Ouch

Haven't we all heard stories from friends and family about pulled muscles, torn ligaments, and broken bones? Many those stories are based around athletic endeavors and brave feats, right? Well, not always. I tend to hear stories based on accidents and most often they occur in our own homes. Didn't American marathoner Deena Kastor break her foot when she stepped on a sprinkler in her own yard? I'm pretty sure that's the story I learned when I saw the documentary, Spirit of the Marathon.

Don't worry, I didn't break anything as far as I can tell. ; ) Last night, I got really annoyed when a high-pitched ring started coming from my refrigerator. I have a very small kitchen in my apartment and the refrigerator is not full sized so it is fairly easy to move. There is also a surge protector plugged into the same outlet and a phone jack is directly to the right of that outlet. I struggled to get behind the fridge to reach the outlet. Once I was done (I thought) I was carefully backing out when,  whoa! Backwards I tumbled to the floor of my kitchen. Ouch! I'm not sure how I managed it, but the phone cord had ended up behind me and tripped me up. My backside was a little achy, but what I am still not sure about is what exactly my big toe hit as I was going down! It's still a mystery. This is what my toe looks like today, one day later (apologies if you are squeamish about bruises and/or toes). I'm pretty sure my toe is just bruised as it doesn't seem to be swelling up and I can move it with little pain. Still, it's tender to the touch and is a reminder to try to be a little more aware of my surroundings. 

Oh, BTW the noise did stop. I love renting... just love it... Maybe I can change that sometime in the future. That will be another blog post someday, hopefully sooner than later!

Merry Christmas!

This year, my parent's Christmas tree was outdoors! It is a living tree they have nurtured for a few years now and they felt it was best it stayed outside this year. Even outside, I thought it was a beautiful Christmas tree. It was decorated with white lights, pine cones and silk Poinsettia flowers.

We had a nice, very mellow Christmas holiday and I can't believe I have to go back to work on Monday! I hope this message finds everyone having a lovely holiday season.

Surgery Scheduled

Today I called Dr. Dye's office and scheduled the Synovectomy for my left knee on February 11, 2009. Wow... I can't believe I'm going through this again. Hopefully the 2nd time will be the charm!  

I Lied

So, I lied to my Mom yesterday (sorry Mom!). It wasn't a terrible lie, just one where I felt like keeping something to myself. Yesterday afternoon I told my Mom I was on my way down to Crissy Field to go for a walk. The truth was, I had been thinking about going running all week. I considered this carefully and decided, why not? Through all the research and doctors I've seen, it seems that running won't necessarily make my knee injury worse than it already is at this time. Sure, I may flare the inflammation up again and deal with that achy/burning feeling, but I'm not talking about running great distances here. Like any person beginning an exercise after an extended sedentary period, I planned to take it slow. 

I got down to Crissy Field with the intent of a 20-30 minute run. Heart rate monitor, check, iPod, check, Nike Free sneaks, check, Cho-pat knee strap, check, Boston Marathon jacket (for the added confidence boost I needed), check, long leggings for the chilly afternoon, check... I was good to go. I walked for 5 minutes as a warm-up and then picked the pace up to a jog on the flat, dirt path towards the Warming Hut. At first, it felt a little foreign to me. I hadn't run more than 5 minutes continuously since before my knee scope July, 2007. My ankles felt a little weak, my heart rate was high (even though I wasn't running fast), and I was running straight into a head wind. Ugh. Still, it was nice to be outside. I had my heart rate monitor on more for keeping track of time than anything else, although I do love looking to see how many calories it predicts I have burned after exercise. : ) After looking at my high heart rate at the start of my run, I decided to disregard my heart rate altogether. This reminded me of when I used to run outside before I ever owned a stopwatch or ran competitively. I never used to know how fast I was going or how far, I would simply run to some specific landmark, then turn and run back home. My run yesterday took me out to the "hands" on the fence by Fort Point. As long as I wasn't breathing too hard or was feeling any pain in my body, I let everything else go and simply ran. 

I turned at the "hands," my halfway point, and felt pretty good. I pushed away the annoyance of a woman that ran past me. Let... it... go... Having  the wind at my back was a help on the return to my car, but I also felt like my body was slowly remembering how to run. At first, my footfalls in my Nike's felt a little awkward and rough, but on the way back, I didn't feel any jarring to my body, my steps felt fluid and comfortable. There was a little ache in my quads and the Velcro from my knee strap was digging into the back of my knee, but all in all I felt fine. In the end, I ran for 30 minutes and walked for 10, 5 minutes at the beginning and end of my run. 

Today, I woke up feeling a little sore, but not too bad. I can feel it in my calves and my quads, but my knee feels fine. To be honest, I expected my knee would be OK. I iced it when I got home and followed the usual precautions. One 30 minute run on a flat, dirt path was not going to bother my knee. That said, my prediction is that if I keep this up and run 2-3 times a week, especially if there are any hills involved, my knee will eventually flare up on me and I'll have to back off on the running. I'm OK with that. This week I'm planning on scheduling my Synovectomy with Dr. Dye for early next year. After that scope, I am anticipating the slow recovery period he recommends, even as he claims the scope is a fairly gentle procedure. The slow and careful recovery is all part of healing and hopefully keeping the inflammation from returning again.

For now, I'm just trying to keep some semblance of running in my life. A short distance here and there is not going to hurt me. If anything, I'm finding it may bring me a bit of hope for longer runs in the future. 

My Niece Morgan's First Birthday

Happy Birthday sweet girl! Your Aunt Ali loves you!

Wash up after cake @ Sears Portrait Studio. Morgan loved the automatic/sensor faucet!

Who's coming to my party?

Morgan practiced blowing out her birthday candle before the big day, but it's stressful when everyone is staring! Mommy and Daddy took care of it. : ) 

Grandma Bottomley's Strawberry Cake. Yum!

Morgan's New Ride from Grandma & Grandpa Allendorf

Wow, all these toys are overwhelming

Beddy Bye

The Wet Test

This morning I finally did the "Wet Test." It's something I've seen mentioned in Runner's World for years now. I've had a subscription to Runner's World for a very long time and these days I always let out a little sigh when I pull it out of my mailbox. Oh... I wish I was still a runner! I try to convince myself I am a runner "on hold" for the time being. Still, I have continued the subscription. I let my subscription to Triathlete Magazine run out about 6 months ago. Hopefully someday I will be able to start it up again, but right now it's too hard to look at it each month and then see the annual Road to Ironman issue. Hey, if I'm 80 when I do my first Ironman, well, so be it. I've realized there is no deadline on a race, so I haven't given up hope.

Back to the Wet Test. I'm sure I've mentioned this in a past blog, but every six months, or maybe a little more often, Runner's World publishes a running shoe recommendation article. Sometimes it's simply a new shoe guide, other times it's trail running shoes or track shoes. The latest version in the December issue is the "Winter Shoe Guide." Within each of these articles, they always include instructions for a Wet Test, a way you can determine what type of foot you have; Low, Flexible Arches, Normal-Arched, or High, Rigid Arches. Depending on your foot type, different levels of low to high stability shoes are recommended. I have known for quite some time that I have high arches, although I had not actually done the Wet Test until today. Here are my results:



If I ever had any doubt about having high arches, wow, it became even more clear here! This is where I get confused though. Early on in my running experience, running shops, podiatrists, and physical therapists all put me in higher and higher stability shoes based on my minor aches and pains at the time. The Runner's World Wet Test states: "High, Rigid Arches need more impact protection. These Runners do best in neutral-cushioned shoes." I wonder... have I ever been put in the correct shoes for my body?

I mentioned the Runner's World shoe recommendation for my high arches to my last physical therapist back in January of this year and she said, "OK, try more cushioned shoes." Huh? This was after years before the she put me in the high end of stability (not motion control) shoes after I did one of those tests where they video tape you running on a treadmill to check the pronation of your feet. Usually people with high arches supinate, meaning the opposite of pronate (where your feet turn in towards each other when you walk or run). I am a high-arched pronator, which seems to be an unlikely combination. All of this makes me think that no one really knows what shoes are best for me. Yet again, I'm on my own and need to figure it out for myself. Maybe I need something to keep my feet from pronating (such as an arch support shoe insert), COMBINED with a shoe with extra cushion. Hmm... maybe I'm on to something here! Based on this, I'm considering that my next new pair of running shoes are going to be neutral-cushioned. It's another one of those "worth a try" situations.

Walking Tall

I've decided it's time to get back to some serious walking. After I met with Dr. Dye, over a month ago now, I have been somewhat at a loss as what to do for exercise. He didn't give me any restrictions, he simply told me surgery was likely the next step for me. It's up to me decide if and when I undergo surgery and that is still something I am mulling over. In the meantime, I have barely been breaking a sweat at all. Between a crazy work schedule, which has not lent to any lunchtime walks, and being unsure what I should and should not do, my focus has been far away from a workout. 

Last week I kicked off a new regimen of walking. One morning, I chose to walk the first segment of my commute to work rather than my bus-to-underground Muni routine. It took about 35 minutes and, as usual, I underestimated the hills in San Francisco. Going up was a bit of a leg burner, but going down was worse. Next time I do this, I will not choose Clay as my street of choice. A steep downhill is supposed to be worse on my knee than going up, so my route needs to be diverted for a slightly less knee-pounding path. Still, I had a very nice view of the city. Enjoy! 

Optimistic and Proud

I am optimistic about so many things lately. I started this blog to track the progress of my recovery from knee surgery and I try to continue to make it a focus of my latest news. As I always say, I hope someday my knee will heal and I will be able to exercise like a normal person again. But my feeling of optimism does not end there and my blog is lately more about life in general. Of course, being forced to veer away from my former competitive/athletic lifestyle has been a disappointment, but no matter what happens with my knee, I'm moving on with my life. I am grateful to have a job I love that has growth potential and I am happy to have close friends and a wonderful family. I cannot say there aren't things in my life that are missing, but overall I know I don't have it so bad.

My optimism over the last few days is for our country. I'm not one to get into politics much, but I have so much more hope for America since we elected our new President, Barack Obama. I'm writing this as a person who grew up in a very conservative household and as someone that still holds onto old fashioned values. I consider myself the fiscally conservative, but socially liberal type so sometimes it's hard to decide where my priorities lie. I'm sorry Mom and Dad, but I have not always voted as a Republican. My vote depends on who is running for office and the state of our country at that time. This year I was undecided until the time I filled out my ballot. In the end, I voted for John McCain. This was mostly out of respect for a great man who unfortunately had his best time to be elected President pass him by 8 years ago. It was not as if I felt my vote wouldn't count, but this year especially I knew the electoral votes for California would go to the Democrats. Also, in poor economic times, statistically the Presidency does not go to the incumbent party. People want change and that is understandable. I am one of those people too.

My personal opinion is that no matter how a person voted in this election, whether staunch conservative, far right liberal or independent, we all should be optimistic and proud. Tuesday night, when I was watching the election coverage on television, just after 8:00 PM PST there was a brief pause on the NBC station I was watching. Barack Obama's image flashed up onto the screen as our "ELECTED" President of the United States. For me, it was as if time stopped for a moment. Right then and there the world changed and history was made. I get all choked up thinking about it. At first, it seemed that people were in disbelief. As hard as Obama's supporters campaigned for him, I'm not sure if all of them felt he could actually win. It was uncharted territory. Could an African-American ever be elected President of the United States? YES, yes he can and it was about time! I feel this historical event is not just about African-Americans or Democrats, it is monumental for every American. Regardless of race, gender, political party, or economic background, anything is possible. It was about time the mold was broken. Enough of the "white guys" holding the highest office in the land. Becoming the President of the United States is now a real possibility for any U.S. born citizen. Who knows, maybe even the "U.S. born" rule will go by the wayside someday in the future.

I'll step off my soap box now. I just felt as if I needed to comment about the significance of the last few days. It's going to be a hard road ahead for President Obama. This would have been the case for anyone elected at this time. I simply hope we all have a little optimism in our lives now. If anything, for an upturn in our economy and for the well being of our men and women in the military. It may take some time, but things will get better.

Sophisticated, Yet Youthful

This was my favorite comment on my new haircut. I got my hair, as I say, "chopped" a week and a half ago. Someone else said to me, "You look like a different person!" I'm not sure what to think about that, but overall I like my new haircut a lot. My hair had been long and straight for years as it was convenient to pull it back in a ponytail and out of my face when running, biking or swimming. Lately though I was growing impatient of the work it took to dry and straighten long hair. I just dreaded getting ready in the morning. I decided it was time to try a shorter hairstyle again.

I've had short hair before. The shortest cut in my memory being (besides my Dorothy Hamil haircut in the 4th grade) my shaggy, flippy cut similar to Meg Ryan's hair in "You've Got Mail." A man had once followed me around a mall in Salt Lake City thinking I was Meg Ryan. It was funny, but creepy at the same time.

As soon as I have a photo of my new haircut, I'll post it. For now, my hair is a layered "bob" style cut a little longer than chin length. It now takes me about 10 minutes to do my hair from drying through straightening or curling. Yay! It's so much easier. We'll see how my new haircut reacts to the upcoming cold/rainy weather in San Francisco though. Hopefully it won't turn into a short, frizzy mess! I'll have to get some tips from my sister Meg. She had her hair cut to about the same length a few months back. We're back to being twins. ; )

Tagged

Morgan Territory recently tagged me for a meme. Up until this point, I didn't know anything about memes, but I guess it's a "blogger" thing. Does that make me a legitimate blogger? Cool.

All the answers to this meme need to be just one word. This should be interesting...

1. Where is your cell phone? table
2. Where is your significant other? none
3. Your hair color? blond
4. Your mother? practical
5. Your father? planner
6. Your favorite thing? hummus
7. Your dream last night? confusing
8. Your dream/goal? companionship
9. The room you’re in? office
10. Your hobby? running
11. Your fear? loneliness
12. Where do you want to be in six years? family
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you’re not? running
15. One of your wish list items? healing
16. Where you grew up? California
17. The last thing you did? email
18. What are you wearing? sweater
19. Your T.V.? CNN
20. Your pet? passed
21. Your computer? Mac
22. Your mood? optimistic
23. Missing someone? niece
24. Your car? Jeep
25. Something you’re not wearing? coat
26. Favorite store? Gapinc
27. Your Summer? busy
28. Love someone? hope
29. Your favorite color? teal
30. When is the last time you laughed? morning
31. Last time you cried? Sunday

I’m going to tag A at Annetics and J at Hawaii Adventure.

Working Hard

I've had little time for blogging lately and I have to admit, I am experiencing a bit of writers block. Work is nuts and by the time I have any time off, the last thing I want to do is log onto my computer at home. I also haven't exercised much since my appointment a few weeks ago with Dr. Dye. To be honest, I've barely thought about it! Isn't that terrible? When I have even a small about of downtime, I sleep. ;) Once I get through the next two weeks and stop burning the candle at both ends, I hope to get back to some sense of normalcy.

At that point I'll come up with a limited exercise routine (hey, I need to be doing something!) through the end of the year and will also consider my next steps moving forward towards a decision about knee surgery. I'm waiting for a return call from Dr. Dye's office detailing my expected costs on the knee scope. Then I will have all the information and can make a plan.

Right now I'm on press in Minneapolis printing a BIG holiday sale program. It's chilly here... I hear it's beautiful in San Francisco, but it's nice to see the turning leaves in the Midwest. Bye now!

Fun at Work

I decided I had to post this photo I snapped at work on Tuesday. Our department is very hectic these days involved in full-swing production for Holiday marketing. We have certainly have all been in need for some humor and a break from the craziness.

Our comic relief came as my colleague Tom received a special delivery on Tuesday morning. Old Navy is throwing Freaky Fun Day, an In-store Halloween event this weekend. Tom has been working very hard on this program with the promo team. A few weeks back, Tom learned that several of the boxes of M & M candies he ordered to ship to stores for the event had been involved in a minor accident. Several boxes were damaged, but the goods inside were not. Tom could not ship the damaged boxes to the stores so he had them sent to him at the Corporate office. Tom arrived on Tuesday morning to find 7 big boxes of "Fun Size" M & M's piled by his desk. We may all be adults here, but based on the reaction to seeing big boxes of candy to indulge in, you would think we won the lottery! Woo hoo! Tom decided to keep one box for our team to enjoy, but will be donating the rest to the local food bank.

A little office humor

Wordless Wednesday: What are you doing Aunt Ali?

What is...

... Synovitis?

Synovitis in the most common case of pain and swelling in the knee. The synovial cells line the inside of the knee joint and make the lubrication fluid (synovial fluid) for the knee - which functions as a living biologic transmission. The synovium is the thin tissue that is made up of these synovial cell. This tissue is at a very high population just behind the patella (knee cap) and happens to be full of sensory nerves. This tissue is easily pinched with activities that load the patellofemoral joint such as climbing up or down stairs, hills, or incline, and with getting in and out of a chair, squatting or kneeling. This is just like biting the inside of one's cheek. It can cause sharp (and dull) pain and can persist because the previously thin tissue swells and more cells are replicated leading to a situation of increased vulnerability of these newly swollen tissues to re-impingement along with the symptoms of continued pain and swelling.


a Synovectomy?

The synovectomy procedure is designed to carefully remove the abnormally swollen and inflamed tissue from the inside of the knee joint. When this is done, it leaves a "raw" surface inside the knee that must re-populate with new cells that will hopefully be less painful and eventually allow greater knee function (i.e. an expansion of the Envelope of Function).

It's Decision Time Again

I'm still processing my morning follow-up appointment with Dr. Dye. Again, I tried hard to not set any expectations. My guess was that he would have some additional treatments to attempt before considering anything more invasive. Maybe a cortisone shot or draining the fluid in my knee? I wasn't sure if these were options, but I figured something along these lines could come up. Dr. Dye walked into the exam room and asked me, "So, how is your knee?" I said, "The same as usual." He sighed and said, "Well, it was worth a try." He immediately launched into what he would need to do next to help me. Arthroscopic surgery for a synovectomy. Really? Wow. It was a little surreal to listen to him tell me about the surgery. I didn't think I would be hearing this so soon, but at the same time, Dr. Dye doesn't seem to one to waste a moment. Here are several things I have been thinking about today since my appointment:

1) I feel a little like I've wasted the last 14 months. It looks like I chose the wrong doctor over a year ago. Not that I didn't think Dr. Anderson was the best for me at the time, I had already seen 3 other doctors previous to her! She came highly recommended and seemed to do the most for me, even cared for me and my well being more than anyone else. Two of the other doctors I saw were so rude and condescending. Still, I also realize (as many people have told me) sometimes it takes a long time to find the doctor that can really solve your problem. It's a long process and hopefully one doctor does not make the problem worse before you find another that can really help. Dr. Anderson didn't make my knee worse, it just didn't get better.

2) Dr. Dye said after the synovectomy, I need to expect a year and half before I'm back to regular activity and exercise. Dr. Anderson and my past physical therapists said I could be back to running 3 to 4 months after the scope, which didn't turn out to be true in any way. If anything, they probably pushed me to fast into exercises that caused too much load on my knee. Dr. Dye said he requires a much slower healing time and does not allow his patients to jump back into their old activities too soon.

3) I'm not sure if I even have a choice here. As I have recently learned, Synovitis is not a benign condition. The inflammation in my knee does not seem as if it will dissipate on it's own. I understand that over time if I leave the inflammation where it is, it will eventually start to break down the cartilage in my knee. That is bad. As I'm sitting here writing this post, I can feel the familiar burning sensation inside my knee. It would be more healthy and much more comfortable for that to finally be gone.

Those things said, I haven't made a final decision and am planning to let this information settle in for a few days. I'm going to call Dr. Dye's assistant who should be able to tell me how much this surgery will cost. Not that money should be a part of my decision (my health is most important), but I need to know what I may need to plan to save over the next few months if I choose the surgery route again. Unfortunately, Dr. Dye is an out-of-network doctor for me, but the hospital fees will be covered by my insurance. Dr. Dye said he requires his patients to stay one night in the hospital after the scope. That way he can monitor the first critical 24 hours of healing much more carefully than if he sent a patient home. Interesting... I've only been in the hospital for outpatient procedures, usually less than 12 hours. Hospital food, anyone?

Wordless Wednesday: Office Park Walkin' in Minnesota

A Classic Case

I was neither nervous or excited about my follow-up appointment to see Dr. Dye this morning. Honestly, I felt a little numb to the whole thing. Really, what new information about my knee could he possibly tell me? It seemed as though I had heard it all. Well, maybe not. I walked through the door of his medical office a little early expecting to wait. Instead, Dr. Dye's assistant asked me to come right in to an exam room and a few minutes later, Dr. Dye walked through the door. He got right down to it. I've realized in my two short appointments with him that he doesn't waste any time. He talks quickly, but not so quickly that you don't understand what he is explaining. First, he told me the good news. He popped my X-ray and my bone scan films up on the light box and told me my joints look great (good space between the bones, no breakdown of cartilage) and the best part is that the bone scan was clear of any signs of arthritis. Yeah! I wasn't particularly worried about this until Dr. Dye told me 85% of the patients that come to see him have an onset of arthritis that needs to be addressed immediately. I was quite happy to hear I'm one of the small 15% without that issue.

Next, Dr. Dye moved on to the MRI films. In a very confident, matter-of-fact manner he told me, "You have a classic case of Synovitis" and pointed to the many areas on the film showing excess fluid build-up. He said me Synovitis is common and is basically an inflammation of the synovial lining in the knee. Once aggravated, it is very hard to calm down. This is a short online definition I found online:

Synovitis occurs when the synovium, which lines and lubricates the knee joint, becomes inflamed. The condition can be caused by rheumatoid arthritis or injury/trauma, but sometimes the cause is unknown. The inflammation is caused by fluid collection in response to the injury, which is one of the body's protection mechanisms.

Here is a link to additional information, if you are interested:
http://www.knee1.com/care/condition20.cfm/108

After telling me about Synovitis, Dr. Dye told me his next treatment steps. He prescribed a strong anti-inflammatory drug he called his "work horse." Then he said to make sure to ice my knee twice a day for 20 minutes. Finally, he said I should do my best to not do the things I know flare up my knee, such as stairs or squatting. He suggested maybe I could do some swimming or a little light cycling. I'm the only person that knows what is in my "envelope of function" so, it's really up to me. Sounds good, right? Ugh... it took a lot of strength on my part to not burst out and say, "But doctor, I've done all this!" I mentioned that briefly, but kept a majority of the emotion to myself. I felt better when he said to set-up another follow-up appointment in 3-4 weeks so he's not putting me on this regimen for months on end.

On my way to work, I thought more about this initial treatment and it started to make more sense. I am a new patient to Dr. Dye. Even though I've told him my history, he doesn't know me from Adam. If he did not ask me to follow his steps from the beginning (that I am sure he has a great deal of research behind) he would not be doing his do-diligence as a good doctor. I respect this and I will follow his instructions. Besides, maybe the anti-inflammatory he has prescribed will be my magic pill? You never know.

By the way, I didn't ask Dr. Dye anything along the lines of, "What if this doesn't help?" I'll cross that bridge when we come to it next month. For now, I'll just focus on the task at hand. I'll be keeping to a few short lunch walks (no hills) during the week and and maybe an easy swim on the weekends. Fairly light activity that shouldn't bother my knee. Elevators and escalators are my friends. : )

Made My Day

A freelance graphic designer at work said something really nice to me today. As she passed me in the hallway she said, "Do you work out?" I paused for a second then replied, "Wow, thank you for saying that." Inside, I just wanted to hug her! I told her I haven't been able to exercise much since my knee injury. She mentioned she figured I must do something athletic. I told her I used to run marathons and do triathlons. She just nodded and said I have that type of body, then she walked away. Little does she know how much her comment meant to me... it's been so long since I've had a regular workout routine! I guess I must maintain some muscle tone because otherwise she wouldn't have asked me the question. She just made my day!

This reminds me how I should compliment people more often. Doesn't it feel good when someone says something nice to you? Let's all make an extra effort, OK?

Wordless Wednesday: I love it when they get my name right.

A Day in Napa Valley

Yesterday, I spent the day with friends in the Napa Valley. It was a beautiful day and, as usual, the vineyards were picturesque. After church, the four of us hopped in the car and drove the one hour, fifteen minute road trip up to Napa. We ate a picnic lunch at V. Satturi winery, then tasted some wines at Plumpjack winery. Our next stop was olive oil tasting. Yes, EVOO (if you don't watch Rachel Ray, this means Extra Virgin Olive Oil). It was wonderful, I loved it! We went to an olive oil mill called Round Pond. A woman named Megan, gave us a tour of an olive orchard (mixed in and around the Round Pond vineyards) and then the olive mill itself. Round Pond takes the olives from picking, to milling, and into the bottles in 3 hours! It's amazing. Megan hosted a lovely sit-down tasting with their Italian and Spanish varietal EVOO's and lemon and blood orange fused EVOO's, along with red wine vinegars and fruit syrups they also produce. We tasted the many oils and vinegars with fresh cut greens, French bread, tomatoes, cheese and strawberries. It was SO yummy. I decided to purchase the Spanish varietal EVOO and a small bottle of the Merlot red wine vinegar. Below is the link to the Round Pond site. I thoroughly recommend you make a reservation for a tour and tasting the next time you travel to the Napa Valley, or simply buy online. It's worth it!

http://www.roundpond.com/

I'm on the left with my friends Peter, Carol, and Sarah.

I'm not sure why this photo ended up so blurry! I will replace it if Carol or Sarah send me a better image, as they took photos with their cameras as well. We ended the day at Auberge du Soleil, a beautiful inn with amazing views of the valley. We sat out on this balcony and enjoyed a glass of wine before it was time to return to the city. Isn't the Bay Area great?

Morgan's Visit to Lafayette

I wanted to post a few more photos from my niece Morgan's visit. I cannot imagine Morgan could wish for more wonderful parents and doting Grandparents!

Flying with Daddy

Playing with Grandma B. What a sweet face!

With Mommy

Walking with Grandpa B.

Naptime - Morgan and her Mommy

Wordless Wednesday: Morgan reads her book from Auntie Ali

Here We Go Again...

... another round of doctors and tests. I had my appointment with Dr. Scott F. Dye this morning. I tried really hard not to have any expectations about him or what he may have to say. I was anxious to possibly hear something new, nervous that I would be treated poorly, but I was also tired of the whole process in general. I brought my old X-rays and MRI films and my surgery report from Dr. Anderson and filled out the usual new patient paperwork.

Dr. Dye walked in and shook my hand like a businessman. For a second I felt like I was with the "rock star" of knee doctors, but pushed that thought aside still feeling nervous whether he would care much about my ongoing knee pain. Dr. Dye started right into the questions about my knee and was quite formal but straightforward. No wasting time here! One of the first questions he asked was how I found him. I told him I read about his research in Runner's World and the information from Mr. Ingraham in Canada where more of his research was noted. Dr. Dye just nodded his head and kept on with his questions. He seemed especially concerned about my comments involving the burning sensation in my knee and that my knee has never felt normal since the day back in March 2006 when the pain started. He performed the typical tests bending my knees, manipulating my bad knee and my good knee, all along asking if what he was doing caused me pain or not. He mentioned that my left knee had the typical swelling of an inflamed synovium, and that my right knee did not.

Dr. Dye then left the room, "to take some notes" he said, and I changed from my athletic shorts back into my work clothes. He came back 5-10 minutes later with my MRI films and told me our next step was to get a current run of imaging done. He asked me to set up appointments for a new MRI, a bone scan, and a special type of X-ray called a Rosenberg. Up until this point, I have not had a bone scan or Rosenberg X-ray. Dr. Dye put my old MRI films from before my knee scope up on the light box and pointed out how they showed an unusual amount of fluid built up around my left knee cap. Usually there is just a thin white line surrounding the dark kneecap, but in my film there is a much larger area of white. Dr. Anderson didn't mention this and wasn't overly worried about anything in my MRI other than the fact she was concerned about my knee pain. Dr. Dye explained that based on the old MRI he felt it I have a case of Patellofemoral Syndrome where the synovial lining is inflamed. In his opinion, the synovial lining is what causes the pain and burning sensation. Dr. Dye would know, he had his own knee scoped without anesthesia to discover this problem. Like I've mentioned in a recent posting... OUCH.

Dr. Dye then asked me about my physical therapy after surgery last year. He was really upset when I told him they had me doing things like lunges and leg presses. He said he never has his patients do things like lunges since they are among the exercises that trigger knee pain and hinder recovery. The last thing he did during my appointment was hand me some medical papers on Patellofemoral Syndrome (although he commented that it seemed like I had been doing my homework already) then said to me, "Let's get these new images done and see what we can do to help you." He gave me a small smile, shook my hand, and walked out of the room.

I didn't ask Dr. Dye about prognosis and recovery because I knew he couldn't say or do anything more until he has seen the new images of my knee. I'm going to try to set up those appointments for next week and then make a return appointment with Dr. Dye. Maybe within the next month I'll have a new plan for recovery. I figure it could go a few ways: 1) Dr. Dye will not see anything he can do surgically. That said, my guess is that he will have a better physical therapy plan for me that manages my "envelope of function" better and will get me on a real road to increasing that envelope. 2) Or Dr. Dye will see something he can do surgically, such as a synovectomy, and will advise to move forward with another scope. We'll see what happens.

Hmm... I'm wishing I had decided to contribute more money to my flexible spending account. Oh well. Here we go again.

A New Doctor

I made an appointment for next week with Dr. Scott F. Dye. I have been reading about his research over the past year and was reminded of him while reading the tutorial I purchased recently by Paul Ingraham. I thought, "Why am I not seeing this doctor? He is based in San Francisco!" I have mixed feelings about setting up this appointment though. On one hand, I'm not ready to give up on the health of my knee. I feel like I need to keep trying to find someone who will eventually be able to help me. There HAS to be something that can be done other than rest, minimal activity, and yet more physical therapy. Those things haven't worked for me so far, even my knee scope didn't help. Dr. Scott F. Dye seems to be one of the few doctors doing research on these annoying knee syndromes. He even probed his own knee to discover the real pain centers of his knee! Ouch! That's commitment to his trade. I'm hoping he can offer me some advice and alternate remedies I may not have considered yet. 

On the other hand, I'm scared. I'm afraid that Dr. Dye will look at me and say, "What do you want from me?" I'm terrified I'll receive a response to my plight similar as several other doctors in the past. They spoke to me with condescending tones and lectures indicating "you simply need to rest, you were doing too much." Ugh. I tried that, it's been 2.5 years of that. 

Either way, I need to be realistic that after all this time there is most likely no immediate cure or therapy for me and I will need to continue to deal with my cycle of trying to exercise, then my knee flares up and I'm back to rest. It's so frustrating! Still, I'm going to keep trying.

The Impossible

I don't like the word impossible, I really don't. It's so final, so complete. But, even though I hesitate to use the word here, it may apply. I mentioned in my July 28 blog that there was another thing I learned from reading Paul Ingraham's tutorial on Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome. Paul writes about a fictional woman he calls "Jan." Jan has suffered from PFPS for some time and she is Paul's character he created to describe how someone may finally recover from the ongoing symptoms of PFPS. First, Paul says Jan needs to spend a month or two figuring out what her knee can handle and what it cannot. This involves keeping careful track of what activities cause no pain (0), minor/pain delayed by 3+ hours (1), moderate pain/pain delayed less than 3 hours (2), and immediate pain (3) . After this has been documented, the next big step is to rest. Jan takes a month off of work for nearly total rest of her knees: every single item on her list is verboten for 4 weeks. Also, she cannot sit with her knees bent at any angle greater than 20 degrees. Her husband and family do the cooking and driving. She is allowed 1 hour of walking a day, but in 6 short 10 minute increments. 

I realize nothing is really impossible if you want something badly enough. Thing is, I am not able to take a month off of work to lie on my couch and I don't have a husband to help me with things around my house. Sure, I suppose my parents would probably try to help... still, it just seems so hard. The point is nearly total rest to the knee and joint. Paul feels like in some chronic cases, this is what is required to finally get past the see-saw of going outside of that envelope of function of the knee, flaring it up again, then having to go back to the drawing board. 

After the month of rest, Jan is to start back to the minimal activities that do not bother her knee, then over time the hope is to be able to slowly work her way to more activity and increase that envelope of function to a full recovery. I'm sure this type of recovery is a different experience for each person depending on the injury. 

Can I do it, you ask? I don't know. I really don't know. 

Worth a Try

So, I'm sure you are wondering, what have I already begun to try based on the article from Mr. Ingraham? It's rather simple in my opinion, but something that had not crossed my mind at all while trying to recover from Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (or whatever other overuse syndrome that may be causing my knee discomfort). Mr. Ingraham states that even bending your legs at a 90 degree angle while sitting at your desk at work puts "load" on your knees. Interesting. He suggests placing a box under your desk and putting your feet up on that box so your knees are around a 20 degree angle (not straight, since locking your knees isn't good either) can help lessen the pressure between your patella and the joint of the knee. Well, hey... I figure anything is worth a try at this point!

If you haven't noticed, Paul Ingraham placed a comment on my blog in the July 28 post. That was very nice of him! If any of you reading my blog are experiencing any of the common overuse syndrome type injuries (PFPS, IT Band Syndrome, Plantar Faciitis, etc.), you should give one of Paul's tutorials a read.

I recommend Paul Ingraham’s patellofemoral pain syndrome tutorial.

If the link in this post does not work, try to access the information in the "Links" section of my blog.

Wordless Wednesday: I Love This City

Possibly the Answers I Need... Sigh

I'm packing for a work trip to L.A. and am thinking about what I have learned in the last week about my knee. As I mentioned a week ago, I've been reading some research done by Paul Ingraham, a Registered Massage Therapist from Vancouver, Canada. No, he's not a doctor, but he seems to be one of the few people out there doing extensive research on overuse injuries. I am thankful to him for the work he has done. That said, his research did not offer me any greater hope of recovery for my knee or a light at the end of the tunnel. If anything, it was a little sad f0r me to read. It's been 2 and a half years into my plight, so I am taking this information a lot better than I would have say, even a year ago.

Mr. Ingraham is straightforward. While he feels for those who suffer from Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS), he is quite clear about the possibility of recovery. Here is what he writes:

"Untreated, even a mild case of PFPS can be stubborn, bugging you off and on for years. Many cases will recover entirely within 6 weeks to 6 months. But with a case that doesn't improve in that time, the odds of recovering seem to drop sharply: the problem might go away after applying some new ideas you learn here, or it might go on for years, or perhaps the rest of your life. Not everyone gets painless knee function back."

Sigh... So you ask, what are the new ideas I have learned? Well, there are a few. One I have already started giving a try, the other seems almost impossible to do. Basically, once a person experiences PFPS an upset of the tissue homeostasis in the anterior knee area has occurred, usually due to trauma or long time overloading. I most likely fall into the long time overloading category, since I do not remember any specific trauma to my left knee. Up until I read this article, I figured "overloading" meant running or athletic activities of some kind. It's very interesting to learn, that is not always the case. More details to come...

I Love It!

I went down to Pier 39 this afternoon to pick up a new present for myself. Don't we all deserve presents for ourselves? On the last day of my vacation I was doing some shopping for friends and my family at Whaler's Village in Ka'anapali near my hotel. I stopped into Na Hoku, a Hawaiian jewelry store. I know my vacation was a bit of a "present" in itself, but I still couldn't resist purchasing something pretty. : ) It's nothing fancy, just a little ring for my right hand. The ring needed to be sized correctly to fit my finger, so once this was done it was sent to the Na Hoku store at Pier 39 in San Francisco for me to pick up. My new ring is a plumeria flower, a special reminder of my vacation to Maui. I love it. 

My Knee Hurts

My knee has been bothering me for the last week. I guess I did a little too much on my vacation and need to take one of those "steps back." Ugh. Also, it seems as if the swelling I once had in my knee has minimized slowly over time. While I once thought this was good, I now feel as if it was some needed cushion! Who knows what's really going on in there? I wish I knew. Here is a list of my workouts over the last week or so. For those of you athletes, you won't think this was much, but it resulted in pain and aches in my super-sensitive left knee.

Saturday, July 12: Westin Maui gym workout - 1 hour treadmill (46 min walk/14 min running interspersed) + lunges, push-ups, ab exercises, etc.

Sunday, July 13: Rest day

Monday, July 14: Ka'anapali shore path 1 hour walk/run (44 min walk/16 min running interspersed). In hindsight, I probably needed one more recovery day before I did another walk/run.... the shore path was so inviting.

Tuesday, July 15: Kayak/snorkeling/hiking trip - The hiking was not too strenuous and the kayaking was a great arm workout! I wanted one adventure day... it was vacation!

Wednesday, July 16: Rest day

Thursday, July 17: Ka'anapali shore path 1 hour walk, evening flight home to SF.

Friday, July 18: Rest day

Saturday, July 19: UCSF Mission Bay pool swim, 40 minutes.

Sunday, July 20: Rest day

Monday, July 21: Rest day

While I was lying by the pool on my trip (this is mostly what I did outside of the above listed activities) I was thinking of what I could possibly do next about my knee, if anything. Since I've been home, I've been doing more Internet research on anterior knee pain. You never know when something new could pop up, right? I am also considering making a follow-up appointment with Dr. Anderson. I wonder though, is there any more she can do? My guess is that she'll probably tell me how Pilates is really good for me, not high impact activities. Great. The more research I do, the more I understand that I'm dealing with a syndrome. That means it's a mystery, different from one person to the next. Whether my knee pain is patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS, sometimes called kneecap tracking pain) or Hoffa's Syndrome (fat pad inflammation), my experience is unique. The recovery of every person takes a different path and per Matt Fitzgerald's information in Brain Training, it's up to me to find my own path.

This past weekend I came across an interesting publication online, what I have read so far, there are similarities to Mr. Fitzgerald's findings, and then some. At first, I thought it was a scam. It is titled SaveYourself.ca and it's written by a Registered Massage Therapist in Vancouver, Canada named Paul Ingraham. A Registered Massage Therapist? O... K... I read on. The basic of it is that Mr. Ingraham has done a great deal of study on several common athletic injuries and has provided his findings, for a nominal fee. Hmm. PFPS, Iliotibial Band Syndrome, Plantar Faciitis, Lower Back Pain, etc. I wasn't sure of the validity of this information until I read he has included research findings from his work with Dr. Scott F. Dye of the University of California, San Francisco. Interesting, I've heard of him. I read an article in Runner's World last year about knee injuries and the many syndromes involved. Dr. Scott F. Dye was included in this article, among other medical professionals. Alright, I thought maybe Mr. Ingraham's online publication was reputable information. I decided to spend the $14.95. Maybe I would read something I hadn't heard before? Maybe not. At least it could be good to read if theories I have learned in the past are backed up and supported by additional research.

As usual, I will keep you posted on any new information I learn. You must all think I'm a bit off my rocker with all of these new books and articles! Hey, it's all I can do. Unfortunately, I'm dealing with knee pain that has no instruction manual for recovery. Per Paul Ingraham, I need to "Save Myself." I'm doing my best. Hopefully his article will help.

Last Day of Vacation

Today is officially my last day of vacation. I'm back home, but my head has still been in Hawaii since I got back on Thursday night. Usually after a week long trip I am ready to get home and be in my own bed, but this time, I wish I was back in the tropical sunshine! What does that say about me? Hmm... I think it says a few things: 1) My job is on-the-go, every single day. I love my job, but I've recognized over the last year and a half that it's quite hectic. Gap Inc. promotes a good work/life balance and I really appreciate that, but that doesn't mean there aren't days I work late. For the most part I leave the office by 6 or 6:30 PM, but each day is jam packed and I rarely have a quiet moment. When I travel for press checks, my downtime is usually the flight then I'm off and running. Even though my print vendors try to give me the best press check times, being on press can be long and tiring late into the evening. I was due for a real vacation.

2) The second reason my mind may be still back on Maui, is that I really enjoyed my trip. My room was great, the beach and pools were amazing, and the service was top notch. I work hard and it was time for me to treat myself to a tropical vacation with sun, fun, and relaxation. I've always been fairly frugal and for past vacations I've never put much towards my accommodations.

This was my first trip solo, so even though I didn't want to be in my room all that much, I felt best booking a hotel I knew would be nice and comfortable. The Westin Maui room rate was more than I would usually spend (using the corporate travel company provided a discount, yeah Gap Inc.!), but I felt like I deserved to stay somewhere a little more on the "cushy" side! In the end, this location, this hotel, and this trip was exactly what I needed. If only I could have stayed a little longer. ; )

Tomorrow... well, it's back to the real world. Time to start planning another trip!

Back Home

Wow. I cannot believe I am back home in San Francisco. My trip to Maui was just wonderful and boy, do I wish I was still lounging by the pool! I could really get used to that. Now back to the real world. I thought I would include a few more photos to sum up my trip. I did end up doing a day trip on Tuesday of kayaking, snorkeling and a hike through the West Maui mountains. The kayaking was great, on fairly smooth, glassy water. It was a great workout for my arms! The water where we snorkeled was not as clear as I would have liked, but it was a somewhat cloudy morning so the sun wasn't shining into the water as much as usual. We did see lots of turtles and one ended up about 5 feet away from me!

After the kayaking and snorkeling our hiking guide, Kahi (a 15th generation Hawaiian) picked us up and drove us into the mountains. We trudged through the tropical forest and stopped at 3 waterfalls. the first one, we actually jumped off a 15 foot high rock into the water! Looking down it seemed pretty high, but once I was in the water and glanced up, it didn't seem that high. ; ) The end of our hike provided a great view of the ocean, per my Wordless Wednesday photo.

Looking down to the water

We jumped from above the waterfall, to the left

Another highlight of my vacation was meeting some great people! I got to chatting with Tracy and Brent from Dallas, and learned Tracy and I have a lot in common. She is training for her first marathon in December. Go Tracy! They were incredibly gracious and invited me to join them for dinner the first night I met them and we got together again the next few nights before it was time for me to head home. Tracy and Brent's last day on Maui is today, so I hope they are lounging by the pool after their many island activities. They are definitely the adventuresome couple. You think my 15 foot jump was something to talk about? Puh...leese... Tracy and Brent completed the Commando Hike (Kahi was also their guide) which the climax is an 80 foot jump into a deep pool of water! That's basically jumping from the 8th story of a building! Kahi said this jump has reduced grown men to tears and both Tracy and Brent did it with little hesitation. Tracy was only the 3rd out of 45 women Kahi as taken on the hike to actually take the plunge! Very impressive.

Tracy, Brent and I enjoyed some wonderful food on Maui. On Monday night we went to Sensei, a fantastic sushi restaurant, near the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua. The following evening, we savored the sunset and the food at the Hula Grill near our hotel in Whaler's Village.

Sunset from the Hula Grill

My last night on Maui we went to The Plantation House. It's a restaurant on the Plantation golf course further into Kapalua. I had heard a few people talking about it at the pool that morning and suggested we give it a try. The food was delicious. We each ordered seafood, I had a pesto crusted Hawaiian fish and we all shared Bananas Foster for dessert. The best part about this restaurant was the beautiful view.

The Plantation golf course and view of Lana'i

Tracy and Brent at sunset

Overall, I enjoyed myself immensely. I exercised, I read some books, indulged in tropical drinks by the pool, discovered new parts of the island, and made some new friends. The downtime I needed was achieved and for anyone that may be wavering about embarking on a vacation solo, I highly recommend it. You never know what awaits you out in this world! Just go out and see it!

Wordless Wednesday: Maui Hike

Ah... This is the Life

Are you wondering what I am up to on my vacation? Am I hiking through the tropical forests? Scuba diving off the coast of Maui? Surfing the waves? Do you want the honest truth...? This is what I have been doing:

A papaya/strawberry blended rum drink - Sweet Lorraine

Yummy.... : ) On past vacations, I've been scuba diving, I have done the grueling hikes, and have never gained an interest in surfing. I am perfectly happy relaxing and reading poolside or on the beach and most of this trip. For those of you that may be concerned, my poolside drinks usually amount to two over a 4 hour period, with lots of water to keep from getting dehydrated. One thing I thought I did want to do on this visit to Maui was parasailing. I called about a reservation yesterday and learned that, unfortunately, the minimum weight for a one person parasailing ride is 130 pounds. I am happy to say I am under that weight (the girl on the phone giggled at my predicament in a very complimentary way), but am sad to say they wouldn't make any exceptions. It's just not safe to be too light and tossed by the wind. So, unless I can find another random soul at the resort that is in the same situation, I won't be going parasailing on this trip. It's a little close quarters with a stranger anyway! I'll wait until a friend or loved one can join me another time.

I'm sitting on my hotel room balcony now listening to the waterfall and enjoying the calm morning. I am icing my knee from a lovely walk/run on the Ka'anapali shoreline. It consisted of 16 minutes of running within a hour walk/run total. We'll see how my knee feels later today or tomorrow. I find myself getting up earlier each day I'm on the island. You simply can't help it! It gets light so early in the morning and people are out and about. The birds start chirping and I know it's time to start the day. We really have had great weather so far. About 87 degrees each day and the humidity is not too high. Comfortable really. In about a half an hour, I'm going to pack up my pool/beach gear and walk over to my favorite pool, the Oahu pool. It's lovely. Hopefully Miss Kesia (I hope I got her name right) will be there to serve me another Sweet Lorraine or some other tropical/fruity drink. Kesia actually pouted yesterday when I told her I needed to pay for my drinks and leave the pool for the day. She's a really nice lady. It was around 2:30 PM and I decided to head to Lahina for a little shopping and a bite to eat. Here is the sunset from Lahina last evening.

The Flower Tuck

I've been to Hawaii several times now, but I had no idea the flower women tuck behind their ears meant anything other than a pretty flower. Today I learned it tells much more than I ever knew. If you wear the flower on your left side, it means you are married or your heart is taken (as your wedding ring and your heart are on the left side of your body). If you wear the flower on your right side it means you are single. Fascinating! I took this photo before I learned the meaning of the flowers behind the ear. Luckily, I tucked it behind the correct ear!

My Hawai'i Vacation

Aloha! I am now in Maui, HI for my summer vacay. It's SO nice to be here. I am now sitting at a waterfall encircled cafe near the multiple pools at the Westin Maui, Ka'anapali. Why am I blogging on my laptop and not out and about? Well, this is what I want to be doing at the moment. Everything relaxed and leisurely at my pace. I've had a great morning so far (workout at the hotel gym) and the pool and beach are just steps away. I'll be there soon enough. Besides, it's not a good idea for me and my first-burn-then-tan skin to spend hours on end in the intense Hawaii sunshine. I will take it in small intervals.

I checked into the Westin Maui Resort and Spa yesterday around Noon. I have to admit, it's all been a little surreal. Sometimes trips start out that way for me, especially in a tropical setting. It's a paradise of sorts and it takes time to adjust from the foggy, city life. The surreal quality tends to wear off after a day or so. I felt the "I can't believe I am here" thoughts go away as I woke up this morning. After a few days I may not want to leave, ever!

I have a Garden Room, which is on one of the lower floors so I was a little worried my room would be overlooking the parking lot. Nope, I am looking towards the waterfall in the center of the pool area and the blue skies above it. There are flamingos, yes real flamingos in the lagoon under the waterfall. I put away my things, changed into my swimsuit and off I went to check out my new digs. Great workout room, check, awesome pools (yes, several pools), check, a couple of great restaurants, check, then the beach. Ahh... the warm Hawaii water. I love it! I decided to grab a drink and a salad at the pool side bar. Later, I settled in at the "adult" pool, the Oahu pool. This is a pool up above the falling water and next to the entrance of the water slides (oh, did I forget to mention the water slides?) that is 18 and over only. There is a great bar area that caters to this pool only. It's so convenient for tropical drinks or just some ice cold water. This may be my pool of choice over the kid rampant, inner tube crazed other pools!

I laid out for a few hours, but by then time had flown and it was 5pm. I decided it was time to go grocery shopping. I passed a Safeway on the way to my hotel so that was my destination. I wanted to get some breakfast foods, fruit, snacks, etc. to have in my room. Around 9:00 PM I went back to the bar by the adult pool, the "Moonlight Bar" they call it at night. I had a glass of wine and chatted with a lovely couple from Chicago. I think I was asleep once my head hit the pillow. I was so tired from the time difference and a big day. : )

Enough blogging... it's pool/beach time!

My room, note the pretty lei I received when I arrived

Comfortable amenities

The view from my balcony

A photo of the cafe where I am writing

Small World

I have a funny story to tell. This refers directly to a recent post in my blog. OK, I admit, sometimes I'm a little slow. I knew the last name Heinrich sounded familiar. A classmate of mine from elementary school through high school was Erica Heinrich. One evening last week I was riding the bus home from work reading more of Why We Run, by Bernd Heinrich. I got to a part where the author mentioned he lived in Walnut Creek, CA. What? That's where I grew up. Oh my, it dawned on me that could have met him when I was a kid. You see, the Heinrichs lived around the corner from my parents. My sister and I used to play in the valley behind our house with Erica and other neighborhood kids. I turned to the dedication page of the book and there was her name, among her other siblings. I'll have to find out how my Dad happened upon the book in the first place. I talked to my sister about it and we are not sure if our parents actually knew Erica's parents, maybe only her Mom since she may have been separated from Erica's Dad, Bernd, by then. Interesting... I'll get the scoop from my Dad soon. Small world, huh?

The ironic thing is that last week I had reconnected with Erica on Facebook. This was before the whole book author, childhood thing clicked with me. I wrote to her over the weekend and she confirmed that her Dad is Bernd Heinrich. I'm going to ask her if she knows if her Dad has a super high tolerance for pain. "Grinding" down a piece of loose cartilage? Ouch. Erica lives in Maine now and has two adorable boys. : )

Le Tour

Yeah, it's that time of year again! The Tour de France is underway. : ) I love it. I'm cheering for the US based teams Team Columbia (formerly High Road) and Garmin Chipotle. There are many incredibly talented cyclists from all over the world in the race, so it's amazing to watch. Go George Hincape! He rocks.

ONE YEAR

Today is the one year anniversary of my knee surgery. Can you believe it? I hardly can, the year really seemed to fly by. At the same time, I definitely thought my running would be in a different place right now. I tried to keep my expectations low, but I never thought I would only be running 10 minutes at a time a year after my surgery. I was sure I was going to be back to my old running (at least an hour 3x a week) 3 or 4 months from the date of my knee scope. That is what I was told about the average recovery time from arthroscopic surgery. Well, I'm "unique" I guess. My recovery has been much slower than I ever imagined. The reality is that there is little I can do to change it. I don't want to push my running too fast and be setback with pain again, but I do want to progress towards healthy exercise. I expect continued trial and error the rest of this year.

I'm not sure where I first heard this quote and where it came from, but I've been repeating it to myself lately. "Life is not about what happens to you. Life is about how you handle what happens." I doubt that is the direct quote, but you get the gist. I could go in the direction of being depressed and negative about my knee, believe me I've had many of those days. I realize I could also head in the direction of hope and positivity. With help from my family and friends, this is what I'm going to choose for the future. Here's to an even better next year with continued recovery and health!