Old Days

Hey, this is like the old days of 8 months ago when I did a daily blog update! I wanted to be the first to share with all of you that Brett Favre has come out of retirement again. What? Am I not the first to tell you? :) Okay, seriously, I'm posting this blog to inform you that Michael Jackson will be buried on August 29th, on what would have been his 51st birthday. You knew that already too? Well, here's a fresh bone then. Joe saw his primary doctor today, and she agrees that his problem is one of muscles and tendons, not of structure, which is why the chiro appointments aren't helping. She is giving him Vicodin for the pain, which he will pair with the muscle relaxant Flexeril. He's also checking with his orthopede about getting a cortisone shot. The primary doc said that backpacking will not worsen his situation or cause damage, it's just a matter of controlling the pain and getting some sleep before and during the trip. I'll share more on how Joe is doing as this unfolds. We're at T minus 8 days.

Things I’ve Given Up

Since reading Dr. Sarno, I have done a lot of work on my fear of pain and the recurrence of pain. To that end, I have given up driving with a towel wedged under my butt. I’m sitting just fine in my pseudo bucket seats. I have given up my fear of running, and am entering my 4th week of pain-free running. I have given up my fear of doing certain yoga poses (stretches) that I was cautioned against, such as the seated side twist, the cat & cow poses, and the infamous sciatic stretch in which you cross your legs while standing, and bend forward at the hips until your hands touch the ground. I’ve given up my hypervigilance over every little tweak, tightness or fleeting pain in my hip. I’m annoyed with my “pringly” foot, but care much less about it. The interesting thing about my foot too is that I have noticed the pringliness gets stronger when I’m tired, stressed, or angry. Dr. Sarno is so right on… like can you dig it, man? :) My mom can dig it. She's recently read Sarno and is using his stuff to overcome knee pain.

I think Dr. Sarno could provide Joe with some help as well, but there is a time and place for Sarno’s teachings. When I was in the throes of my back stuff, I couldn’t have accepted his mindbody theory of pain and injury. And honestly, Joe doesn’t have the time or inclination to contemplate those things right now. We need a fix on the situation soon, and it seems that a shot or some meds are the only way. Joe called his physician today, but she was out sick. The soonest available appointment is Friday, which seems way too long to wait, since we’re leaving in 10 days, but Joe can call back tomorrow and each day before Friday to see if something opens up. In the meantime, he will continue with the chiro three times this week, and remain hopeful that this will be resolved in time for vacation. Visualizing a positive outcome is one thing I have not given up!

Where Do Things Stand?

Joe remains the same essentially, though he is snatching 2-3 hours of sleep at a time now, is off the couch and back in the bed. He can only sleep on his right side with a body pillow. I remember what a pain it is to be confined to one sleeping position - after a while the rest of your body begins to hurt too. Joe plans to see his primary physician this week for a muscle relaxant. Joe feels this back/hip issue is the result of his body overcompensating during his runs following the healing of his foot fractures. Now the muscles are so bound up that until they release a little he's not going to have relief.

The chiro advised him not to hike yesterday, so we skipped a 10 mile trek on the Nordic Trail, which is fine with me, as the heat and humidity promised a miserable and buggy hike. Instead we took care of some business around the house, and made it to our friend's pig roast. It's pretty funny to picture vegans at a pig roast, but we never saw the pig, and had a nice time talking with people who knew a little something-something about backpacking. And speaking of backpacking, two weeks from today we'll be immersed deep in the Grand Tetons. To keep our eye on the prize, and to fuel the excitement for vacation despite this current setback, I'm posting this picture of us taken on the summit of Observation Peak during our backpacking trip last summer in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho.

Two Peas in a Pod (More on Joe)

When Joe and I met it was spooky how much we had in common. We shared the same beliefs on major issues such as religion and politics, we both agreed we didn’t want children, we both had an affinity for animals and the outdoors, and we even had the same pet peeves, blood type and style of making our cursive J’s. It’s generally a wonderful thing to share so much in common, but now Joe is sharing in the same left lower hip/back pain with left foot numbing that I have experienced for 8 months. This is one thing we do not want to have in common! Joe met with my chiropractor on Monday. X-rays of his hip looked fine, and the chiro surmised that a mega tight hamstring is pulling Joe’s pelvis out of alignment, thus causing the pain. Joe has had 3 treatments, with little change. He cannot find a comfortable position to sleep in, and is greatly sleep deprived. How does your body repair itself if you don’t sleep? It also hurts him to stand upright or to move along on his feet for long. The top of his foot is numb and tingly (for me it’s the bottom, as well as the back of my thigh), which he now knows is a maddening sensation. This is creating great stress, since we don’t know how long this will last, why exactly it is happening, and how it will impact our backpacking trip in 2 weeks. Keep your prayers coming, fingers crossed or beams shooting through space for him. Hopefully, my next blog post will report he is healing well, getting some sleep and ready to hit the Grand Tetons.

Blog #100

Welcome to blog entry 100!!! Special hello's to mom, Denise and Jane L. for their dedicated readership of all 100 posts! I feel like I should have prizes for you :)

Yesterday Mother Nature prevented us from doing a 10 mile training hike. When we awakened the bedroom was dark with rumbles of thunder shaking the walls. The rain pounded the roof, and as we stretched comfortably beneath the sheets, we wondered if it would let up in time for our hike in 2 hours. It didn't, and we were relieved to have some down time. Lately we've been on a never ending treadmill of activity. We're both swamped at work, evenings are spent preparing for vacation, weekends are spent hiking in the mornings and zooming around to social outings in the evenings. To have a forced time-out was wonderful. We took time to organize some gear for our trip, to examine the Grand Tetons up close with Google Earth, and to give our bodies some down time.

I've been pushing the envelope physically - exercising at least 2 hours per day 6 days per week, upping the intensity of my work-outs, and of course, running 3 days per week. Joe and I have set our sights on the Mad City Half Marathon in Madison for May 23rd, 2010. It looks like a fun course through downtown Madison, expanding into the campus areas along Lakes Menona & Mendota and passing the State Capitol. On the physical side for Joe, his insomnia has been worse the past few weeks, and is not aided by Dio's erratic and incessant meowing in the middle of the night. Joe has also tweaked his left lower back, which creates enough discomfort when lying down to interfere with his sleep. There has been no improvement in his back for a couple weeks, and it is hurting more since he was bent over fixing a clogged kitchen drain this morning. I'm encouraging Joe to see my chiropractor for help ... I know how this kind of pain/discomfort weighs on the mind, ruins sleep, and impacts physical activity. Stay tuned.

Humming Along

Do I have any readers left? I hope so, but if not, I’ll forge ahead with this blog as it benefits me to process my thoughts and to mark my progress. When I look back at entries from months ago, I see I’ve traveled an amazing road, with many twists and turns, and always a hopeful horizon ahead. I am doing exceptionally well. My strength and endurance is fully restored. I am in my third week of running (3x/wk) using the Couch to 5K program (http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml). Though I’m no couch potato, this program is a great, slow re-introduction to running for me. It will allow me to safely gain distance and stamina. I have a progression of goals all predicated on remaining healthy and injury-free.

Goal #1: Build myself up to the point where I can comfortably run a 5k (3.1 miles) distance.

Goal #2: Increase my running ability to comfortably run 5 miles at a time.

Goal #3: Train for a May 2010 Half Marathon.