I've mentioned in the past that sometimes I dream about running. Before my second knee surgery, the amount of running I did in my dreams built slowly. Once, I dreamt I was starting a race down on Crissy Field, not far from the Golden Gate Bridge, but only jogged a short distance before I woke up. Then, there was a 10K dream and few even longer races. I didn't always cross the finish line before I woke up, but sometimes I did and I remember that sense of accomplishment. In some of the dreams I worried that I shouldn't be running and in others, it just felt good to run. I always seemed to be running with minimal impact to my knee or other joints in my body. After my surgery in February the dreams stopped... until last week.
Last week I dreamt I was running down on the Marina Green. It's an area between Crissy Field and Fort Mason in the Marina neighborhood. Each year, the transition area for the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon is located on the Marina Green. Many people run along the paved path next to the street, Marina Boulevard. As I recall the dream, I was running the distance from Crissy Field to where the monkey bars sit just at the edge of the boat marina next to Fort Mason. The short run felt good, although there was that nagging voice in the back of my head saying, "You shouldn't be running yet." Of course, in real life, I am listening to that voice and do not plan to try running until at least the year anniversary from my knee scope. In the meantime, it will be interesting to observe my dreams as my knee gets better. Maybe I'll be running those races or familiar paths in my sleep in no time! I wonder if we burn more calories when we run in dreams, compared to more sedentary dreams? I hope so!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
A Couple of Trips to La La Land
I'm back into the routine of traveling for work. To be honest, I like it. I missed my travels when I was not able to fly after my knee surgery. It's so nice now to not have anything holding me back from doing my job.
Work travel goes like this for me: When I'm in the office, I look forward to getting on a plane and heading to another city to print a project. When I'm out of the office on press for a few days, I can't wait to get back to the office and be back into the loop with everyone! Yeah, it's a never ending cycle.
My last two trips where back-to-back weeks in the middle of September, 2-3 days in So Cal each week. During the first trip I stayed in Santa Monica, the second visit I decided to try a hotel in downtown L.A. When I was a kid, my Dad used to go to Los Angeles on business trips. I don't remember how often he went, but I do remember when he stayed at the Bonaventure Hotel downtown. I had seen photos of the hotel and thought the elevators that ran up the outside of the four towers were really "neat." My Dad would bring back the cute shampoo bottles as little souvenirs for my sister and me. I don't remember what we did with them, but I know we thought they were really cool! These days, the hotel is the Westin Bonaventure and I decided to give it a try to see what it is like just a *few* years later. ; ) The downtown location of the hotel ended up being quite convenient for me to drive to the places I needed to be each day. I would say the interior design of the hotel is a little old and tired, but they are doing some renovation. I was impressed at how nice and genuine the people were who checked me in, brought my oatmeal in the morning, or simply passed me in the hallway with a smile. Of course, most people in the service industry are cordial, but I think it's pretty hard to fake being genuine. The people who work at the Westin Bonaventure seem to like what they were doing! I think that's great.
Work travel goes like this for me: When I'm in the office, I look forward to getting on a plane and heading to another city to print a project. When I'm out of the office on press for a few days, I can't wait to get back to the office and be back into the loop with everyone! Yeah, it's a never ending cycle.
My last two trips where back-to-back weeks in the middle of September, 2-3 days in So Cal each week. During the first trip I stayed in Santa Monica, the second visit I decided to try a hotel in downtown L.A. When I was a kid, my Dad used to go to Los Angeles on business trips. I don't remember how often he went, but I do remember when he stayed at the Bonaventure Hotel downtown. I had seen photos of the hotel and thought the elevators that ran up the outside of the four towers were really "neat." My Dad would bring back the cute shampoo bottles as little souvenirs for my sister and me. I don't remember what we did with them, but I know we thought they were really cool! These days, the hotel is the Westin Bonaventure and I decided to give it a try to see what it is like just a *few* years later. ; ) The downtown location of the hotel ended up being quite convenient for me to drive to the places I needed to be each day. I would say the interior design of the hotel is a little old and tired, but they are doing some renovation. I was impressed at how nice and genuine the people were who checked me in, brought my oatmeal in the morning, or simply passed me in the hallway with a smile. Of course, most people in the service industry are cordial, but I think it's pretty hard to fake being genuine. The people who work at the Westin Bonaventure seem to like what they were doing! I think that's great.
The view from my room over downtown L.A.
My next trip? I'm off to Minneapolis next week, straight from a visit to Spokane to meet my niece Piper and spend some time with Morgan Boo. I'm hoping I can teach her to say "Auntie."
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Pop!
I'm guessing you may be curious about what's going on with my bum knee lately? Well here's the deal. After I returned from my trip to New York, I limped around for a few days. It wasn't a bad limp, but it was there. I noticed it and my coworkers noticed it too. To be honest, I wasn't really worried. I knew I walked around way too much in Manhattan, but I actually felt as if my knee bounced back pretty well each day. Although after multiple days of wandering around, it had it's toll on my knee. I took it extra easy (if that is even possible) the week after I returned and my knee seemed to get back to normal. The current norm for me anyway.
I cannot deny that it's been a tough Summer. This second knee surgery really took it's toll on me, mentally and physically. The recovery period during the first 3-4 months was much worse than I imagined it would be. I have not been on the "sunny" side of life over the last 6 months or so. It's more like "clouds with a chance of rain." Not good. Back around May I got to the point that I wondered if I would ever be able to return to an active lifestyle again. It was sad for me. I didn't realize it at the time, but around July, shortly before I went to New York, it dawned on me that my worry was getting me nowhere. I can't say I entirely stopped worrying, but I drastically reduced the amount of it. I figured the surgery was behind me and there was nothing I could do to change it. I better just settle in and be patient. Dr. Dye said my knee would heal and I figured it may be good to start believing him.
During my trip, I did worry a little. I really had not walked that much in a long, long time. I thought to myself, "Should I be taking this trip? Maybe a stay-cation would be better for me right now." The need to get-out-of-town took over and I was pleasantly surprised how my knee handled the trip. That the achy feeling in my knee did not escalate to full pain and throbbing as it had when I did too much a few months earlier. In the mornings I would wake up and, while my knee didn't feel great, it wasn't holding me back. That was good to learn. I thought, maybe, just maybe my knee is on the road to be able to withstand some activity again.
A week and a half after I got home, I had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Dye. I hadn't seen him for about 6 weeks. He looked at my knee and said, "It looks better than the last time I saw you!" I laughed. What? How many knees a day does he see? 12... 20? Could he actually remember what my knee looked like 6 weeks ago? Dr. Dye does not take photos, but hey, maybe he has one of those photographic memories. Hmm. I thought it was interesting that during those 6 weeks since my last follow-up I had hoofed it around NY and he still thought my knee looked better! Dr. Dye told me to keep doing whatever I was doing and come back in 4 weeks. I've had to move that appointment out a few weeks due to some work trips, so we'll see what he has to say in mid-September.
There is one especially interesting thing to note. A few weeks ago, I was lounging on my couch (as I do more than I would like to admit) and had my leg propped up on a pillow. I do this often, especially when icing my knee. I had an urge to stretch and bend my legs, so I did. I heard a "pop!" in my left knee, honestly the loudest pop I have ever heard come from that knee, before or after surgery. The pop wasn't painful, it was just a noise. Well, something must have come "unstuck" because suddenly my knee didn't feel as tight. I swear, for the last few weeks it has felt significantly better and I can lift my leg straight with minimal pain in my knee. I would say that's progress! My guess is that one of those synovial "fronds," as Dr. Dye called them, stopped catching. All a part of the healing process, I guess.
I realized it's been a long time since I've taken or posted a range of motion photo. As you can see, my ROM is not back to normal, but has improved. It's all I can ask for as the Summer comes to a close. Hopefully Fall in San Francisco will be a little more "sunny" for me.
I cannot deny that it's been a tough Summer. This second knee surgery really took it's toll on me, mentally and physically. The recovery period during the first 3-4 months was much worse than I imagined it would be. I have not been on the "sunny" side of life over the last 6 months or so. It's more like "clouds with a chance of rain." Not good. Back around May I got to the point that I wondered if I would ever be able to return to an active lifestyle again. It was sad for me. I didn't realize it at the time, but around July, shortly before I went to New York, it dawned on me that my worry was getting me nowhere. I can't say I entirely stopped worrying, but I drastically reduced the amount of it. I figured the surgery was behind me and there was nothing I could do to change it. I better just settle in and be patient. Dr. Dye said my knee would heal and I figured it may be good to start believing him.
During my trip, I did worry a little. I really had not walked that much in a long, long time. I thought to myself, "Should I be taking this trip? Maybe a stay-cation would be better for me right now." The need to get-out-of-town took over and I was pleasantly surprised how my knee handled the trip. That the achy feeling in my knee did not escalate to full pain and throbbing as it had when I did too much a few months earlier. In the mornings I would wake up and, while my knee didn't feel great, it wasn't holding me back. That was good to learn. I thought, maybe, just maybe my knee is on the road to be able to withstand some activity again.
A week and a half after I got home, I had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Dye. I hadn't seen him for about 6 weeks. He looked at my knee and said, "It looks better than the last time I saw you!" I laughed. What? How many knees a day does he see? 12... 20? Could he actually remember what my knee looked like 6 weeks ago? Dr. Dye does not take photos, but hey, maybe he has one of those photographic memories. Hmm. I thought it was interesting that during those 6 weeks since my last follow-up I had hoofed it around NY and he still thought my knee looked better! Dr. Dye told me to keep doing whatever I was doing and come back in 4 weeks. I've had to move that appointment out a few weeks due to some work trips, so we'll see what he has to say in mid-September.
There is one especially interesting thing to note. A few weeks ago, I was lounging on my couch (as I do more than I would like to admit) and had my leg propped up on a pillow. I do this often, especially when icing my knee. I had an urge to stretch and bend my legs, so I did. I heard a "pop!" in my left knee, honestly the loudest pop I have ever heard come from that knee, before or after surgery. The pop wasn't painful, it was just a noise. Well, something must have come "unstuck" because suddenly my knee didn't feel as tight. I swear, for the last few weeks it has felt significantly better and I can lift my leg straight with minimal pain in my knee. I would say that's progress! My guess is that one of those synovial "fronds," as Dr. Dye called them, stopped catching. All a part of the healing process, I guess.
I realized it's been a long time since I've taken or posted a range of motion photo. As you can see, my ROM is not back to normal, but has improved. It's all I can ask for as the Summer comes to a close. Hopefully Fall in San Francisco will be a little more "sunny" for me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)