THIS I Didn't Expect.

We live in remarkable times. 

Two weeks ago tomorrow a surgeon sawed out Mrs. Fallon's kid's right knee and replaced it with a fake one.  (Really! That's what first came to mind after the surgery.  "I'm gonna tell Momma about that stinker doctor.")

Not much pain.  I can already sense the absence of the offending arthritis and associated bone on bone damage.  I'm relieved.  

But what I did NOT expect was to experience such a profound impact on my stamina.  

I had been doing indoor training on the rower and the bike for six weeks, two hours a day, in preparation for the surgery.  Two days after the surgery I walked up one flight of stairs and had to lay down on the bed, gasping for breath like a beached whale. 

Today I returned to work for four hour days and three day weeks.  My stamina (from the neck up) has returned.  But afterwords, returning home, I needed a nice nap.  A NAP?!!  And I was able to eat only half a sandwich.  

So the take-home message for me is that my body recognizes the surgery as a major trauma and is telling to go hide in cave, shut up and wait a long time.  I didn't expect that.  But I understand it and it makes sense.  

Deliberate and disciplined rest is the hardest of tasks.