The Triathlon Rx | January 27, 2012
8 comments

Friday Confessional: 01.26.12

Forgive me father (/fellow gym members/ego/PT Ben), for I have sinned. It has been thirty-five days since my last confession. And it’s about dang time!!

[If you're new to Friday Confessionals, you can check the 101, or pretend that you did and just know that there are no rules - anything goes. No judging!!]

1. Worked out in Uggs…

I got to the gym around 5:45am, rearin’ n ready to go. Pulled my shorts out of the bag, put em on. Pulled my tank out of the bag, put it on. Slipped the Uggs off and pulled out the Sky Speeds… ⠋ ⠥ ⠉ ⠅!!!! (Should I also confess to swearing in braille?) My Asics were sitting happily on their shelf in the closet at home, warm, dry, and sweat-free. So I did what any stubborn redhead sensible young lady would do and worked out in the only shoes I had… the Uggs.

Kid you not, I got an awkward stare from every single person I had to walk (/crutch) past. Their facial expressions said something like AYFKM?!? (Go ahead. Urban Dictionary.) What I really wanted was a sign to hold up saying IT WAS A MISTAKE!! FORGOT SHOES AT HOME!! I DO NOT THINK IT’S CUTE TO WORKOUT IN LAMB BOOTS!! Instead, I swallowed my pride and made my way to the arm ergometer. After 40 minutes of a slow and excruciating death (with nary a drop of sweat), I switched to the recumbent bike for the remaining 20. This time I decided just-socks was the better option, at which point THREE people (in twenty minutes!) asked me where are your shoes? One of whom was wearing Vibrams. :???: I forgot em’ at the sheep farm homie… don’t worry about it.

2. I can only last 20 minutes…

:shock:  On my bike, that is. If someone can scientifically explain to me WHY riding your own bike on a trainer feels 20x harder than riding outdoors, or riding a spin bike, or riding a stationary bike, I would greatly appreciate it. Once I got clearance from the doc to get on the bike, I thought it would be smarter to ride my own bike on the trainer since the geometry would be the right fit.

tic tic tic – 20 minutes later

Either my fitness has tanked, or… yep. Even in the easiest gear it took MAJOR effort to make it to 20 minutes on the QRoo. Frustrated and determined not to quit, I replaced it in it’s rightful home (expensive living room artwork here!!) and got on the stationary bike. Whattya know. 40 minutes later and I felt like I had “worked” the muscles, but not like I was run over by a bus. Riddle me that, Batman….

3. Electrocuting my glutes…

Physical therapy has been going well. Exceptionally well since we brought out the electrodes!! Electrical stimulation, affectionately known as “stim”, has been used since 1791 shocking frogs in the laboratory. Its use in physical therapy and other athletic medicine settings is more recent… around the 1960s and 70s. (Never ever cite wikipedia!!)

Its use in reactivating the gluteus maximus however, at least at TRIA Orthopedic Center, is something I am delighted to set the precedent for. I’ve had big problems with my left glute ever since my first hip surgery in December of 2008, and my PT Ben and I decided enough was enough. Clamshells, side-lying hip abduction, bridges, fire hydrants… they weren’t doing squat. And I didn’t have the weight bearing ability to do squats or DLs. PT Julia, what are we missing?

So although PT Ben had never used stim on the glutes, we figured trying it couldn’t hurt. And by golly, I do think it’s starting to work! We have been combining Russian stim (which uses a slightly higher frequency) with the previously mentioned exercises, doing a 10 second on / 10 second off protocol. It is probably too early to call it a “success”, but I will say I haven’t been able to get that deep of a glute contraction in over 3 years.

“Hey Ben… can you take a picture of this? For the blog…”

Which reminds me, if you haven’t seen the YouTube video “Sh!t Triathletes Say” yet, I recommend you get on it. My buddy Steve posted it over at I Wanna Get Physical, and it is definitely worth a chuckle.

ALSO to check out if you feel so inclined: Exercise Physiology, Winter Edition on Groucho Sports, and a Workout for Super Bowl Sunday at Minnesota Tri News!

Reader Qs:

Do you have anything to confess this Friday? Share em.

-E

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | January 22, 2012
10 comments

Birthday Bucket: 22 x 23

YOWZA!! <- is all I really want to say about the last 10 days. There has been some good, some bad, and some ugly. Highlights from both ends of the spectrum include accepting a new job and filing a police report.

The end.

___________________________________________________________________

22 x 23 Birthday Bucket

Likely you’ve seen someone or other make a “101 in 1001″ list… I think called the “Day Zero Project” but I don’t really know why. Well not too long ago, my Hawaiian amiga Mags made a 40 by 41 list – 40 things she wants to do before her 41st birthday. Which left me sitting on my couch thinking… I’m not getting any younger. Time is not going to slow down. And I will not end up as a crazy cat lady. (I’m allergic anyways… if worse comes to worse I’ll have a really big fish tank.) Time to do what I do best and get my Martha Stewart on make a list.

We won’t call this a “bucket list,” since I’m genuinely hoping I don’t die at 23, nomsayin? So we can call it a “birthday bucket.” There were quite a few things I eliminated from the list because they seemed “not important enough” to be included in my alloted 22. So I decided to make a bigger list. :D Eventually I’ll end up with my “101 in 1001″ … but for now, this is what I’m gonna do in the next 313 days.

The List*

  • Be able to change the front/rear tire & tube in <5 min.
  • Catch fish with Grandpa Ansie
  • Get a new job
  • Go camping
  • Go out with someone I want to get to the 3rd date
  • Go to a shooting range (and shoot!)
  • Invest in a stock
  • Learn how to make Grandma’s poppyseed küchen
  • Learn how to make mom’s beef stew
  • Learn all the new players on the Twins roster
  • No meat for ALL of Lent
  • Open water 2 mile swim race
  • Read all of Corinthians
  • Ride 3 centuries
  • Ride a motorcycle
  • Run around Calhoun
  • Save $10 for each item I check off
  • Speak Spanish with a stranger
  • Start going to Connect at church
  • Start my own nacimiento

[* If you're good at counting... you will note that the list is only 20 and not 22. The administration has exercised its' authority and selectively edited where inappropriate appropriate. :mrgreen: ]

Some of these items are things that should be easily accomplished… starting the nacimiento takes all of one quick trip to E. Lake Street. Going to Connect (which, let’s be real, is really just a Christian singles group) only takes manning up and going, even if it means going solo. Others, like running around the lake and getting to that 3rd date, are things that should be easy but in reality might put up a fight. I already can check off one – getting a new job (!!) – which also means I need to put $10 into the ‘Mo Money’ jar…

So, mis amigos, this has been an entirely non-tri-related post. But I’ve had fun making the list [(it took multiple swim sessions of brain storming - only 20 days after I started making this...) haha I just made it tri-related!], and I’m looking forward to checkin’ things off one by one!

Reader Qs:

Do you have a bucket list? A birthday list? A must-do list? What is one thing you absolutely want to do before you … um … croak? :?

-E

 

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday | Tags:
The Triathlon Rx | January 12, 2012
4 comments

Double Dipping: Groucho Sports and Minnesota Tri News

It may have been the path that originally lead you to my blog in the first place, but I’m sure there are others of you who didn’t know….!

In addition to The Triathlon Rx, I am also a writer for:

… where you can find me every Thursday, and

… where I post as often as I’m clever enough to come up with something good! (Kidding. Kinda…. ;) )

Anywho, I try really hard not to double-dip. That is, post something both here and and also on another site I write for. However, I occasionally to suffer from transient monotony, and therefore once in a while you will see a double post. As in today…

(To see the original post, or check out my awesome Groucho Teammates, go HERE to check out the company!!)

Groucho Blogger Erika: Arctic Tundra

Well guys… I have some sad news for you.

It looks like Minnesota is going to get a winter after all… :(

Unlike some of our cryophilic friends here at Groucho Sports, I would rather spend three months in a toaster oven than venture out into the sub-zero tundra of a true Minneapolis winter. Year after year, I ask myself why WHYY [insert man on knees shaking his hand towards heaven in rage] do I still live in this frozen state? But then after 3… 5… 7 months of cold… the snow eventually melts. Flowers sneak their little heads up through the ground. Easter – my favorite day of the year – comes and I find this transient sense of forgiveness for our state and its far-too-long season of frozen.

Given that we’ve been cut some slack this year – people running in shorts and biking outside in January – I felt it fair to turn down my degree of displeasure. So this winter, as my offering of thanks, I vow [/make] to do the following:

Though obviously not with my “good” bikes…

How fun would it be to come outside to ‘Mater on your windshield? Even more fun if you have a 4 year old. :)

Reader Qs:

What do you do to make winter “more fun”? And how the duck do you keep your fingers warm!?!? If I had a box of Cocoa Puffs for every pair of gloves or mittens I’ve gone through to find “the one” …. I’d be coo coo, and drowning.

-E

Category: Uncategorized | Tags:
The Triathlon Rx | January 7, 2012
11 comments

What is The Triathlon Rx?

Heyyo!

Thought it might be a good idea to explain the changes you see around here!!

First things first: Why did the blog name change? 

If you’ve been around for a while, you know I was blogging over at Dr.TriRunner. When I bought that domain name, it was at a time in my life when I was pursuing medical school with the final goal of working as an MD in sports medicine. However, this funny thing called “life” happened… and eventually (through lots of job shadowing, research, and spending enough time as a patient in sports medicine) I realized that was not who I wanted to be! If you want a deeper explanation to that decision, feel free to shoot me an email, but long story short: over time I became aware that the life of an MD was not the life I had in mind for myself. This being the case, I felt (and had felt that way for a while) that Dr.TriRunner was no longer a proper fit for the name of my blog. But the thought of trying to change it was stressing me out!! All this website hosting/domains/subdomains/redirects thing is definitely not my forte. :neutral:

LUCKLY, my beyondwonderful web hosting company, BlueHost, made the transition a piece of cake. Promise they’re not paying me to say this… but their customer service is the best I have ever experienced! (Sorry Zappos, I think even better than you.) They talked me through everything, and even taught me how to make a BACKUP!!! Something I have been wanting / needing to do for ages, but never could figure out how (despite all the “easy” tutorials online…).

So, that brings us to why “The Triathlon Rx?”

If you go way back in the archives… it’s pretty easy to tell I was strictly a runner. I might have played with a little cross training here and there, but running was my passion. It kept me grounded, it lit the fire, it helped me connect with God, helped me connect with others, allowed me to destress, allowed me to get excited… it sounds bad to say it, but it really was my life.

Until that last fateful run on September 27th, 2008. After my coach noticed I was limping and sent me for x-rays, I was put almost immediately into an MRI, a CT, and a meeting with two specialists: one in hips, and the other in tumors. Shortly thereafter I was on crutches, scheduled for surgery (#1), and diagnosed with fibrous dysplasia. Months of rehab followed – both physical and mental. Suddenly without the biggest constant in my life, I felt paralyzed by the uncertainties ahead. I felt like I had lost my identity.

It was in my first post-op meeting, after my doctor had given me a protocol for pool running and cross training, that he suggested the possibility of doing a triathlon. I had only ever participated in one before, and that was as part of a relay team. Obviously as the runner. But as I thought about my years on the Uptown Otters swim team, and my bike commuting to and from work, his words started to sink in. It was his perfect solution… his prescription… his compromise with my determination to stay an athlete and the medical need to put less impact on the neck of my femur. I started to think, Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad…

And as they say, the rest was history!! The prescription of triathlon has done more for me than I’m sure my doctor ever thought possible. Not only has it enabled me to remain an athlete, but it has connected me with such a wonderful community of people here in Minnesota, and even world wide! (HI JUANMA IN PR!) It has taught me life lessons (always carry that damn tube!). It has taught me [a little bit of] patience and discipline in training for three sports at one time, instead of always wanting to go all out in just one. Hah – it is even how I met the last two boyfriends!! :oops: This prescription has truly changed my life.
SO… that is where The Triathlon Rx comes from. I will likely be making an email change, but for now you can still reach me at drtrirunner (at) gmail (dot) com. Also, look for updates on all the pages, including some new spotlight companies and product reviews!
(Plus, the post-race massages are better at tris than they ever were at the running races!! HI Dr. Josh!)
Hope you all have had a fun and healthy first week into the new year… and can keep it goin strong. Catch ya soon!
-E
Category: Uncategorized |
The Triathlon Rx | January 4, 2012
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Under Construction!

Clearly there are some changes going on… please stay tuned, and in the meantime, update your Google Reader / bookmarks / etc…

FROM

http://www.drtrirunner.com

TO

http://www.thetriathlonrx.com

Gracias, and will be back with more info about the transition soon!!

-E

 

Category: Uncategorized |
The Triathlon Rx | January 2, 2012
19 comments

Staying fit while on crutches

I am just shy of 3 weeks into this post-surgery rehabilitation period, and have another 3 weeks to go. While six weeks certainly isn’t the longest I’ve been on crutches (try 6 months!!), this is the most restricted I have ever been in terms of weight bearing activity and exercise. Despite my fears of turning into a whale… the scale has not really budged. Despite my fears of turning into a limp noodle… well,  my arms are still strong! ;)

When an injured athlete is faced with a period of non-weight bearing activity and handed the crutches of doom, all sorts of questions and fears may arise. Will I lose all my pre-injury fitness? Will I gain weight? Will I have to start over from square one? Will I be forced to give up coffee since I can’t carry a cup?! (Because really, that’s all that honestly matters.) While each athlete will have unique circumstances, I’m 97% confident I can say the answer to each of these questions is NO. Including giving up coffee!

Steps to staying fit while crutch-bound

(1) First and foremost, get medical clearance from your physician. Check what is OK, what isn’t, and keep your medical team updated as you progress through recovery.

Assuming you’ve been given the green light…

(2) Don’t check yourself out mentally!! Even if you “love” to workout, it’s pretty dang easy to hang up your handicapped parking tag over the couch and stay there for good. And what goes better with a movie than a pint of Ben & Jerry’s…?!

Don’t get me wrong – take your well-deserved time to recover and mentally/physically recharge. But don’t get too comfortable on the couch, because you will eventually be able to get back at it again, and there is no need for you to start over from the very beginning! Instead of getting down because of what you can’t do, focus on what you can. Which means…

(3) Upper body strength: Your arms will get a head start simply from using crutches, but if you’re an athlete who is used to putting in a couple of hours a day, chances are that won’t quite cut it. Free weights can be difficult to maneuver as you need  both hands to crutch, and probably shouldn’t try and grab that 35 pound DB with your pinky. Machines, however, are for the most part very doable. Push ups, yes. Pull ups, yes. (Just remember not to jump down!!) Chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, back… you can hit em’ all.

The biggest hang up for me is that I superset all my lifts. The patience is simply not there to sit on a machine and just wait between sets. It drives me nuts!! But for the time being… I will get over it. Logistically it makes life a lot easier to take one machine at a time. If possible, try to hit the gym at a less-busy time of day.

(4) Cardio: It is still possible! Two options (that I know of… if there’s something else out there, please let me know!!): Hand cycle ergometer, and pulling in the swimming pool. Unfortunately not all gyms will have a hand cycle… but if you have access to one, I definitely recommend taking advantage of it! Forewarning: the first few times (just like when pool running) it will feel like you’re not doing anything. And/or it will feel very difficult. Possibly both at the same time. Chances are that it’s mostly mental because it’s simply not an exercise you’re accustomed to. Keep at it, and you will likely notice it starts to feel [mentally] easier, and you will actually start working up a sweat!

In terms of swimming, please make sure that any open wounds/incisions have completely healed before you get in the water!! You may be dying to get back to exercise, but not at the cost of big nasty infection. If your doctor has cleared you to get in the pool (submerged – not the same as showering!!) then hop splash to it! Assuming most readers here are triathletes, this is your golden opportunity to work on that often-dreaded portion of multi-sport. How much you can use your legs will depend on your doctor’s/PT’s orders – you may not be able to kick at all, or you may be able to do a light flutter. Invest in a pull buoy if they’re not available at your pool (usually between $5 and $10), and pull away. This is also a great time to work on stroke drills – fingertip drag, distance per stroke, single arm, catch up, rhythm, etc.

Some lower body injuries may still allow you to pool run. If you’ve been given the go to do this, and are wondering where the heck to start (or looking for pool running workout ideas!), check out two of my previous posts: Pool Running, and Pool Running Part II.

(5) Core stability: Although it will depend on what your injury was, you may very well be able to keep up your core work! Again, check with your medical team. Your regular routine may need to be modified a bit – typically the rapid, jerking movements may be best if skipped. There will also be some trial and error involved… you may find you can do planks just fine using only your “good leg”, or that Russian Twists use too much quad muscle to do comfortable.

(6) Physical therapy: This should probably be #1. If you have been ordered physical therapy, I can’t stress how important it is to keep up your exercises as prescribed!!! It may be tedious. It may be time consuming. But your physical therapists have been through four years of an undergraduate education, a competitive admissions process to their masters or doctoral program, and an additional 2 to 3 years of education. PLUS passing the National Physical Therapy Exam, as well as state certification exams. Read: they know their ****. They can determine proper exercises based on your current status, and help you advance them as you improve in recovery.

(7) Diet: No hate mail for this one please!! Truth be told, if you’re used to putting in Ironman worthy workouts every day and you’re now limited to 40 minutes on the arm ergometer, you may need to adjust your diet a bit. If your maintenance calories had been 3800… well, they’re probably not right now. Calories in = calories out… capisci?

On the flip side, if you’ve been down at that racing weight for maybe a little to long, or are one of those people who struggles to maintain a healthy weight, this could be your easy fix. If calories/eating/weight while injured is causing a great deal of anxiety, it may be worth checking in with a sports dietitian or sports psychologist for good measure.

^^ I can’t wait for the day I can get back to THIS! ^^ It was my first full triathlon (and first tri podium finish!) and I will do what it takes – even if that means being patient – to get back there! :D

In terms of other crutching tips… there are a couple things I would like to add:

  • Backpack. Or those nice little drawstring bags. Keep one with you at all times!
  • Travel coffee mugs. Lovely reader Brynna recommends the Contigo brand because she can throw them in her bag, and they don’t leak a drop! Unfortunately, most of the [ridiculous too] many mugs I have aren’t that leak-proof. I just picked up a Thermos brand “Stainless King Travel Tumbler” at CostCo, and honestly I’m pretty sure it could withstand a bomb. Put it in your above mentioned backpack and you’re good to go!
  • Remove floor rugs and their best attempts to trip you up.
  • Under-arm crutch padding… OR forearm crutches. There are some nasty injury/wound pictures lying within my iPhoto albums, but I’m glad I didn’t take one of my rib cage post-crutches. Rubbed. Raw. :(

Being injured is never fun. Ever. But keep your head in the game, and remind yourself that this just a speed bump in your life, not a road block. Do what you can do safely, and you will be back in action before you know it!

Reader Qs:

What do you do to stay fit/sane while you’re injured? Do you have any crutch-success tips to add?

-E

*This post has been added to Train on Top archives, where you can find other articles on training, cross training, nutrition, and injury prevention.

Category: Medical Monday | Tags: , , , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | December 31, 2011
8 comments

GoodBYE 2011, Good GOALS 2012!

It’s probably bad luck to wish time away, but I’m ready (and I know I’m not the only one… can I get an AMEN Lindsay?!) for 2011 to be done. Pack it up. Put it in a box. And put it AWAY. So instead of “wishing time away” … I’ll try to put more of an optimistic spin on it. ;)

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize.
- Philippians 3:13-14

Ahhh… much better.

Once again, we have reached the end of another year. The time associated with “resolutions”, rush crowds at the gym, and champaign jello shots in fancy flute glasses. Only I do New Year’s a little differently…

  • The word resolutions drives me NUTS! I just feel like it cheapens the fact that you can make a conscious choice to make a change / start something new / work towards a goal at ANY time on ANY day. I do love goals, though by making goals in the last week of a December maybe I’m defeating my own point… Long story short: goals/”resolutions” = good things. Always!
  • The “fresh” crowd at the gym… I think in previous years I let myself get annoyed because it meant crowded parking lots, crowded locker rooms, crowded spin class, and crowded fitness floor. Yes, there is an increase in traffic at the gym come January 1st, but that also means there is an increase in people being cognizant about their fitness and the effects that has on one’s health. Will their commitment stick? Maybe, maybe not. But everyone has to start somewhere, and if you choose to commit to your health on New Years day, more power to you. I hereby vow to let you work in, show you where the the alternate ropes/bars are, show you how to “turn on” the elliptical, and be as kind/patient/helpful as possible. To anyone in particular that I ever rolled my eyes at for doing squats with an EZ Curl bar, I am sorry. :o
  • Champaign. Alcohol in general. Still can’t drink!! I will chose to abide by the “do not mix with alcohol” warning on my medications bottles.. and be rockin it extremely sober this NYE.

Before I get into any recent/future goals… I thought it might be fun to look at goals from the past few years, which, thanks to the blog, I have documentation for!

2008

  1. Decide: transfer to NEU, or stay at the U of MN.
  2. More family time.
  3. More home cooked meals.
  4. Strengthh train damnit!
  5. GET. MORE. SLEEP.

 

2009

Mysteriously absent… I was two weeks post surgery [#1], home from Boston for break [and recovery], and had just realized how much I missed being home in Minneapolis. Which eventually led to my decision to transfer back to the U of MN and move back to the Twin Cities.

 

2010

  1. Continue to work on getting more sleep. Ideally 8 hours minimum per night.
  2. Make sure to keep up swimming and cycling during the brief periods that you are “cleared” to run.
  3. Allow room for grey areas. Not everything in life is all or none, needs a plan, or a set schedule. Try to incorporate the practice of “go with the flow”.

 

2011

  1. Explore new ways to deepen my faith.
  2. Bandshell mass this summer!
  3. Call/write/send something to both of my grandparents EVERY week.
  4. Plan out training times at the beginning of the week.
  5. Don’t overschedule myself!!

In terms of “progress” from last year, I can check off numbers 1, 2, 4, and 5. Number 3 was an ambitious goal that I kept up for about two months… and then sadly fell off. I do love my grandparents dearly, and would like to make sure I get as much time with them as possible. You only get one family!!!

For 2012, my list is a little more extensive. Some of them are non-negotiable: Rehab… continuing education units… renewing certifications… mass. They just need to get done. Others – keep learning Italian – are more in the would be nice category. So without further delay, here it is in writing:

2012

Quite a few of these I’ve already got a running crutching start on. Others will require quite a bit more effort/time/money/PATIENCE…

Hmmm, maybe that last one should have been on the “personal” list. Too late – it’s already written!! ;)

Reader Qs:

What are YOU working towards this coming year/month/lifetime?

Te cuidas and ¡hasta luego!

-E

Category: Uncategorized | Tags:
The Triathlon Rx | December 23, 2011
8 comments

Friday Confessional: 12.23.11

Just wanted to check in quick before heading out of town for the holidays!! Hope everyone is doing well. If you’ve never played Friday Confessionals before, don’t sweat it. The only rule is that there isn’t any – everything goes, and you will not be judged for it. If you feel so inclined, you can check the official rundown post… GAME TIME!

1. I feel kind of badass…

A buddy of mine the other day told me I was tough as nails, and have the hardware to prove it. It was just kind of a nice reminder that this hasn’t, and won’t take me down. I am still that little feisty redhead… just have to turn the fire down for a little while. ;)

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

2. I am way behind on Christmas…

Christmas is in less than 48 hours. I just finished wrapping all my gifts at 5pm tonight. I just finished making the rest of my gifts this afternoon. (They are very Pinterest inspired… I’m actually tackling that “post-surgery crafts” board!) Oh and by the way we are heading out of town tomorrow morning. Wooops!

Luckily there are quite a few people who I am doing gift exchanges with after Christmas… Which means I will still have time to shop for for them when I get home on Monday. :D Not going to lie: don’t hate the fact that everything will be on sale!

3. Not working out is not working out…

At least mentally. It’s not even so much the I’m going to blow up into the size of a baby whale thing… calories in vs. calories out is something I know how to balance. But it’s just having all this TIME on my hands to do NOTHING!! Previously, my day was taken up with practice > work > eat > sleep > repeat. Right now my work is on hold (I work at a University… winter break), and going to practice obviously isn’t happening if I’m only able to do toe-touch weight bearing. It just feels like too much couch time, and it makes me frustrated. :mad: Maybe I just need to bulk up my “non-active to do list“.

BUT… for full disclosure I do still get to go to the gym. My doc is thoroughly encouraging to use the arm ergometer, and I’ve been getting “better” at it day by day. But it kind of feels like waiting to watch ice freeze… and it’s obviously not what I’m used to. I miss squats!!!!! (<- whining voice)

________________________________________________________

Post-surgery update:

It has only been 9 days… but it feels like it has been 3 weeks. Several changes worth noting:

Physical Therapy: Those exercises that were so hard last week? Not so hard anymore! I can do all of them unassisted, and with much less difficulty/pain than before. Today I booked PT for about 6 weeks out, and am excited to get started with it and start makin’ some progress!

Post-Op Appointment: Was this morning, and it went very well! Healing and rehab is all on track. My wound is closing nicely (and I will be able to get in the POOL on Monday!!!! So you better not here me giving a Friday Confessional next week saying “the pool is so boring!” Trust me. I’ll take it.) I will go back for xrays at the end of my six weeks (January 25th… yeah, it has been circled on the calendar for a month) and pray that the above “fresh Christmas tree cut” on my femur has fully healed!

Forearm Crutches: … have honestly changed my life. Up until my post-op appointment today I was using the traditional, under the arm crutches. And I’m pretty sure my skin was rubbed almost all the way down to my rib bones!! They make sheepskin coverings for the underarm crutch pads to help reduce friction, but I was literally wincing with every step and didn’t think the little lamby skins would cut it. If you have ever been on crutches for an extended period of time and experienced this rubbed-raw sensation, you have my deepest sympathy.

So today then, I talked to my doctor about forearm crutches. He said more and more athletes are choosing them, and they tend to work out even for non-weight bearing assistance because our breed (so to speak ;) ) already has greater arm strength. Yeah… after all this hand cycling and upper body only weights, I’d like to think I have some arm strength!!

Reader Qs:

Any additions you can give me for this non-active to do list?

Have you ever been on crutches? What for, and did you burn off all your underarm skin?

Any big holiday plays / Santa Shuffle 10Ks / extravagant field trips planned?

Take care, be good to yourself, and be safe if you’re hitting the roads.
-E

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | December 17, 2011
24 comments

Three Days Post-Surgery: Success!!

Step #1: Make it through surgery

Check!

Several hours after going under, I heard from my parents, who heard from my surgeon that the unscrewing, sawing, drilling, and plating was successful! I have a sweet post-op xray with the new fancy hardware store, but don’t have it on a disc yet so that will have to wait! In the mean time, check out the new hospital space suit/body heaters:

Yeah… talk about instant birth control right there. They’re like hospital gowns with a vacuum hose attached, pumping in hot (or cool) air. Makes you look like the Michelin Man. Also made me feel like I was sitting in a sauna, so had to turn that bad boy down. Of course the hair net is always super attractive. ;)

What I remember before surgery is all the prep, anti-bacterializing my hip, and taking out my contacts. I remember saying goodbye to my parents and the nurses wheeling me into the OR, and I remember them transferring me to the operating table. I don’t remember them at all putting the mask with anesthesia on me, and I definitely don’t remember doing the backwards countdown or anything else until I woke up 3 minutes 6 hours later! Kind of a bummer… that back words countdown and knock-out moment was kind of my favorite part.

Step #2: Make it out of the hospital

Check! 

(Last week at the clinic with pneumonia.) With minor complications. They kept me a day longer than intended due to not quite hitting the pain management marks on schedule. Then, my second night I ended up spiking a fever of 101.5, but was freezing with goosebumps, and was super congested. You might remember that I got pneumonia the week before surgery – brilliant timing, right? – so they were concerned about a reoccurrence of that. After being intubated and staying in the hospital, it’s apparently quite easy to get pneumonia. Let’s not do that!! Several PT sessions in “the gym” (full of stairs, beds, curbs, and all the other foreseeable obstacles one could encounter), a long check-out list with a bag full of drugs, and they sent me on my way! I’m staying at my mom’s house for about a week, or until I can drive again, whichever comes first. ;)

Step #3: Physical Therapy

half check…

I’m trying to channel my inner JuliaGoBigGreen here. This stuff is hard! Knowing me, I of course saved my last big leg workout for the morning-of. (Side: my friend at the gym told me he got hell from his surgeon for running the morning of… told me you bleed a lot more. Dr. Van or anyone else… true? BS?) Anyways, did my last big legs workout and hit my heaviest squat to date. Two days later, my PT is helping me to do a simple [body weight] leg lift. Oh my GOODNESS is that ever frustrating when something so simple feels so unbelievably hard!!

   

The exercises she has me doing are the same ones a patient would do after a total hip replacement… something I’m trying to avoid as long as possible! I am doing (1) quadricep contractions (thigh squeezes), (2) gluteal contractions (butt squeezes), (3) heel slides (photo left, just sliding the heel up towards the butt and back down), (4) straight leg raise (sounds so easy, and this is by far the hardest!), (5) abduction / adduction (photo right, sliding the heel out away from the body and back in), and (6) short arc quads (place a can or rolled up towel under knee, try to raise foot off ground… second hardest).

I have to keep reminding myself that they did cut through all these muscles along the lateral side of my leg, and had to sew them back together. It’s not just the bone that needs to heal, but also a ton of muscles! I do these 2x per day, and trust me… it feels like a “workout.” So funny to think that!

Step #4: Ride power-cart at Target

check!

You bet I did… as a kid I always wanted to ride the power chairs whenever we went to target or Costco or something. You know what? They go like a quarter of a mile an hour and make you feel bad for holding everyone else up. Not all it’s cracked up to be.

What I really want is one of those ride on Power Wheels Fisher Price cars… hahha let’s go with the Dune Racer:

Here’s a “friday confession” for you – I used to babysit triplets that lived across the street from me, and they had this ride on Jeep. I’d always convince the boys that they wanted to ride their scooters or something so I could ride the Jeep. And it did go faster than .25 mph. :)

Step #5: Get off meds and DRIVE!

Next Friday.

Hopefully! I can’t drive until I’m off all narcotics (vicodin, oxycontin, roxicodone), and until I have the follow-up appointment with my doctor on December 23rd. That’s just next Friday! Being independent is something that has always been important to me, and obviously being on crutches there are a lot of things I simply can’t do because I don’t have two hands. Carry soup to the table? Nope. Reach anything out of an upper cabinet? Nope (oh wait, I couldn’t do that anyways…). So it’s going to be quite a while before I can do any of that two-handed stuff, since I’m estimated to be on crutches for the next six weeks. BUT I would sure as $#!& like to be able to drive myself to PT. What else is this handicapped parking tag good for? ;)

So chicos… I made it. It wouldn’t have been without my amazing medical team, and my supreme friend/family support squad! Your prayers, texts, emails and facebook messages of votes of confidence truly mean the world to me. You are all angels, in every sense of the word.

-E

Category: Medical Monday | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | December 9, 2011
14 comments

Friday Confessional is back! 12.09.2011

Friday confessionals returning with a vengeance!! If you’ve never played before, do a quick check of the 101. Anything is fair game, and it really is more fun to play along! ;)

1. Sick chick.

And I don’t mean sick in the way cool / sick / tight / wicked / sweet / dope / fresh / anything that doesn’t actually mean “awesome”  but yet is somehow used interchangeably. Between last Wednesday (on my birthday. Not sweet, nor dope.) and this Monday, my temperature was bobbing between 102.5 and 100.7. What started out as a Dx of strep throat turned to a prescription for amoxicillin that wasn’t making me feel any better (or cooler). Turns out that I had pneumonia, which may or may not have been due to the strep that was or was not even there to begin with. So I’ve spent a lot of time here:

   

Influenza test -> Strep test -> cute note from “Kathryn” en español!

By the fireplace, under the covers, in the dark. (Creeper.)

Thankfully, since going back to the clinic on Monday and confirming pneumonia with the chest x-rays, they switched me to levoflaxacin and I’m feeling 97% better. My grandma has had pneumonia so many times and I never had any idea how miserable she felt!! :( It was I imagine a collapsed lung feels like. (My surgeon would not have been impressed with that come Wednesday….)

2. Five days until they cut my leg off.

Yes, the countdown is going strong. With all this sick business over the last week, I can tell you I was pissed bummed about missing gym time. And I have no problem fully admitting to hitting the gym the second my doctor said “I guess if you’re feeling bett…..” I have been asked multiple times by several friends:

You just can’t give it a rest, can you?!

Not today my friend. And I will tell you what… when you have two months of ass-to-couch time staring you down, you can make whatever decision you want concerning your last five days. But as long as I have been given the green light to exercise, and am not by any chance contagious, I will sweat it out until the very last possible minute.

3. I am actually scared to death for surgery.

Sure, it’s easy to look brave behind words… to say well, you can’t always chose the cards you’re dealt and there’s no way around it, so let’s do this thing! Slowly over this last week, the reality of the lifestyle changes I’m about to face has really started to set in. We have such a small amount of snow right now here in Minneapolis, and I know it’s only a matter of time before mother nature decides to unload 2 feet on us. Thinking about crutching out to my car and trying to scrape it off… thinking about crutching downstairs to/from my apartment… thinking about how the DUCK do I carry a coffee cup!?!?! All hitting the fan.

This is a rough estimate of the procedure they are doing… which I wrote more about in this post.

The wedge that you can see gets removed, leaving a brand new, fresh surface that needs to heal together. Along with the bone healing around the screws. And plate running along the lateral side of the femur. Not to mention there is a big unpredictable tumor chunk that has, until this point, proven to do whatever the heck it wants…

It never asked me if I liked the question “Why do you walk with a limp?” (No.) It never asked me if I wanted to run just one last marathon. (I started my list when I was 10.) It never asked me how I felt about crutches when it’s -20°, icy, and snowing. (Can I take coffee with me? No? Ok, angry.) It never asked me if ever wanted to sleep on my left side again. (How about just through the night?) It never asked me how I felt being left out of any/all plyometrics. (Like I’m defective.) It never asked me how it feels to explain what fibrous dysplasia is 100billion times and have every single person you just explained it to look at you and still not get it. (#GTFOH)

4. I feel super selfish.

Reread last paragraph. I can think of an equal 100billion ways it could probably be worse.

5. The Hand Crank…

- Is really kind of harder than you’d think.
- Burns like 1/3rd of the calories you can burn while running, and still feels kind of harder than you’d think.
- Is quite possibly more boring than pool running…
- Unless you find a good song that you can get krunk to crank to… in which case it might not be so bad.
- I’m going to need a lot of new songs on my iPod.
- Is kind of lonely, since there are only two in the gym (attitude correction: there are two in the gym!) and I don’t see anyone else on them.
- Which may be a blessing in disguise because I’ll never have to wait for it.
- Unless it snows two feet, in which case my butt ain’t gettin to the gym in the first place.
- Mmmm yep, still waiting for that attitude / perspective / expectations adjustment.

And that my chicostix… is about five things more than I’ve ‘fessed up to until today. And it does feel BETTER. :) Especially number 4. It’s good to get things off your chest….

#feelsgoodman

(1000 bonus points for the right reference.)

Reader Qs: Your turn!

-E

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: , , , , , , ,
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