoon one was supposed to be "rock the baby", but when the physio said I should treat the wooden spoon like a crying baby that needed rocking I replied that I wouldn't get much flexibility back by leaving the wooden spoon in another room and putting my headphones on.) I can now use a long piece of wood to push my hand all the way up to the roof.

Post surgery rehab truly is the most rewarding form of resistance training. If I saw the same amount of strength and mobility gains in my normal training that my shoulder has had from three 20 minute sessions a day then I would be eating a hundred eggs a week by now. I guess the difference is which side of zero you start from.

I was doing daily computer work after two weeks, but if I'd had more sick leave I would have pushed that to three. Around that time was the period of most pain, with my mouse hand extending out from my body. I found that putting a bit more stretch on the extension exercises and doing them more frequently helped get past this stage. I also used a second mouse with my left hand on and off throughout the first week, but I've progressed beyond that now.

I can tie my shoes and my track suit pants waistband. I was able to reach to the floor of the shower and pump some shampoo into my hand with full arm extended, but wasn't able to then transfer it to my hair. A few days later that was done too, and I can now reach everywhere that I used to be able to. That said, I can blow dry my good armpit, but can't quite apply roll on deodorant. I can't drive yet, and anything weight bearing has to be done with strict control. I sleep on my good shoulder with my arm on a pillow for support. I don't know what my next rehab exercises will be yet, but hopefully I'll find out soon and hopefully they'll conjure funny imagery.

It's been eleven days since my shoulder surgery, and I've had a lot of time on my hand since. I've never tried meditation before, and figured this was a good chance to experiment and give it a shot. Not for spiritual reasons, I'm just a bit bored.

I would consider myself mindful already. I'm usually aware of my emotions if and when I experience them. I'm disciplined and I don't lose my focus easily. I did look at a bunch of amusing TikToks while writing this paragraph but when I realised I was distracted I was able to stop immediately so I could get this done.

To begin my meditation journey I set up a chair overlooking the garden. You will also need a pair of noise cancelling headphones, a meditation training app (I'm trialling Headspace although I'll probably cancel before I get charged) and a can of bug repellent (I'm using Aeroguard - Tropical Strength.

To meditate, you sit comfortably, breathe slowly, and close your eyes. Become aware of the environment around you - the sounds and smells, the feel of your body on the chair, the sensations in your head, shoulders, chest, legs, feet. Once all these are categorised you can ignore them all and focus on your breath. Don't control it, just let your mind tune in to the rhythm of your body inhaling and exhaling. If anything distracts you then that's okay - acknowledge the diversion and let it go free like a helium balloon escaping into space.

Eventually your mind becomes clear and your consciousness slips down into a place in your brain kind of behind your nose and it feels sparkly and nice. At this point you'll think "I'm doing it! I'm meditating!" and you'll need to discard that distraction too.

I do not recommend writing a journal article about your meditation experience, at least not when starting out. Most of my distractions have been in the form of observations about meditating that I could journal. As well as if I should have a tea or a cup of soup when my meditating was over.

However, if you struggle with distraction, or like the idea of having a nap in the garden each morning, I recommend giving meditation a try.

I did not get distracted once writing the rest of this entry. Even though it's a really boring one. Perhaps I have gotten better at handling distraction over the last five days. Perhaps it's because I only have one arm.

Week 1 post op has gone well. Starting with basically no mobility beyond the fingers last Thursday, I now have full range of motion in my wrist, along with forearm pronation and supination. I was able to get my elbow around for the "handshake position" by Monday and I do 20 minutes of static resistance in this position three times every day.

Beyond rehab, I've managed to carry light objects, do up my fly, squeeze a tube of facial scrub, and give my dog a head scritch.

I have been resting, reclining, eating healthy and getting lots of fresh air when I'm not doing exercises. I've drunk a lot of milk, along with protein powder although I don't think the "Repair and Recover" motto on the tub of WPC specifically had shoulder cartilage in mind.

One of the last tasks that I completed pre-surgery was to drag the outdoor gas heater next to my patio chair in readiness for a fortnight of gloomy recovery.

So I'll admit I was a little annoyed to see the weather forecast for the days following my surgery were suddenly all sunny and mid-twenties. In late May!? How dare life throw this new insult in my face? Days perfect for bike rides or even beach walks, and getting things done in the garden, all now to be observed from the shadows with my arm in a sling.

In hindsight, nice days have been a blessing. I've been able to walk around in a singlet, rather than with my arm awkwardly swaddled within the confines of my jumper. I've done less shivering. The warm air has given the afternoons a serene ambience in which to listen to audiobooks and watch Nash chase the birds out of the bushes.

It's also been good weather for eating Zooper Doopers.

Day 1 post op has gone well. I have not taken the hourly 5-20mg of Endone that was originally recommend. I should have bought ice-cream cones.