Running To Blog... er...uh... Walking to Blog

Today's Events...

2010-09-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

Things are getting interesting in therapy...

When I walked in, Kendra and Cara (Kendra's intern) were at the door to meet me. I knew something was up right then because normally only 1 comes to get me.

Kendra had given Cara more responsibility, so she had to "assess" my condition. This meant watching how I walked in, asking the questions on what was going on (and re-asking as she wants to figure out the source of my discomfort), and then measuring.

They discovered that my bad leg has flattened out to where I'm right at zero degrees. That's good. In fact, to compare against the good knee, apparently I now have more flexibility in the bad leg. (See, I told you I was working hard!)

This allowed me to lose 2 of my exercises: Bridges and Heal Slides! Bridging is actually easy - anyone can do it. You lie on the couch for 10 minutes with your leg propped up on the arm and keep it straight.

But heal slides were terrible... very painful. They were good in that I was able to learn how to bend my knee back. Thank goodness those are finished!

Then they decided to give me more difficult exercises. You see, I thought, "Great... losing 2!" I didn't know I'd gain 2.

One was to lift my body using my hips but to only use one leg while the other one sticks straight out. Holy crapamole that was difficult! And, of course, I was pouring sweat after doing 30 with each leg.

On top of my other exercises, I also had to learn one called Standing Knee Extensions. The photo doesn't really do it justice, but I couldn't find exactly what it was doing.

They attach a long rubber band (thick - it actually was like a balloon) around the ankle of your good leg. Then, you balance on the bad one. The exercises is to face twelve o'clock and extend your good leg forward so it's tensed from behind. You do 30 of those and you're not supposed to drop the attached foot.

Then you turn to your three o'clock. This time the tension is coming from your side while you're balancing. After 30 you turn to the six o'clock and now your pulling from the wall while facing it. Finally, you turn to nine o'clock and pull from the side.

It's freakishly crazy! Why would you work the good leg? Because you're focusing on working the muscles from your butt to your hip to your quads to your calves... all while balancing on that bad leg.

When I was finished I told Cara my whole side was just one big painful mass. Of course, whenever you say something like that they go into a defense mode to figure out if it's a good pain or a bad pain.

So as I was heading to the bike, Kendra goes, "Would you like to try the Elliptical machine?"

Elliptical means "comfort running" in my book. "Of course I would!" I told her.

For those that remember, prior to the surgery, Kendra had me get on the elliptical. Well, it didn't go well. It was painful, I felt like I was locked up, and the more I rode the more it hurt. It was just one big hot mess....

This time: My first 2 minutes were very awkward. There was some pain, but I had a hard time pinpointing where it was or what it was to Cara. She said to shoot for 5 minutes. After about 3 minutes she came back over to check on me and I said it seemed to be getting better.

At 5, since she hadn't come to check on me, I decided to push to 6 minutes. I wasn't feeling the pain like I had earlier. Once I got to 6, she showed up and I told her I was stopping at 7.

Speaking of "hot mess," that's exactly what I looked like. I was pouring sweat - but I felt great! I finally got to do something that was important to my marathon training... and I had done it without feeling locked up.

Now we know why I felt that before - the dang suture was tying me down. Not to mention a kneecap that was riding "sidesaddle" and all of that scar tissue.

Kendra wanted to know how it went. I said, "I would compare it to the first time I was on the bike. It was awkward and tough because I had to learn how to make that rotation and trust my knee. But I think the more I did it, the better I felt."

Both of them were pleased and Kendra wants me to try to go to my gym over the weekend. The goal, like the bike, is to get to 30 minutes without resistance/tension. So I'm going to try for 10 and then make my way up the time frame.

One more thing... I noticed today how much muscle I've lost in the year and a half since I broke the knee. One of the exercises I do, I have to stand facing a mirror. Well, I have always had big calves. I've had them because of all of my years playing soccer.

Today I noticed that my left calf is about 2/3 the size of my right. It's amazing... which, I guess, it's also a measuring stick.

So my events today showed me that my "training" is all about making strides. Getting better at each exercise shows that I can lose some... gain others... and hopefully, life will return to normal.

Oh yeah: If you didn't know this already, today's date is 90210. I just think that's funny.

What's Your Excuse???

2010-08-31T16:39:00.001-07:00

Today at Physical Therapy, Kendra saw me attempting to balance for 30 seconds on my one bad leg... shaking uncontrollably... and said,

"I love it when you're shaking!"

Shaking means, "You're doing it!"

I've hit the right spot. I'm working the muscle. And I'm freakin' dying!!!

I love it... too!

I've shared this before, but I'm really fighting for my life here. It's no secret - I want my life back.

It's not all about running...

It's my independence. It's my abilities that I've lost. In essence... it's the "me" that I want back. Senor Independent.

I know what my life was like prior to the break: I was a runner! I was a hiker! I could go up and down stairs without a care in the world. I was active...

I also know what my life was like between the first surgery and the second: Painful! Hinged! Locked up! I couldn't bend the knee without feeling the wires inside. In fact, they poked the skin all the time. I was counting the days until those suckers were cut out. To me, "life" was about to start up again!

And then, the next phase: Life between surgery number 2 and number 3. I took my doctor's advice: No need for therapy. Get out and walk. Well, I did... and it was painful. I kept thinking, "OK... keep walking and next week it will get better." It didn't. In fact, it got worse.

Then I went through a period of, "OK... fine... this is my life." I'll just learn to live with the pain, deal with the difficulties of managing stairs, never run again, and continue to plop an ice pack on the knee every night. Que Sera Sera...

Thankfully, I had 2 suitcases on my back: Parents. They harped on me over and over that I needed another opinion. I think it came to a head during Memorial Day weekend. Both of them were shocked at the ice packs I was using each night. When I told them this was a nightly ritual, that sent them over the edge.

Which brings me to today... Why do I work so hard? Why am I shaking so much and making Kendra smile? Why am I the only person in the room that appears to be sweating?

Because I want "it" back! Badly! I want my "active life" back in the worst way!

While Kendra wants me to work hard, she cautions not to push it. When I told her I rode 6 miles on Saturday and rode 60 minutes total by days end, she was impressed. But, she wanted to know how I felt. Yes, I was sore. But when am I not... you know???

So it hit me today... I know what my excuses were before. And I know that I probably could just hang it up and not go through therapy. But for me, it's a choice. A choice to either "push through the pain" and get my life back... or become sedentary.

How many people have you seen who have a medical condition and choose not to work out? My father, Joel, is like me. He had a knee issue that kept him from walking - so he got it fixed and went through therapy. He wanted his life back. He made a choice.

Those of you who don't have a medical issue like this have a choice, too. You start and end your day... have you made positive choices for your life?

I want to encourage you, if you're not already, to choose wisely! Choose to be active. If you can't do it daily, do it every other day. Go for a walk. Ride a bike. Park further out. Take the stairs!!!

Let's all get rid of our excuses... and fight for our lives!

Latest News from Therapy...

2010-08-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

Thursday was a little different... and VERY long!

When I arrived, I had to fill out a "scorecard" on what my range of difficulty is on a variety of normal, everyday occurrences. Example: What amount of difficulty do you have walking, lifting a bag of groceries, running, etc.

It was the same form I filled out when I started therapy... but I think they wanted to know what type of improvement I've experienced.

In some ways, I think I've improved a lot. Let's say when I started, most things were "Extreme Difficulty/Unable to Perform."

Now, I feel like I'm in the "Moderate" difficulty range.

Next, they decided to take some measurements. They pulled out their compass and had me stretch it out to see how flat I could make my leg. Right now I'm about 1 or 2 degrees off. However, when I flex to push the knee down, it becomes 0 degrees - which is the goal without flexing.

They measured me on the bend... prior to doing "Heal Slides," I could bend it 116 degrees. But after about a minute of heal slides, I could get it to 123 degrees. The goal is 125, which is what my other knee can do.

I then continued on with my exercises. These include quad flexing, leg lifts, more bending, leg presses, clam shells, bridging, and lots and lots of balancing.

The picture above is "similar" to what I have to do. Instead of a ball under the board, it's another board. You have to try and balance on it for 2 minutes going side to side. Then after that you flip around and try and balance front to back.

They also introduced an exercise where I stand on the bad leg for 30 seconds and try and balance. Not fun.

Then, my new favorite (sarcasm): Knee bend. This is the one that just kills me every time. I stand on a board and force myself to bend down. I have to do 30 of these. Misery!

This all took about an hour and a half. I then had to ride the bike for 30 minutes - which I did - as it's considered a "milestone." This week they'll add resistance.

While I was on the bike, Kendra's intern came over and asked me how my exercises were going at home. I told her before I went to work, I could get in 2-3 sessions a day. Now that I'm at work, I get in 1 a day and 2 on the days when I go to therapy.

Part of me has wondered why she asked - does she think I'm not doing them? I mean, personally, I feel like I'm working my tail off.

Saturday was a BIG therapy day. I ran through my routine of exercises, and then I decided to get on my bike and take on the great outdoors. I biked for 40 minutes and went just over 6 miles. It was a beautiful morning - the temps were in the low 70s!

Then, I went through another session in the afternoon and biked 20 minutes.

Today I spent most of my time in a car driving to and from Longview. How does it feel? Dang sore! That's just a long time to be doing that... I think it was 5 hours of driving.

Glad to be back home and on the couch!

Preach It, Brutha!!!

2010-08-26T04:57:00.000-07:00

I hope you guys can watch this video. It's less than 2 minutes, but it definitely says a lot.

If you've been following this blog for the past year, you might remember an entry last September about Robert Griffin III. As quarterback of my Baylor Bears, he went down with a torn ACL...

It was a devastating injury... not only for him, but for all Baylor fans because our season went down with him.

While an ACL injury is a little different than what I experienced, it still is a difficult to overcome. Your knee is still opened up, you go through the same pain, and you have to go through therapy to regain what you lost.

With that said, I've been following his recovery very closely due to the similarities. When he speaks, I listen!

To see him running and cutting is inspirational to me. While I wish him well for the success I hope for my Bears, I really hope he doesn't have to go through this ever again.

Baylor plays Sam Houston State on September 4. I can't wait to see RGIII take the field!

Rockin' the Bike...

2010-08-23T16:14:00.000-07:00

One of the exercises I've been encouraged to take up is biking. Not only does my therapist support it, but also my doctor. In fact, he's an avid cyclist.

Biking to me over the past 7 or 8 years has been on the trails - I really like mountain biking. However, jumping logs and rocks and going up and down dirt hills isn't really in the cards for me at this point.

Throughout my therapy, I've enjoyed getting on the stationary bike. The progress has been very tangible to me - I can see and feel the results!

Now, I'm ready for a new challenge - biking outdoors.

In order to accomplish this, I had to purchase road tires for my mountain bike. The new tires, called "slicks," replace the knobby "dirt" tires so one could ride smoother on pavement. I'm all about the smoother ride...

If you know anything about Dallas, you know it's VERY hot these days. In fact, it's the hottest August on record... EVER. I think it was 105 degrees Saturday and Sunday, and today it hit 107. Incredible!

So instead of slaving over a bike in a hot garage, I spent most of the day Saturday putting the new tires on my bike... in the living room! Let's just say it's good I'm single...

Which led to Sunday morning. I put on my Garmin Forerunner (wrist GPS), turned on my iPod, and out I went around 8:30 AM.

I had no idea how it would go. I've only been biking for 3 weeks. How would the knee respond? How long could I ride?

One thing I quickly discovered was I needed to raise up my seat... like WAY up. The higher the seat is, the less bending you have to do with the knee. You have a longer reach, and it made it a lot more comfortable.

I decided to focus on the rotation - the constant motion I was making with my leg/knee. It definitely felt different compared to the stationary bike. Outside, you deal with inclines... wind... and variations in speed.

My chosen course was one I was familiar with - my neighborhood. I used it during all of my marathon training days, so I know the obstacles.

Do you realize the last time I ran this route was April 22, 2009? One thing that has changed is the neighborhood. I used to run in a subdivision that was about 2/3 built. Now, it's fully developed. I was shocked to see all of the houses.

Being outside was "freeing" - that's probably the best word I can describe. I felt extremely independent, excited that I was outside in the morning air, and that I was actually an athlete again... or trying to be one!

If you were to see me riding past your house, you'd probably think, "That is one slow dude."

Yep, I wasn't breaking any records. I discovered my average speed was 8.3 mph and that my maximum speed was 11.9 mph (probably coming down a hill!).

For comparison: When I last ran this course, I was averaging a 6 mph pace. So, I'm biking now just a little faster than a jog.

Halfway through, I knew I was feeling the pain. My knee was very sore - probably from all of the normal therapy and then this little bonus activity. After about 3.5 miles, I started heading towards home. I decided I wanted to end with 5 miles.

So, what you see in the image above is me riding around and heading back to my house. The little blue mark is the halfway point.

It took me 37 minutes, but I achieved the 5 mile goal. I honestly felt great... and hope to do it at least once or twice a weekend (early!).

So, for those locally that don't mind a slow pace, I'm up for a ride!

Building Muscle...

2010-08-19T15:54:00.001-07:00

I think my hard work is paying off...

When Kendra first approached me at therapy today, she wanted to know how I've been feeling since Tuesday's workout. I told her, "I've been extremely sore." She asked where, and I pointed to a point just above the knee.

She said, "That's the bottom of the quad, and you know exactly what we did to work that. It has a long way to go to get back to normal."

I think that's the story with a lot of my muscles...

A few weeks ago, I was at rock bottom. My strength was "non-existent," and I knew I had a long way to go.

When I first started my PT almost two weeks after my surgery, I struggled with just about everything I was asked to do. In fact, my session lasted less than 40 minutes because Kendra didn't want to cause any pain.

My knee was still really swollen, my stitches weren't exactly "finished" healing the wound (I busted one at one point!), and I was still using the walker at home.

I remember when I first started doing clam shells. It was so freaking painful... to get to 30 was pushing it. Today I did 100.

How about when I first got on the bike: I was going at 25 RPM and it took everything I had to make it to 10 minutes. Today my RPM (cadence) is around 65 and I can easily make 25 minutes (the only reason I get off is because my butt hurts!).

One of the exercises is in the picture above. Instead of using both legs, I'm to try and go as long as I can with the bad leg. The goal is to go a full 5 minutes with one leg.

When I first learned this exercise, I struggled big time. I could go about 15 seconds (a few dips) with one leg and then the majority of the time I spent using both legs. Today I realized I'm now able to go a majority of time with the one leg... but I still can't make it the full time with just the one leg.

The point I'm making is it feels so good to be making progress. I can feel the results... my muscles hurt! Ha! But, it's a good feeling.

I probably can compare it a little to my marathon training. If you remember (for those that have been following this blog for several years), you don't just go out and say, "I'm going to run 26.2 miles." You have to work up to that.

The first week I would focus on getting to 2-3 miles consistently... in a few weeks I'd be up to 5 miles on a run. Eventually, I could get to running around White Rock Lake (9 miles) in a single run after a few months.

I guess that's the same here...

Case in point: Tuesday's blog focused on how difficult it was for me to bend the knee to get to that point where I could take a "down" step. I struggled to get the first one... and then, in time, I made it to 10.

Today, I made it to 30. Yay Me!

Kendra was very pleased, and said I had a great workout today. She said I'm just making awesome progress.

Well, I'm determined... that's one characteristic I have in my nature. I know what I lost, and I want it back. "Eye of the Tiger!"

But frankly, I just think I've got a great therapist who knows how to push me... I can't wait to see where I am in a few more weeks!

Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On...

2010-08-17T15:43:00.001-07:00

A lot of people over the past year, when they see me, think "running" is what was taken away from me. Meaning, as if that's the only thing I lost...

The fact of the matter is, I've lost a lot... physically and emotionally. I won't talk about the latter in this blog. :-)

During today's therapy session, I was halfway through my exercises when I heard the girl next to me tell Kendra that "stairs" are still a problem.

Looking at her, I honestly couldn't see a scar on her knee. It was swollen, but I gathered it had been a while since she's been into therapy and was starting up again.

She talked about how difficult it is to go down stairs. Ironically, that's one of my most trying things to do. My doctor wants me to avoid going up/down a flight of stairs, but at my work I have a few I still have to go up/down when I go into/out of the building.

It also made me realize that I can't be alone in this... that others (like the guy in the picture above) struggle with simple tasks... and have to re-learn maneuvers that we all take for granted.

I started thinking about this issue as I was working through my exercises. "I wonder which one of these helps the most? Is there any way I can fast-track this process?" I know... I need to be patient... but geez louise I've been dealing with this crap for a year and a half now! I'm tired of being "The Gimp."

I then had one of those little conversations in my head... albeit, a little prayer. As I was doing the heel slides (my favorite because they hurt like anything!), I just said, "Lord, I hope all of this hard work will eventually allow me to go up/down stairs again like a normal person."

Friends... God was listening to my silent frustrations/prayer. I soon received my answer.

Kendra taught me 3 new exercises today, but one in particular (the last one) was particularly shocking (as well as DIFFICULT).

Overall, I think Kendra is pleased with my effort and determination. I'm working hard during our sessions, as well as at home. The results show when I come in and she can see how far I'm getting.

Whenever I'm making progress, she's ready to teach me something new. I'll skip the other exercises just so I can explain this one. It was the last one of the day.

On a 12" x 12" wooden board that is about 2-3 inches thick (height), I am to stand on one leg and bend it at the knee to lower the other leg until it taps the ground, and lift it up. Sounds simple, right?

Well it is... with my right leg.

Before I started, Kendra said, "I want 30." I thought, OK... this is going to be tough but I'm going to do it.

I stood on my bad leg and held the other one out. However, trying to bend was like trying to flex steel. Everything shook... I mean EVERYTHING! It was like an earthquake was going through my body as I tried in vain to bend that knee.

Immediately, my heart sank. I realized this was not going to go well at all. I could also see it on Kendra's face that this wasn't what she was expecting.

Kendra asked if I was in pain and I told her no, I wasn't hurting... I just had no control or support. I was just one big "shake."

I could tell this was freaking her out and so she said, "OK... let's focus on one." So I did... and it was as if the dam burst because I finally bent it enough that I could dip that right leg down an inch or two.

Earthquake and all...

After that she said to go for two and we worked on it where I could get to 5... and then I made it to 10. I was pouring sweat!

I told her this felt exactly like when I go down stairs. She said, "Actually, this is the exercise to help you do that successfully." Not to be over dramatic, but I can't tell you how much that hit me...

I know my eyes were "watery" talking with her because I had just had that conversation in my head with God.. and this has been one of my biggest frustrations since day one!

Kendra said the muscle has not been used in a very long time, and that we will be focusing on building that up in the coming weeks.

Well, I'll just say my spirits were sky high for the rest of the afternoon. Not only that we have a plan, but that God answers the quietest of prayers!

Even when expressed through frustration!

Catching Up...

2010-08-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

If you noticed, I haven't updated the blog since Tuesday.

Well, something happened on Wednesday: I started back to work.

I got really busy. Even though I was working from home on Wednesday and Thursday, I was still attending therapy sessions. When I finished up work, I had my own therapy session to work through.

So, my time is very constrained now.

Friday I went into work. I'll get to that in a bit...

On Wednesday at therapy, Kendra introduced some new exercises that I can only do at the clinic. One is for me to lie on my back on an incline machine. I guess I would call this similar to a leg press, in that I have to push myself up the track.

However, I am not to do a full knee bend or a knee lock. Once I get up to the end of the extension, I need to drop it down a few inches. After I do a few of these, I have to remove my right leg and just put all the weight on my left.

Believe me... it's incredibly tough. But, I really like this because I can feel the burn... I can tell my muscles are working and getting stronger.

Another exercise I do at the clinic is a "board balance." Think of a piece of plywood that is probably 20x15 inches. Underneath is a 1-inch board that runs the length of the plywood. I stand on this and balance (try to balance) for 2 minutes. It's rockin' and rollin' - but it forces me to use muscles that I've lost. It's very intense. Then I switch and do it a different way... so the first way I'm going side to side. The second time I'm working on balancing front to back.

In addition to these two exercises, I'm also doing clam shells and bridging (see picture above). Clam shells is me lying on my side with my legs together and lifting the top leg like a clam shell. This puts the focus on the hips, which adds muscle and puts more weight on them rather than the knees. I can do about 50 each of these.

Bridging is pretty tough. When I go up, you can see the intensity is on the bent knee. I have to try and hold it for 2-3 seconds, and then come back down. I can do 50 of these as well.

So those are my new exercises... which, added to the current ones, just lengthens my therapy sessions. Plus, I'm still riding the bike at 25 minutes a session... doing it 2-3 times a day.

On Friday I went into work. It was a long walk from the train station to my office. I actually stopped twice to catch my breath/let the pain subside. I walk pretty slow, too.

When I arrived, my boss/coworkers were surprised that I was wearing jeans... that I wasn't on crutches... and that I seemed to be walking good. Apparently they thought I would be in pretty bad shape.

My day was busy, and I need to not walk around as much as I did. I think that wore me out. When I got home, I was so tired/sore that I just didn't have it in me to do a therapy session. I ended up parking myself on the couch and going to bed around 10.

Saturday was a good day in terms of workouts - I completed two lengthy sessions and felt like I accomplished a lot.

My schedule this week is to go into the office on MWF and working from home Tuesday/Thursday. Those two days are my therapy sessions with Kendra.

So there you go - wanted to catch everybody up.

Today's Dr. Visit...

2010-08-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

It's been two weeks since my last visit to see Dr. Ramsey , so I was interested to see how he thought I was doing.

His first comment was regarding the healing of the knee. Apparently it looks good... of course, compared to a normal knee, it still looks like a train wreck.

I then had to lay on my back while he checked my strength and mobility. He was very pleased with how far I could bend my knee, as well as the muscle tone. I told him I've been working hard with Kendra.

Then it was time for him to remove the stitches. Four of the holes that he made had stitches that would dissolve. However, the large one below the knee needed regular stitches. This is the one he went through to remove the suture.

He wanted to remove them before they became a part of my body. While he was taking them out, I guess they proved more difficult than he expected. A few times he was grimacing and saying, "I'm really trying not to hurt you."

Well, as long as he wasn't sticking another needle into my knee, I wasn't complaining! Actually, I don't have much feeling on the surface of my knee. I guess whatever was going on, he must have thought it was causing me pain. I didn't feel a thing.

Once he finished, I noticed him doing something and then I figured it out - he was getting ready to put a bandaid on my knee. Why do I need one of those? I soon figured it out - apparently I was bleeding.

We then had a talk.

The previous two visits, I was either about to pass out from the pain (knee draining) or I was still a little loopy from being on the pills. I wanted to find out what my life is going to be like now that he's done all of that cutting.

Stairs: When I'm at work, my office occupies two floors. The stairs are right outside from my desk, and it's very convenient to take them. He wants me to avoid stairs as much as I can in the future. However, for the next four weeks, he wants me to put them out of my mind completely. I'm to take the elevator.

Appearance: My knee hasn't looked normal since April 26, 2009. I don't care about the scars on the outside, but I'm wondering will it ever not be so swollen? He said it will never look like a normal knee, but it will look a little better (compared to the other one). He wants me to get on a regimen of taking Aleve twice a day... for a very long time. He said it's not for pain, but for the swelling. I couldn't take this during the past few weeks because the body needs to heal inside without fighting the anti-inflamatories. Now, I'm ready. Hopefully this will do the trick.

Walking: He wanted to know how far I have to walk to get to work. I told him it's about two blocks from where the train drops me off. He asked if I wanted a handicapped tag - he has the form that I could get for 6 months. It's tempting... but right now I told him I'd see how it goes. Besides, it's so much easier taking the train from where I live compared with driving.

Exercise: He's told me this before, but my future cardio will come from biking... or swimming... or elliptical. My knee can't take any sort of pounding. I've really been pushing myself on the biking (stationary), so I'm hoping to try doing some outdoor biking in a few weeks. Jason has already said he'd bike with me once a week. I figured if I could bike on my own and then have a good "long" day on the weekends, that'd be a pretty decent plan.

He wants to see me in 4 weeks - 2 days shy of my 40th. Overall, he thinks everything is looking great and he said I need to keep up with the hard work.

That's my plan...

I think last time I trusted my previous doctor in that all I needed to do was to walk and everything would fall into place. This time around, I'm discovering that I need to work at it AND I'm encouraged to work at it!

I can see the results... my therapist and doctor can see the results. And hopefully, the harder I work, the more "normalcy" will return to my life.

If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm fighting for "my life" here. I want it back. Badly! And I'm very determined to get it back through blood, sweat, and tears!

Who Wants to See My Knee???

2010-08-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

These are the pictures from my surgery. If you are squemish, then don't watch because they get a little more disturbing towards the end.

Otherwise, enjoy!

"What Are You Doing This Weekend?"

2010-08-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

Would you believe I was asked that question 3 times on Friday?

Given my little "situation," I found that humorous. I guess some people were giving me more credit than I expected...

My focus this weekend was going to be on continuing my exercises. Period. End of story. That's it.

I wanted to be very productive with my time. In fact, I wasn't going to take the weekend off just because it was there...

As of Friday, I've been in Physical Therapy for one week. When I arrived, Kendra got me on a table and I started doing my stretches.

They had someone "observing," so she asked me a lot of questions ("What happened? Were you active before the accident? How much has your life changed?"). This girl was a student at the University of North Texas and was deciding if she wanted to go into therapy.

Oddly enough, after one of my exercises, my knee started bleeding. It was coming out of the left side of the knee - the area where the lateral release was. Kendra asked me if that ever happened before, and I said no. It's still very swollen, so the skin is just very tight around that incision.

I finished up on the bike (2o minutes and I got my cadence/rpm up to 55!), then left. I needed to go to the grocery store, and I wasn't looking forward to it (I was very sore). But, as soon as that task would be over, I could get home and rest on the couch.

Friday afternoon I did one therapy session, then ended up grabbing a nap. I think everything was catching up to me on the week. I was very sore and tired.

I spent Saturday working my tail off on the exercises, and I was able to ride the bike 3 times at 20 minutes each. It gets pretty boring riding the bike - so I play "Tetris" on my iPhone while I'm on it. Ha!

When I wasn't exercising, I was smoking... meats! I smoked two chickens and two racks of ribs. They turned out great - I'll give one of each to my folks. If you know anything about smoking, it takes 3-4 hours for each session.

Sunday was a mirror of Saturday without the smoking. However, I was pretty tired from Saturday's exercises so I only did two therapy sessions.

To me, I believe all of this hard work is starting to pay off. While I am much more comfortable when I'm on the couch, the knee isn't hurting as much when I walk on it. It's still big... but I think I'm starting to develop the muscle mass to support everything.

I have been thinking about this a lot - not going through therapy before, I don't think I had the strength to support myself (or as much strength as I have on my right leg). Thus, the traumatized knee was probably taking all of that weight...

At least that's what my "couch potato" thought process came up with...

This week I start back to work (Wednesday). I plan to work from home Wednesday and Thursday, then go into the office on Friday. My therapy sessions this week are Monday/Wednesday/Thursday.

Oh, and Tuesday I go see Dr. Ramsey. I'm interested to see what progress he thinks I've made in the last two weeks.

So if you're wondering, "What does Regan do all day?" - the answer is "exercise!" It takes me about an hour and a half now to get through a session. Once I'm through, I take about an hour break and then I get into it again.

That's my plan this week... at least Monday and Tuesday. When work starts up, I'll lose that time... Which is why I'm pushing so hard right now to take advantage of what I have while I'm at home.

Changing the Subject...

2010-08-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I shared pics from my Cruise. It was an awesome vacation, and we had a lot of fun. If you missed them, here is a link to the blog: Link

Well, above are the pics from when David and I went snorkeling in Cozumel. Given the heat we're going through in Texas, this is like a tall glass of iced tea!

Enjoy!

Making Progress...

2010-08-05T20:26:00.001-07:00

Today was my 3rd Physical Therapy session, and I was really interested to see the progress I've made.

Since Tuesday, I've been a "focused indoor athlete." I went through a combined 6 workouts between Tuesday and Wednesday. That's a lot... especially knowing where I was this time last week!

I rode the bike 4 different times, and was able to get my time up from 10 to 15 minutes in a workout.

So, walking into today's session, I was excited to show Kendra what I've been doing.

Did you notice I said, "Walking?" Yes... I haven't used a crutch since Wednesday. And on that day I used it sparingly. It was weird leaving it at home... but I walked (albeit, very slowly) into the room with an approving Kendra following.

As I went through my exercises, I got a lot of "good job!" and "you're doing awesome!" comments. She increased the difficulty on that meter that is attached to my quad... it was tough but she said I did great.

When it came time to do my favorite exercise (heel slides - and yes, sarcasm!), she brought over the ruler to check my flexibility. On Friday I could only bend it 85 degrees. Today I'm up to 110 degrees... and our goal is to match my other leg, 125 degrees. She was like, "only 15 more to go!"

Kendra also introduced a new exercise - clam shells. I did that prior to the surgery, but I think she held back due to the stitches. Anyway, I lie on my side with my legs bent and together... then I lift the top one. She asked me to do 30 on each side. I did 50. :0

I then did 5 laps walking over the cones... I'm OK on that, but my balance is still off unless I'm concentrating. It's odd trying to learn how to walk straight.

Finally, it was time for the bike. Kendra said, "If you're doing 15, try 16... 17... or 18." Well, I did it for 20 minutes. It was tough, but I really wanted to press forward and see if I could do it.

More impressive, at least to me, was I could only keep the RPM on Tuesday around 25. Today I was able to maintain 45! I'm trucking along!

I go back tomorrow to see Kendra, and then I have 3 sessions next week again. She told me I'm doing fantastic. It's very motivating having someone that encouraging behind you...

So I drove home and I got a wild hair. I've been walking a lot in my house... what about on a straight-away? What is my endurance level... how far can I go? I put on my iPod and decided to try and walk to the end of my street and come back.

That was the goal... but I told myself I would turn back if it felt weird. Well, I made it about 3/4 the way and I was really feeling it. But, if you know me, I'm a bit stubborn. Seeing that the end of the street was just a little bit further, I pushed on but I walked slower.

Anyway, I made it. Down and back. I was very proud of myself.

The human body is amazing... last week at this time I was still using the walker and wasn't too excited about having to stay at my folks house (someone to watch me). I was hooked up to the ice machine still, and I was in a lot of pain.

Today, I walked to the end of my street. I biked 20 minutes... plus an additional 15 when I got home. I underwent two different workouts, and I'm being told everything is going great.

You really don't know what you had until you've lost it. I'm still struggling with pain, swelling, and general weakness. But, I'm finally seeing progress!

I can't wait to see where I am this time next year!

Still a Bit Swollen...

2010-08-04T10:49:00.001-07:00

I've been asked quite a bit, "How's it going?" In fact, I get a daily phone call from my mom around 5 asking the same question.

So, here is my knee... in all its glory.

What you're seeing is it side-by-side with my right leg. I wanted to show the comparison.

It's still swollen, but I think it's going down a little bit each day.

You're also seeing 4 of the 5 holes. The 5th hole is just over the outside of my leg (if you see that white-ish mark at the top of the picture, it's just beyond that).

Each hole contains at least one stitch, except the one on the original scar - there are 3 or 4 on that one. Why so many? That's where he had to do cut out the sutures (from what I was told), so he needed to make a larger hole.

Most of my pain is on the outside of the knee. It is very sore to the touch, and has most of the swelling. This is where he had to cut (internally) my kneecap from the outside of my knee. This is also the area that looked like a sausage was stuck under my skin a week ago!

Speaking of, can you believe it's been 2 weeks? It seems like a month! I was still trying to understand/absorb the reality of having a machine attached to me at this time on the 21st. I was wondering how long this would be on me, and if it would impede me going back to work on that next Monday.

Little did I know how bad things would turn...

I appreciate all of the warm and encouraging comments. I think everyone is hoping this is it... this is the surgery/therapy that finally fixes this problem. I know I do...

As my cousin Lori says, "We gotta believe!" So, I'm believing it!

Believe with me!

More Physical Therapy...

2010-08-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today was my 2nd PT session since the surgery. Had I not had the complications, this would have been my 4th.

Going into it, I wasn't exactly sure what Kendra's feedback would be. I've been feeling very sore lately. However, I've been working my tail off trying to regain everything that I've lost.

As you know, Kendra assigned me homework. One thing I learned is that PT is not just when you go to your session. It's "all the time." She told me before that this is my full-time job right now. Well... that's just about right.

The sessions are for her to see if I'm progressing, and what needs to be adjusted. The real work is what I do on my own between the sessions. This means I typically have a workout in the morning and two workouts in the afternoon.

So if I just educated you on what physical therapy is all about, then I figured I need to explain what the "routine" is really like.

A session typically goes like this:

I get up on the table and Kendra does a quick inquiry as to how things are going, any problems I'm encountering, and asking what my pain level is like. She also asks me to unwrap the leg so she can see the knee and how it's healing.

Physical Therapy, at least what I'm going through, is a lot of stretching. It's terrible and awesome all wrapped up together - terribly painful but it makes me feel so good.

The first stretch is called "Bridging." This is the one where I lie on my back with my heel resting on this foam "thing" for 10 minutes. It's supposed to stretch/align my muscles via gravity. By minute 7, it's really painful.

I next go through 3 sets of hamstring stretches where I push my knee down for 30 seconds and lean forward. That feels really good.

The other stretch I do is gastroc stretches - I'm given a dog leash and wrap it around my foot. I then lean forward and pull. 3 sets at 30 seconds each.

Then Kendra hooks up these electrodes to the top of my quad, which are hooked up to this electronic device. She sets it up where I have to flex for 5 seconds/relax for 3 seconds... and when I'm flexing this digital bar goes up. My goal is to try and keep it at a high level in the green. I do 45 reps, but when I'm home I don't have the machine so I just have to time it for 5 minutes.

Next comes the leg raises. Lying on my back, and with the device still hooked up to my leg, I have 45 reps where I'm lifting for 5 seconds/relaxing for 3. Again, I'm watching that meter to keep it flexed above a certain level. Today, Kendra commented that I'm doing a really good job and that she can tell I've been working hard at home.

Heel slides (see picture above) are next. I can't tell you how much I hate these. They hurt like a mutha. For 5 minutes, I'm pulling with the dog leash my heel as far as I can... holding for 3 seconds... and then pushing it back. Once it's stretched back flat, I have to flex my quad/lock the knee... then repeat. Seriously... these are the worst!

My next exercise is "cone walking." This is where I walk over little cones to train my leg to pick up my foot from the toe and land back on the heel... then lock the knee. After two laps with one crutch, Kendra came over and said, "Let me see that crutch." Once I gave it to her, she then said, "OK... let's see how it goes without the crutch."

Well, this was pretty dang awkward. I started walking with my hands out to maintain my balance. She said that was normal and that I need to learn how to adjust... so whatever helps me is fine. I went down and back twice and she said, "I want you to try and not use a crutch while you're in your home... but you should use it when you're out and about."

So, that's pretty good news I think. I don't think she'd push me more than what I can handle, and she must see that I'm progressing enough to get to this point. Amazing to think that less than a week ago I was struggling just to hang onto my walker.

Kendra then told me to follow her and we headed to the bike. This was a big moment - I really was interested to see what the "rotation" would feel like.

She wanted me to ride for 10 minutes... if you remember, prior to the surgery I could only go about 8 minutes and I was in a lot of pain. PRIOR TO SURGERY...

My first few cycles weren't very good... it locked on the first time around. Not a good sign. We then made a few adjustments, and I was then able to go around (very slowly) without it locking/stopping.

Kendra assured me that the goal for today was not speed (thank goodness!) but rotation. She wanted me to get the feel of going round and round. Well, my cadence was extremely slow... about 25 RPM. That's insanely slow, but I was just glad to be doing something... you know?

Anyway, I made it 10 minutes and the knee wasn't killing me. That really made my day. After I got off the bike, I was finished. I go back on Thursday.

My "homework" is to do two more workout sessions this afternoon and ride the bike once more tonight (I have a stationary in my house that belongs to my parents).

Anyhoo... there you go. That's what PT is all about.

Cleaning...

2010-08-02T13:14:00.001-07:00

Last week, when my sister came to help out, she took on the "Martha Stewart" role.

Within a few minutes of arriving (after a long drive up from Houston), she started cleaning.

At first, I thought she was just doing my laundry and picking up the kitchen.

However, after a while, I noticed she had turned into a cleaning machine!

While maintaining my post on the couch, I watched in amazement as she cleaned the kitchen (countertops, sink, dishes, floor, appliances, etc.), dining room (dusting, baseboards, etc.), bedrooms, and living room.

She wiped down all of my baseboards, mopped the floors, ran the dishwasher, cleaned the bathrooms, and probably did (I think) 5 loads of laundry. She also vacuumed every room. It was a sight to see!

This all took place during the course of 2 days...

Both she and my Mom said "You need a woman in your life!" Ha! I'm not really a pig. I guess I just don't notice things since I have a housekeeper that comes once a month. Seems clean to me...

Rachel left saying she's going to remind me of things I need to tell Karen (housekeeper) to clean each month. Basically, giving her a little extra something to do each month.

So because the house looked so great, I decided to take advantage of me "sitting around" and scheduled for Dalworth to come out and clean my carpets and tile.

I used them last year, and the same guy (James) showed up today. He's really nice and extremely humble. One thing I like about him is he seems to really take pride in his job.

For the past 4 hours, I confined myself to my bedroom while James cleaned everything. When he finished, I was really impressed. The carpets look fantastic, but I'm floored (pun!) by the job he did on my tile. I've never had my tile/grout cleaned... it's a huge difference!

The carpets are still wet, so I'm just staying in my bedroom. Lord knows I don't want to slip on that tile from a wet foot! Probably will be "dryer" in a few hours.

Anyway, if you've been putting it off, look into getting your floors done. It's totally worth it! Dalworth had a deal for 25% off tile work and 4 rooms for $99 (carpet) - I'd bet other companies in your area would be running similar specials.

My Weekend...

2010-08-01T18:03:00.001-07:00

Joel dropped me off at my house on Friday around 3, and I immediately took up residence on the couch. This would pretty much be my routine for most of the weekend.

I went through another therapy session (homework), and then grabbed a nap before Jason showed up to keep me company that evening. We watched Defiance (very good) and ordered a pizza.

Before he left, I had Jason fix up my ice machine and move it to my bedroom. I have decided to just keep it in there for the nights and I'd ice my knee with ice packs during the day.

Saturday I got up and decided it was time to start getting into a "routine" again. So, I made coffee and went out to get my paper. I realized I'm a very slow mover... normally I have enough time to come back in and read a section before the coffee is ready. By the time I made it back into the house, I heard the cofee finishing up. Oh well...

After eating a light breakfast, I started my workout. I went through the full session, which takes about an hour, because I wanted to finish it up before my parents arrived. It's hard to explain it... it's not difficult because it's strenuous, but it's difficult because it's painful. I just keep telling myself that the more I do this, the further along I'll be in my recovery.

Next, I hit the shower. This would be a different one than the previous showers - I was given permission to clean up without having the trash bag duct taped to my leg! You have no idea how great of a relief that is!

My knee is still very sore to the touch, but it felt good to get it cleaned up. The nurse did a good job, but I still would rather take care of that on my own.

Mom and Joel showed up and we went to lunch here in town. I had never been to Amelia's, and they had excellent Mexican food. I think it was a winner in their books, too.

They dropped me back home and I got back into my comfortable clothes and went through another session. This time I took longer with it... meaning, breaks in between the exercises. Which, of course, led to another nap after I finished up.

My cousin Lori called and we caught up (Finally!) on the events of our lives over the past two months. I haven't seen her or my other relatives in Beaumont since Thanksgiving 2008, so I'm planning a trip again this year.

Oh yeah, Saturday was my first "let's try and not take the pain pills" day. I made it through the day taking Tylenol every 4 hours. Again, trying to get my "normal" life back.

Last night I reheated leftover pizza and watched some shows, then headed to bed around 11. I also wanted to try something else out - no ice machine. You see, for the past 10+ days I've had to sleep hooked up to that machine. It's extremely uncomfortable, and I have to sleep on my back and the opposite side of the bed.

So I moved to my "normal" side, took a pain pill (figured it would help), and off to La-La-Land I went. It was an interesting night. I could feel the heat coming from my knee - it's like when you have a sunburn and you can feel your skin pumping heat out.

I figured if it got too bad, then I'd go hook up the machine. Anyhoo, it was fine. I did get a pretty restful night of sleep, though. I even slept on my stomach!

This morning was similar to Saturday - coffee, paper, breakfast, and therapy. Chandra showed up and I showed her my scary pictures (from the camera that went inside my knee during the surgery). Of course, she was grossed out and we had to flip them over after we were done. Ha!

She had come to visit because I wanted to get out. We went to lunch (Mexican - always good!) and then I wanted to go shoe shopping. If I'm going to start therapy and working out again, I wanted some new shoes...

I knew exactly what I wanted - one of three different options of shoes from Asics - so we went to DSW. They had one of them, but not my size. Next we went to Dick's Sporting Goods, and I actually found my number one choice.

Once purchased, I was pretty much done. My knee had seen enough of the "real world" for the day, and we headed home.

After Chandra left, I've rested and gone through another therapy session. I thought I would get a nap, but it got too late in the day. I've since made dinner and now I'm back on the couch (of course).

I'm still feeling a lot of pain, but not as much. My knee is still swollen, but not as much. But most importantly, my spirit is still heading in the right direction. I have a good attitude about all of this, and I see "normalcy" returning in the near future.

Thanks again for your support and encouragement...

First Physical Therapy Session...

2010-07-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

I stayed at my parent's house Thursday night so that it would be easier on everyone to drive me to my therapy session.

Kendra called me in around 9:30. The first thing she said to me was, "You survived the surgery!" I looked at her and thought, "If you only knew..."

Well, she was about to find out the truth.

As I made my way to a table, she commented, "Your moving pretty good." I told her I've had 9 days of practice on the crutches.

I then walked her through everything: Dr. Ramsey performed a lateral release, cut out all of the scar tissue, and removed one or more sutures. Also, he didn't have to repair the meniscus.

She said, "So what happened this week? You canceled your appointments because he wouldn't clear you?" I then told her about me doing exercises the first 3 days, and then being unable to lift my leg Saturday-Monday. Going to see Dr. Ramsey and the knee being enormous, and then him having to drain the knee.

"Do you know how much he drained?" I told her 40cc's. Her eyes popped out and she looked at me, "Oh my gosh! That's a lot!" She then said, "No wonder you couldn't lift your leg. That's a lot of pressure on that knee."

I showed her my pictures from the surgery, and she explained everything in even more detail than Dr. Ramsey. It was extremely interesting/informative. And, I learned something about that lateral release.

She said we're going to have to adjust some of the therapy because it causes "complications." She then went on to explain that it the kneecap is going to be a little more unstable since it's not connected to tissue on the outside of my leg.

I asked if this means I'm at risk for a dislocated kneecap... she said it's just the contrary. Because the kneecap was being pulled so far over by the tissue, it could have easily been dislocated had I experienced some sort of trauma.

We then unwrapped the knee because she wanted to see it. (Nosey Rosey!) She saw all of the stitches and swelling and said, "Well, you may not think so but it looks pretty good." I said she should have seen it on Monday and she said she could only imagine if he pulled out that much fluid and blood.

Speaking of, there are 4 little "marks" on the outside of the knee that she said is where he went in with the needle. So maybe he wasn't actually moving it around... it was him going in multiple times. Sheesh!

Then, it was time for work.

Most of the exercises I was familiar with - having gone through them prior to surgery. However, some were new. After about 10 minutes I was already sweating.

One exercise is very odd to me: I have to lie down and rest the heel about 8-10 inches above the ground on an object for 10 minutes. It sounds easy... but after about 5 minutes, I really start to feel it. The reason I'm doing this is my alignment is off. This helps to develop my muscles to straighten out. No wonder I walk with a "strut."

The final exercise was me walking over small cones. It was to teach my leg to come up from the toe and land on the heel... and then to lock the knee. After my first down and back, she had me remove my left crutch. I then had to go down and back 2 more times.

While I was doing that, I said it was very awkward and that I'm used to using the walker. Kendra asked if I'm on a walker for stability, and I said yes... and that it's just easier to get around with.

Then she wrote something down in my file... hence, the comic above (I saw that this week in the paper). How ironic...

My homework is to do my exercises all the time, 3 times a day... meaning, every 30 minutes I'm to do one of the exercises. The goal is to keep the blood flowing through the knee.

She also said that I'm to keep the knee unwrapped when I'm at home and I don't have ice on it. When I go out, though, it needs to be wrapped.

Oh, and she told me I'm to lose the left crutch. I need to be working on one crutch now... this puts more weight on the left leg, thus building up those muscles.

Believe me, it's not easy... NONE of it is easy... but I'm trying and adapting.

I go back to see her on Tuesday. Then Thursday and Friday.

One Big Fat Knee...

2010-07-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was out on the deck with my Mom, and she wanted to see what was under the bandage.

So after the unveiling, this is what she saw: a pretty big knee with 5 areas containing about 10 stitches. (We're not exactly sure)

As you can see, the knee is still fairly swollen. However, it's definitely smaller than it was on Monday. I'm not kidding - it was huge!

Dr. Ramsey and his nurse both commented today how much smaller it had become.

On the left side is where we noticed 4 dark marks - at first we thought they were stitches. Upon further review: scabs.

Then it hit me - this is what Dr. Ramsey was doing on Monday. He was inserting the needle into these 4 places (and possibly one of his incisions) to draw out the blood and fluid. Wild!

If you were to touch it, the skin is very "spongy." You can tell there is still fluid under the skin... so hopefully in a few more days it will come down.

My Mom was like, "You can't even see any bone!"

Well, she didn't see it on Monday when it had "waves" in it - that knee was so amazingly deformed that it looked like a water balloon with ripples (bandage marks).

Pain? I'm about a 5-6 tonight. Can't wait to see how high my level gets tomorrow with Physical Therapy!

So now you can see why I'm constantly hooked up to that ice machine... I guess it's working.

It's About Damn Time...

2010-07-29T07:04:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the curse word, but that's exactly how I feel after the week I've had...

I've tried to control my frustration, but now I can at least express my relief.

We went to see Dr. Ramsey this morning. Before we arrived, I made sure I could still lift the leg this morning because I knew he would be checking that. No problems... still could lift it as I've done since Monday afternoon.

When Dr. Ramsey's nurse came in, she immediately said, "Well, you look a lot better than you did on Monday." Joel was in the room and she said how I was very pale and my expression showed I was in a lot of pain.

Then she unwrapped the knee - no bleeding this time. Now that I was more cognizant than I was on Monday, I got a better look at it. The stitches are in multiple places - top, bottom, right, and left. However, the bottom has several along the pre-existing scar and the left side has numerous "stitch" areas where the release was made.

Dr. Ramsey then came in and said the same thing - "You look MUCH better." We then went through the leg lifts and he remarked that he could tell I was doing my exercises. I now need to do them every hour that I'm awake to maintain that muscle tone.

He said that Monday's knee draining was unusual. When he saw the stream oozing out the side of my knee, he knew there was a serious problem. Even though he had to insert the needle to get it all out, he said that was a risk of inviting infection into an area that needed to be healing.

Then he pulled out my pictures from the surgery.

First, the meniscus did not need to be repaired. It had a small tear in it, but he said it wasn't significant enough to need fixing. He showed it to me and I tend to agree. He said what we're seeing is normal in most individuals.

However, there was a tremendous amount of scarring. He showed it to me - resembling gray "spiderwebs" throughout the knee. He cut all of that out, which should help with flexibility and pain.

While he was cutting, he ran across a suture. It was blue. He said, "Obviously I wasn't a part of your original surgery, so I'm not sure why that was still in there." He said it was tied to the bottom of the kneecap, so he cut that out. Apparently that surprised him... and me, of course. (The other day he said "sutures" and I guess I forgot to ask if there was more than one today)

Then he went through the "release." He showed the pictures and explained that's why the outside of my knee looks like it has a "vienna sausage" inside of it. The swelling is causing that now, but that's normal.

Finally, he showed a picture of him cotterizing the blood vessels. "And, as you well know, not everything was cotterized even though I tried to get it all - which caused the bleeding and swelling."

So while my knee looks like it's twice the size of my other knee, it's come down enough that he is comfortable to send me to therapy. He doesn't want me to do much knee bending/heel slides right now... which means no biking yet... but at least I can get this process started. This next phase should last 4 weeks.

He doesn't want me to go back to work just yet. I told him I was thinking August 9, and he said he thinks that's the earliest but that I should plan to see him on the 1oth. I felt like he really wasn't sure if I'd be ready by then... but is leaving it up to me. Normally he sees patients 4 weeks later, but because of the complications he wants to see me in two weeks.

So I'm cleared for Physical Therapy starting tomorrow. He doesn't want me to stay by myself just yet, so I'll be bunking at my parent's house at least tonight. I guess I tend to agree... if you saw me, you'd understand. I'm just not there yet to be "Mr. Independent."

He said I might be able to start driving sometime next week. That would be determined by my Physical Therapist, Kendra. They re-wrapped the knee and said I could also start showering without the trash bag.

Overall, I feel like I got some good news today. I really couldn't imagine going into another surgery and putting my parents through all of that again. It's been tough on everyone this week, so I'm thankful for some good news in that I've finally turned a corner.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers...

I Spoke Too Soon...

2010-07-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

For the record, I slept really well again last night.

However, before I went to bed, I was feeling quite a bit of pain in the knee. I thought it might be the ice pack "freezing" the skin, so I turned it down... quite a bit, actually. However, that didn't seem to help.

Throughout the night I took 3 pain pills - that's about one more than I should, but it's still within the limit.

Around 5:30, I woke up and realized the A/C temperature was going to start moving up after 8 unless I made a change. That's what has been waking me up each morning - after 8 it gets a bit warmer. So, I made my way over to the thermostat and cranked it down to 73 and hit "Hold." Ahhh... sweet cold relief.

I got up around 9:30 and noticed a lot of pain: knee and head. That was unusual... time for Mr. Pill.

After being up for about an hour, I realized something wasn't right. It's like my body is "off." I thought I might have a fever, so I took it. 98.2. Ok, maybe I just need some food. When Rachel arrived, she saw I wasn't feeling well and made me a sandwich. It was good, but it didn't fix the problem.

My energy level is just WAY down. It's like I've got the flu or something. I've forced myself to go through my exercises twice today already, but those didn't boost my energy level either.

Then I thought, "Maybe it's my blood pressure." So I took that and it read 134/89. Not great, but not "off the charts," you know? I mean, if you've been following this blog you know it's been a struggle... and the numbers have been much higher. To me, that's not the problem.

So Rachel was still concerned and wanted to know what she could get me to try and help the situation. I decided that maybe a smoothie from Sonic (props to Chandra) would give me some energy. I also ate a banana.

While I was sitting up, I showed Rachel one of my stitches (top of the knee) and she said that my knee is significantly larger than the other one.

Anyway, that's about how my day has gone. I've had zero energy and I've spent the entire day lying on this couch. Mom stopped by and wanted to know how I was doing... and of course, she feels bad as any mother would.

We talked about how it's been 1 week and I'm still feeling the same/worse than I was this time last Wednesday. And then she looked at my knee and commented how large it still is. I showed her the link below to the "lateral release" information so she/Rachel could see what happened.

Tonight Rachel is staying with me. She's taking me to the Dr. tomorrow morning (8 AM). I'm hoping to find out several things:

1. Is my knee still bleeding?
2. Are the pictures ready for me to see of what is going on internally?
3. What did he actually do/see during the surgery?

Overall, my pain has been about a 6 for the past two days. I can lift the leg, which is a good sign. I'm just completely wiped out and I've had a persistent headache all day. I guess it's just not a good day... maybe tomorrow will be different.

Feeling Better...

2010-07-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up and my knee was bursting with pain...

My immediate thought was, "Oh great... more bleeding."

I had slept probably the best I have in over a week. I woke up just a few times (instead of every hour), and didn't roll out of bed until 9. I guess it's finally catching up to me.

I grabbed the walker and meandered out to the living room... and took my first pain pill of the day. After eating some breakfast, I settled into my spot - the couch.

Mom and Tanner showed up around 10:30 and she wanted to know my pain level. Well, it was pretty high still, and of course that bothered her (hypochondriac, remember?).

She wanted me to call Dr. Ramsey and move my appointment from Thursday to Wednesday. I told her let's play it by ear and see how I feel in the afternoon. She then left with Tanner and Carson for the next few hours.

Rachel showed up around 1:30 and immediately started helping out - cleaning up the house, changing the sheets, running the washer, etc. When Mom returned with Carson, she and Carson went to Target and Chili's for me.

While they were out, I decided to apply for "Short Term Disability" from my company. That was a lengthy phone call, and apparently I have a few more to make tomorrow regarding it. Awesome.

Then the Sears Repairman showed up - icemaker is on the fritz. When he was walking up, I thought, "Oh great... same guy." A few years ago he showed up to fix my freezer (different problem) and he spent more time gabbing then working.

Sure as anything... same thing today. This guy talked for 30 minutes straight... it went from "What happened to your knee" to me hearing about him riding motorcycles and his son piloting planes. (Note to Mel: His son is a Hunt pilot. Weird coincidence)

Then Rachel/Carson returned and I gave Carson a list to work through while Rachel finished up. She'll be back tomorrow and Carson will still be helping me.

Today I've been able to go through my exercises 3 times... not bad. Although the last one was a bit difficult.

My pain level is probably about a 6. Not bad. But I think overall I'm feeling better. Maybe the bleeding has stopped.

By the way, I got a little interested in what exactly is a "lateral release." The picture at the top shows that the kneecap is riding in a different position - which makes sense as I've always felt it wasn't lined up like the other one.

If you're interested in reading more, here is a link.

Still not doing much... just staying on the couch. My Mom said that Joel thinks I need to be checked into a hospital. Well, that's probably because when he saw me yesterday I wasn't looking that good... or the past few days. Mom said he was pretty shaken when he came home yesterday afternoon after seeing me.

I told her to make sure he knows I'm doing better... so let's hope things continue to go positive in that direction.

Monday's Update...

2010-07-26T08:48:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the gruesome picture... but it plays well in today's update.

I guess everyone knows I've been in a lot of pain since Friday night. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say it's been a steady 7 with moments up to 8 or 9.

Misery...

This has been frustrating because I had no idea I'd be dealing with all of this after the surgery. I really thought it was going to be fairly simple and I'd be driving in a day or 2 after the operation.

I've also been amazed at how little I can move. It's incredibly difficult to get to the bathroom, or to the kitchen, or to wherever. I haven't left the house since Wednesday, until today.

Mom and Tanner showed up around 8:15 and picked us up. We got to Dr. Ramsey's office around 8:40, and were called back around 9:10. I wanted Mom in there with me to hear what he had to say - these pills still make me loopy.

Dr. Ramsey's PA seemed a little "matter-of-fact" when I told him I was in a lot of pain. "Well, that's to be expected since you had a lateral release." Mom asked him what that was, and he said the Dr. would explain everything. He then said, "And you're scheduled for PT today, right?" I said yes...

Then Dr. Ramsey's nurse came in to ask a few questions, and then Dr. Ramsey. He asked how I was doing and I said I'm feeling considerable pain. He wanted to know if I was doing my exercises, and I said, "I was doing them Wed, Thurs, Friday, but by Saturday I couldn't lift my leg."

He then had me lock my knee/leg and try and lift... no success. He told me to try again and this time he helped me... but then he let go and a pain that could only be described as "HOLY CRAP" shot up my leg and I came up off that table!

He immediately turned around and told my mom she needed to leave the room. I knew there was a problem...

They unwrapped the leg and my knee looked like a VERY large grapefruit. I could see various stitches in different places of the knee, but I couldn't get over the size of it. Then I saw it was bleeding out the side.

Dr. Ramsey said that it was filled with blood/fluid and he needed to get it out. Meaning... right now. So his nurse iced my knee with an ice cube for the next few minutes, and then he came in with the needle.

Good gosh... have you ever had the pleasure of a needle going into your knee? It's such a fun experience. Not only is he drawing the blood out, he's moving it around...

I laid on that table sweating like a pig and his nurse kept reminding me, "Breathe... breathe..." Man... that pain was intense. All the while I'm thinking, "Good gravy! What else can happen with this freakin' knee?"

Well, my question would be answered shortly.

He finished up and they re-wrapped the knee. He said he removed 40 cc's of blood and fluid, and that means there is a problem. But, removing that amount should help my strength and pain level.

He then had me try and lift the leg again... this time, success. He said I need to cancel my physical therapy sessions this week and he left to go get my mom.

Here comes the "Bad News" train...

The bleeding in the knee is a concern. He said he did a lot of cutting during surgery, and that he tried to cotterize everything but it's obvious I haven't completely clotted. He wants to see me on Thursday morning. Early. If I'm still bleeding like this, he's going to have to go in again. Meaning... another surgery.

Unbelieveable...

He then explained that a lateral release means he made a cut about 2-3 inches inside the knee to release the kneecap from the side of the knee. He also said he removed several sutures. But he said that we'll talk more about that later... he could tell I was fading.

So I go back to see him Thursday morning... I've canceled my 3 PT sessions this week... and right now I'm laying on my couch exhausted from the experience.

My sister is driving up from Houston tomorrow to stay with me for a few days... Carson will stay one more night.

Ok... I'm heading towards a nap. Just wanted to give everyone the latest and not-so-greatest.

Sunday's Update...

2010-07-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of me about a year ago... and it could have been taken today.

If you had come to visit me on Thursday or Friday, you would have seen a much more mobile Regan. Dr. Ramsey had given me instructions on moderate physical therapy, which I was doing with little to no pain.

Then on Saturday, everything took a turn for the worse. I awoke and was barely able to hold myself up on the walker. It was incredible! I couldn't believe the change of events.

I'm not sure how many of you have experienced leg or knee pains before, but it felt like I had steel rods going up and down my leg. Even worse, the knee was constantly on fire.

Getting up or onto the couch was a major effort... as well as trying to get to the bathroom or anywhere else with the walker. I think Carson was even surprised...

Yesterday I spent the entire day on the couch. I also took two naps... the hydrochodone makes you extremely drowsey.

Last night, Carson and I watched "The Simpsons Movie" and then I had to call it quits around 10. Unfortunately, it wasn't a restful night's sleep.

About every hour I wake up - either I try to readjust (as much as I can since I'm restricted to sleeping on my back), or I've got to make a trip to the bathroom.

Around 3 I woke up to a lot of "firey" pain - the knee was killing me. I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed 2 ice blocks. I put them in a grocery bag and waddled back to the bedroom to fill the ice machine. Ah man... it felt SO freakin' good. Plus, the pill helped.

I woke up around 8 but stayed in bed watching a move until almost 11. Carson got up and went through the process of setting up my ice pack. I then decided to make him a list of things I needed him to do for me (lists are good things with kids I'm finding out).

Chandra came to visit and bring us a Sonic meal around 2. It was soooo good. We then watched a movie, "17 Again," and played our iPhone game ("Words With Friends" - it's fun, like Scrabble).

Overall, my pain is still pretty intense. It has been nonstop since Friday night. I think it's gotten a little better as the day has wore on, but I've got some decisions to make tomorrow.

You see, I planned to login and work from home in the afternoon. However, the pain coupled with these pills makes me struggle big time with "focus." We'll see...

Tomorrow morning my Mom is picking Carson and I up to go see Dr. Ramsey at 9. Then if he releases me, my first Physical Therapy session is at 10:45. However, "if" is a big word - I can't lift my leg as it is today.

Tonight we'll just continue to take it easy. Thanks for reading, and I'll try to keep the updates coming...

The Ice Man Commeth...

2010-07-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

As you all know, I'm not able to do this on my own. I need help... which comes in the form of my nephew, Carson.

Over the past few days, I think we've really bonded as "Uncle/Nephew." He's been extremely helpful and conscientious, always checking on me.

In fact, the kid's got some sort of freaky "radar" hearing - I start to move a muscle and he calls out from the other room, "Do you need something Uncle Regan?"

OK, so on Thursday morning he comes into my room with the paper. "How did you sleep Uncle Regan?" I think he was expecting a positive answer... instead, I gave him the truth. "I didn't sleep well being hooked up to this gizmo, and the ice melted about halfway through the night."

That appeared to shock him - he went over and was astonished that the ice machine was only filled with water.

This bit of news also lit a fire under the youngster - he left the room while I finished up my paper. I heard "noises" coming from the kitchen, but I figured he was making himself something to eat.

About 20 minutes later he comes in, "Uncle Regan, I have filled up 10 containers (tupperware) with water and stuck them in the freezer." He then said, "I'm going to make sure we don't run out of ice again!"

He left the room and a while later he informs me that he's increased the number of containers to 25. Then he said, "I sure am glad you have all of these refrigerators Uncle Regan." Which then led to, "WHY do you have all of these refrigerators?" :-)

So for the past few days, Carson's number one concern is to check my ice machine. He packs that sucker with all shapes and forms of ice. He fills it with ice cubes, ice packs, and ice blocks.

There are times I look at it and it's so full I say, "There is no way you're going to get that lid closed," which he then says, "I LOVE to pack things Uncle Regan. I'll make it fit."

Anyhoo, our routine is this: Each morning he comes into my room and carries the machine to the kitchen to re-pack. Once I'm situated on the couch, he comes over with the frozen concoction and I hook myself up. Which he stays next to me because he wants to see the "relief" when the frozen water pumps into that pack on my knee. (It's amazingly refreshing!)

Every few hours, we go through that process again. He empties out the water, adds more ice, and waits by my side to see the reaction.

I'm going to miss Dr. Freeze when he leaves... but it will be nice to get the space back from my freezers!

Bad Day...

2010-07-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

As the day wore on yesterday, the pain continued to intensify. Last night - it got worse.

I went to bed around 10, figuring I could catch up on my sleep and battle the increasing pain with bed rest.

Unfortunately, I was up every 1-2 hours either dealing with the annoyance or having to empty my bladder. I don't know if a side effect of hydrocodone is "whizzing your life away," but I seriously am thinking there is a diaretic packed in that pill!

At one point in the night, while making my way to the bathroom, I realized my leg felt as though it was disentegrating under the weight/pain.

This is seriously a much different surgery than #2... resembling a lot like #1.

When I finally got myself up this morning, I could barely walk. I guess the doctor was right - after the first 24 hours, things would go south in a jiffy.

The plan today was for my folks to come over with Tanner and pick up Carson and myself for brunch. Well, because my mobility has dwindled to a crawl, I knew I couldn't handle getting out of this house.

Worse... they were to take Carson and Tanner with them tomorrow back to his parents. Notice, I used the past tense.

New plans: I need someone here and Carson has been a huge help. I've asked if he can stay for the next few days to help me. I'm not trying to be flippant about all of this, but I can barely hold myself up on the walker. There is no way I can carry anything, especially an ice machine.

My parents are taking Tanner back tomorrow, and I said we should "pencil in" Tuesday as a possible day for me not needing anyone's help. Joel asked, "Why don't you just come stay at our place?" (We know the answer to that)

So today we've taken it pretty easy. I'm on the couch with one nap already under my belt. He's in his room reading and doing whatever. When I need something, I just call for him and he handles it.

If I wasn't so loopy on this medicine, I'd write one humdinger of a blog about his "ice" skills.

But for now, I just wanted to let everyone know that this isn't a vacation for me... far from it. I'll be SO glad when this is all over...

Surgery: Part III

2010-07-23T09:34:00.001-07:00

(Continuation from Wednesday)

So Mom, Carson, and I arrived at my house around 3ish. Mom walked Carson around the front and the back of the house to show him what needed to be watered.

I settled into the couch.

Before she left, Mom made sure that everything was setup the way I would need it... and made sure that Carson knew he was my extra appendage.

I assumed I would be tired... but for some reason I wasn't. I watched TV and Carson got onto his Facebook page. We also setup his gadgets to plug into my Wi Fi.

Dr. Ramsey called and asked how I was doing - I told him my soreness was in both of my lower calves. He said to keep doing my exercises and it should clear up. He also said he'd call me the next day.

We made a pizza and watched "The Blind Side." He thought we would also watch "2012," but we didn't finish the movie until 9:30.

He was very attentive to my "ice" situation - always making sure the box was filled with ice and that I was comfortable. I really haven't had to do a lot - he's been a very good helper.

I went to bed around 11, but really struggled falling to sleep. If you see the pic above, I'm having to sleep on the left side of the bed so that my leg can be plugged in.

Not only that, but I can't sleep in any other position except my back. So, my first night was fairly restless.

I woke up around 7:45 on Thursday and laid in bed watching TV. Carson came in around 9 with the newspaper, and we hung out playing "Words With Friends" (great game - it's like Scrabble and you can play it on your iPhone with someone else).

I blogged and then "got up" close to noon, where I went straight to the kitchen and heated up a burger (puffy burger). NOTE: I totally forgot that my Mom was bringing us Chick Fil e... oh well. She showed up around 2.

Mom hung out for a while and we chatted more about the surgery and how crazy that he had to remove a permanent suture. I'm still puzzled why that was in there...

Mom left and around 4 we popped in "Avatar." If you haven't seen it, it's a very good movie. I was surprised. During the movie, I noticed a bit of pain coming on... so I decided to take my first Vicodin.

After the movie was over, I ate sushi (courtesy of Mom) and Carson made a french bread pizza. He then wanted to watch "2012."

Around 9:30 Dr. Ramsey called and asked how I was doing. He also confirmed that I need to continue doing my exercises (helps to prevent clots) and to take it easy. Not a problem. I am NOT going to force this... I'm fine and dandy laying around.

Well, the movie ended around 11:15 and Carson asked if he could stay another night. I said that's fine but that he'd better stay the last night at my Mom's because she's probably missing him.

I went to bed around midnight and took another Vicodin - uugh. Let's just say that does not make for good dreams.

This morning I got up around 8 because my Mom/Tanner were coming over around 9 to pick up Carson. She's taking them to a movie and to see a customer of hers, and then she'll bring Carson back this afternoon.

My pain is a little more intense today - not bad. Just there and more apparent then yesterday. It feels like it's burning on the interior side of my knee, and then on the top it feels like I pulled a muscle. But overall, this isn't that bad.

I'm going to grab a nap this afternoon while Carson is gone. So, there you go... that's about all I have to say right now.

Surgery: Part II

2010-07-22T09:29:00.001-07:00

Waking up from surgery is always a weird experience for anyone...

It's always the same: I'm in a deep sleep and I hear my name being called out. When I open my eyes I'm very confused - where am I and what just happened?

I wanted to just close my eyes and go back to sleep, but they won't let you - they start asking you questions, handing you stuff to eat and drink, etc.

I was also shivering... a lot. That was weird but the nurse said it was the drugs in my system causing that.

Joel then walked into the recovery room (I was in a room with a bunch of curtains where others were out of surgery) and said something like, "Well, you were in there for a while." It was 10:30. And then he said something like, "That bandage looks a lot different than what I had."

I looked down and saw my leg bandaged up and a tube coming out of it. "What the ???"

OK, so I'm very groggy but I had no idea it would look like this. I remembered him saying it would be wrapped in a bandage but I could remove it for showers. What in the world was going on?

Dr. Ramsey then appeared and explained everything. In addition to repairing the torn meniscus, removing the cyst, cutting out the scar tissue, shaving down the bone, and fixing the "problem" discussed below... he ran into something else: a permanent suture.

My previous surgeon had attached a permanent suture which attached the kneecap to the femur (I think - remember, I'm groggy). He said it was restricting the kneecap and shouldn't be in there.

I don't know if that means the previous doctor left it in there by accident or on purpose, but this may be a HUGE change in my mobility.

If you've seen me walking on stairs (especially going down), it is an extremely difficult process. When I step down, I'm always holding onto a railing because I don't feel like I have any control. While the right knee is flexible, the left knee would only go to a certain point. It was like there was a wire in there!

Well, now I know... at least I'm really really REALLY hoping that is what was causing this and that my flexibility improves. This falls right in line with my goals - walk like a normal person again!

So then he explained the tubes: It's a glorified ice pack. As you can see in the picture above, I'm attached to a machine that pumps cold water into a pack that is on my knee. Hence, why the knee looks like it's 10 sizes too big.

I have to keep this hooked up 24 hours a day while I'm stationary. If I need to get up, I have to unhook it (it's a process, believe you me) and then re-hook when I return (couch or bed).

Dr. Ramsey then said I'm not to remove the dressing - which means I'm back to trash bags for showering. I was supposed to see him next Thursday, but he wants to see me this Monday morning. I then go into physical therapy after leaving his office (that day).

My restrictions are not to bend the knee and to stay on crutches until he or my therapist releases me... and no driving. Good gravy!

After getting dressed, they wheeled me out to the front and got me into Joel's car and off we went. I was one big groggy mess - Joel was talking and I was trying to talk but was having difficulty. They had stuck a tube down my throat, so it was sore and I had a lot of drainage. Couldn't seem to clear my throat.

During the drive, Joel said "You're not going home tonight. I'll go to your house later to get your crutches." (Hair on the back of the neck perks up)

You see, I left my crutches at my house specifically because I was told I'd be going there directly after surgery. Then I reluctantly agreed the night before to stay a few hours at their house after the surgery. Now I'm being told this bit of news.

OK, I'm not trying to be stubborn, I'm just more comfortable at my house. I keep the AC very cold, I don't have bugs flying around or landing on me when I'm on the couch, and it's quiet.

We got back to their house and Joel helped me out of the car and to the couch. Immediately the IV fluids were ready to get out of the system - I went to the bathroom 3 or 4 times in the few hours I was there.

Mom arrived and I made it clear (while sitting on their couch with my shirt off sweating) that I was going home. She could see my frustration... and agreed if Carson stayed the night with me. No problem.

More to come...

Surgery: Part I

2010-07-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

OK... here goes my attempt to bring everyone up to speed...

I agreed to stay at my parent's house Tuesday night since I knew it would be easier for us to get to the surgery center by 7 AM on Wednesday.

I also took this "no driving for a few days" as an opportunity to put my truck in the shop for it's 90k mile service.

Joel met me at the dealership around 5:30 Tuesday - his surgery was rescheduled because he had a cut on his hand. So, that was one less headache for my mom.

On the way back to the house, Joel told me he was going to be taking me to/from the surgery center tomorrow and that I would be going back to their house. (The hair on the back of my neck started to rise)

Even though I told him I thought the plan the entire time was for me to go after the surgery, he made it clear that I was going to their house. I knew it was a lost cause to argue with him, so I told my mom when I arrived - "I'm going home tomorrow."

The rest of the evening involved a dinner, 2 nephews playing their games, and me watching TV after the parents went to bed. The nephews and I went to bed around 10.

I was up by 5:45 and Joel and I arrived at the center by 7 AM. After signing in (and paying my deductible... grr), they called me back. I then got changed into the "gown" and got into a bed where the nurse started more pre-op work.

This included taking the temp and blood pressure (128/78), hooking up my IV (fluids), and shaving my knee. Ahh... memories.

Joel came back and sat with me for the next 30 or so minutes. The anesthesiologist arrived and said I could keep my contacts in. He then gave me something in my IV to make me drowsy, and Dr. Ramsey then came in.

He told Joel and I that he was looking at my X-Rays Tuesday night and he thinks there is a "problem" on the left side of my knee. In previous blogs, you read that I've been having 3 areas of pain: Overall top, inner knee, and lately the outer knee. The outer part was knew to me and I thought it was because I was overcompensating because of the inner pain.

Well, remember I'm drowsy at this point... so "problem" is defined as "some name he gave it that he needs to do more cutting inside (not outer) to fix it."

He also said my recovery is going to be longer and that the surgery will be a bit longer. Well, I obviously didn't care at this point... he could have said, "And then we amputate" and I would have been find and dandy.

So they wheeled me out (Joel left to go to the gym) and I went into a room with about 5 other people (nurses/doctors) waiting for me. Probably within a minute of looking around, it was "lights out." I think this was about 8:15-8:30.

Wednesday is D-Day...

2010-07-19T13:56:00.001-07:00

Doesn't this look like fun???

I went in to see Dr. Ramsey this morning for my pre-Op work. All I can say is it was MUCH different from the previous two surgeries.

Instead of giving me a "mini-physical," they basically wanted the general information. I told them what meds I was taking, gave them all of my contact information, and received all of their instructions for pre and post surgery.

I asked a question that led into the whole "knee replacement" possibility. Dr. Ramsey said he didn't think I'd have to undergo that at this point (or in the future), but said he'd know more when he looked inside.

Background: My previous surgeon said in 10 years I'd probably be replacing the entire knee.

My surgery is around 8AM. I have to be at the "surgery center" by 7AM. Joel will be driving me. So, instead of a hospital, it's some facility located at Preston/Frankford (for those in the Dallas area that know what I'm talking about) where he does his surgeries. Interesting.

It will last about an hour or so, and then I should be home by noon.

Dr. Ramsey said the first 24 hours it will seem like no big deal. The knee will be numb. However, once I start feeling the pain, I need to hit the Vicodin immediately and take it every 4 hours.

Thursday should be an OK day but Friday should be my worst. Then, it should start to improve.

I then went and filled my prescriptions (I start taking an antibiotic tomorrow) and prepared for the upcoming pain by buying things that I never do: ice cream, cookies, etc.

5 days after surgery, I start physical therapy. I need to go through that for the next 4 weeks, 3 times a week. At least two of those weeks I won't be going into work.

9 days after surgery, I go see him for a follow-up. I'll probably get my photos, too... the interior of the knee. I'm really looking forward to that...

I can shower the next day, and I don't have to wrap it up with a trash bag. Shocking! I will take off all of the bandages and then re-apply them when I'm finished.

Absolutely NO weight on that leg for the first 5 days - meaning, I need to stay on the crutches. And, I have plenty of exercises I have to do to avoid blood clots (that's the biggest worry).

Anyhoo, that's all I know. I'm probably going to be grumpy (or grumpier than normal) towards the end of the week, but I'll do my best to write in the blog.

Got the Green Light...

2010-07-17T07:43:00.001-07:00

All week I've been taking my blood pressure at home... twice a day.

The numbers haven't been very impressive. Typically running around 130/90 (variations in those ranges).

Dr. Ramsey wanted me to get clearance from my regular doctor, Dr. Patel. She knows my history pretty well, and was aware of my upcoming surgery.

Well, the good news is my blood pressure was 116/76. That shocked me... but then it made sense of the disparity in numbers.

When I typically take my BP, it's in the morning right before I go to work... and right after I return.

I'm assuming that my meds haven't had a chance to kick in when I take it in the morning - and I'm probably pretty dang stressed when I return home from work each day.

Believe me - this will all be resolved once my knee has been fixed where I can exercise again. I'm a firm believer in this because I've seen the proven results before.

So Dr. Patel wrote me a note that I'm "clear" for surgery, and I'll give that to Dr. Ramsey on Monday when I go through my pre-op work.

Speaking of Dr. Ramsey, my mom ran into him yesterday while she was seeing one of her other doctors (same building). She thanked him for helping out "her guys" (Joel and me) and he said he really thinks I will see significant improvement after the surgery. He even said he's really looking forward to "fixing me up." Awesome!

My plans this weekend are to take it easy - lots of time on the couch! I know next week at this time I'll be experiencing a different type of pain, but at least I'll be one step closer to resolving all of this!

Answering Questions...

2010-07-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

... and we all know how much I enjoy answering questions. :-)

OK... here we go...

What is your current blood pressure?

It's running around 140/95 to 130/87. My doctor said it's better to get it more normalized as it makes the anesthesia more effective.

I've been working with my regular doctor to bring it down. Prior to the knee issue, and way before I was running, I had very high blood pressure. Seriously high... like 170/110. For the past few years, I've taken medication and exercised. Well, guess what has been eliminated from that equation? So because of being stagnant due to a crappy knee, I haven't been exercising.

Now that I know why the knee is hurting, my hope/goal is to get back into "mobility" after it gets fixed up. Meaning... go back to a normal life!

I just had no idea that the high blood pressure would be an issue and could prevent me from having the surgery (see picture) next week.

I'm going to see my regular doctor on Friday. If she doesn't feel comfortable with my BP level, then I'll need to reschedule the surgery. That will really bum me out.

You're still feeling pain? I had no idea...

Yes... frustratingly, absolutely and emphatically yes! This was posed to me today after someone found out that I'm scheduled for surgery. They followed it up with, "But you must be hiding it because you don't look like you're in pain."

Well, who wants to see someone grimacing... whining... or complaining all of the time? If you've been following this blog for a while, you remember I mentioned one time that I have a "strut." That helps me to try and prepare for the pain I know is going to occur when that foot hits the floor.

Here's my "pain" description. When I stand up... walk... even bend the leg with the foot pulled in... everything tightens up. I don't have any cushion between my bones. It's worse when I'm walking... it's a compressed grind. When I put my foot down, everything goes together. This pain is the top of the knee to about the middle of the knee. From what Dr. Ramsey showed me, this will always be a part of my life. That's why I need to take glucosomene to help build up protection/shock absorption around my joints (i.e. knee).

Now, there is another area of pain: Interior. This is where the meniscus is torn... possibly shredded. Every step down feels like it's being poked. Once he goes in and mends the tear, that pain should go away.

The third area (yes, there is a third) is on the exterior. It aches. I think it's because I'm over-compensating to the outside now that I know there is a tear on the interior. Kendra, the physical therapist, thinks it may be that or it may be another tear on the lateral meniscus. Hopefully by the end of the surgery, this will be alleviated.

So, if you look at it from this perspective, I'm hoping for a 2/3 improvement. Right now, it just hurts like a mutha... all the live long day.

Oh, and one more thing: Dr. Ramsey asked me to stop taking Alleve and Advil until after the surgery. Anti-inflamatories don't work well when he's got to go in and poke around. Let's just say it hasn't been a very fun day... and this is going to be one long week.

Is this a Day Surgery?

You bet. While I don't know the time, I expect to be heading home a few hours later. Maybe this time the doctor will stick around and answer any questions my parents have. Ok, I know he will. He knows my parents...

Are you staying at your parent's house?

No. I really just want to be at my place, sleep in my own bed, and keep the A/C at a temp that is comfortable for me. Sounds selfish, but hey... that's my attitude after two surgeries.

The plan as of now is for Joel to come pick me up and take me to the hospital. He may or may not stay - he's having his own surgery (hand) the day before. (When it rains it pours... poor Mom) I think she'll be there when I get out and drive me back to my house.

Now instead of being alone, my nephew Carson will stay with me that day/night. I hope he brings something to entertain him because I know I won't be very fun to be around.

Can you put me on the list to be notified?

Sure. Send me an email if you want to be notified. I'll either send out an email at some point in the day or just update the blog... or both... not sure what my frame of mind will be.

So that's about it. Pray for my blood pressure to come down. Pray for the pain to be bearable this week before the surgery. And I guess overall, just keep me in your thoughts as I try to keep a positive attitude through all of this.

Surgery Time...

2010-07-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

Next Wednesday, July 21st, is my scheduled surgery for the knee. Let's hope it's the last one for a while...

I met with Dr. Ramsey this morning to go over the MRI and my options. Basically, he said, "We're at the point where we need to go in and scope your knee if you're going to see any kind of improvement."

The results of the MRI were sketchy. The drill bit really caused a lot of problems, both for him and the radiologist.

Here's the good news: Both my ACL and PCL are intact. This means I don't have any tears in my ligaments.

The bad news: I have a torn meniscus (we knew that) and a cyst. He didn't seem to think this was surprising... so neither do I.

But, the rest of the results start with a phrase, "Metallic susceptibility artifact obscures..." Translation: "Drill bit prevented a good MRI of the entire knee."

Dr. Ramsey then walked me through what he believes is going on. He said with the "force" of the impact, it took tremendous energy to break that kneecap. He said it's his belief that the meniscus tore at that moment because that is a normal occurrence if the patella breaks.

He asked me again, "So did your previous surgeon scope the knee?" I said I have no idea... and told him I never heard the term "scope" or "meniscus" after my surgery (as dimly lit as my pilot light was after being under) or in subsequent office visits... including the surgery to remove the hardware.

So here's the deal...

This week I need to follow up with my regular doctor to see if the new meds she put me on brought down my blood pressure. If it hasn't come down, then I need to reschedule the surgery. (notice that I'm trying to get this over with as fast as possible)

On Monday I go in for my pre-op work. Hopefully that won't be as long as before. This time it's done in his office... if you remember my last 2 took half a day of me walking around the hospital. I know my surgery is Wednesday, but I don't have the time yet. Probably in the morning.

Wednesday's surgery will last about an hour, but I'll be there for about 3 hours. He's going to make about 5 incisions to work around the knee... arthroscopic. He's going to fill the knee with fluid so it swells up and allows him to work. That fluid will stay in my knee for about 24 hours, which will alleviate the pain when I come out. But, after 24 hours, I'm really going to be feeling the pain.

When he goes in, he's going "scope" the knee. Part of this will be to use a camera to check out everything (and take pictures for me to keep). He's going to repair the meniscus, remove any scar tissue, and "shave" down any bumpiness. He'll also check the other meniscus and remove any "loose bodies." I assume that means cysts or bone fragments. We'll see. Probably something I should have asked...

Personal Note: I hope the pics show the trauma of the break. I really want to see what my bone looks like and what I'm feeling through the skin.

After the surgery, I should be in pain for the next 2-3 days. I'll be on crutches for 5 days, and he really doesn't want me returning to work for two weeks. I can work from home, so that should be fine.

The big concern after this surgery is blood clots, so I'll have some exercises I have to do to move both my feet so that doesn't happen.

Nine days after surgery, I'll go in and see him and should start physical therapy right after that. PT will last about 4 weeks, 3 times a week.

He also reaffirmed that from what he saw on the MRI and the X-Rays, I should never run again. Or, more specifically, "I can't run." Even after hearing that multiple times, it's still not the greatest of comments.

Which means my next hobby will most likely be "biker." I know certain people reading this will say "swim," but I don't really enjoy that. I do like biking, so that is probably my next best sport.

Going back to the scheduled date: I chose this because I want to get this part of my life on the fast lane and reduce the daily pain at least somewhat. My nephews are coming to visit my parents next week, so I know it's going to be a scheduling nightmare for my mom. I'm sure Joel will help out.

Anyway, that's all I know...

Back from Vacation...

2010-07-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

... and it was AWESOME!!!

The pics above start with Galveston. I went there for the 4th (3 nights) to spend time with my family and hang out on the beach. We typically go twice a year. The beach was great, although we had some storms on Friday/Saturday related to Hurricane Alex.

If you've never been on a cruise (like me), I've been told you fall into one of two categories: You either love it or you hate it. I was hoping I wouldn't fall into the "hate" mix... and I'm proud to say that I definitely didn't! If you're looking for "simple," then a cruise is definitely for you.

Since we stayed at the Tremont Hotel the night before, we were able to park for free throughout the week. They shuttled us over and we arrived at the terminal at noon. Would you believe we were on the ship in less than 30 minutes? (I was told it could be up to 2 hours!)

Everyone was extremely welcoming... we immediately went to the "Activity" desk and booked our 2 excursions and one ship tour. We then grabbed a drink and walked around the ship. In some ways the ship was larger than expected... and in others it was smaller (if that makes sense). There are a lot of stairs, but thankfully quite a few elevators!

We went to the back of the ship to eat lunch - it was packed. That wasn't a very good first impression for me - tons and tons of people trying to eat (including screaming kids!). But the food was good and we weren't there long.

After the safety briefing, we started moving and David and I headed up to the front of the ship to watch us go out. It was fascinating - I've been to Galveston so many times, but never out the ship channel.

We went to check out our room and our luggage was sitting outside the door. The room was actually bigger than I expected - including the bathroom. The Ecstasy is an older ship - built in 1991 - but it was refurbished a few years ago.

That night we had dinner (3 courses) and then headed over to the karaoke bar. All I can say is people do the funniest things when they know they won't be seen by those around them ever again! It was hilarious! One big fat white guy got up there and sang "Baby Got Back" and brought the house down!

Oh, one thing on the dinner - they seated us at a table for 2. You're assigned a table throughout the cruise, so this was ours. It was a little surprising... we really thought we'd be sitting with others. But, there were A LOT of families on this cruise...

Tuesday was a sea day - we had no idea of the time when we woke up because it was so dark in the room (no window) - it was 10:3o AM! That day we lounged around a lot, went to the Casino, enjoyed the bars, and got dressed up for dinner.

One night on the cruise is a "dressy" night. David wore a suit and I put on a sport coat. Well, our little "table for two" table finally sought revenge/embarrassment. When the dinner was almost over, our waiter asked (in all seriousness) if we were celebrating an anniversary. Uugh... right then it felt like the spotlight was directed on us! Good gravy!

Wednesday we arrived at Progresso, Mexico, in a blinding rainstorm! A tropical depression was sitting right on top of us when we docked... and we had to be on the bus by 7:00... so we headed out into it. Everyone was running except me... oh well. David hung with me, though. He's a good friend. We were soaked from head to toe. Thankfully, the rain ended before we got to the ruins.

We drove 2.5 hours to Chichen Itza, the largest Mayan ruin site. It was very impressive, very large, and very touristy. It was interesting to learn about the culture (Mayans are of Mongolian ancestry). I was told by my fam that it would be a lot of walking, and they weren't lying. My knee was speaking to me! We drove back in order to make it back on the ship by 2:30... we arrived at 2:45 and the ship took off at 3:30.

That night we had another nice dinner in the dining room (I started asking the waiter what he recommended and it was always the right choice), then went back to the room. My knee was killing me, and I needed an ice pack in the biggest way.

Thursday we arrived at Cozumel - that island is incredibly beautiful. The water is very blue, the sand is very white, and believe it or not, most of the locals we ran into spoke very good English. We had signed up (on the ship) for a "Snorkel/Beach Party" excursion. Basically, it's a "Booze Cruise" that takes you snorkeling and to a beach.

Jumping into the water was awesome - we were on a reef where there were tons of fish in about 25 feet of water. Immediately these little tiger fish were swimming all around us thinking we were going to feed them. I saw all colors of fish... but the most impressive was a HUGE school moving beneath us... thousands of fish! It looked like a large black cloud.

Oh yeah, we also saw a barracuda. It was about 3 feet long... and it was very cool! Plus, the coral was purple and blue... As you can see, I really enjoyed it. We snorkeled for about 45 minutes, and then they called us up. I took pics with an underwater camera (future blog), but need to get them developed.

Then we headed to a beach - it was great. Very relaxing... drank beers and margaritas, swam in the water (floated on my back!), and hung out for about an hour... then headed back to the dock.

We had one mission: Buy watches. After about an hour of browsing and haggling in a recommended shop (by the cruise), we emerged with some nice watches. We then had lunch at a great little restaurant where we met the waitress who promised to show us more of Cozumel if we ever came back.

Friday was another sea day - but we did something really cool. We signed up on the first day to have a "ship tour." For the next 3 hours, we got a tour of the control room (engines), laundry, galley (kitchen), trash, storage, stage (performances), crew quarters, crew break room/galley/gym, and the bridge. Up there we met the captain (got a picture with him), saw the navigational equipment, and asked them a bunch of questions. It was freakin' awesome!

That night we ate at the sushi bar (we ate A LOT of sushi on this trip!), went to a show, went to the karaoke bar, listened to a very R-rated comedian (he was funny, though), and then went to a dance club (yes, we met some chiquitas to hang out with because if you know me, I don't dance!) It was a late night (and don't ask me any questions!)

Overall, the trip was just what the doctor ordered. I enjoyed the conveniences, the staff, and all of the excursions. The food was good, the drinks were plentiful, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fun and easy vacation.

What would I do differently? Don't go in the summertime - too many kids/families. Make sure the boat has an "adult" pool because the main pool was a bit too small and crowded (never got in). We hung out in an adult area, but it only had 2 very hot jacuzzis. Oh, and make sure you break your twenties down so that you have money to tip with. Let's just say some locals got very nice tips.

Now, back to reality... I go see my surgeon in the morning. I'm pretty sure we're going to schedule the surgery.

More later...

"Unbelievable Trauma"...

2010-06-30T14:34:00.000-07:00

When Kendra came to the waiting room to get me, she asked, "So how are you feeling?"

I looked at her and stifled a laugh, "You have no idea..."

I then told her what was going on (previous post) and she started examining the knee. This is basically me sitting on a table while she grabs and contorts the knee to feel around and ask where it hurts.

Then she hit it...

On the outside of the knee, she poked a spot that definitely resembled the "excruciating pain" I felt a few weeks ago when Dr. Ramsey did his examination. But, that was on the inside... this was on the outside.

Which led her to say, "You may also have a tear in your lateral meniscus."

Awesome.

She then said, "Your knee has undergone unbelievable trauma. There is probably a lot of internal damage that still needs to be fixed when he goes back in."

Which probably makes sense... let's recap: When I had my MRI, the images were difficult to look at - this is what I heard from both the MRI technician and Dr. Ramsey - due to the flashes from the drill bit.

So it doesn't surprise me that he said I have a tear in my medial meniscus when the lateral one could be torn, too.

From what Joel tells me, he'll go in and check everything. He even provided a photo of Joel's ACL to prove that it's fine and he checked it. Sounds like a good doctor, right?

Today's session was the same as the others except because of my pain she had me ride backwards on the bike. That's a weird sensation!

Anyway, I finished up and said my goodbyes because the next time I return will be post-surgery.

Her statement, "unbelievable," stuck with me throughout the session and this afternoon. I was talking with someone at work last week and he said, "I had no idea how bad a break of a knee could be so devastating." He went on to say that he thought it was (a.) Have Surgery (b.) Physical Therapy and (c.) Return to Normal Life.

Which, I told him, I thought as well. For those that have been reading this, you knew my goal was to run again. I really thought that would happen. Unfortunately, I can see now that it's not in my future. Seeing the X-Rays and knowing that I don't have any protection (cartilage) just assures me that my future athletic endeavors are on wheels.

So yeah... my knee took the brunt of incredible and unbelievable trauma... but hopefully one year from now I can be in a better "place" than I am now.

Ready for this all to be over!

Final Physical Therapy Session...

2010-06-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

Today I have my final session until I go see my doctor in July.

Some of you know this, but it has not been a good past couple of days. The knee has been so dang sore that it's really causing me some concern about my upcoming trip.

While the pain is obvious on the interior side of the knee, it's also becoming more apparent on the outer side. My hunch is I'm realizing what is causing most of my pain now (torn medial meniscus) and I'm compensating by trying to walk on the outside.

Which, I assume, is causing more pressure on an area that probably isn't prepared or able to handle the added weight.

I'll bring this up to my therapist, but I really don't know what she can do.

Yesterday I actually considered bringing one or both crutches... and I totally avoid stairs now. The best thing is to rest an ice pack on it at the end of the day... ah sweet freezing relief!

OK, just wanted to throw in a quick update prior to my last session...

You Need to Read This...

2010-06-28T18:12:00.001-07:00

My friend Brent, who lives in Austin, sent me this story.

All I can say is you're going to be stunned when you read it.

First of all, a picture doesn't tell the whole story. I always say that if you look at a person, you never know what they've been through unless you've walked in their shoes.

Well, you're all reading my blog because you're interested in my story... whether it's the pre or post accident information (of course, now all post), you're here because you care and you're rooting me on.

This guy... my gosh... I'm telling you that if you ever thought I (or anyone else) had a difficult story, you won't believe this one.

The article is about a guy named Matt... I'll let you read it to get the full picture. But this is very telling... even to me:

“If you absorb something like this and you learn from it, you realize you’ve gained as much as you’ve lost. I thought I was a little happier then, but maybe that really wasn’t happiness like it is now,” says Matt.

Before you read it, know this: Brent works with Matt. I told Brent I was very thankful he sent this to me... it helps in so many ways and on so many levels.

Enjoy: Link

Bad Knee Week...

2010-06-28T03:57:00.001-07:00

Last week was a mixture of "busyness" and "pain," coupled with exhaustion.

I'm sorry I didn't do any writing since Tuesday, but I wasn't really up for it by the time I got home.

The last time I wrote, I talked about the difficult physical therapy session I had. Not really with my normal exercises, but with that machine they put me on.

By Wednesday, I was experiencing a lot of pain with the knee. I even remarked to my boss, "it's not a good knee day." That day extended the rest of the week.

Pretty much each night I'd come home, grab an ice pack, and plop down in my chair.

Do you have any idea how good it feels to rest an ice pack on something that is killing you? It's like dousing a volcano!

Plus, my bum knee can take hours of an ice pack... I think because of the nerve damage. I've placed it on the other knee and can only take about 5 minutes.

So this little routine went on and on last week. I also had a hectic week at work - a website I have been working on for over a year finally went live on Friday. I wish I could show you, but it's a site where you need an account to login.

In a nutshell, it's a site where a borrower can login to retrieve their loan information (bills, documents, etc). I'm very proud of the work we did on it, and I truly believe it will save the company time and money through some of the enhancements we were able to do.

Launching that site, and the other projects I'm working on, caused many early mornings and late days. Thursday night, when the site was installed on our production server, I was working until 10. And Friday morning I was in the office again before 7.

Anyhoo, by the end of the week, I was dead tired. I probably went to sleep around 9 Friday night, and that was me trying to stay awake until then.

I'm telling you all of this because not only did I skip my blogging, but my PT at home. I just didn't have the energy... nor did I have the stamina. My knee was just one big fire-ball of pain.

Saturday was better... so I went through one session instead of two.

Then yesterday, I did something I probably shouldn't have done: Lawn mowing.

I figured that I could mow my yard since, "Hey... it's feeling OK." Well, not so much... I think I was halfway through when I realized that every turn at the end of the row was increasing in pain.

So a long story short... I ended my week much like I did every night - ice pack.

That's probably the last time I'll mow until I recoup from the surgery. That is, unless I decide to do the "Redneck lawn mower" as seen above...

Broken Patella...

2010-06-22T16:11:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was approached by someone who works on my floor...

"Did you break your patella last year?" she asked.

The next 15 minutes went like this...

She and her friend were at a pool on Saturday when her friend slipped and, you guessed it, broke her patella. (The picture you're seeing is neither her knee or mine...)

The ambulance arrived and took her to the ER. They admitted her and on Sunday she had the surgery. She was to be discharged today...

My coworker was asking me what she could do for her friend... and also what to expect.

Oh man... I know EXACTLY what her friend has ahead of her this year... one rough year!

So I told her what was important to me: Bath chair, walker, socks with skid pads, snacks, Netflix gift card, a "grabber," and all of the support (cards, visits, emails, meals, etc).

I said, "The most important thing you can give her is yourself. You have no idea how much it means just to have a friend or relative be there for you."

My heart just breaks when I hear of news like this. Today I went to Physical Therapy and two people struck up a conversation in the waiting room.

One was a guy in his 30s. The other was a teenage girl on her way to college. Both had torn their ACL - he was 2 weeks from surgery, and hers was last week.

(NOTE: It's amazing to me to see people in PT so quickly after surgery, but I guess I just have to remind myself that mine was different)

Anyway, both of them blew it out playing basketball. He also said that his doctor had to repair the meniscus.

"Hmm... sure wish mine had thought of that!"

Interesting, both had the same doctor! Funny...

So once I went into therapy, Kendra wanted to watch me do my exercises. I've been doing them twice a day since Friday. Everything hurts... but I'm pushing because it feels good to be doing something "right" for once.

Anyway, I guess I passed because she said I was doing a good job. She also is glad I've moved up from 30 to 45 clamshells on each leg.

Then she took me into the machine room and had me get on their version of an "elliptical." It really isn't one... I think it's called an "Air Rider" or something like that. Anyway, once I was up and "running" I felt immediate pain.

It was like "bone on bone." She only wanted me to do it for 5 minutes, but it was a very long 5 minutes. I could have stopped, but the motion was so "free-ing" to me. I haven't been able to "run" in over a year, and I kept thinking it was like Forrest Gump running when he was a kid and the braces were breaking off.

Well, it wasn't that good... it was still very painful. She is concerned with the pain... especially because it's not on the side with the tear in my meniscus. I then moved on to a stationary bike, and that was a little better.

So my next session is the following Wednesday. She thinks that might be my last one with her until I go see the doctor. I think she sends the information to him so he can see my progress.

In the meantime, I'll continue to do my exercises twice a day... biking at least once a day for 8 minutes if I can take it... (it's just all kinds of bad pain)

There you have it...

Physical Therapy...

2010-06-20T08:12:00.001-07:00

On Friday I went through my first physical therapy session... ever! If you've never experienced PT, it's amazing... painfully amazing!

My session started at 11, but I had to arrive 30 minutes early due to paperwork. While I was filling it out, Dr. Ramsey called me with the results of my MRI - the tear in my medial meniscus.

He said, "So we can either start PT and then work our way up to surgery... or do surgery and then PT. Either way, you'll need therapy after the surgery."

I said, "Well, I'm actually at the center right now about to go through my first session." His response was positive - which means, I think he wanted me to have therapy first.

I'm not sure if this will always be the case, but Kendra was my therapist. She seems to be running the show - the rest of them in the room always talked with her about what was going on with their patients.

She was very thorough in her questions - asking me everything from the accident to what I've been experiencing to what my goals are. Simply put, I want the pain to go away. I also want to walk up and down a flight of stairs with strength and control... and I'd like for my endurance to be lengthened. Going from someone who used to run to someone who has trouble walking a block, that's frustrating.

We also talked about something that I never understood until now: my leg collapsing. You see, there are times I'll just be walking along or standing and it just gives out. Do you have any idea the panic that happens when you're about to fall? That's been my experience.

Kendra told me it's due to muscle loss, and that she could help me with that. We also figured it happens more at the end of the day, when the leg is fatigued.

The first thing she did was to measure my mobility - she moved both legs around to compare. Then she wanted to see what she had to work with in terms of the knee - she felt all around that bone... which led her to ask again, "So how did this happen?" (I think it's pretty shocking for someone when they feel it for the first time)

You see, I've learned that people tend to laugh/make fun of me because of how it happened. Therefore, I keep the story very succinct: I fell down at a marathon and hit my knee on the pavement.

Well, that wasn't enough for her... and so I decided to tell her the real story... which caused her to grimace. At least now I know I'm working with someone who won't make jokes.

The rest of the hour was spent doing stretches (hamstring), flexing my quadricep muscle for 5 seconds/resting 3 seconds... for 5 minutes, leg lifts, knee bends (breaking through the scar tissue), and biking - 8 minutes without resistance.

Biking: I can go about 6 minutes before the knee gets upset. My doctor said to keep it less than 70 RPM. Well, I can only go about 40. For those that bike, I just want you to understand where I am...

It was truly an eye-opening experience. My leg is extremely weak... weaker than it should be at this point, according to Kendra. She said I have quite a ways to go, but that she thinks she can help alleviate the pain.

One of my exercises is called "clam shells." I lie on my side and bend my legs together... then open the top one up like a clam shell. It's supposed to strengthen the hip muscles, which take pressure off the knees. I do that for 30 times each leg... with a goal of doing 90 with each.

So when it was all over, I was worn out. I thought to myself, "I was told that the first day wasn't going to be that strenuous." Makes me worry about what is to come...

Kendra gave me homework... would you believe I'm to do everything I did in that first session TWICE a day? Well, I was so sore Friday night that I skipped it and just put ice on the knee.

Yesterday I went through both sessions, and today I've already been through one.

One final note: I told her that my father goes to her clinic, and she goes, "Who is your father?" I said, "Joel" and she goes, "REALLY? I LOVE Joel!!!" Then she went on to say how determined he is and that he's a good patient to work with.

Then she goes, "You must look like your mom because you look NOTHING like him." I said, "Well, he's my stepdad" and she laughed.

My next visit is Tuesday afternoon. Not sure how often I'll go through therapy, but so far it is a good start on this journey of recovery.

Another Surgery... Sheesh!!!

2010-06-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

The doctor called and confirmed what he thought: I have a torn meniscus.

Let's all learn a new word together, ok???

In sports and orthopedics, a tear of a meniscus is a rupturing of one or more of the fibrocartilage strips in the knee called menisci. When doctors and patients refer to "torn cartilage" in the knee, they actually may be referring to an injury to a meniscus at the top of one of the tibiae...

Given I haven't done anything in the past year, I don't think I got this while sitting on the couch. Meaning... it probably happened with the accident.

Now, the meniscus won't heal on its own. It doesn't receive enough blood, so I've been told. Therefore, it has to be repaired via surgery if you want the pain to subside.

Given some people gripe at me whenever I show them any sort of "medical" images, I'm going to put them in links. You can look if you want. But don't yell at me if you're grossed out. And no, these aren't pictures of mine... I haven't seen them yet. This is what he described to me that I found on the web...

First, this is a healthy meniscus: Link

However, this is more like what mine looks like. The "bumpy/pimply" part at the top is the bone with arthritis on it, which I also have: Link

Here's the plan...

For the next month, I'm going to continue with Physical Therapy. I started that today (upcoming blog). Both my doctor and therapist believe the techniques I learn can help alleviate the pressure I'm putting on that knee. Less pressure=less pain.

In mid July, I'm going back to see my doctor. Most likely we're going to have to schedule a surgery... probably for August. When he goes in, he'll do several things:

1. Repair the meniscus.
2. Smooth out the bones to try and take out as much arthritis that he can to improve my quality of life.
3. Scope the knee for any bone fragments, which I probably have.

After that, more physical therapy. Let's just say I really discovered how "behind" I am today given what I experienced in PT.

So there you go... 3rd surgery on the knee coming up.

Oh yeah, he said that drill bit really made for some interesting pictures. To answer the question if he'll remove it? No... he'd have to filet the knee to get to it, and this is arthroscopic surgery. That means he'll go in through at least 5 small incisions instead of opening up that scar again.

Still Waiting...

2010-06-18T07:49:00.001-07:00

The results are in...

However, I don't know anything yet.

Yesterday I only had one meeting, which was at 4:00 PM. That allowed me to be at my desk all day working on other projects.

And sitting next to the phone.

Wouldn't you know it... the doctor calls me while I'm in the meeting.

Sigh.

He left me a message saying he has the information about my knee but that the office closes at 4:30. I didn't get out of my meeting until 5:00.

Grr....

So this morning I called him back, but got the answering service. He is in surgery this morning. I was hoping to talk with him prior to going to my Physical Therapy appointment, which is at 11:00 AM.

Oh well.

Anyway, stay tuned. May have an update in the afternoon...

MRI...

2010-06-16T15:10:00.001-07:00

Today I went in for my MRI.

If you've never had one, it's a much different experience from a regular X-RAY.

Last night it hit me - I've never had an MRI. Meaning, whatever damage the knee took from the smack on the pavement could take on a whole new perspective.

Or not.

Going into it, I'll say this: The "pessimistic" side of me thinks that this whole pain is just "my new life with a bum knee." So if they don't find anything, so be it.

They told me to show up at 2 for a 2:30 appointment... that way I would have the time to fill out all of the paperwork. One of the forms went through "great detail" to find out if you have anything "foreign" in your body.

"Uh... yeah... I've got a drill bit." Ha!

So I was guided into the room by someone I will just call "Chatty Cathy" who had a zillion questions ("What happened? Where does it hurt? etc. - we all know how much I like answering tons of questions) and instructions about what I'm to do and not to do... and then I saw what looked like a large waffle maker (See picture).

She then told me it would be loud, boring... and probably last about 45 minutes. "Seriously?" I thought it was "stick the leg in, snap a pic, and head on out." Now I know why the cost was $450. Hello Insurance!

The rule was simple: Don't move when it's noisy.

Well, I got up on the table and she put all of this "stuff" around my knee. Then, she slid me underneath the "griddle" and reminded me again, "Don't move."

So for the first 5 or so minutes, it was crazy. Loud noises. Noises that weren't regular... it was like buzzers and beeps and "machine gun fire." Crazy! I was like, "I thought she said some people sleep during this? Nobody could sleep through this bombardment!"

I then realized the knee was under direct assault... literally! I could feel it getting hot... like something was burning on it. But even nuttier were my muscles started flickering! They were going into little "spasms."

Great... so much for not moving!

Then it hit me - have you ever seen that movie "The Right Stuff?" There is a scene where they are put into this capsule for hours and they fire off all of these tests - loud noises, sirens, lights, etc. That's what it felt like!

After another 10 minutes, things got a little more "rhythmic." So much so that I decided to close my eyes... then I felt myself drift... and then I woke myself up with a "snort." (Yes, I snore!)

Not that I'm embarrassed by that... I mean, who really could hear me over all of that racket going on! So I finally decided to embrace it and off to slumberland I went...

I would sleep for about 10 or so minutes at a time, then the noises would stop and I'd wake up. Once they started up again, I drifted off... and the leg would just fire off more and more spasms.

Oh, and it wasn't just the noises but the vibrations... I think that also contributed to the sleepiness.

Finally, it seemed to be making the same noises it did at the beginning... so I figured this joy ride was about to end. Sure enough, it stops and she bursts through the door with a loud, "YOU'RE ALL DONE!"

Scared the crap out of me!

She then said, "Well, that drill bit made for quite a show! I think he'll be able to see what he needs, but it definitely caused problems with the pictures." Hmm...

Once I got off the table, the knee and most of my leg muscles were numb... it was the strangest sensation. I could barely stand up! Took about 10 minutes and everything woke up...

I then took my CD to the doctor (he's around the corner) and dropped it off with his receptionist.
So here is where we stand: He will receive a report tomorrow from the MRI group. Once he reviews that and my CD, he'll give me a call. I might here something by Friday... just my guess.

Houston, We Have a Problem...

2010-06-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

As many of you noticed, I haven't been writing. In fact, it's been almost 2 months.

Why should I continue to write when it's the same thing over and over: "Knee hurts... knee hurts... oh yeah, the knee hurts."

It started to wear on me... not just the pain, but the constant "negativity" I felt I was expressing.

Over the past few months, I've also been frustrated. Frustrated with the pain, the lack of improvement, and in general, the overall mobility.

I've also had to listen to my parents harp on the fact that I should get a second opinion. They weren't that thrilled with my previous surgeon. And, coincidently, Joel had to go under the knife with his knee surgeon due to a torn meniscus just two weeks ago.

Lately I've been waking up in the middle of the night with, you guessed it, knee pain. I figured it's because I've been walking more. However, it started to bug me (mentally) - "Why if I'm told to walk more is the knee always hurting? It's been 7 months since my last surgery... shouldn't it be getting better and not worse?"

So with what I'm experiencing and feeling with the knee, as well as the voices of the 2 biggest hypochondriacs in the world, I decided, "OK, fine!" and made an appointment. Well, the appointment was today.

Dr. Ramsey is very personable - in fact, it's his practice. He's the only doctor and all he focuses on are knees.

The first person I met with was the nurse, who took down all of my information. She took a ton of notes - asked questions from "what happened" to "what's going on right now." Oh yeah, she asked, "Does it wake you up at night?"

Then they took several X-Rays. Normally I would get 2 per visit at the previous doctor. I think they took 5 this time - particularly, with my knee bent and weight distributed on it.

Then Dr. Ramsey came in. He asked a bunch of questions. And he asked me again, "Does it wake you up at night?" Hmm... must be something to this...

He had already reviewed the X-Rays, so he had an idea of what it looked like inside. While lying down, he moved the knee around to check for motion (actually, he moved both so he could get an understanding of what is normal for me).

He then did something extremely painful - he started poking the sides of my knees. Let's just cut to the chase: It was SO freakin' painful that my eyes watered! I was telling someone earlier, but I generally think the entire knee is just in pain. And, I usually focus on the kneecap. But he was pushing on the sides, particularly the meniscus, and I couldn't believe the streaks of pain shooting up from my leg!

Which led him to this: "You may have bone fragments and a possible tear in your meniscus."

Yippy Skippy...

(sarcasm)

Yes... surgery is a possibility if that's a true statement.

So here's what's going on: On Wednesday I'm going in for an MRI and I'll get the film/cd that day and deliver it to Dr. Ramsey. He'll review it and then give me a call. According to my parents, he's very involved with his patients so I should know something by the end of the week.

Speaking of the end of the week, he's prescribed Physical Therapy for me. Remember, previous doctor didn't think I needed it. While I probably should have had it back in December, at least now I have the opportunity to "learn" some techniques that I can do in the gym. PT is not going to be extensive - like 1 or 2 weeks.

He was also very honest with me. He said I probably will never run again. He also said I should avoid stairs. Instead, I need to focus on biking... swimming... eliptical. And, ahem, I need to lose weight. Also, wear soft-soled shoes. He said all of that should help.

I'm to ramp up the glucosamine + chondroitin - regularly taking that will help my joints. He also added taking 2 advil per day...

So there you have it.

I'll update the blog later in the week if there are more developments. I just can't believe I may have to have a 3rd surgery on this knee...

Weird Weekend...

2010-04-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

Let's just say it's been a very strange weekend for me. I've been doing a lot of reflecting...

Yes... the year is over. Well, at least it is officially over tomorrow. The accident happened on April 26... but they ran the OKC Marathon today.

I have been thinking a lot about "life" this weekend. And, having a blog, sometimes that makes it easier to go back and look at what you were thinking... feeling... experiencing.

For example, the night before the race, I added one last blog. It's so crazy to think about... but obviously I had no idea this was going to happen! If you want to read it, here is the link: Link

But you know what? I'll bet a lot of people didn't read that one... it's because of the "shock value" of the next one.

While some people knew of the news prior to reading the blog, others had clicked on this little site just to see how I did in the race. You weren't expecting to see a picture of me in an ambulance... NEITHER WAS I!!!

By the time some of you were reading that blog, I was already setting up my surgery for the upcoming Wednesday. I was hobbling around with a dangling leg... and had absolutely no idea what was about to happen with my life.

It's really strange to think how I just wanted Chandra and my friends to drop me off at my house that Sunday and I'd "figure something out." Or how I was still thinking I'd make it into work. And drive... since it was my left leg.

Crazy thoughts...

Now... one year later... how has my life changed? Yesterday in my back yard, I decided to try jogging. I tried it several times. "Tried." I just don't know if I'll ever be able to do that. Not meaning long distance... meaning, "actually" having to run. A year ago, even lying on my back, I wouldn't have thought this would be taken away from me. "I'm young... I'll be running this time next year!" That's what I said back then...

It still hurts. A lot. But I can walk without "crutches" or a "walker" or a "cane"... so I guess that's improvement.

This morning I woke up at 6:20. I stared at the clock... and then it hit me: The race is about to start. They kickoff at 6:30 AM. Then it hit me even harder: You were lying on that street this time last year. And you had no idea what just happened...

David told me last weekend that he really thought I had been hit by a car when he saw me. I really had no idea what was going on around me... like why Chandra and Laura were so upset. I guess they knew what was going on... and what probably was awaiting me.

Anyway, here is a link to the blog titled "Un-Freaking-Believeable." I'm pretty sure most of you discovered all of this mess through that one...

Link

NOTE: If you're looking for a refresher, you can pull up my past blogs using the "Blog Archive" on the right.

Good times...

April 23rd... 2009

2010-04-23T02:51:00.000-07:00

I know there are two groups of people who read this blog...

There is one group that has been with me for a long time... reading my blog (at least this one) ever since I decided to run the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.

You were a part of my initial runs... my training... my aches & pains.

Then there is another group. You showed up right after you heard the news about "the break heard round the water cooler."

After the accident, I was inundated with phone calls and emails. It was great to hear from people on one hand, but on the other it was a bit overwhelming.

So I told everyone I would try to keep everyone updated by posting on my blog. This little site quickly exploded with visits. Not sure if you've noticed, but I do have a counter on the lower right. I think it's right around 3,000 hits.

Well, one year ago it took me 4 months to get up to around 600 hits. One month after the accident, I had over 1,200!

People were very interested in the story, my recovery, and I guess... the daily adventures (using a walker, going out to the mailbox, sleeping, etc.) Hey, whatever floats your boat!

So as we're approaching the anniversary, I thought I'd reminisce a bit.

Someone asked me this week, "Do you just want to travel back in time and tell 'Regan' not to do it?" Good question... obviously, in some respects... YES!

But, I guess as I've shared, there's a reason for everything...

Anyhoo, here is one of my last blogs before the race. It's titled, "Let's Marathon!"

Link

It's really interesting to read... especially the sentence, "Nothing is going to stop me at this point..."

One Year Ago...

2010-04-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

At this time, I had completed an 11-mile run. I was gearing up for my Half-Marathon...

It's so odd to think that 11 months and 3 weeks ago from today, I hadn't the faintest idea that in one week my life would change dramatically.

I guess it hit me tonight. As I filled up the ziplock bag with ice and placed it on my knee, I thought, "Damn... what a year."

Many of you probably don't know this, but my life is not what it used to be. It still surprises me whenever someone asks, "So... you running yet?"

No. I'm not running "yet." I don't know if I'll ever run again. I'm just as happy to walk at this point.

The knee hurts all the time. If I'm standing and talking with you, you probably wouldn't know this but I'm actually leaning towards the non-painful side.

I don't even know how to describe the pain...

"Ongoing"
"Constant"
"Never ending..."

Running? That's crazy-talk. I just want to walk like a normal person. Walking... I think I look like I'm "strutting" or something. I'm not. I'm focused... I'm pushing myself... I'm willing my crappy leg just to move.

Most people don't have a clue until they see me maneuver stairs/steps. Or, if they're walking near me, they have to slow down...

Today was the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. It was tragic... unbelievable evil happened that day. The picture of the fireman holding the baby hit me especially hard today... "Why did someone knowingly do that... especially if they scouted the place and saw that there was a daycare." Just one of the thoughts in my mind...

Maybe some of you remembered... but for me, it was personal on a variety of levels. I found myself looking through the pictures of the heroes... the victims... the building... the surrounding buildings.

It hit me: You lied on that street like so many of the other victims. Not that I can share in that, but I was on that street. I was helped by my friends. The people of Oklahoma. The citizens. The servants. The heroes.

It was hard today... a wellspring of emotions hit me because I wanted to run last year for the victims... the heroes... to show that I remembered.

It's incredible that I went up to Oklahoma City to run for "them" but I returned a much different man than I ever dreamed...

I'm doing my best not to focus on what I lost but on what I have left to achieve in my life. I have no idea if I'll ever run again... I just know what life is like in the here and now.

Part of me feels crappy... like on nights like tonight where it hurts. Or I want my old life back...

It's hard... it's painful. There are days I wish I could amputate my leg right above the knee. I know that sounds bad but it is what it is... today is one of those days. Would it be a better quality of life to not have to deal with the knee? Yes... that's what goes through the mind...

But all in all, I'm here. I'm moving on with my life. And my one year anniversary is less than a week away.

I don't know why the knee hurts tonight. I haven't done anything on it... in fact, this weekend I kept it pretty "easy." But, there it is. Damaged. Dented. Hurting. Not much change from the normacly...

So I guess through my "rambling" I just want to say that while you may be reading this for my "progress" or "what is going on" in my life, don't forget the people of Oklahoma. The victims. The families. The heroes.

That's why I ran... I wanted to run a "special" race... I just had no idea how long it would last.

What a hell of a year...

Staycation: Day 5

2010-04-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

Day 5 was a victorious day in the ongoing war with my next door neighbor.

You see, I live next door to a clan of obtuse idiots who obviously have absolutely no regard for their neighbors or the common man... i.e. me!

Years ago, I read some guy's blog about the continued problems he had with his neighbor... it was funny because it wasn't happening to me. Well, now I don't find that as funny anymore.

It all started when I moved in. I should have spent more time looking around the "hood" before purchasing... but I was a naive and excited new home owner. Had I done so, I would have seen that while there are 3 individuals in the house, there were 4 cars typically parked at the house.

The old man had a new pickup and an old 1960's pickup parked in his driveway... but sometimes his "lady friend" would come by and that would be three cars parked back there. Oh, and that old pickup? He drove it about a half-dozen times each year... and each time, it took him about an hour to get it started... revving the engine and billowing smoke. He still has that crapper!

The old man's daughter lives with him, along with her son. Between the 2 of them, they have gone through 4 cars in the past 5 years. Now she drives her son's pickup and he drives the car she used to have... not sure why the change... but because of the parking lot in the back yard, they park out front.

About four years ago, I looked out to see the old man building a fence. While that may be a good thing, you should see this thing. It's crooked, it has poles sticking up, and it definitely displays a quality of "ugly."

Then the old man decided that he wanted to move the large "barn-like" portable building that was butting up to my fence and put it into his back yard. Great... I welcome the view. However, he also purchased an enclosed gazebo and stuck that in his backyard... which houses his hot tub for he and his lady-friend. Nice.

So about that time, he and I had discussed building a new fence. He let me know that he wasn't going to pay any company and that "we" could build this fence together. Knowing me, imagine the look on my face as I gazed over at his crappy fence.

I then got the ball rolling once my fence was about to fall down. I let him know that the fence was coming down, a new one was coming up, and if he wanted to pitch in for the shared cost of "our" side, here's the amount. No response. So, I ate that cost and we haven't spoken since.

Last year the old man decided, "Hey... I'm retired. I'll buy an RV!" So he poured a slab next to my fence and now parks a beautiful van-camper right next to my yard which I think he has used "maybe" 3 times. It just keeps getting better.

So let's take stock in what is going on back there: Old man's PT Cruiser, 1960's crapper pickup, RV, and sometimes a "lady-friend" Probe that is parked at a slant so it doesn't impede the alley. And did I forget to mention that all of this is in the driveway because he has a BOAT in his garage???

Which brings me to this year... because of everything going on back there, the grandson and the daughter still park out front. Well, because my mailbox is on the property line, they usually park either right in front of it... or too close where the mailman can't deliver the mail... even though they have at least a full car length of empty space between them and their mailbox.

I have asked them multiple times not to block my mailbox... or please don't park too close. I have not only put my own notes on their vehicles, but also the ones I get from the Postal Service saying, "We didn't deliver your mail yesterday because of the vehicle impediment."

This became extremely frustrating last year when I was getting bill after bill for the knee...

Nobody should have to live like this... where they aren't sure if their mail will be picked up or delivered each and every day. I shouldn't have to get a PO BOX just because of the idiots next door.

So with the help of my good friend David, we moved the brick mailbox yesterday. And believe you me, it was NOT an easy fete.

From the first picture above, you can see the closeness of the grandson's car. You can also see that it was leaning quite badly... once we pulled it up, we realized that there was absolutely zero foundation underneath it.

David thinks that it may have weighed about 600 lbs. That's a lot of weight... and not a lot of fun with a bum knee. So, we went through the process of jacking it up... dropping it on plywood that was on top of PVC pipe for rollers... and "scootching" the sucker down the sidewalk a few feet and into it's new resting place.

This whole project took us from 10am until almost 5pm. Long day... sore muscles. But, as you can see, we have a better foundation and I have at least a full car length from the property line to my mailbox. I would have moved it further, but then I would be getting "involved" with the sprinkler lines.

So that's the story... Oh, and while we were in the middle of it, the old man comes out to get his mail. He goes, "That looks like a lot of work." Gee, you think??? And hey, any clue as to WHY someone would be doing this you dumb ass???

After the labor-intensive week I've had, I'm definitely taking it easy this weekend before I return to work on Monday. It's been a great "Staycation." I recommend it to each and every one of you if you ever have a lot of things to take care of around the house.

Now, back to the grindstone...

Staycation: Day 4

2010-04-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today was another "busy" day in the yard... man, I'm going to need a "vacation" from my vacation!

Spring has definitely sprung in my yard... and I'm working hard to make sure I get it all under control!

After another trip to Home Depot for mulch (I've purchased 8 bags so far!), I was ready to get after it.

In the front yard, I dug up a dead barberry bush... no idea why it died... and transplanted another barberry into its spot.

I also dug out grass, picked weeds, and cut back dead lantana. I planted impatiens into two pots and one hanging basket. So, I'm pretty sure the front yard is now completed... until I get the mailbox moved tomorrow (and eventually will dig out another flower bed around that!).

I then took down the portable green house. Side note: I actually put up that greenhouse about a week after my 2nd surgery. I only told one person because I knew everyone else would yell at me... :-)

Next, I climbed into the rose bush "hedge" to cut back the lantana... and realized that if I ever do that again, I will wear long sleeves and jeans - I'm incredibly scratched up!

After taking a break, I went back out to weed the patio. Some of you know this, but my patio is probably my favorite spot in the house. I like to sit out there after work and relax under the umbrella. Well, my "spot" became overwhelmed with weeds.

It took me about two hours and 3 "home depot" buckets, but the weeds are now gone. It looks awesome... and I'm so glad to have that off of my list!

Anyhoo, I'm still pretty tuckered out... and tomorrow David is coming over to help me move my mailbox. Why does it need to be moved? Because I have an idiot neighbor who either parks in front of it or too close where the mailman won't deliver the mail.

And why do I call them an idiot? Well, when you've posted notes on their cars, as well as the Postal Service's notes, and they still do what you've asked them not to do... well, it's time to take matters into my own hands.

So, the plan is to move the mailbox a few feet and dig out a flower bed to the property line... and hopefully this will result in me receiving uninterrupted mail service.

What a week... totally lovin' it!

Staycation: Day 3

2010-04-08T07:40:00.001-07:00

I woke up yesterday very sore... actually, extremely sore... incredibly sore... so freakin' sore that it felt like I'd been hit by a truck, and that truck backed up and went over me a few more times just for good measure!

I think what I did the first few days might be OK for someone who was used to it. But, not me. I wasn't used to the bending, lifting, and squatting.

Tuesday night's excitement? An ice pack dead-center on the knee.

So Wednesday I made the decision to scale back, take it easy, and take on a "project" that I hate: shopping.

One reason I hate shopping is the crowds. I hate shopping when a bunch of people are around, trying on clothes and hearing people "gripe" to their spouses or parents ("No Mom... I don't like that one!!!"), and especially standing in long lines... which always ends with, "You can save 15% today if you open a charge card." Gee... that's all I need... more credit cards!

So I knew I wanted to take care of this "experience" this week when everyone was at work. I also had an "ALL-S" plan: Slacks, shoes, shirts, and socks.

At Kohl's, I found two pairs of slacks, socks, and two shirts. I looked at the shoes, but wasn't impressed... plus, surprisingly, there were quite a few people in the shoe department.

I then went to DSW. While browsing, one of the workers said, "You picked the perfect time - there are hardly any shoppers in the store right now." Ding ding ding...

My mission was to find an extremely comfortable pair of shoes. Quick update: I buy one pair of dress shoes each year. Well, I didn't do this last year so the shoes I've been wearing have gone on for the past 2 years. That is a very long time for dress shoes when you wear them 4 days a week - guys, you know what I'm talking about. They lost all of their support... and they just hurt to wear!

I also decided to switch it up: I bought shoes without laces. See above. They feel fantastic - like wearing slippers! I also bought a new pair of Sketchers - casual shoes I can wear on Fridays (we get to wear jeans).

When I got out to my truck, I felt beaten down... still sore. It then hit me. I know what I need: SUSHI! So I drove out to Central Market to pick up some beer (they have a fantastic selection) and sushi. I bought enough sushi to have it for lunch AND dinner. :-)

After lunch, I laid on the couch and watched some TV. I then decided I needed to get up and do something in the yard... so I fixed up three pots, fed the birds, and then went inside when it started to rain.

I got back on the computer to work on my Family Tree. (This is probably a future blog topic, but I joined Ancestry.com and I'm working on understanding where my family comes from)

After a few hours of that, I went back outside and trimmed up my rose "hedge" with clippers, as well as a few bushes.

So, not a lot of excitement (or heavy lifting/bending) yesterday. However, I still feel like I accomplished a lot. Today is more yard work and then Friday I'm getting help from David to move my mailbox.

Stay tuned!

Staycation: Day 2

2010-04-06T17:19:00.001-07:00

I am definitely not the man I used to be...

Each year about this time, I plant my garden. Today was a "wakeup call," so to speak. It definitely hit me how much the knee has impacted my life.

Before I start writing, I'll say this: Today kicked my butt. BIG TIME! Of the 3 things I wanted to accomplish, I finished two.

The day began after breakfast. I hit the road to get everything I needed to plant my garden.

I learned my "garden skills" from my Aunt Loretta, who is a product of my grandpa. You don't just dig a hole... you have to "season" your garden. To do that, you need to get things from various places.

My first stop was a feed store in downtown Garland. I bought 20 lbs. of bone meal and 15 lbs. of cotton seed meal. I also looked to buy "hot banana peppers." No dice.

The next stop was Home Depot. I needed to replace a sprinkler head. I also ventured into the garden center to look for manure and hot banana peppers. They didn't have either of those, but they had onions... I bought a bunch (60).

I then went to Walmart... surely they would have the manure and the peppers. Well, no dice on the peppers but I bought the manure. Unfortunately, I bought before I drove out to the area to pick it up: No manure. So I had to wait in a nice line to get my $1.49 back. Awesome.

OK... so maybe Lowes would have what I needed. I first went straight to the peppers... and found the hot bananas! I then got the manure, and bought a few other plants.

Back at the house, I had to take a little break. That was a lot of walking around. I wasn't looking forward to what I needed to do - it was going to be a lot of work on a leg that is about half as strong as what it was. After a big glass of water, I figured, "OK... here we go."

For the next few hours: I cleared out the dead plants, dug up the weeds, tilled the garden, added the bone meal and cotton seed, tilled that in, layed out the plants, dug the holes, mixed the "seasoning" that needed to go into each hole, planted, mulched, and watered.

After it was all said and done, I have 6 tomato plants, 8 pepper plants (jalepeno, hot banana, mild banana, and anaheim), and 60 onions. I also ran out of room so I had to put 2 of the hot bananas into pots. Oh, and I also planted 18 grass plugs on the north part of my house (it was looking like I was starting a dirt farm!).

While it was a productive day, I still have so much more to do. I never took down the green house... guess that will be another day. I'm worn out, sunburned (not like Galveston!!!), and very tired.

Planting a garden makes one bend a lot... and I gotta tell you: It hurts! I have put a lot of stress on the knee in the past 2 days. It's killing me... but, I'm hanging in there. Aleve is my best friend!

So, why the focus on the hot bananas? When I was at my parent's house on Sunday, I found out that they aren't doing a garden this year. Knowing that they like tomatoes, I always have that covered. But Joel really likes the hot banana pepper... so I am growing 3 in my garden for him, and I'm giving him a pot of his very own.

What a day... and having a great vacay!

Staycation: Day 1

2010-04-05T16:52:00.001-07:00

If you know anything about me, you know that my yard is a "very important" part of my life.

When I broke the knee, things not only went south in that area... but also with my yard.

I was fortunate last year that I planted my garden and fixed up all of my flower beds/patio prior to the kneetastrophe. However... a "good yard" isn't just a one-time fix. It's an ongoing process throughout the year to maintain the hard work that you put in during the spring planting.

Well, I didn't get to do that. Weeds and grass got into the beds, the garden went to hell, and the bushes and trees never got pruned.

I will say this: I did receive some offers for help. However, I just felt terrible to ask someone to come over and pick the weeds while I sat there and watched. I know... my friends would have done this at the drop of the hat and wouldn't have held any ill will. But... I just let it go to...

Which leads to this year... I have taken a week off to "pace myself" while I take care of all of the things that I need to either fix, catch up on, dig, plant, prune, or buy.

Today was Day One...

I stayed up late (midnight... which NEVER happens) and figured I'd sleep until 10 or so. Nope... internal clock and hearing the neighbors leave for work had me up by 8:30. After making my heart attack breakfast, I headed out.

Covington's was on the agenda for the day. I had been to Lowe's and Home Depot over the weekend to look over their plants... but was completely disappointed. Covington's is in Rowlett and is known to have a great selection. Well, they filled the bill perfectly! I bought zinnias, imatiens, potato vines, sage, and 6 tomato plants.

Returning home, I hit it pretty strong... dug up three beds and planted the zinnias and impatiens and covered them with mulch. I also fixed up one large pot and two hanging baskets.

On Saturday I bought two flats of grass plugs... so I planted 18 plugs out of one of the flats on the side of my house.

Besides yardwork... I put out the trash, watered the yard, broke down boxes, put up my umbrella, cleaned off the patio furniture, and now I'm doing laundry.

But you want to know the best part of my day? It was after finishing all of the hard work and sitting on my patio. I broke out one of my cigars... and let's just say it was exactly what I wanted to be doing for the next few hours.

I have so much more to do... but so far, I've made a serious dent in my project list!

The knee? It's sore... the muscles are very sore, too... and I'm a bit sunburned (slightly). But all in all, I feel great! Can't wait to finish it all and show you the pics!

New HVAC Unit...

2010-03-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

Today I made a BIG purchase!

My house is 15 years old... and things are either starting to break or in drastic need of an upgrade. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of dealing with "fixes" when it's really time to just bite the bullet and move on.

Today, I replaced my entire heating and air conditioning system. Gasp! Yep, if you've ever done this, you know it's a major hit to the bank account. However, while it may have been a "cost," it actually will turn out to be a "savings."

A History Lesson...

Since I moved into the house in 2001, I have had three major "outages" with this system. Once was with the heat (out for about 5 days), and the other two times were A/C-related... in the heat of the summer!

Not only that, the emergency drip pan has taken a lot of abuse. Twice the water has come through the ceiling into the living room, the most recent two years ago.

Not only that, but I've had a company out here at least once a year to service it, adding freon, etc.

Anyway, I finally decided it needed to go to the dump and replace it with a newer/more efficient system.

I did a lot of research, asked a lot of people a lot of questions, and finally settled on a brand (American Standard) and a company (Snider's Heat and Air).

Scott Snider is the owner, and I gotta say that he and his crew did a superior job! Very professional... very detailed. In fact, I chose Scott's company because I had three very good recommendations! In this day of "who do you trust," that was huge to me!

I also selected a very efficient unit. Most people can get by with a 13 or 14 SEER, but I wanted to crank it up a bit. I bumped it up to a 15 SEER, which apparently rates up to 16 SEER. This allows me to qualify for a government rebate, knocking the price down to one that would be in the 13 SEER range. How awesome is that???

Scott estimated that my old unit was probably about an 8 SEER, so this should cut my bills in half! Incredible! He said he has the exact same unit on his house... and that I made a "quality choice."

The thermostat is also amazing... he says it will "learn" how the system/house work together to make the proper adjustments. He said that if I want the temperature at 70 degrees when I come home from work, then the system will get the house down to that temp by the time I get home. Freakin' awesome!

Outside, the condenser is so big that it comes up to my shoulders. Standing next to it, you just hear a low noise... it's because of this "blanket" that helps drown out the sound.

Can I tell a difference with the entire system? You betcha! It's blowin' and goin'! There is definitely some "wind" going on inside the house. And if you know me, I like it VERY cold.

This summer... it's going to be like living in a refrigerator! If you come to visit, bring a blanket!

From Fluffy to Flatty...

2010-03-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

For the past year, I've had a bunny rabbit "around and about" my house.

I've seen it in the front yard... back yard... side yard. I deduced that it must like my yard because of the lack of predators (cats and dogs), I feed the birds (birdseed droppings), and I have St. Augustin grass.

It even inspired me to buy carrots from the grocery store at times... yeah, it was my pet.

(Notice I'm using the past tense)

Well, Saturday morning I awoke to see the bloody carcass out in front of my house in the center of the road. Yep, some "speed demon" hit it that morning.

My hunch is that the same driver that seems to "floor it" each morning around 5:30 scared it enough that it darted out in front. Poor little guy. Or girl.

Well, this is where I come out and say, "NOTE TO SELF." If you ever see something like that and know that you're the one that will have to deal with it, don't delay. Do it right then. Especially if it's in one piece.

Unfortunately, I didn't know that beforehand. It was 8:30... I was still groggy... hadn't had my coffee yet. So, I decided to wait at least an hour until I was "good and ready."

Around 10, I went outside with my shovel only to see it had been run over "multiple" times. It was now in at least 4 pieces. And what was left was absolutely disgusting... EVERYTHING that was inside was outside and exposed and oozing and smelling quite pungent.

So on one of our windiest days, I'm fighting a trash bag and trying to pick up the bloody remains while holding back the dry heaves that are erupting due to my constant gagging! What a sight to behold...

Let's just say that it wasn't just the "rabbit" that left something on that pavement.

Well, eventually I got it all into the bag... sealed, tied, and thrown into my dumpster. I then had to clean the mess off the shovel... nasty!

So why did I do all of this? Well, while it should have been done because nobody needs to see that... I also knew that I didn't want to warp the little 8-year old minds who live next door with the bloody images of the rabbit.

Especially since "The Easter Bunny" is just about to make his visit!

Greatest Baylor Basketball Team EVER!!!

2010-03-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

We lost...

78-71.

Wow. VERY tough.

If you were fortunate enough to watch the game, you saw a great one. I've seen a ton of games this year, and this was one of the most "hard fought" I've ever witnessed.

The amazing part of this "losing outcome" is I've seen a lot of articles written about how great of a story we've been throughout the tourney.

This group of players rewrote the Baylor history. They have shown to the nation that Baylor has not only a new chapter, but a new book, in overcoming adversity!

I was so proud of them yesterday - playing their hearts out against one of the pinacle basketball programs in America! In a tight game, we fought hard. At times we led... and almost won in the end, but just didn't seal the deal.

No worries.

The Baylor Nation is so proud of this team! We have 2 seniors who will be graduating, but we also have 2 others that probably could play in the NBA right now. If they return, along with the incoming freshman, we may be in the same position this time next year!

Sic Em!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!!

2010-03-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

1 Hour to Gametime...

2010-03-26T15:25:00.001-07:00

Well, I've been a basket case all day...

Here's what I know: The Bear Nation will be in full force tonight at Reliant Stadium!

According to online posters, the Baylor campus is virtually deserted.

People are reporting a lot of cars on I-45 driving into Houston with "Baylor" fans.

It's expected to be the 2nd most attended regional ever with over 50,000 tickets sold. That's for a basketball game being played in a football stadium!

My friend Brent sent me an email saying he's already there and it's "a sea of Green and Gold!!!"

Well, I'm prepared. I went to Central Market and bought my beer... and sushi... and I am just a complete "waste" as all I can do but continue to email friends and read more and more stories about my Bears!

If Baylor plays the way I know we can play, then we will rock the house! We will have plenty of dunks and alley-oops, we will launch 3s from the perimeter, and we will block numerous shots with our stifling defense.

However...

I'm also a realist. We're playing in the Sweet 16... we're playing a team that reached this spot by going 28-5 this season. They have a good center and have sharp shooters. They're not here by accident! I don't know what a "Gael" is, but I'm nervous to say the least!

In order to win, we have to be focused. We have to play our game. We can't get rattled. And we need to remember that we're playing before a home crowd... which we do very well when we're playing at "home."

Just one game... all I want is to win and make it to the Elite 8!

Oh, and one more thing. Today while I was at Central Market, an older gentleman said, "Go Baylor!" I looked up and realized why he said it - I was wearing my Baylor shirt. How about that?

Isn't that what we should all say? "Go Baylor!"

And yes, even an Aggie can say it... as Steve (brotherinlaw) said to me this morning, "Sic Em, Bears!"

Absolutely! SIC EM, BEARS!!!

March Madness!!!

2010-03-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

Do you have any idea how keyed up I've been this week?

My Baylor Bears are in the Sweet 16 and play Friday night against Saint Mary's!!!

To say this is a rare occurrence would be a major understatement!

I'm 39 years old... and in my lifetime, Baylor has made it to March Madness three times: 1988, 2008, and this year.

In fact, the last time we won in this tournament was 1950! We were "1 and done" the other years.

For those that don't follow college basketball, I'll explain what "March Madness" is all about.

In college basketball, they crown a "National Champion" by whoever wins the NCAA Basketball Tournament... which is dubbed, "March Madness." 64 teams began this journey last week divided into 4 divisions (North, South, East, and West). Within each division, teams are ranked 1 to 16. So, the #1 team plays the #16 team in that division... etc.

Now, Baylor had a fantastic season... we are 27-7. And, because we played in the toughest conference, we were awarded with a #3 ranking in the South division.

We won our first two games, and now there are only 16 teams remaining. Hence... "The Sweet 16." If we win tomorrow night, we make it to the next level: "The Elite Eight." And, I'm sure everyone has heard of the "Final Four" - it is the champions of each of the 4 divisions facing off.

In case you forgot what transpired in 2003 at Baylor, I'll rehash: One of our star basketball players went missing... he was missing for about a month. It was then discovered that one of his teammates killed him and buried his body in a rock quarry. Horrible! And "shocking" to the Baylor faithful.

If that's not bad enough, we had a coach who was paying the tuition of the dead player. When investigators figured out something was amiss, he tried to convince everyone that the dead player was a drug dealer... and he was caught on tape saying all of that. Incredible!

Well, the NCAA came in and they dropped a NUKE on our program: Players transferred (all of our stars), we lost scholarships, and we were forced to drop all of our non conference games for one season... meaning we could only play 16 - the conference games.

If you've ever seen that movie, "We Are Marshall," recall that scene where the president of the university is searching for a coach... and everyone is saying no. Well, same thing. Who would want to coach at a school with a program so decimated?

In fact, things were so bad... morale on the campus was so low... that Bill Cosby actually called the university to see if he could come and give a free "talk" to uplift the students, university, and the city of Waco. It was a packed basketball arena!

Baylor hired a 33 year old coach named Scott Drew. When he arrived, he didn't have enough players... he actually went to the intramural gym to find students to come play basketball!

I think his first season he won maybe 1 game. I think the second was better... 3 wins or something.

Well, we've become better each year. In 2008 we made the tourney and everyone went nuts! But, we lost the first game...

Last year we were supposed to have a great team, but we lost too many in the conference. Late in the year, we went on a run. We upset Kansas and Texas, but lost to Missouri in the Big 12 Tournament. Instead of making the NCAA Tournament, we went to the NIT Tournament.

It's a lower-level tournament, but it strengthened us as a program. We won all of our games and made it to the championship at Madison Square Garden... unfortunately, we lost to Penn State.

This year, we were picked to finish 10th out of 12 teams in our conference. The coaches and media felt that we lost all of our good players to graduation, and we wouldn't do very well.

My how things have changed!

These kids have grown as a team throughout the year. They have taken that "underdog" role to heart... and played with their hearts all year! They're a very fun team to watch... fast, dunkin', and they can launch the 3's! They also play awesome defense!

Now that you know the whole story, doesn't me being "freakin' crazy" all week sound justified? I never EVER thought I would see my Baylor Bears at this stage... in front of all of these people... especially looking back at those dark days of 2003.

A few more points: There are only two Big 12 teams remaining - Kansas State and Baylor. And to garner some "State" pride, we are the lone Texas team!

No matter who you root for, I hope you can support my Bears for the sheer struggle that they've been through to get to this point. We play in Houston tomorrow night at 6:30. It will be on CBS... so check it out!

Oh, and why am I not going to Houston? For the fear of jinxing my Bears! I've watched every game this season (with the exception of 2) in my house - either on TV or online. So I'll be parked right here tomorrow night... pacing, screaming, cursing, cheering... the whole enchilada!

Sic Em, Bears! Keep making us proud!!!

Let's Talk Shop...

2010-03-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you're this way, but I rarely talk about what I do at work. I mean, why should I? When I'm away from work, I need to be totally away... right?

Well, today was something a bit different... so I guess I'll share.

Some of you know this, but about a month after I returned to work, I changed roles. I wasn't too thrilled anymore with the path I was heading in my previous role, and I definitely wanted a change.

In the IT world, there is a role called "Business Analyst." That term is used rather loosely... you have to wear a lot of hats and deal with a variety of issues.

As a B.A., my job is to be the middleman between the business and the developers (programmers) in terms of projects... i.e. "Project Manager."

Typically in my world, a B.A. will manage multiple projects during a period of time. These projects could last a few months to over a year. And, a "project" is usually someone on the business side wanting a new addition to our web-based application... be it screens, reports, etc... that the developer would need to program.

Am I boring you yet??? See... that's why I don't talk about this crap... :-)

So for the developer to program, the B.A. needs to have dozens (if not more) of meetings with the business to understand exactly what they want/expect when their project goes "live." We then design, spec out, write up, document, and flow just about everything in a manner that the developer will understand. Specifically, mapping everything to the table/field the item is stored at in our massive database.

I can see you getting "Tired Head" right now... hang with me!!!

OK, so as I said, I usually have several projects. Well, one project started last April (right before the knee exploded!) and finally went live last Friday. The project was to redesign an external website... the site which is currently being used by our Borrowers to track their payments, transactions, documents, etc.

Well, not to toot my own horn (because I was just a piece of a larger group of people who contributed), but it went off without a hitch. The site looks great, we're going to continue to enhance it this year, and hopefully it will help the company save money in the long run.

Which brings me to today... Hello? Is this thing on? Hello???

Every other month, our office has an "All Staff." In our environment, that means "everyone" comes to a meeting and different people stand up and talk about different things. Usually the people speaking are Vice Presidents and Directors. (Now you know where this is going)

I was asked last week to present this new website... and oh, by the way, keep it to about 10 minutes.

Now I'm not typically prone to nervousness when it comes to public speaking. I was a teacher. I used to also teach Sunday School to a large class each week. In the company, I typically speak in small to medium sized meetings... and I've trained trained trained throughout my career. I can speak with the best of them...

But, this was my first "Big Meeting." When everyone shows up, we're approaching the 200-person mark... especially if we have out of towners.

So today was my day. Yippee.

Do you ever get that feeling of "can't catch my breath/why is my heart racing" just before you're introduced? Well, that happened to me. Uugh.

Just as I stood up and turned to face the SEA of eyeballs glaring at me, I said to myself "Do NOT produce shakey-voice, OK! Self... are you listening!!!???"

However, some tricks of the trade I've learned is to stare directly at people near you and when you have to "go the distance," look at the back wall. That way, you're just talking to a person or a wall, right?

Anyhoo... after I got started, things were fine. The only thing I noticed was that I became very aware of how dry my throat was! Note to self: Drink some water about an hour before speaking! In my preparation, I hadn't consumed any fluids in at least 3 hours before the meeting. Not good.

I got a lot of compliments afterwards, both regarding the project and the fact that I can stand up in front of a group like that and complete my sentences. Who knew?

I guess it's a lot easier when you know the subject matter... and you know what? I had almost a year of preparation if you think about it!

Well, our story doesn't really end just yet... tomorrow the company is splitting up into different meetings, and I will have to speak to 2 different groups of roughly 50 or so people in the room. And it won't be just about this project... it will be about an additional one that they will use internally.

Piece of cake...

Strength Training...

2010-03-23T15:39:00.001-07:00

It pains me to say this... I mean, it REALLY pains me... but I'm trying to build muscle again in my leg.

A few things led up to this...

First, I'm getting really tired of favoring one leg over the other. I'm also tired of being "nervous" while going up or down stairs.

However, I noticed that when I went up some stairs last week, my leg felt a little stronger. Hmmm... maybe I need to be doing something to take advantage of this "new found strength???"

Last week, I mentioned this to someone and they said, "Why not put your stationary bike in front of the TV? Maybe that'll force you to ride."

Then on Saturday, my brotherinlaw calls me up and does his best to convince me to get my butt to the gym. (No... I'm not ready yet... ahem!) But it still got me to thinkin'...

So with all of those forces at play, I moved the bike into the living room. And looked at it...
a long time...

I thought, "Well, if it doesn't kill me it'll make me stronger. Or both."

I then hopped up on it. Now, I don't know what I can do... so I figured I'd just pedal and see what happens. I thought, "Hmmm... maybe I'll ride for 30 minutes." (Insert laughter)

Well, here's what happened: After a minute, I was already looking at the clock wanting to know how long it's been... "Only 1 minute! Geez Louise!!!" The next minute wasn't any better. In fact, it felt worse. I could feel that pain throughout the entire quadriceps muscle... and it was not happy!

After a few more minutes, I'm feeling it in my knee. Believe you me... that sucker was swearin' at me! I pushed and pushed and now I'm at about 8 minutes and thinking, "My gosh... this is ridiculous how weak I am... how winded I am... uuugh." And the crazy thing was my OTHER knee started hurting, too. Awesome.

I decided to end it at the 10 minute mark. I know... not much... but I challenged myself and I felt better for accomplishing that. Baby steps.

I have since ridden 3 more times. Today, my knee/leg is pretty sore... so I'm giving it a break. I'm still riding at 10 minutes, but I've noticed it's not as bad as the first ride. Maybe things are getting better...

You never know what you can accomplish until you decide to hop up on that horse, huh???

Incredible...

2010-03-21T06:09:00.001-07:00

From 2010-03-21-0802-38

Well, we added to our record snow total overnight!

I awoke this morning to see this: Several inches of snow!

What makes this even more amazing is the "experts" said we "may receive 1 inch but it will mostly be on the grass." If you're familiar with the Metroplex, they said it wouldn't dip any further than McKinney, too. Well, I have at least 3 inches and the news this morning shows Plano with about 5. Good grief!

If you want to see more pics, as well as some I took on Thursday when it was in the mid-70s, click here: Link

New Sink...

2010-03-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

OK... so yeah, I haven't been writing/blogging.

When I told one of my friends today that I just don't have anything to write about, she suggested the new sink.

So, here you go... Ta-Dah...

A few weeks ago, I noticed my faucet was really loose. When I went underneath to check the nut, it corroded into my hand. I guess that's what happens to stuff when it's 15 years old...

What started out as, "Oh, I just need to fix this faucet" turned into "Replace the faucet" and ultimately, "Hey... how about a new sink???"

I did quite a bit of research. I joined Consumer Reports... not just for this purchase, but for several coming up in the near future. I first thought a black sink would look great. Well, it would have... but the reviews said the "scratch-resistant" products (cast iron, acryllic) still scratched. So I settled on stainless steel.

I also asked a bunch of chicks what they looked for in a sink, what appealed to them, etc. I gotta say... that was a good move. I never thought about getting a "deeper" sink... or larger on one side... etc.

So along with the faucet and sink, I also bought a quieter disposal. You can test them right there in the store. By the way, the sound of a disposal is one of my little "pet peeves." Having one that is somewhat quiet is awesome!

Today the installer came... and immediately the price jumped up. It turns out that my pipes needed to be replaced (because he had to move them), and the hot water turnoff didn't work. Cha-ching... but, glad to have all of that upgraded.

Anyhoo... after a little over 3 hours, he had it all installed. I think it looks great, although I have to wait 24 hours to use it while the caulk dries.

Snowmagedden 2...

2010-02-12T09:04:00.000-08:00

This is what it looked like this morning when I got up...

DFW Airport reported 12.5 inches.

Luckily, I never lost power... but I have friends who haven't had power since 7pm last night.

Snowmagedden!!!

2010-02-11T15:27:00.000-08:00

OK, I can't take credit for that saying... but it's an incredible snowfall we're getting!

I woke up around 5:30 and walked out to the living room... and immediately saw a "glow." I thought, "Did I leave a light on? My TV?" Nope... it was the brightness of the snow coming from my patio!

I immediately discovered that the day would be perilous - I slipped a tad going out to get the paper.

My "commute" was a drive through the pouring snow/rain, and then a "careful" walk from my truck to the train.

Up on the 25th floor, it was an awesome sight! Watching the HUGE flakes come down, as well as the sheets of snow fall off the buildings (crashing to the ground), was an impressive (and distracting!) day.

We closed the office around 4, but I left before that. Overall, not too bad... although I slipped several times while walking on the slushy mess. THAT would have been an event had I fallen!

One thing I'm thankful for is my antennae. Last year, I got tired of my DirecTV going out during storms. So, I hooked an "over the air" antennae up in the attic (with the help of a friend) so I could always get the broadcast channels. Well, today we're having "one heck of a storm" because I'm using that instead of the dish.

So the snow is awesome... wet... big flakes... but that's it - just snow. No ice. However, tonight we're supposed to dip below freezing and it's will be a terrible commute in the morning. My office is already opening at 10AM... and I'll be working from home!

"How's Your Leg?"

2010-02-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

Remember my blog last year about losing my Baylor QB to a torn ACL for the year?

He started running last week...

I think right there I realized what a different injury a torn ACL is compared to a broken kneecap.

I've read several stories of "players" having knee injuries... but until you drill down into it, there aren't a lot that have the broken kneecap. In fact, I've just seen it happen with basketball players. This leads me to ask, "How in the heck do you recover from this? How do you go back to playing?"

Honestly... I don't know.

As for me, this "recovery" has been a lot more painful than I ever imagined. Let's travel back a few months...

Before my 2nd surgery, I couldn't wait to get those dang wires out of my knee. It hurt just to walk... the grinding and limited mobility really wore on me. Or if I was walking, sometimes I'd have to stop because I honestly thought a wire got "caught."

Then I met "Nurse Ratchet" (OK, really a Physician's Assistant) who told me the week before the surgery that I had a painful recovery ahead of me. She even said that it would take me several months to get through all of this.

Well, next week I hit 3 months since my last surgery... and it still hurts.

So, here's how I can possibly describe what is going on. I'm assuming everyone reading this has a good knee. Go ahead and lift your lower leg. Or touch your knee... feel how the bones are shaped under your skin. Stand on it... probably doesn't hurt to put weight on it, does it?

Mine feels like a clenched fist. I'm serious. First, it's still swollen. It's large and in charge... probably a size and a half compared to my other knee. Second, you can feel the bumps... almost like little grains of gravel... on the bone itself. It's not smooth like the other one... it has ridges and hard edges.

Oh yeah, and have I mentioned that it still hurts? All the time. It hurts to lightly touch it. I think it's due to the swelling... so I put ice on it quite a bit, but it's always sore. I wake up and it's sore. I walk and it's sore. I put it up when I get home... and it's sore. Sore. Sore. Sore.

Stairs: Still a problem. I can go up about one flight and I'm done. Going up more than that... not a fun time. I tend to stick to elevators and escalators whenever I can. Going down is even worse... I don't have the support to go down with my left leg without holding onto a railing.

So... that's life as I know it in the land of the "recovery zone." I'm trying... I'm pushing myself to walk farther or take on that flight of stairs or to lift more. But, it's a long process.

Last fall, I was wondering if I could be running by January 1. Honestly, I don't know if I'll ever be able to do that again. Just stating the facts...

Would You Believe...

2010-01-30T06:56:00.000-08:00

I've lost weight?!! Specifically, I've dropped 7 pounds in the past 3 weeks.

Want to know my secret? Pedometer!

Imagine this... you haven't changed a darn thing about your diet or exercise. You're still eating the same things... you haven't gone to the gym due to a swollen (and painful) knee.

Yet, you notice your clothes are fitting better... things don't look so "large and in charge"... and you swear you have a little more energy than before.

Well, I got up on the scale yesterday. I was shocked! Holy Smokes! I'm 7 pounds lighter than the first of the year!

Last year at this time, I was busting my hump to get in shape to run the Half Marathon in April. I was going to the gym several times a week, I was sweatin' like crazy on the treadmill, and I changed my diet quite a bit. After a month, I was down 10.

Ironic, eh?

I'm pretty sure the cause of all of this droppage is due to my new Pedometer. Knowing I'm being tracked, I actually push myself to walk a little farther. It's pretty simple... I park further out, I decide to walk across the street for lunch instead of grabbing something in the building, I choose the stairs over the elevator (one floor), etc. It's all about making "healthier choices," right?

So if you're looking for an easy weight loss, give it a try. It only cost me $30... and I blogged about it below if you want to see which pedometer I purchased.

Pedernales Falls State Park

2010-01-26T17:02:00.000-08:00

One Sore Knee...

2010-01-13T05:21:00.001-08:00

Ever since the Cowboys' game, life has gotten quite a bit "limpy" around here...

Maybe I overdid it a tad...

I knew it was pretty sore when I woke up Sunday morning. I decided not to do that much, so I rested it by doing a lot of "couch" patrol.

However, Monday I headed into work. As soon as I started walking, I knew it was going to be a rough stride.

By Monday afternoon, someone commented that it looked like I was limping. I was overcompensating with my good leg I guess...

Yesterday was the third day since the game... and I was in a full limp. And in the midst of all of that pain, two different people asked me about the leg and, "Have you started running yet?"

This morning, I immediately was limping just getting out of bed...

Uugh... this is just one long freakin' process...

Working from home today... maybe being off of it will help.

It just feels like the knee is on fire. I think what I'm experiencing is the impact of losing the protective cartilage around that joint.

So no plans to start running just yet. Just focusing on walking... one step at a time.

"How Bout' Them Cowboys!!!"

2010-01-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

Wow... what an AWESOME experience!!! Below, I'm going to "scattershoot" about everything from last night...

...It sure is nice to have friends in high places! When Chandra asked me if I wanted to go, I had no idea how fantastic the tickets would be. We were sitting at the 30-yard line, row 13... and the face value was $340.00. Good gravy! Everyone needs to go to Dunkin Donuts and show their appreciation for the pics you're seeing above!...

...Speaking of pics, as soon as we parked, Chandra gave everyone their tickets. I put mine in my back pocket. Then, like the picture-happy dork that I am, I whipped out my camera and started snapping photos as we walked up to the stadium. Right after the pic was taken of me holding up my hands ("Touchdown"), I realized something was missing in my back pocket!

Do you know that panic that overwhelms you when you just screwed up? Well, magnify that by like 100 and that's close to where I was at that moment. "Chandra!" I think everyone could see the look on my face as I called her over. "Do you have my ticket?" She looked and was like, "No... I gave it to you." I was freaking out. "I dropped it somewhere between here and the car (which was about half a mile away)."

Just then, some guy who had passed us and was about 10 yards beyond turned around, "Did you lose a ticket?" He had found it! What incredible timing... at the moment I realized it was gone, the guy who found it was within earshot amidst hundreds of people walking up to the stadium... I couldn't believe my fortune! "Dear Lord! Thank you!!!" I quickly gave my ticket to Chandra to hold!...

... Everyone says this, but the stadium is just amazing. It's not a stadium... it's like a palace! Everything just screams "quality." When you're right outside, there are speakers where you can hear the pregame. There are giant video boards - they were showing the end of the Jets-Bengals game. Even the staff... extremely welcoming, from the greeters to the concessions to the guy in the restroom directing you to the quickest urinal... it's like going to a fancy resort!

... Prices. You bet they're high! Chandra said everything at the concession stand was $.50 higher this week than last. Basically, if you want a beer, it's either $8.50 or $9.50. Small mixed drinks are $10 while a double is $20. Sodas are $5.00. But the food was awesome! I had a Green Chilie Kobe Beef Burger for $13 that was fantastic. The fries were huge and thick... $5.00 for a basket...

... Cowboys Diamond Vision... that's what they call the big screen... 60 yards of amazing clarity! I tried not to look at it during play unless they were at an angle that I couldn't see very well. However, if everyone stood up on a big play, I just looked up and didn't miss the action! We were below it... I'm sure if you were above the screen (like a lot of people), you'd just focus on that screen...

... Jerry Jones' Owner's Box is right at the 50 across from us. You could see the light on in there and people. They showed that President Bush was with him, and everyone in the stadium seemed to stand up in appreciation. However, the people sitting behind us weren't big fans of the Prez...

... Speaking of those people, they did something rather interesting towards the end of the game. Well, one guy did. In front of us was a guy and a girl... the guy had a blue/silver wig on, was a huge fan, slapped our hands on big plays... was having a great time. We also noticed he had a gun on his side (under his shirt) and a badge on that holster. It's a little strange to see that, but oh well... guess he could carry it since he's a cop (and made it past the "pat-down" we all got going into the stadium - no metal detectors).

Well, the anti-Bush guy behind us didn't like seeing that or that the guy was drinking... so he went and got the cops. About 4-5 of them showed up and escorted the pistol-packing guy and his girl out about midway through the 4th. They never returned. Then for the remainder of the game, we had to listen to "The Tattler" brag about what a "hero" he was to the chick next to him because he turned him in. Man it was a beating... and I'm not really sure she cared to hear it...

... I've been to Cowboys games before, but never to a playoff one. The fans are awesome! I'd be walking around and people would just scream, "Cowboys!" or "How Bout' Them Cowboys" or whatever else... they'd slap you high five... and it was even crazier after the game! People tailgating and screaming and beating up dolls with McNabb jerseys on... it was hilarious!...

... Walking! We parked fairly close... but geez louise my knee was not happy with me! If you read my "pedometer blog" below, you saw the amount of steps I normally take (5,400). I was just over 6,900 when it was over with last night... and that was not in the course of a day, but in the course of several hours! Go knee, go...

... Overall, I'm just going to say that if you ever have a chance to go to a game at this stadium, you should make the effort. It was an amazing experience... super fun! And after the week I had, I definitely needed a night like that!!!

Thanks again to Chandra for making it all happen!

Ped-Power!!!

2010-01-09T10:51:00.001-08:00

If you ever watch the TV show, "The Biggest Loser," you hear that one of the healthiest things you can do for your life is to walk more...

Increasing your steps per day burns calories, strengthens your core, and improves your overall health.

So what the trainers say on the Biggest Loser is to buy a pedometer and use it everyday. Knowing your steps will push you to "walk more" each day... thus, allowing yourself to achieve the benefits described above.

Well, I bought one. They're not that expensive. The one pictured cost me about $30, but there are numerous ones out there.

Now I bought it for the health reasons, but also to push myself to hopefully walk more in order to strengthen this "noodle" of a leg. It's fairly easy - it's small enough that I can attach it to my belt. However, you can also slip it into your pocket or purse.

The experts say everyone should try and walk 10,000 steps a day. That sounds like a lot... overwhelming... something impossible, right?

Well, for the 3 days that I wore it this week, I was averaging about 5,400 steps with my normal routine. Think about it... how many steps does it take you to walk from your car into your office? Or from your car into the grocery store?

Now... what if you parked a little farther out? What if you came home and walked around your block for about 15-20 minutes?

So if you're goal is to lose some weight this year... or strengthen a gimpy leg... this is a pretty simple method to achieve those goals.

Today, I'm going to get a lot of "work" with this pedometer and the leg... heading to the "Death Star" (A.K.A. Cowboys "Jerry World" Stadium) to watch the Cowboys whip up on those Eagles!

Go Cowboys!!!

How 'Bout Them Cowboys...

2010-01-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

So I received a call tonight from Chandra...

"Hey... I've got 2 ticket to the Cowboys playoff game against the Eagles... wanna go???"

Hmmm....

"Uh... Yes Please!"

She wanted to know if my knee was up for the challenge.

I've decided, "Even if the knee disagrees, I'm going to make sure it keeps quiet!"

So, and this is mainly for my cousin Lori, now you know where I'll be on Saturday night!

Do I think the "Cardiac Cowboys" will win? Not sure. Do I think we should win? Absolutely.

The only bummer is I'll miss the Baylor basketball game prior to this one... we play Oklahoma at 5pm.

Oh well... sacrifices!

Mowin' in 2010...

2010-01-03T09:26:00.001-08:00

My neighbors must have thought I was crazy... "What on earth is that fool doing mowing his yard in January???"

Well, I had a reason. Actually, several reasons.

Normally we have a fairly windy winter here in Dallas. That means when my leaves fall from the trees, they blow elsewhere...

This year, not so much. I had a TON of leaves sitting on my lawn, covering the sidewalk, and making the yard look just craptapular.

The other "reason" I wanted to mow was to see if I could do it. I hadn't mowed my yard since early April. Once the knee went kablewie, I hired a service to mow it weekly.

So I wheeled out the mower... filled it up with the little gas I had in the jug... and started cranking. And cranking. And cranking. And waiting. And pushing the starter button even more... and cranking... and getting cranky...

Finally, with a blast of smoke, the mower started. Then it stopped. A little more effort and it finally got going again. I got behind it and started pushing...

Wow! It felt great... and weird! I haven't really had to push anything like that over the past few months. It was a strange sensation of "I'm so glad to be doing this again" and "I feel a bit uneasy walking on this unstable surface!"

After a few rows, the mower died. "What the...???" Well, my spark plug blew out. Once I got it screwed back in, it now worked just fine. I mowed the entire front lawn... and realized I need to go to Home Depot to buy some filler dirt! I have quite a few pits in my yard that will probably cause me to fall one day...

Anyway, it was a momentous occasion. I think most of you know how much I enjoy working in my yard... knowing that I can do this just makes me look forward to 2010 even more!

(Although, it sure was nice to be sitting inside with the A/C blasting during August watching people mow my yard!)

A New Begin in 2010...

2010-01-02T10:06:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I, for one, was extremely happy to see the clock strike midnight and 2010 arrive!

I think I actually uttered the words, "Good riddance!!!"

If you've been following my blog for the past year, you've definitely seen "transformation" in its fullest form.

Last year at this time, I set several goals: Live a healthier life by making better choices, drop 50 pounds, and run at least two Half Marathons.

2009 started out great for me. I was a focused machine! I was religious in my commitment to the process - I walked, I ran, I went to the gym, I ate healthier, I drank less beer but increased my juice and green tea intake, I was stronger and faster, and I had more energy. Overall, the first 4 months were probably my healthiest in years!

Then it all came to a screeching halt on April 26. I still remember the fall... and the "electrical shock" that went through my body when my knee hit that curb. I didn't understand why I couldn't stand up... bend my leg... and why my knee had a big "pit" in it. I remember the people rushing to my aid, Chandra's "shocked" face, and the feeling of embarrassment. And I think I'll always remember hearing the start of the race and me being unable to complete what I started...

The next 8 months were incredible. When I was in that ambulance on the way to the ER in Oklahoma City, I thought, "I wonder what my year is going to be like now?"

Well, it was challenging. That's probably my best description of my year. I had to re-learn, adapt, focus, persist, endure, accept, press on, push myself, and "roll on" with just about everything that I faced.

A lot of people remarked that I appeared to have a positive attitude. Yeah... maybe. But there were several low points. I would get frustrated. It was difficult doing the things we take for granted. I showered sitting down with a trash bag on my leg. I dressed myself while sitting on the floor. My carpet had wheel marks from my walker. I guess at times it just got a little too much for me, so I broke down... several times.

But, I kept progressing... from walker to crutches to just a brace to no brace. I've worked hard with exercises in my house to strengthen the muscles. And I walk... a lot. I have to because that's what keeps me going. I've been told my limp isn't as noticeable anymore... just when I go up or down stairs.

It still amazes me when I look back over the year. I had 2 surgeries on the same knee in 6 months. I surely didn't think that was in my future when I began 2009!

But overall, which I think I've said this a lot, it was the love and support from my family and friends that helped me get through all of this. "Mr. Independent" had to relax and learn dependence on others... And I was blessed to receive compassion, encouragement, and selflessness in its truest form from everyone involved.

So here we are... "A New Begin in 2010"... that's the phrase my cousin Lori came up with! And you know what? It's true... for all of us. 2010 has so many new possibilities... 2009 is gone. It's history. 2010 is here for us to accomplish our hopes, dreams, goals, and aspirations.

Mine are similar to last year... with the exception of running two Half Marathons. Right now, my leg is like a noodle. I tried running the other day from my sidewalk to my mailbox... and halfway there the leg collapsed. So, I still have a long way to go.

This year, it's simple: Healthier choices again. Strengthen the leg. Walk without a limp. Get up and down stairs without a problem. Lose weight. Stay active.

But also, be a better son, brother, uncle, friend, coworker, employee, and overall person. Show people the compassion and selflessness that I received last year. And encourage others... no matter what, we all go through our own struggles... and we all need encouragement.

So there you go... let's all have a great 2010! Set your own personal goals, and let us all be a little more improved this time in 2011!

A White... and SICK... Christmas!

2009-12-28T19:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas, version 2009, has come and gone. How was yours? Well, if you were in the Metroplex, you had a white Christmas.

And, if you were in our house, you may have experienced a sick one as well!

Far be it for me to point fingers, but I'm pretty sure the "Dr. Kevorkian" in our little germ petri dish was my youngest nephew. You see, when I took the nephews to see Ice, he decided to lick everything. Why? Because there was a sign that said, "Do not lick the ice." He thought it would be funny/rebellious to do the opposite of whatever the sign, or his uncle, had to say.

So on Christmas Eve, he was hit with the Vomit Comet. Unfortunatley, it was viral... and by Christmas Day afternoon, the victims got nailed left and right. Carson, Rachel, Steve, and my Mom. It was so bad that I've been told they can never eat my pork roast again after seeing it in reverse. Awesome!

Well, I wasn't immune to it either. While I didn't get stomach bug, I was stuck in a car for a 5-hour drive with my coughing/sneezing/oozing brother. Within 24 hours, it hit me... and 48 hours later, I'm living La Vida Loca with a slight fever and a lot of crud coming out of my nose and throat. Yum.

I slept 3 hours today... and yes, I hope to go into the office tomorrow morning due to an important meeting. But after that, I'm heading home. Besides... would you believe we're getting more snow tomorrow??? Crazy!

So there you go... Christmas 2009... in the books. Thank goodness!

Loss...

2009-12-26T20:12:00.000-08:00

Around this time every year, there is usually a review of the celebrities that we lost over the last twelve months. Most of the time, sadly, I usually already know most of them. I'm a "news junkie," so I probably have either read an article in my local paper or seen it via some other media source.

And, as gruesome as this sounds, I am always intrigued by the celebrity death. Not because I'm morbid (although it sounds like I am with a blog like this!), but because I'm interested in their accomplishments.

Because of this, I also tend to attract "Newsies," A.K.A other interested friends who know of my fascination of the dearly departed. They do their best to inform me when a celebrity passes.

So, with all of that said, I give each of you two items of interest (to me)...

In 2009, here is a slideshow of the celebrities we lost: Link

And, here is an even "bigger" list: "Curtain Calls" of the Decade. This one starts with 2009, and goes all the way back to 2000: Link

NOTE: For those of you that lost a friend, a loved one, or an acquaintance... I mean no disrespect. I, of all people, truly know what it's like to lose someone... and from a personal standpoint, I lost several people who I was very close to over the past 10 years.

ICE...

2009-12-22T15:47:00.000-08:00

If you're ever in the Metroplex during the Christmas season, you should check out the annual "ICE" exhibit at the Gaylord Texan Resort. This year, as you can see, the theme is "The Grinch."

Today I took my two nephews. I don't really think they understood what they were getting into. On the way, one asked how long they would get to "ice skate." Hmmm....

It's an impressive production - it takes a team of 20+ artisans 30 days to carve out all of sculptures. EVERYTHING is made of ice... walls, ceilings, etc. Thankfully, the floor is just fine! Oh, and it's kept at a constant 9 degrees... hence, the blue parkas. They give those to you to wear.

One of the rooms features a castle! The kids/adults line up... climb stairs... and slide down one of the 4 slides to the bottom. I didn't think it would be wise for a gimpy-clutzy Uncle to participate in that little adventure!

Some of the pics above were taken by a budding 8-year old photographer. (That's what you do when you notice they need something to keep them busy)

Overall, I think they had a good time. I did. So much that I took a rather lengthy nap this afternoon!

Let it Snow... Let it Snow...

2009-12-20T18:52:00.001-08:00

Have you heard about the snow in the Northeast? Well, take a gander at Chandra...

She's in Richmond, VA. For the first time in two years, she's spending Christmas with her family.

For me, I'd love to be in the cold like that... totally opposite for her! Ha!

I show you this picture because today I heard this song by Dean Martin called, "Marshmallow World."

It's a marshmallow world in the winter
When the snow comes to cover the ground
It's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day
I wait for it the whole year round.

We won't be getting a white Christmas in North Texas... but someday, I hope to experience something like this!

My Cousin Gail's Foot...

2009-12-18T18:49:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but when I look at that X-RAY to the right, it just sends a chill up my spine...

OK... here's the story... in Gail's words:

I was walking my two dogs on Sunday before Thanksgiving and simply turned my foot. I had on sandals like a dummy instead of tennis shoes. I really didn't think it was broken. However, I have Jones Fracture, which runs across the long bone on the outside of my foot. I could have waited 6 weeks to see if it would have healed on its own. There was a 75% chance. However, if it didn't, I would have had to have surgery anyway, in which case I would be looking at a recup period of 12 weeks.

Now, when I received these pics, she didn't tell me what happened. I knew that she had been going through some "home improvement" projects this year, so I honestly thought a screw got lodged in her foot! In fact, I was thinking she was the victim of a nail gun!

Now get this: She still thinks that my break was much worse than hers. Which leads me to comment on something that I've wanted to say for a while...

I can assure you of this: When it comes to breaks, I don't judge or compare. Whatever you've been through, are going through, or will go through... I am not thinking, "Well... how does THAT stack up against what I went through?"

I say all of this because I've heard, "Believe me... this doesn't compare to the problem you had with your knee." Maybe that's what people expect from me... but I hope to change all of that.

You see, "empathy" is now in my vocabulary. I don't want anyone to go through "pain" like this... it's uncomfortable, it's awkward, and it just changes your entire life from the get go!

Before my little blooper, I probably wasn't the best listener when people talked about their injuries.

"Oh, you tore your ACL? That's nice. I mean... sorry about that."
"Broken wrist? That's a bummer..."
"What do you mean you can't go out? Oh... still in the hospital."

All right... maybe it wasn't that bad. But seriously, I guess you never know what someone is going through until you walk a mile in their shoes.

So I feel very badly for my cousin. However, she's in good hands. A lot of people are helping her out, and she's be waited on big-time by friends, coworkers, and family.

Please lift her up in your prayers - as well as her helpers! And if you're a dog walker, be careful out there!!!

Chandra's Half Marathon... Finally!

2009-12-14T17:51:00.000-08:00

This weekend was the White Rock Marathon... and FINALLY, Chandra got to run her Half.

If we all remember, I ruined Chandra's "half" this year when "Clumsy Dumbsy" decided to climb over a barrier... and down goes Regan! Ahh... good times.

To make sure Chandra got to the race on time, I stayed overnight. We got up around 5:30, and departed around 6ish. Well, as she gabbed, I sped... and made sure she was there WAY before her desired time. So we arrived around 6:30 to the American Airlines Center (AAC).

After fighting a little traffic, we parked. Kevin and Becky arrived around 7:30, and we left Chandra before her 8am start time so that we could catch her at the 3-mile mark.

It was exciting... thrilling... and I was NOT at all jealous of all of the runners while I spectated. Seriously! I was fine and dandy to cheer and clap and encourage those doing what I can't do right now.

Chandra came by (you can see it in one of the pics above) and we were all excited. Then we left... we wanted to catch her at that 6. Unfortunately, we ran into a lot of traffic. After a while, we realized we missed her and should re-focus our attention to the 9.

Well, we parked A LONG WAY from the 9. Once we got there, we waited patiently... and waited and waited and "what the hey???" We started noticing people walking. What's going on?

What was going on was the idiocracy of it all... we were standing at the wrong spot. We were at the 6! Son-of-a...

We then headed back to the truck and decided we needed to head back to the AAC. I drove fast... and once we arrived and parked, Kevin and Becky looked out in the distance. And what did their eyes see? A streaking (sprinting) Chandra...

As if it was in slow-mo, I screamed and passed the camera to Becky... "RUN BECKY, RUN!!!" Well, she ran as fast as she could... but Chandra was quicker... and made it across the Finish Line before Becky could find her.

So Chandra finished in 2:29... that's very good! Congrats Chandra... I'm so glad you didn't break anything, and you finally got your Half in for the year!

Back to the Gym...

2009-12-13T18:55:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a big day for me...

I returned to my gym.

This was my first time to walk through those doors since April. It was my own "right of passage" that I felt I needed to accomplish in order to be on my way for recovery.

The first thing I wanted to do was to figure out how strong my leg is. Earlier this year, when I was training, I would do various leg exercises to strengthen my leg muscles. Knowing that I'm not allowed to do any sort of "knee bends," that limited me in some respect.

I sat down on the leg extension machine... in the past, I would usually put 60-70 lbs or more on it. The least amount of weight that it would take with a pin in it was 30. Well, I tried it... and I barely got the extended.

I'll be honest... it shocked me.

I then pulled the pin and I figured that just moving the bar up and down was about 15 lbs. I did one set... and my heart was speaking to me big time. I know I should have been prepared, but it really was working on my emotions to know how far back I am in my conditioning. Even a year ago, when I first started training for a Half Marathon, I could at least do 50 lbs.

I did a few more sets... and all the while, I kept thinking, "My gosh... I've got a lot of work ahead of me." And so, by the time I got off the machine, I was determined to put it all behind me. The past is the past... what's done is done... and I can't compare myself to my old body. This is what I've got to work with, so I might as well make the best of it.

I then went to another machine and worked my hamstrings and calves, and then decided to head upstairs - bikes and treadmills.

Plopping down on a "sit down bike," I set the timer for 20 minutes. I then started it up... and biked. It was a very odd feeling - letting the knee go in the "bicycle" motion. Halfway through, it was starting to hurt, but not too bad. I pressed on... and finished with 5 miles! That felt like a big accomplishment to me.

I then headed over to the treadmill... set it for 20 minutes and a bit of an incline (I'm a man of routine). I walked and walked... by 10 minutes, I was feeling pretty tired. I almost quit, but figured I'd go for 12 minutes. After that, I felt good enough to go another 2... and I just kept doing that. Sure enough, I made it to the 20 minutes... 1.10 miles!

And that was it... I couldn't go anymore. I went down the stairs, and came home. I was done. But I felt really good... and I was able to accomplish something I haven't done in a long time.

Today? I'm pretty sore... but I'm hoping to maybe go back in a few days. For the "moms" out there, I'm not going to overdo it.

So I'm on my way... one small step at a time.

Scars...

2009-12-10T18:49:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought about the scars on your body? Or counted them?

When I was growing up, I gave my folks fits! For some reason, I had a motor that was always on the go... and it usually got me into trouble.

Here is a rundown of some of the things I did...

The earliest recollection I have of an injury was something my parents have told me. When I was 3 or 4, I was seeing the Pediatrician. He was giving me a physical and asked, "When did Regan break his collar bone?" Apparently I did something, broke it, but never reported it to the parents. All I remember was falling down a lot... ha!

One time, when my parents had their insurance agent over, I decided this was the best time to climb up to the top of my closet and get something. Well, I slipped... and came smack down on a Tonka Fire Engine... actually, the ladder... it went through my lip. Stitches. I was 4 or 5.

Around that same time I busted my chin open. Well, I guess I hadn't had enough excitement, because while the stitches were in... I busted it wide open again trying to brush my teeth on a wet counter. My mom walked into the ER to see me sitting on a table with the baby fat hanging down through the hole in my chin.

One time I was competing with other kids on who could make the longest skid mark with their bike. I revved that sucker up... and plowed into the back of a pickup. I think I was 6.

When I was 10 or 11, I was at the next door neighbor's house and she decided to tickle me... and yours truly bonked his head on the glass table in their dining room. Stitches. Well, the next day we were leaving on a big family road trip to Destin, FL. We set out across Texas towards Louisiana. My parents decided this was the best time to let us get pics next to each State Line. I hopped out of the car... went racing for the sign... and tripped over a rock. Ironically enough, I busted my left knee... and had to get stitches! Geez Louise!

How about when I'm a little older... 11th grade. I'm working for a Hallmark store. Safe, right? I was working during the school year to save up money to buy lawn equipment. Well, they had me change the A/C filter. Although, this was located in the ceiling. I climb up a ladder... and while I'm balancing on the top step, something happened. Either I ran my finger up the metal side of the housing, or that piece fell and caught me just right... but whatever the case, I damn near lost the tip of my middle finger. More stitches... and a deformity I have to this day.

Which brings me to the scar above... I guess it's just another sign of "life," huh? Well, it came to mind recently when I heard this:

"Scars remind us where we've been. They don't have to dictate where we're going."

Tonight I spoke with my grandmother who seemed surprised that I'm not in the dumps or focusing on the negative. I told her this: I don't want this to define me. I don't want my life to just "stop" because this event happened in my life.

Life is for the living... if you've followed this blog, you know that has been something I've preached. Take advantage of the opportunity you have to do what God has granted to each of us each day: LIVE!

Don't focus on the past... don't dwell on the scars. DO something with your life... because, believe me, you never know what may happen tomorrow!

Saturday is going to be a big day for me. I'm walking into my gym for the first time since April. I'm going to try... try to ride a bike, get on the treadmill, lift my leg using weights. It's going to be painful. I know that for a fact. But, there's no gain without pain, right???

So while my body may have numerous scars, I'm pressing on. I've got to get this leg strengthened... not just to run, but to walk without pain or unsteadiness. I've got a whole life before me!

"What lies behind us,
And what lies before us,
Are tiny matters,
Compared to what lies within us."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ahh... This Explains Everything...

2009-12-07T19:34:00.001-08:00

Never Married, Over 40, Well-Adjusted

By Kathleen Doheny

SATURDAY, Dec. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Pity the poor single people who pass their 40th birthday without ever tying the knot, since research has shown that never-married adults have more health woes than married folks. And, um, isn't there something wrong with those who go it alone anyway?

Not so fast.

A new study looking at psychological measures shows that never-married people aged 40 and up can be just as resourceful, psychologically speaking, as their married counterparts.

Wait, there's more.

"If you look at never marrieds who are high on mastery -- they feel like they are in the driver's seat and in control of their lives -- and high on self-sufficiency -- they know how to take care of themselves -- they actually have better emotional well-being than married people," said study author Jamila Bookwala, an associate professor of psychology at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. Her report is published in the Nov. 30 issue of the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

For the study, Bookwala drew on data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, looking at responses from more than 1,500 Americans aged 40 to 74. They identified themselves as married or never married. Most, 1,486, were married, while 105 had never married.

"What's new here is the never-married individual is getting attention," she said. Sometimes in research, she explained, they are combined with separated, divorced and widowed people as singles, but in her research she looked at never-married individuals only and compared them with married people.

Among her findings are that never-married adults, overall, do report lower levels of overall emotional well-being than their married counterparts in the same age group. But they are comparable when it comes to psychological resources, the stuff that helps humans deal with life challenges.

Bookwala looked at three measures of psychological resources, including personal mastery (the degree people think they have control over things in life, which is important to avoid depression), agency (the tendency to focus on oneself, which is good for mental health) and self-sufficiency (a sense of autonomy, which is also linked with better mental health).

The never-married participants do tend to have fewer social resources, she said. "In general they tend to report less [perceived] support from families than marrieds."

But the higher the never-married individuals scored on those psychological resources, the better their emotional well-being, she found. Better, even, than the married folks, if they scored high on those measures.

"In that sense, we find our study debunks that myth of something being wrong with the never-married individual," Bookwala said.

In fact, high levels of self-sufficiency may work against people in a marriage, she noted. "For a marriage to work well, you need a certain amount of interdependence," Bookwala said. It could, in fact, explain why some never-married people decided not to wed.

Or, she said, they may have developed self-sufficiency the longer they stayed single.

The study suggests that marriage -- often touted as the best lifetime relationship goal -- may not be best for everyone, said Patrick Markey, an associate professor of psychology at Villanova University in Villanova, Pa.

For most people, marriage might be a desirable goal, he said. "But there might be a subset of people, the ultra-independent individual, for whom this may not be the best life course."

He's referring to those people who Bookwala found high in self-sufficiency. "They might actually be happier because they didn't get married," Markey said.

But, he pointed out, the sample size of never-married participants in the study, a little over 100, is low. So, it's possible that a larger study with never-married people might produce different results.

My Year Almost Got Even MORE Interesting...

2009-12-03T11:52:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I'm a "commuter" - I take a train into work each day.

Some people were a little surprised that I continued to opt for the train over driving after I returned to work. However, it's more of a beating to drive from where I live.

Most of the time, the train is pretty convenient. The station is about 10 minutes from my house, and it takes 25 minutes for the trip downtown. Once on, I listen to my music... read... play games... or sleep.

For about 15 minutes of my trip, I'm underground. Yesterday was an odd experience... we came out of the tunnel to see a blizzard! Yep, we got snow. It was beautiful... and dangerous!

As soon as I was off the train, I realized that I shouldn't be walking around in the slushy mess. I'm nervous on wet sidewalks as it is! Anyway, nothing really scary to report - I made it into a building and took 2 skybridges to my office.

However, going home for the day... now THAT was an experience.

The snow had stopped early in the morning... so everything was dry. I was making my way down the sidewalk, approaching the crosswalk, in front of the Pearl Street station.

I could see the seconds tick down for the crosswalk... but there was a policeman there directing traffic. The crosswalk goes across a street and the tracks... the station is in the middle.

Well, the policeman (woman, actually) likes people A LOT more than drivers. She always says she's there for us, even though I know the building pays her to direct the departing cars.

Just as I approached her, the light changed... meaning, "Don't cross." However, she was holding up a big "box truck" and said, "Come on, baby! Go ahead and cross." I smiled... said "Thank you very much"...

And then the loudest HORN went off!

I looked up and coming right at me on my left side was the train! You see, she held up the box truck... but neither of us could see that on the other side was a train leaving the station!

I thought, "Sweet Merciful Crap" because that is what was in my pants now! That train was moving and it wasn't stopping. It was probably 10 feet from me when it blew the horn.

Well, once I'm moving, I can't stop easily... so my only option was to go forward. Unfortunately, I needed to pick up the pace so I busted out into my first run...

(Did you catch that? I had to run! I haven't run since April...)

Well, the train kept honking and I kept moving. I say "moving" because that's the simplest way to describe what I was trying to do. My knee was screaming at me, "HEY JERK! WHAT THE $&#&@(! ARE YOU TRYING TO DO TO ME???"

So, it looked like a cross between a trot and a hop. Not pretty. But, I guess if the alternative was getting hit (knocked down, run over, bumped, etc) by a train, I'll take that.

Anyway, I couldn't believe it. I immediately thought that this would have punctuated the year perfectly... ha!

How is the knee today? Dang sore. Swollen. Not happy.

"How's the Knee???"

2009-12-01T06:45:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow will be exactly 3 weeks since my last surgery... which also means it's been 7 months since my first.

My how time has flown by... (sarcasm)

A lot of people have inquired as to how things are going with the knee... so, here is an update.

I guess there is one noticeable change since the surgery: Flexibility.

Before, I was limited in my motion due to the wires. I still have roughly the same "degree" of bend that I had before the surgery (110 degrees), but it doesn't hurt as much when I try to get it to that range.

Before, it just felt like there was a lot of tension... pulling... to make that bend. Oh, I guess I should explain what the bend is. It's not lifting your leg up. It's pulling the ankle back. Now, if you were in my shoes, the tension at the top of the knee would be pretty apparent.

There is still tension, but I think it's the scar tissue. I have to go through the exercises again to break through that "inner healing."

The second thing I've noticed is the pain is still there. I'm hoping in time (short time!), it will go away. But, it still hurts. Last week I ventured out to the San Diego Zoo... lots and lots of walking. Not only that, but it's very hilly - I had no idea.

Maneuvering up and down those hills throughout the park was pretty rough. I think what might surprise people is "going up" isn't what bothers me... it's going down. If it's a ramp or stairs, it's very difficult. I think one of the reasons is that I don't have the muscles in my calf and quads to support me.

I was talking with Chandra last week, and I mentioned I'm thinking about going back to the gym. She said, "Just start out slow... if you're doing leg lifts, just put 30 lbs. on the machine." I told her I'm not sure if I can even do 5 lbs. I'm serious... you have no idea how much your muscles deteriorate in 7 months! Both muscles are like jelly compared to the right leg.

I have two exercises I do in my house to strengthen these muscles. One is easy - toe lifts. I just go up and down to build up the calf. The other one is quad flexes. To do that, I sit on the ground and try and push my leg down where the quad flexes.

I do have some restrictions - I guess I didn't offer that up before. I'm not allowed to immerse the leg in water until after the first of the year. By then, the scab will be healed. I'm susceptible to infection until then. Therefore, no swimming - which has been pounded into my head by my brother-in-law Steve.

The other thing is if I go to the gym, I need to cover up the knee. Same thing... lots of sweating bodies does wonders on people susceptible to infections.

I'm a little faster in my walking, but it's just going to take time until everything is pain-free. Thanks again for the support...

San Diego Trip...

2009-11-29T12:39:00.000-08:00

I have returned from San Diego... and I gotta say, "It was awesome!"

In the above pics, you'll see:

My brother's house... yard... palm tree in front yard!
The best fish tacos I've ever had...
Lots and lots of animals (San Diego Zoo)
Beach... coast... water...
Family

Enjoy!

Just Call Me "Drill Bit Regan"...

2009-11-23T10:17:00.000-08:00

Today was my Post-Op visit (Post Operation)...

When I scheduled this before the surgery, I was told that Dr. Rutherford would be in surgery today. Therefore, I made it with Jackie - his Physician's Assistant.

The first thing she said to me was, "This may be a stupid question, but why are you seeing me?" Good grief. I explained that when I met with her before the surgery, she told me that she could remove the stitches if Rutherford wasn't available...

She then proceeded to remove the medical tape.... "Rrrrrrriiiippp." Off goes half the scab!

The stitches are beneath the incision... so all she had to do was to snip the ends. The top end was about 2 inches, but the bottom one had at least 4 inches of stitch sticking out.

They took two X-Rays (one is shown), and then she pulled them up. She kept saying that he did a great job, even though it may not look like it to me because of the scab. I actually think it looks great - and I'm pleased with the results.

I then asked, "Hey... what is that white line?"

Jackie looked... zoomed in... and then said, "It looks like he left a wire in there." She then called Randi, who assisted him with both surgeries. Randi looked and said, "I don't remember us leaving one in there... that's odd... but it looks like it's just in the bone, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Hmm....

Randi then left and Jackie gave me the sobering news:

No sports of any kind, including running, for the next 3 months... minimum!

Remember, this is the same woman that gave me the troubling news prior to my surgery. She told me how difficult it will be to recover from this, that I may never run again, and that I have at least 8 more painful months ahead of me.

She then said that Dr. Rutherford was here and that he could see me if I wanted to... "Uh... absolutely!"

Once he walked in, he said it was doing great. He checked my motion, the bend, and seemed fairly upbeat about everything. Shocking! All the while, Jackie is standing in the corner. He then said, "And that piece of metal in your knee isn't a wire, it's a drill." I said, "A drill? As in a drill bit?" He said, "That's exactly right." And then he pulled it up.

Apparently it broke off in Surgery #1 back in April. He zoomed in real close, and you could actually see the threads on the bit. Amazing! He assured me it shouldn't cause any problems, and that it would have been pretty difficult on me had he removed it (dug it out) during the surgery.

I then asked him about running... he said, "I'm not going to restrict you other than knee bends." He went on to say that most of my problems will be evident on the lower end of the kneecap - I lost all of that cartilage. But, he said to give it a try.

He wants me to do a lot of walking, and to do some exercises to strengthen the quadriceps muscle. But overall, it looks like I'm headed down Recovery Road!

As we all walked out, Jackie made a comment: "He's obviously not as conservative as I am in my diagnosis." Dr. Rutherford just kept walking... ha. I guess she wanted to have the last word...

Overall, I'm excited... this was good news going into Thanksgiving. I have a lot to be thankful for...

And I have a drill bit in my knee to boot! Whoo Hoo!

Setting Goals...

2009-11-22T09:11:00.001-08:00

While we're heading into the Thanksgiving week, have you realized we have just over a month left for 2009?

If you're anything like me, it's not just the "Season of Stress" (Christmas shopping, parties, work, etc.). It's also the time to think about 2010 goals!

Last year at this time, I set a goal to run TWO Half Marathons for 2009. I guess we all know how THAT turned out...

Does it deter me from trying again? Does it keep me from setting similar goals for 2010?

Of course not...

To me, I'm in the fight of my life. I don't know if I can jog. I certainly know that my leg can't take it right now. There isn't any strength in it. I have a long road ahead of me... but I'm thrilled to have this challenge!

I'm excited - the uncertainty of the coming weeks/months as I strive for this goal (running) is motivation in itself.

Some of you have noticed something in me - an inner drive to succeed. I don't know why, but it's just something within that keeps my motor running. I like to set goals. I like to achieve those goals. And I like to push the envelope a little further to see if I can reach it.

So, with that said, I hope each of you can think about your own goals... especially as we're about to start the next decade!

I heard a quote recently that I want to share:

"Anyone can achieve their fullest potential.

Who we are might be predetermined, but the path we follow is always of our own choosing.

We should never allow our fears, or the expectations of others, to set the frontiers of our destiny.

Your destiny can't be changed, but it can be challenged.

Every man is born as many men, and dies as a single one."

Dead Man Walking...

2009-11-18T16:38:00.001-08:00

It's been exactly one week since my surgery... who would have guessed I'd be feeling this good???

In a short time, I went from using a Walker... to using the crutches... to limping without anything... and now?

Hold onto your judgement hats, but I walked a mile today.

Can you believe it? One week ago, I was 3-sheets to the wind with the powerful drugs in my system... lying on the couch... having to concentrate not to lose my lunch.

And today I walked a mile... amazing. I truly believe I'm here because of prayers, good thoughts, and encouraging words. Thank you... to each of you... for helping me on my "First Mile."

It's ON!!!

I am tired of doing nothing... lolly-gagging around... due to a bum knee. But now? The knee is fixed... and I'm raring to go.

"Don't overdo it..."
"Be careful..."
"Maybe you should talk with your doctor..."

Believe me, I've heard it all. I'm not going to overdo it. If I was, then I would have pushed for another lap around the block or tried a jog. My doctor said that the best way to get my strength back, I will be doing a lot of walking.

To track all of this, I purchased a new APP for my iPhone called "iTreadmill." It's a pedometer... I still need to calibrate it because it was a bit off, but I hope to track my steps throughout the day.

So here is my challenge to each of you: If I can do it, you can do it! Try walking 1 mile a day. It's not that hard. It takes about 15 minutes of your time. Your heart rate will get up, you can listen to music, and it's good for your body.

And who knows... You might lose a little weight. You might reduce some of your stress. And you just might like it.

Lucky Man...

2009-11-17T16:56:00.001-08:00

Today I made my way to work. For those that don’t live in Dallas, I take the train in from the suburbs into downtown. It’s not a long ride – about 30 minutes.

However, today was a big hurdle. You see, I knew I would be making my longest walk since the surgery. Not only do I have a good little bit from parking lot to train, but I also have a lengthy stride from the train to the office.

When I was about halfway to the office, a song came on my iPhone: Lucky Man, by Montgomery Gentry.

Hearing those lyrics, it just struck me: I’m so lucky… fortunate… blessed!

This has been an eye-opening year for me. Not only has it been the most difficult physically, but also mentally. I’ve been challenged in ways I never expected. I could probably speak on several “life lessons” that I experienced this year: Humility, Giving, Unconditional Love, Encouragement, Trust, Faith, Patience, Selflessness, etc.

While I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone, I do believe I’ve come away a stronger person. I was strengthened by friends and family… from the littlest gestures to the grandest measures. Looking back, I’m glad I went through this. I truly feel that God used this to reach me, reach others, and to demonstrate His love for all. I guess you can say I experienced “The Glory of God during this trial in my life.”

So I wanted to share the lyrics to this song with everyone. I know not everyone is a Country fan, but maybe some of this will hit home to each of you…

The song begins with someone who isn’t happy… isn’t content… is complaining about his life. However, when he looks around… when he thinks about it… he really is a “Lucky Man.”

Enjoy… (boldness emphasized by me)

I have days where I hate my job,
This little town and the whole world too
And last sunday when my “Cowboys” lost
Lord it put me in a bad mood

I have moments when I curse the rain
Then complain when the suns too hot
I look around at what everyone has
And I forget about all I've got

[chorus]
But I know I’m a lucky man
Gods given me a pretty fair hand
Got a house and piece of land
A few dollars in a coffee can
My old trucks still runnin' good
My tickers tickin like they say it should
I've got supper in the oven
A good woman's lovin
And one more day to be my little kids dad
Lord knows I'm a lucky man

Got some friends that would be here fast
I could call em any time of day
Got a brother who's got my back
Got a momma who I swears a saint
Got a brand new rod and reel
Got a full week off this year
Dad had a close call last spring
It's a miracle he's still here

[chorus]

My old trucks still runnin' good
My tickers tickin like they say it should
I got supper in the oven
A good womans lovin'
And even my bad days aint that bad
Yeah I'm a lucky man

I'm a lucky, lucky man

Continuing to Improve...

2009-11-16T15:05:00.000-08:00

Five days after surgery, and things continue to look up...

I went back to work today. Well, I worked from home. Some people seemed a bit surprised about that... but I guess if you walked around with this knee, you'd understand that "I'm good to go."

Today I also took a peek under the bandage to get a gander at the incision.

From the scabby cluster of utter grossness, it appears to be about 6 inches. That surprised me because I thought it would be about 4 inches. Oh well. I guess he went through the original incision from top to bottom.

I also did a google search on "knee surgery." From what it looks like, they used metal devices to "spread" the knee apart. Hmmm..... interesting. Well, at least to me.

Walking isn't too bad... though I haven't really gone very far. Tomorrow will be a test - I'm actually going into work, so I'll get a good measurement on my mobility and pain threshold.

If that goes well, I want to try walking around my block this week. I don't think I'm pushing it... I'm listening to my body, and keeping the knee elevated and iced. Besides, next week it'll get a real test - I'm going to San Diego for Thanksgiving. Lots-o-walking...

So everything is going well, and I feel like I get better each day. Thanks for keeping up with my blog - hopefully soon it'll return back to the "Running" part!

Mail Call...

2009-11-15T15:01:00.001-08:00

I've been pretty fortunate when it comes to my insurance.

(Knock on Wood)

I think we've all heard stories where people go into the hospital to take care of a medical problem only to find out later that it wasn't covered.

That's actually been a fear of mine going into this 2nd surgery. As you know, some people keep the hardware in their knees. So I guess this could be classified as "elective surgery" in some circles.

Why would someone choose to do that? Well, I think it depends upon their age or level of activity. Maybe they just don't want to go through another surgery...

For me, it wasn't even a difficult decision: Those wires were coming out!

I guess I had two main reasons for having them removed. First, they hurt. I was limited in what I could do each day because of distances - if I felt that it was a long walk, then I'd pass. If I felt that it would be a lot of effort, I'd decline. Each time I took a step, the wires would move along with the kneecap... up and down... to the point where most days the knee was swollen.

The other reason is my mobility was hampered. It was incredibly difficult to go up or down stairs. My doctor also advised me not to do anything strenuous... so I couldn't exercise. And, in some circumstances, the knee would actually "lock." I'd have to stop walking... something wasn't right. And I knew that because it was rubbing against something...

We scheduled the surgery a week and a half from my last visit with Dr. Rutherford. I figured I'd hear something from the insurance if there was a problem... nothing. Well, not exactly. I heard from my the nurse that works for the insurance company. She called to check on me before, and told me that CIGNA was reviewing it as "pending approval." I asked what that meant, and she said they were just getting more information from my doctor.... "Nothing to worry about."

(Knock on Wood)

So after a few days at the folks, I returned to a mountain of mail sitting in my mailbox. I saw there was something from CIGNA... hmm... whatever could it be???

Oh, it was just a simple letter letting me know they are denying the following coverage: Inpatient level of care

"From the clinical information received, medical necessity for coverage of an acute inpatient hospitalization for the Removal of Support implant being requested has not been established. The procedure itself which is being authorized is routinely performed as an outpatient and no documentation has been received detailing a clinical condition or significant comorbidity that would warrant an inpatient admission for this procedure. However should admission to an inpatient service become adviseable or necessary because of unexpected findings or complications following the Removal of Support Implant, this will be reviewed on a concurrent basis following surgery."

OK... when I first read this... actually, the first few times I read this, I thought, "What the hey? They aren't covering this?"

Then, it hit me... "Oh... they're saying that if I was admitted overnight, then that wouldn't be covered." Good thing I didn't have any problems... otherwise I might have had a big headache in the months afterwards with my insurance company.

So that's what I'm taking from this - that's the explanation for how I'm interpretting this language. If you, my more experienced reader, think otherwise, please let me know.

I'm just ready for all of this mess to be over with...

Home Sweet Home...

2009-11-14T20:11:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up at my parent's house, but I'm going to sleep in my own house tonight. Yep, I'm home.

Not a lot to report from my day: Ate breakfast and lunch at my parent's house, watched a little of the Texas-Baylor game with Joel (he said he'd keep his mouth shut... which he did, though he was struggling), and I packed up all of my stuff. Oh yeah, m parents also picked up my truck from the dealership - $450 of work done to it.

I drove over here - first time since Tuesday - and it felt great. Weird... but great. No problems with the leggo. I really haven't had the issues that I did before - just the fogginess from the drugs.

I'm still taking the hydrochodone... as much as I don't want to take it, I guess my body still requires it. I've taken 2 today... and I can see how people would get hooked on these. It's like a blast to the system - there is a definite "buzz" to taking it, if not a little more. However, they seem to do the job - the aches and pain subside.

After we unpacked, my Mom gave me a much-needed haircut. It's been almost 2 months, and I was getting pretty shaggy.

Before she left, I thanked her again for everything. I know... she's my Mom and this is what parents do... but it really means a lot to know I have someone who can take care of me, especially with everything I've been through this year.

I took my 2nd shower of the week today, too. Well, not really the week... 2nd since the surgery. This meant I brought out the shower chair again. I actually kind of liked that... over some other things. I think some of you may have gathered that I really didn't enjoy the "trash bag" reunion I had yesterday.

Therefore, I got to thinking... I just have to cover up the knee, not the entire leg like before (brace). Then it hit me - how about trying some Saran Wrap! Well, I'm here to say that it was a resounding success. So, if you know of anyone that needs to cover up something while showering, have them try the wrap. I still had to use a little duct tape, but it wasn't nearly as bad as what I've been through in the past.

Oh, I got on the scale - I've dropped 5 lbs. since Tuesday. That's just less I'll be dragging around when I start to work out with this knee!

Beyond all of that, it's been a lot of icing the knee and watching TV. I caught up on shows I had recorded, and tonight I watched "Battlestar Galactica - The Plan." For those that are fans, I'll say this - it's good. However, if you watch it on DVD you'll know why I say, "I'm pretty sure they're going to cut out several scenes before they show it on TV."

Overall, a pretty good day. Looking forward to my own bed tonight...

Friday...

2009-11-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

Last night I ventured up the stairs for a night of slumber on an king-sized bed. I guess I got a good night's sleep - I woke up after 9:00 AM!

After breakfast, I headed back upstairs for the shower. Like I previously wrote, it sure wasn't a lot of fun removing the duct tape. However, it felt great to finally "get a wash."

Today I wanted to get out. So, Mom and I went to the bank, Pier One, lunch at "Love and War in Texas," and then to the Hallmark store.

Most of the time, I used my crutches. However, by the time we made it to Hallmark, I figured the store was small enough that I wouldn't do much walking.

Once I got home, I grabbed another nap. It wasn't great... but it did the job. It's awkward sleeping... I start out on my back, but my snoring wakes me up. Yes... that must be some bad snoring to do that!

So, I have to roll over to quiet myself. That's terrible! Well, doing that I have to maneuver the knee so that it doesn't bend or sit in a painful way.

However, what normally happens, is I wake up and I've completely rolled over onto my stomach... which means there is some pain coming from my knee because all of the weight is on that kneecap. Yikes!

Anyway, I do a lot of "moving around" just to get comfortable.

The rest of the day was spent catching up with friends/family, emailing, and reading.

Tomorrow I'm going home. Joel wants me to stick around and watch the Texas-Baylor game, but I'm not expecting a good outcome in that game. Plus, he tends to be a little obnoxious when it comes to UT.

So not a lot of new "news" to report, but I'm doing quite well. The wooziness seems to have gone away, the pain isn't too bad, and I'm excited about going home.

Yesterday's Recap...

2009-11-13T08:24:00.001-08:00

I woke up on the couch around 7... not a lot of "late sleeping" when the parents get up at the crack and I'm in a room "without a door" adjacent to the kitchen.

I still felt pretty woozy. The night before wasn't very good in the sleeping department.

Using the walker, I meandered into the kitchen for some breakfast and conversation. My mom had to leave early for work, and Joel was heading out to a doctor's appointment.

I then made my way back to the couch, and stayed put for the next few hours. I also grabbed a nap - hour and a half. It was great!

When I got up, I was still woozy. How do I describe this? It's like a head injury or something... maybe a hangover... it was just incredibly difficult to get my body back to normal. However, I wasn't helping things by taking more pain pills. "Damned if you do...."

Around 1, my folks returned. I ate a sandwich, gave them the morning update, and then decided that I needed another nap. Instead of fighting the constant noises, I made my way upstairs. I think I shocked them, but I can go up stairs taking 1 step at a time (good leg).

After another hour and a half nap, I came back downstairs and was immediately met by Joel... who had A LOT to talk with me about.

First, my truck has been in the shop this week. Well, he had a lot to say about that because they had called. Then he went in to talking with me about his carpel tunnel diagnosis he received today (and is wearing a brace on his wrist). Next, he wanted to talk about football... first it was Texas, and then it was TCU. All of this was in the span of about 10 minutes and right after I had woken up. Even for a person who's not suffering from the surgery side effects, that's a lot to take!

I can always tell when he has a lot on his mind and he's not finished... he'll say something, like "You really should just get a brand new vehicle." Then, he'll pause, and walk away... get about 10 feet... and then turn around with his next sentence. This goes on and on and on... until he's talked out. Given that I can't really escape, well... I'm kinda stuck. Par for the course...

Mom made a great dinner last night - Tilapia, avocado salad, and potatoes au gratin. Plus cobbler dessert. I'm getting treated like a king!

I then just got back on the couch, watched some TV, and went to bed around midnight.

So, what is different/similar this time compared to last time? Well, I have pain... but it's no where NEAR the severity I experienced before. My surgery was on a Wednesday, same as last time. I had to stay in the hospital 2 nights and had a morphine drip on top of the hydrochodone. I would be coming home today if I had the same type of surgery... good gosh!

My pain is just different - it's all on the wound. I can feel it when I move... but it's not too bad. Most of my problems has been the "cloudiness" I feel. I'm also pretty tired... like I've been up about 2 hours, and I'm already for another nap.

Today I had my first shower since Tuesday. Oh how I've missed duct taping a trash bag to my hairy leg. Well, let me clarify.... REMOVING a duct taped bag!

I'm getting out this morning. I'll blog later and tell you what I did... and how I did.

Inspiration Going Into Surgery...

2009-11-12T12:21:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, as my Mom and I were making our ways through the hallways to Day Surgery, a door opened up and a man dressed in hospital scrubs came out in front of us. As we walked behind him, immediately it hit me: That's Beck Weathers!

Here I was about to walk into a surgery, and walking in front of me is someone who has not only survived... he endured! It was incredibly inspiring (and shocking!) to walk behind someone who literally was left for dead on Mount Everest... and humbling to know that if he could make it, then I could go make it. Not just for my surgery, but for the experiences I have faced.

Beck Weathers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Seaborn Beck Weathers (born December 1946) is an American pathologist from Texas. He is best known for his role in the 1996 Everest Disaster that has been the subject of many books and film, most notably Into Thin Air and Everest. During that climb, he was left for dead, exposed to the elements on the South Col, where he suffered severe frost bite. He recovered enough to walk alone and unassisted to nearby Camp IV. He was later helped to walk on frozen feet to a lower camp, where he was the subject of one of the highest-altitude helicopter rescues ever performed. Following his helicopter evacuation from the Western Cwm, Beck had his right arm amputated halfway below the elbow. All four fingers and the thumb on his left hand were removed; his nose was amputated and reconstructed with tissue from his ear and forehead and he lost parts of both feet to his injuries. He continues to practice medicine, and deliver motivational speeches from Dallas.

He has said that his trouble on the mountain began when he was blinded by the effects of high altitude on his eyes that had been altered by radial keratotomy surgery, the effects of altitude upon which was at the time unknown to science. After he admitted his disability to his paid guide, Rob Hall, he waited for Hall to guide him back down the mountain, instead of descending with other guides or clients. Hall was delayed with a client further up the mountain before he could return to Beck's position. This delay caused Beck to become stranded in a late afternoon blizzard, which ended in tragedy for some, and hardship for the entire party. Hall, unable to descend from the higher elevations, perished the following day.

Beck spent a whole night in an open bivouac in a terrible blizzard with both hands and his face exposed. His fellow climbers said that his frozen hand and nose looked and felt as if they were made of porcelain, and they did not expect him to survive. With that assumption, they only tried to make him comfortable until he died, but he survived another freezing night alone in a tent unable to drink, eat, or keep himself covered with the sleeping bags he was provided. His cries for help could not be heard above the blizzard, and his companions were surprised to find him alive and coherent on the following day.

Weathers authored a book about his experience, Left For Dead, which was first published in 2000.

The Day After...

2009-11-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

I almost titled this, "Here We Go Again..."

For those that visited me 6 month ago, you may recognize this room/couch/position. This is me... back at my parents... lying on the couch.

I'm still in a bit of a fog... but I figured it's time to try and clear the cobwebs and put my brain to use. Therefore, here goes an "attempt" to bring everyone up to speed.

We left the house about 7:30 AM for the hospital. Passed 2 different wrecks on 75... Joel missed the exit to the hospital... freaked me out numerous times while driving in traffic... Therefore, it should come as no surprise that my blood pressure was 146/94 when they took it.

They put us in a general waiting area for about 30 minutes, then had me come into a semi-private room to get on the gurney. Then the 3 of us plus the guy pushing my gurney went from the 2nd to the 3rd floor to the room where everyone waits in "stalls" for their surgeries. And we waited...

And waited and waited and waited. Surgery was supposed to be at 9:30. They hooked me up to the IV about that time, but I just laid on the gurney for an hour. Joel did his best to stay interested... God Bless Him... but he was ready for the show to get on the road. My Mom was extremely patient... and I think a little nervous.

Me? It was my 2nd time in this rodeo, so I was raring to go! The sooner they sealed me up, the sooner my recovery would start! At least that's what I was thinking...

The anaesthesiologist arrived and said I could wear my contacts - I wanted to see this time, you know? Joel asked her if she was going to give me the "Michael Jackson" drug and she said yes, and then explained that he didn't have an anaesthesiologist with him like I'll have. Ha! She was pretty feisty! She then said she was going to give me a little "Margarita" for my short ride to the O.R. - mmm... tasty. It was just a relaxer and not the big one.

So I said goodbye to the folks, saw my Mom's worried eyes, and off I went. Before I went into the room, the margarita had kicked in. Unfortunately, too much.

One thing I have been adament about during this whole process is, "I want my wires back!" I paid for them, in more ways than one, and I want to see what has been causing me all of this pain for 6 months. Well, Dr. Rutherford, even though I told him multiple times, said he'd forget and to remind him when I was in there. Sure as anything, I didn't see him... and the margarita didn't help... nor did it help when within seconds I was out for good.

I awoke in another room similar to the holding area. However, it was much quieter due to it just having patients, nurses, and doctors. The nurse that was sitting by my side asked my pain level, and I thought it was about a 7. I instinctively felt down towards my leg to see if I could feel the brace, but they had so many dang blankets on me that I couldn't tell.

Every once in a while an alarm would go off on the machine I was hooked up to. Apparently I wasn't breathing right... when you're in pain, you take shallower breaths... so this was telling me to take bigger ones. Let's just say it and the nurse let me know multiple times to do a better job of this.

The pain was pretty rough for a while. They gave me something and that didn't work. She then gave me Demerol and that started to work. I had a headache, too. This would stay with me until I went to bed last night...

A doctor showed up and looked at my leg (not my doctor) and was surprised there wasn't a brace. He asked me what I knew about that, and I told him the 2 different stories from Rutherford and his Physician's Assistant, Jackie. So he got on the phone and called Dr. Rutherford and he confirmed, "No brace." That actually made me feel pretty good...

After I was in there for a while, I asked, "What number gets me out of here?" She said anything below 4... so I said, "OK... I think it's a 3 now." I wasn't really lying... compared to what I've had in the past, this was a 3. :-)

So we said our goodbyes and I was wheeled back down to the 2nd floor and into a Day Surgery room where Mom and Joel were waiting. I asked what Dr. Rutherford said to them, and they said he never showed up. Apparently after a long time waiting and seeing on the screen that I was still in the Recovery Room, Joel got on the phone and talked with Jackie and asked if Rutherford was going to come speak to them. She seemed surprised he hadn't and covered for him (according to Joel) that something must have come up.

Anyway, we had a list of questions and waited in the room while they gave me juice, water, and crackers. I wasn't very happy about all of this... communication is a BIG thing in my book when dealing with people, and for him not to come by just didn't sit well. Plus, I wanted those dang wires! I was told by the nurses that he probably just threw them away. Nice.

After about an hour, I asked, "Is anyone coming to speak with us?" The answer was no... apparently everyone was waiting for me to go pee. Seriously... that's how you exit. If your pain isn't killing you and you can pee, you can go home.

So I got up... with assistance... and had a wobbily walk (on both legs... no crutches but holding onto the nurse) to the restroom. Everything came out swimingly... when I came out, Joel was ecstatic. "Let's go!" Unfortunately, I had taken a pain pill and they said we had to wait another 30 minutes. Ha... Joel wasn't happy.

Wheelchair came, we headed out, and I climbed into the back seat. Oh, remember way back on that Monday after the accident when I was checking into the hospital, there was a nurse that wheeled me around and got me food? She was the one that took me to Joel's car. I told her who I was and that she had done that... she's super nice. She said she remembered me (due to the story).

After another scary ride back to Plano, Joel helped support me while I made my way into the house. My head was not right - the meds were just messing up my balance, vision, etc. I just sat in a chair while Mom went to Walgreens and Sonic.

I ate... took a pill... and then felt nausiated. I fell asleep for about an hour, and awoke feeling about the same I felt prior to sleep. Anyway, that was par for the course... I felt miserable last night. The pain was either coming from the wound, or my head was woozy, or I felt like I was going to throw up everywhere. Vastly different situation from my last surgery... not sure why other than I was pretty stationary in that hospital bed last time.

Sleeping wasn't great last night... crazy dreams, sleeping for about an hour or 2... and lots of urination. I have 2 of those hospital "urination jugs" from last time. Well, my kidneys must have kicked in something fierce because I filled up 4 of those last night! They're 32 oz each! I told mom about that this morning, and of course that concerned her. I've continued a few more times this morning, but I think I'm finally drained...

My head is still woozy. It's a weird feeling... like you turn your head and then your brain follows about 2 seconds later. I took an hour and a half nap this morning... until the phone rang. Awesome.

I've taken one pain pill. I'm on a walker... yesterday I was able to walk on both legs fine because the knee was juiced up. Today, not so much. Last time it was more on the bone, but this time it's totally on the skin. In May I had to pause like 30 seconds when I stood up because it was so painful... this time, it's like a few seconds and then I can get moving...

I have another nap calling me this afternoon... and tonight I'm hoping to make it up the stairs so I can sleep in a bed. We'll see...

This was a long one... hope I answered your questions. Shoot me an email - probably won't feel up to talking until tomorrow.

2nd Verse, Same as the First...

2009-11-10T19:09:00.000-08:00

Six months ago, on a night VERY much like tonight, I wrote in this blog about how I was feeling the night before my surgery.

If you want a refresher, here it is: Link

Amazingly, some of my thoughts that night are the same heading into surgery numero dos. I want to just walk like a normal person again, and I know it's going to be a journey just to do THAT...

So tonight I'm over at my folks - figured it would be easier to just leave from here rather than rushing around in the morning.

It was an odd day today... I had the time AND ability to actually plan for what I'm about to go through. I did my laundry, I took care of some bills, and I picked up my house (readying it for my return).

One difference this time around is my parents knowledge - remember, last time they didn't know as they were out of the country. Tonight my Mom made dinner (pork roast!), we talked about our questions SHE will be asking the doctor, and Joel made wisecracks... typical night. Ha!

Oh, and for those that know Joel, he has already said that:

Texas is going to destroy Baylor this weekend.
Texas is unstoppable, and their defense is going to kill my Baylor QB.
Baylor shouldn't be in the Big 12.
Texas fans will completely take over the Baylor stadium.
His new proposed conference would have Baylor, TCU, Houston, SMU, Tulane, and Rice.

(Can you see me sitting on the couch stewing? Steam coming out of my ears?)

We watched V (I made them... even though they were totally lost) on their "original" HD TV. OK, if anything happens and there comes a time when my friends and family are deciding what to do with my TV, I make this my last will and testament that no matter what, my parents should get my television. I'm serious! Theirs is so bad - it's square and is full screen, which deforms the people on the screen that you start looking at it cross-eyed! And don't get me started about the sound quality...

Since they went to bed, I have already shaved and showered. Why? Well, creature of habit - that's what I did last time... although last time I was "showering" by washing my hair in Chandra's kitchen sink (with her helping prop me up while I balanced on one leg) and "washing" myself down with baby wipes.

Thank you to those who have reached out to me tonight - calls, emails, texts, etc. It means a lot...

I've already spoken with "Dr. Gasser," and I'll be able to eat/drink until midnight tonight. No personal medications tomorrow, though - my regular meds might cause problems.

Anyway, not much left to do. Time to kick the tires and light the fires... Am I nervous? Anxious? Scared? Hmmm... I'm intent. Focused. Ready to get this over with. Yeah, I'm sure I'll have visions tonight of the surgery tomorrow, but whatever pain I go through shouldn't be nearly as bad as what I've already experienced.

I've been there... done that... and now it's time to get on with the business of gettin' better.

See you on the flip side!

My Doctor Made the List...

2009-11-10T06:44:00.000-08:00

I was in the grocery store last night, and decided to go over to the magazine section - figured I needed something to read in the next few days.

Well, I noticed "D Magazine's Top Doctors for 2009" issue was out... and I got curious.

Sure enough, my surgeon is in there... so that's a good sign going into tomorrow. Whew! (That's not his picture by the way...)

Speaking of tomorrow, it's almost 24 hours away. Am I ready? Do I know what to expect? Nervous? All of the above???

Here's what I know...

Tonight the anaesthesiologist will call me around dinnertime to ask me any final questions he has before the surgery. I will not eat or drink anything after 9 PM.

The surgery is scheduled for 9:30 AM at Medical City Dallas. We'll get there between 7:30 and 8:00. At that time, I'll be in a little room in Day Surgery on my gurney dressed in my hospital gown (awesome). I can wear shorts through the surgery, though, so that's good.

Close to 9, they'll wheel me into a larger room. There is a nurses station in the middle, but all of the patients expecting surgery will be in their "stalls." I can still have someone with me at this point. They'll hook up my IV - Dr. Rutherford or his assistant will come get me.

Next, the excitement begins. They'll wheel me into the operating room where I'll see a bunch of "masked" men and women. Last time they told me to think of a place I'd rather be at that exact moment - which I remember briefly thinking of "a beach" and then it was Night-Night City for yours truly.

They'll put a breathing tube down my throat, apply a turnicate to my upper thigh (to slow down the blood flow to the leg), and then start the operation. I've been told it will take about an hour, and then they'll remove the breathing tube.

I'll then be moved to the Recovery Room, which is a large room with a bunch of other patients hooked up to a bunch of machines. They'll start to wake me up, and then ask me a bunch of questions that I should know the answer to (name, age, etc.). They'll also ask me my pain level.

If my pain is 5 or above, they'll start to give me a bunch of meds to bring it down. Last time it took them 2 different doses before it came down from a "high 8." I think they are looking for something in the 4 or below range...

I'll then be moved back to the Day Surgery area (initial little room) where I'll see my parents. During the surgery, they will be in a general waiting room with a bunch of other people waiting for their loved ones. There will be a large screen on the wall with my name on it and a little icon that will communicate where I am in the process. Once I go to recovery, Dr. Rutherford will come speak to my mom to let her know how things went.

If there aren't any complications, or excessive pain, then I can go home. I think it's about 50-50... although the Physician's Assistant told me the other day that most stay overnight. I'm packing an overnight bag just in case.

And that's that... life heading back into normalcy. Hopefully... :-)

It's Not My Time...

2009-11-09T16:06:00.000-08:00

Last spring, when I was training for the Half Marathon, I put a lot of different songs on my iPod. Songs that inspired me...

One song that I downloaded was one from 3 Doors Down called, "It's Not My Time." Not only is it a rockin' song, but it meant something to me.

When you make a goal, whether large or small, there is always a temptation to "give up." Now, put yourself in a runner's mind: When you're pushing hard on a long run, it would be easy to either hit STOP on the treadmill or to cut your run short.

This song inspired me to not give up. I remember it fondly when I was running in a crazy windstorm - I didn't stop, quit, or give in to the "sandblasting" I was receiving.

Well, after my accident, I wasn't really in the mood to listen to my running songs. I actually just kept the iPod on my desk. Why bother? All of the songs were for a different purpose.

Once I started back to work, I realized I had my own "mini-marathon" each day. Being on crutches ain't no picnic. Imagine "crutcheting" in the June/July heat of Texas... and having to stop multiple times before reaching your destination (just to catch your breath!). I needed inspiration...

Yep, you guessed it... I pulled out the iPod. My running songs took on a whole new meaning. Now they were helping me cross a street, go up steps, or catch a dinging train!

One day, "It's Not My Time" came on... and the original meaning changed completely. It now hit me that I've been through a lot. A helluva lot! I went from the high of about to run my fastest time at a Half Marathon, to the low of trying to stand a day after the surgery... and struggling just to make my leg move 6 inches.

Some of you saw me struggling with my walker. Those were difficult days. But, it didn't break me. I graduated to crutches, walking without crutches, and eventually without the brace. I've worked hard to increase my movement and "bend," although stairs still are a major burden.

But through it all, I'm making it. I'm not giving up. This isn't going to kill me... it's making me stronger (in more ways than one!)

And this song means a lot to me... it's not my time to give up. It's not my time to quit or sit... I have more to do, more to accomplish, and more to achieve in my life than what this "setback" has done this year.

In two days, my little "helpers" are coming out. I'm interested to see what life will be like post-wire. I believe it will be better... because, if you think about it, it's about to be "MY TIME" to get going on the next stages of my life!

Time to Make the Lemonade...

2009-11-06T15:44:00.000-08:00

I received some rather "unexpected news" yesterday that, to be rather blunt, hit me like Mack truck!

I've had, roughly, 6-7 visits to my doctor's office. I've learned to ask a lot of penetrating questions - mainly because I get those from my friends and family when I leave ("Did you ask him...."). And we all know how much I enjoy answering "question-after-question," don't we???

I digressed...

So each time I've done my best to ask the stupidest questions I could come up with...

I met with him last week, and I'll bet I asked "what it will be like after my surgery" about 5 different ways. Well yesterday, I heard a different answer from his PA (Physician's Assistant).

Jackie started the pre-operational work - asking me questions, reviewing the X-Ray, checking my vitals, probing my gut, checking my breathing (sitting up and lying down), etc. During the process, she told me some rather shocking things that were polar opposites of what the doctor had said:

1. I can expect to be in a brace with my leg locked-straight for about 2 weeks. Most patients stay overnight in the hospital after the surgery. He had told me "no brace" and "you'll be going home." She was a little baffled by that, so I'll be bringing an overnight bag just in case. And having the brace on means I might not be able to drive since it'll be locked.

2. This is not going to be an easy recovery. Apparently, I have another 8 "painful" months ahead of me. The reason is that my knee will start to adjust to life without the wires, and that most likely arthritis will set in. When they took 30% of that kneecap off, as well as the blast heard round the world, I lost the "cartilage cushion" that we all enjoy. Given that my quadriceps muscle is down significantly, I'm going to be pretty weak for a while.

3. In about 10 years, I should expect total knee replacement. The reason they didn't do that now is because of my age. And, the knee replacements, as I've been told, last about 20 years...

So I was pretty bummed... yesterday, last night, and today. Well, today it turned from "shock" to "anger." I was pretty pissed, to be quite honest with you. I'm ready to get on with my life... to start exercising... to move without pain.

You see, going into the pre-op appointment yesterday, I was thinking, "Here we go... one more step and I'm THAT much closer to getting my life back." Instead, I was told that I shouldn't expect to be at the gym in December and running a Half Marathon in April. It's not that it was a goal... just in the back of my mind.

Well, I've had enough time to think about it... so it's time to make the lemonade. If that's the worst case scenareo, can I handle it? Can I take the pain? Can I take the weakness... the inability to go up or down stairs... the limping... the leg collapsing on me because of weakness/tiredness?

Have you ever seen that movie, "Remember the Titans?" It's one of my favorites. One of the characters, the star football player, gets paralyzed. While he's in the hospital, he accepts his "lot in life" and discovers there are Olympics for those that are paralyzed. True story. He ends up winning gold medals later in life for the U.S. Of course, he gets killed in a car wreck, too, but that's not the point here...

So that's my plan: Make a plan. If I'm going to have to walk a lot to strengthen everything, then I will walk like a man on a mission. There is a big hill near my house... you better believe I will be walking up and down that hill. I've kept my gym membership... and I have plenty of active friends who I don't think would mind walking with me every now and then.

I'm moving on... drinking my lemonade... and looking forward to what's next over the horizon. I'm done with sitting on the sidelines. Time to get back into the game...