Clean it up

Only 3 days until Thanksgiving so put in a little more effort this week in the gym and with the diet so you can indulge a little on Thursday!

I ran a hard and fast 2.5 miles this morning and did a quick arm workout.  That's right, some dumbbells were begin thrown around and my wrist held up just fine.  I know that I get a runner's high, but I swear I get more of a high when I am lifting.  It certainly changes my mood for the rest of the day and this morning made me realize that more than ever!  It'll be 6 weeks since surgery this Wednesday and I'm officially back to doing some upper body workouts albeit lighter than normal.  Thank the good Lord!

Soccer is OVER.

Ummm, yeah. 

Thank the good Lord that soccer is over for the season.  The pulled quad from 5 weeks ago still isn't healed, although it has improved with the use of electric stim and heat.  Our last game of the season was on Sunday.  We played the same team that we crushed the week before, but we were missing our main center midfielders which did us in.  The final score was 4-3.  And as luck would have it I strained my right quad this time.  I'm pretty sure it was because I was trying to baby the left one and had no choice but to attempt to sprint in our last game.  I also think that sprinting hills could be part of the culprit.  I didn't do many flat surface sprints which would have allowed me to extend my legs a little more rather than lifting them upwards.  We'll see what happens once I'm healed and try out flat sprints.  

I can't wait to be fully healed; between my wrist and my legs I'm a walking disaster.  I still need PT twice a week for my wrist and think that I may have to stop lifting all together for several more weeks.  Fun times.  

Lovely wrapped quad

On a positive note, I did do a nice 3.5 mile run this morning which didn't aggravate the quad.  It really only hurts when I stretch it or sprint.  I plan on focusing on running until the good old Turkey Trot in a few weeks!

  

These babies are...

....coming out tomorrow!!

Maybe a little strength training later in the week?!

Hot tamale

Check out this too hot to handle wrist splint that my PT made me.  Pink camo all the way!  It's too bad that it is meant to be worn at night and my students don't get to partake in the fun.

And, as it turns out it is too uncomfortable to wear so I'm back to the old ace bandage at night.  It was fun while it lasted!

Good Thing...

...that I had that pity party a little ahead of time.  It turns out the pain killers that I took Friday night made me puke all night and half the day on Saturday.  Fun times.  I've only taken Advil since then.

I think I saved the best for physical therapy yesterday.  The first day at therapy has traditionally been rough for me.  I can watch surgeries all day on TV or online, but there is something about taking the dressings off for the first time and exposing the weak wrist that makes me queasy.  Luckily after just a few minutes I was doing a bit better with seeing my shriveled up limb.

The awful part of trying to get my thumb and wrist moving was finding out that a nerve had been compressed under the tight ace bandage.  Holy s*^& nerve pain is no joke.  I literally came out of my seat and let some special words fly.  The only way to get it to calm down is to massage the area which makes my thumb "zing", but that sounds way too calm for what it feels like.

So, welcome to the world of massaging, exercises, heat, and stretches.

On a good note, I made it to the gym Monday and Tuesday to do a little abs and legs.  I tried 20 minutes of cardio, but have opted not to do anymore because sweat can cause an infection.  The incision is WAY larger than I thought it would be.  It's about 3 inches long as opposed to 1 cm, which I was expecting.  I get the stitches out next Tuesday and then the cardio will be on:)

Still a little swollen and bruised, but so much better!

Pity Party

Yep, I'm going to have one for a few minutes and then move on.

 Let's see...I can't put my hair up by myself, button my own pants, can't dry my hair, write, shower without a bag on my arm, wash dishes, clean, vacuum, fold clothes, walk the dogs, type with two hands, pour dog food or fill water bowls, change the sheets, etc. etc. etc.

Sounds like a blessing to some of you...but a nightmare for me.  

Did you notice I didn't even complain about not being able to lift weights?  Yeah, that's how bad it is right now..not even on my radar.  Just took some pain meds, nausea meds, and getting ready to hit the sack with a pillow to prop up this throbbing arm.

Tomorrow WILL be better.  I promise.

Good night!

Out of Surgery

Let me start by saying that I loved the new MJH!  Everyone was friendly and kind and the facilities were beautiful, including a huge nice OR.  The nurses listened to me about my tiny rolling veins and did their best to get the IVs in...one was successful, the other had to wait for the anesthesiologist bc we blew out one.

Surgery went well.  Apparently I was feeling some pain so I was given a little more "happy juice" and don't remember a whole lot.  The cyst was under and wrapped around my tendon so it was larger and more involved than Dr. D initially thought.

Of course I was starving afterwards so we ate at Sticks and then Arch's...YUM. I'm waiting for the block to wear off, but so far the pain is bearable. I know well enough that will change this evening. PT is set up for Monday and I hope to just miss one more day of work.  Until then I'll be icing and keeping this thing in a sling.

Thanks for all of the kind thoughts.

And, this hunting and pecking with my left hand sucks.  Just saying'.

Almost...

... this girl almost scored two goals!  One hit the crossbar and the other was barely stopped by the keeper.  I'm determined to get one in the back of the net.  

I hit up the soccer field this Sunday after taking a week off for my quad to recover.  Recover, it did not. I wrapped my quad, but it hurt during the first sprint and continued the rest of the game.  I iced it and took some advil afterwards....guess it is just going to take a little longer.  

The team we played against was NOT nice.  They were rough and rowdy and I hit the ground hard several times.  That'll happen when you are running into 200lb men!   My poor tootsie got stomped on which resulted in cleat bruises and a lot of swelling.  Bruises I can deal with! 

I have to take this weekend off since I'm having wrist surgery tomorrow.  I'm hoping to be back on the field next weekend!

I'll leave you with my fugly foot. :)

A Little Tupac

I thought I could use a little Tupac this morning after yesterday's events.  I saw the orthopedist about my wrist and have surgery scheduled for next Wed, the 10th.  He is going to do a De Quervain's release of my tendon and remove a cyst.  The x-ray did not show a bone spur but did show the soft tissue swelling.  The good news is that although everything I'm reading online shows a 6 week recovery, Dr. D is aggressive and wants me lifting in 3 weeks.  He even said if I'm up for it I can do cardio within 24 hours.  Heck yeah!

Anyone interested in watching a video of a similar surgery?  Yeah, didn't think so.  But in case you are a nut like me, here's the link.  At least this time I know exactly what they are doing on the other side of that blue sheet!

More info on De Quervain's Tenosynovitis.

Let's get this thing done and move on...  I plan on growing some legs over the next three weeks:)  Gotta stay positive!

Freakin Wrist

It's been 4 years since the original fracture of both the radius and ulna and internal fixation of with a plate and 7 screws.  Since then the plate and screws were removed (botched surgery...don't get me started) and additional surgeries were needed to clean out the joint, remove bone spurs, etc. hence the scar on the top of my wrist (the original is on the bottom).  I spent 112 days in therapy during the first year after the surgery, a record for the practice.  

It then took 2.5 years before I could even do a push up or start to lift anything heavy.  It's been just about a year now that I've been really pushing my wrist with pull ups, push ups, and dips.  Of course that means I was due for another issue.  

While doing weighted pull ups on Friday I felt a searing pain, but it was bearable.  It then got worse as I did push ups and continued with a chest workout.  When I got home it was killing me so I iced it and took some Advil.  I continued the ice and Advil all weekend, eventually putting on the old splint as well after calling the on-call doctor.  I even turned to tramadol on Saturday because I couldn't sleep, but even that didn't cut the pain.  

So, here I am waiting for the doctor to fit me in to his schedule this week, but pretty much positive that I have a raisin-sized bone spur in the same place that I had one before that is cutting into my tendon.  Fabulous....strained quad and jacked up wrist.  I want to get in for an appointment, set up surgery, and move on!  

On a lighter note, here's a meal that I enjoyed last week...chicken burger on spinach with a side of fresh green beans and bean salad.  

Pulled Quad

Yep, 60 seconds into my soccer game on Sunday I was out with a pulled quad.  I'll take this opportunity to blame everyone else in the household for making me late to the game which then created a less than ideal warm up period, eventually leading to one sprint with cold muscles and a pulled quad. ;) Fantastic.  I left the field, got ice and Advil and then sat out until late in the 2nd half.  I felt bad for the other three women on the field who now had no sub, so I went in for 20 minutes or so but I had no ability to sprint or move my feet quickly.  I made a couple of decent passes, but other than that I was just a warm body that couldn't stop their offense.  Should I have gone back in the game? Definitely not, but like every other athlete I am stubborn.

After researching the injury it sounds like a 2nd degree strain, which means no running/lifting for me.  I'm taking 72 hours off completely and then hopefully doing a slow jog on Thursday, but that all depends on how I feel.  There is a 4 inch by 2 inch section of tight, swollen, and knotted muscle that needs to heal.  It's painful to the touch as well, so I've been icing it each night and keeping the Advil going.  My hope is that I can wrap it and play on Sunday, but we shall see.

And, no this is not an "I'm getting old" injury....it's a dumb one that could have been prevented.

Prognosis

Muscle pulls have varying degrees of damage and time necessary for recovery. The most serious quad strain results from a complete tear in the muscle and may require surgery and a recovery period of three months. A moderate level muscle strain involves partial muscle tearing and takes one to two months for recovery. The least severe muscle strain stretches muscle cells, causing microtears, but requires a shorter recovery period of 10 to 21 days.

Goal Met!

Well, that was much faster than expected; I met my goal to reduce my 4 mile time by 1:15 each week.  I  shaved off 1:28 this morning with a time of 33:20 and that is only 4 days after I set the goal.  I'm not going to get overly excited because the faster I run the harder it will be to take time off, but it felt good to beat my time that quickly!

On a not so fun note, my right calf muscles got tight and full of blood with only 2 minutes into the run....good ole compartment syndrome.  I'm sure it was my fault for not warming up enough before sprinting up a hill, but regardless it bothered me the entire run and is still swollen making my foot numb.  I'm going to throw some ice on it for now and then put on my compression sleeves for recovery today. 

This fricken foot has been a lot better lately, but still creates a nagging pain.  My whole joint is now discolored and looking way more vascular.  Gross.  But check out my pretty toes thanks to a pedicure and lunch date with the girls last week:)

Purple, blue and see thru ;) The bone that is the problem is under this joint. 

This little toe of mine

I visited UVA on Monday to get a cortisone injection around my sesamoid bone.  I wasn't sure why the Imagining Department called me for my reminder last week, but quickly realized once I got there.  The procedure had to be done under x-ray with contrast in order to make sure the needle got to the correct location.  The thought of getting an injection on the bottom of my foot made me a little uncomfortable, but I was fine until the nurse who was walking me back gave me the usual 20 questions (what is your name, DOB, procedure, etc.) and then proceeded to say, "Woof, that sounds painful!  I guess I shouldn't really say that to you."  Thanks, lady.

Once I got into the imagining room I was greeted by FOUR doctors.  I guess they all wanted to see my purple nail polish!  That's what happens at teaching hospitals I suppose.  Actually, they all ended up being very personable and did a fine job with the injection.  It took a while for them to figure out an entry way for the needle and they ended up deciding on going in through the side of my foot at the base of my big toe.  It wasn't a walk in the park, but it wasn't terrible either.  I could do without the pressure that makes your joint feel like it will explode when they put the cortisone in, but other than that it was okay.  

I'll have to confirm with Dr. W, but I should be taking two weeks off and then starting on a return to run plan.  I think I'm going to sneak in some non-weight bearing leg workouts during the next couple of weeks so I don't lose all of my progress.  Boy is it hard not to do HIIT in the mornings after I got used to doing it!

Still around

Two things are still around in my running career: the ability to get out there and pound out miles without training and this fricken nagging pain in my foot!

We had fabulous weather for our school's track and field day yesterday!  In fact, it was the best field day that I can remember having.  The kids were well-behaved and most of them participated in multiple events and really enjoyed themselves.  There was just enough sun to offset the cool breeze and keep you switching from a tank to a sweatshirt.  My kind of weather indeed.

Kimberly and I got out there and did 3 miles in 30 minutes before lunch.  It was a nice slow pace for my first outdoor run in 4.5 months.  I'm convinced that getting my heart rate up during heavy lifting sessions is what keeps my cardiovascular endurance up enough to just keep on running without even getting winded.  That is something to celebrate! I know last year at this time I probably couldn't have done three miles that easily even when I had been training for a few months.  My foot didn't really bother me until I was done and then it was just a nagging pain.

However, Leslie and I couldn't let down two 8th grade boys who needed two girls in their 4x200 relay race.  I knew better than to sprint on this jacked up foot and told myself just to keep it slow because the important thing was supporting these boys.  I think I did pretty well...I ran hard, but didn't break into a full out sprint.  The only thing that bothered me was the start, pushing off on my toes.  That split second of pressure caused my foot to hurt all last night.  I just don't get it?  Will I never be able to do burpees, squat jumps, box jumps, sprints, etc. ever again?  I'd actually prefer to do HIIT workouts than long runs, but I just don't see it happening.  We'll see what Dr. W says next Thursday, but from what I'm feeling I don't see how much has changed in 18 weeks.  Sure it doesn't hurt on a daily basis, but the minute I do any moves that require a bend and push off with that foot I'm right back in the same boat.

6 more weeks...

I am now without my boot!  Dr. W is in the process of getting my bone stimulator approved.  As long as that goes well, I'll be using the stim on my foot every night for the next month or so.  I am free to train on the bike, arc trainer, elliptical and in the pool.  THANK GOODNESS.

It will still be six weeks until I am allowed to run, which stinks, but at least I have some other options at this point.  It is going to throw a wrench into coaching track since I can't do the long distance runs with the team and it is going to stink to go to track and field day and not run the mile with the kids to keep them motivated...and it is going to stink not to play in our student-faculty basketball game this Friday.  But, I know that this is all temporary and I have to just keep setting new goals.

So for now, I'll be doing some serious interval training on the bike and arc trainer.  I'm already coming up with lots of variations on routines.  I did 10 minutes on the arc trainer Monday, 15 minutes on the bike yesterday, and 20 minutes on the bike this morning.  I think I'll still to easy intervals and work my way up to 30 minutes by the end of the week and then start pushing it next week.  I still need to get a metal turf toe insert from the running shop before I can really push myself.  Hopefully I can pick it up this weekend and be ready for cardio next week!

Heavy Lifting

Now that I've laid the crutches to rest, I'm switching up my lifting routine.  Still no cardio for me, nor legs....I introduced myself to Comcast's OnDemand Fitness routines over the weekend.   I did a 10 min. glute routine on Saturday which obviously involved legs, but with minimal impact and I felt good.  Pretty sad that 10 minutes left my legs sore after being off of them for so long.

I also gave an advanced ab routine a whirl...16 minutes of intense abs!! I loved every minute of it.  So, my new goal is to do some sort of glute/leg home workout sans the weights twice a week and an at home ab workout three times a week, courtesy of OnDemand.

The switch up at the gym includes lifting heavy, and by heavy I mean like powerlifting.  I've never tried to lift this heavy, but I think it is just what I need to gain some more muscle mass which will give me more definition and allow me to burn more calories.

Today's Chest Workout:

• 5 sets warm-up seated bench press (50lb, 60lb, 70lb, 80lb, 90lb)
• Flat bench (1 set of 3 @ 95 lbs, 5 sets of 5 @85 lbs)
• Incline bench (5 sets of 5 with 30 lb dumbbells)
• Decline with cables (1 set of 12 @35 lb per side, 1 set 10 @ 40 lbs per side, 2 sets 8 @ 45 lbs per side)

Doesn't look like a lot, but it was tough.  I'm not looking forward to trying to push myself up out of bed in the morning.  I can already feel the tightness and soreness coming on....  Change = Progress!

Still hitting the gym

I've done my best to stay on crutches this week at school...not so good on using them while at home.  Wearing a backpack to trek to the office to fax papers is always fun, as is bringing in my lunch, water, bag, purse, etc. from the car.  Lucky for me, Jennie bends over backwards to make sure that I have everything I need.  And, my mom has worked a lot this week which means she packs my lunch:)

I broke out into an all out sweat with heavy breathing when I made the journey to the conference room this morning for our TLC meeting.  I was only carrying an extra 5 lbs with my macbook in my backpack, but it made a significant difference in my speed.

I've hit the gym every morning this week and have been sure to stay seated for all my exercises.  It has taken some extra thought to modify my routine, but I've gotten in some great workouts.  The guy who opens the gym in the mornings, John, has been very helpful.  He typically follows me through my workout so that we can talk about Crossfit workouts, etc. but now he is my certified "weight picker upper."  I can't carry dumbbells back and forth to the bench, so he brings me what I need and puts them away when I'm done.  I'm not spoiled at all;)  That's what 20 year old guys with mohawks ought to do! Rich doesn't mind it one bit because he is off the hook for an hour:)

My workouts have looked like this:

Monday - Chest/Triceps   

Tuesday - Legs/Abs (I laid on the floor and did every type of leg lift/donkey kick imaginable....oh so exciting.)

Wednesday - Back/Biceps

Thursday - Shoulders/Abs

Friday - I think I may try some full upper body moves like dips and pull-ups, plus some more ab work. 

Here's to some terrible quality gym pics....oh and yes, my crazy face in a few!

Working back with crutches on the side;)

Who's arm is that?!

Yep, those guns are mine.

Another blurry angle

Crutches=Impossible

Lovely no make up look....and those burns look wimpy with this shot.

Ouch.  That is all I can say.  I used the crutches for one day (Friday) and ended up with raw burned areas on my sides.  I don't even think I really traveled very far in the hallways because it was such a pain, but they burned me up. Even worse than the burns are the upper rib bruises.  It feels like I was used as a punching bag. I didn't use the crutches this weekend, hoping that these areas would heal.  They aren't quite there yet, but are better than they were initially. 

I am not quite sure how anyone on crutches can accomplish anything.  How can you take the dogs out when you have to hold onto the leashes and your crutches?  How do you vacuum?  clean?  straighten up? wash clothes?  There is no way I can get anything done.  Grocery store?  Nope.  Can't push the cart on crutches.  I'm going to give it the old college try again tomorrow.  Maybe I can use them Mon-Fri and take the weekends off? 

So, yeah, about that last post...

I started writing during planning today and waited to post it until tonight.  Guess someone is trying to teach me something...

Dr. W called on my way home to tell me that the MRI still showed significant edema where the fracture is on sesamoid bone.  Since it has not healed despite being in the boot twice over the last 18 months we are trying a new treatment.  NO weight bearing at all, so crutches and the boot for me.... for 4 weeks. Sigh.  In addition, I'll be doing at home bone stimulation for 20 minutes each night. 

After 4 weeks, we'll just go to the boot with a pad to make sure the sesamoid doesn't take on any additional load.  He didn't say for how long, but I'm guessing 4 more weeks.  If this doesn't work then we will go to anti-inflammatory and steroid injections before the option of removing the bone entirely, which doesn't sound like much of an option to me!  It sucks that the bone is so small because these are the bones that have a hard time healing. 

To say the least, I am pissed, frustrated, and upset.  All I want to do is RUN...and good lord, I was just getting used to the idea of biking and doing a modified leg workout to keep some muscle tone.  Now, absolutely no weight bearing means not even swimming!  Really?!  No cardio or leg work for two months.  Fan-freaking-tastic.  Oh, and all upper body work needs to be seated.... JOY.