Back to it :)

Well, it has been nearly 3 weeks since my surgery and I'm well into recovery mode. I have walked over a mile at a 16 minute pace (their goal for me was 1 mile in 30 minutes - kinda blew that one out of the water didn't I?) When I went to my 2 week check up they were all very pleased with my progress. The nurse that walked us back to wait for the Dr. was amazed at how well I was moving and commented that I could walk as well as she could :) . The Dr. had them take more x-rays of my back and I was able to take a look at how much space they were able to put back in my spine. Where once it was bone on bone, now there is space in between.

Recovery has been slow but sure. At first I was having pain going down my left leg and my thigh felt like it had a pull or tear in it. When I talked to the Dr. about it she said the thigh pain came from them moving everything in my abdominal cavity to that side to do the surgery...as for the other leg pain - that comes from nerves that have been coiled up for years suddenly being stretched out! They don't like that change very much. But the best news it that I don't seem to have the back pain at all now. Although it is too soon to tell what my pain level will end up being, right now it is looking pretty good.

So far I can go pretty much all day with no pain pills at all...an occasional pill for muscle spasms in my leg is all I need. I still take the medication at night - I still want a full night of sleep pain free - and since I don't wear the brace while laying down and I do toss and turn a lot at night I just want to be sure I can sleep all the way through.

The brace is an inconvenience I put up with. It is a "chair back" brace and keeps me from bending or twisting too much or too quickly as well as offering support when I sit or stand while the bones in my back fuse together. In one more week I get to exchange the large chair back for a smaller model unless I am driving - I'm looking forward to that! I also go back for my next check-up at the end of July.

In the meantime my training will consist of walking as much as I can and want to (I'm trying for 5 days a week when life doesn't get in the way.) I wear the Garmin just so I can track how far and how fast I go. I am also trying to lose the weight I gained while I couldn't do much of anything. So far I'm down about 5 lbs. with too many more to go - but at least I'm making progress in the right direction again. The meds help here too because they make food tast funny and the brace makes me stop eating sooner because it is wrapped around my tummy and I get fuller faster - BONUS, LOL....

Anyway, I keep on keepin' on and hope I'll have more good news to report soon!

On the Road to Recovery

I woke up really early on Wednesday morning - more nervous than anything....showered, got dressed, checked my little backpack of stuff to take to the hospital (for the 49 hundreth time), and we were off. The ride was uneventful...and check-in was a breeze. I had already pre-registered so I didn't have to go over the new patient stuff again, Kristine just verified the information and printed off my hospital scantrons and bracelets, etc. It seemed like it took forever but the sweet little gal came out and called my name and showed me to my "prep" room.

Then Esy came in. She would be my prep nurse, so she got to put in my IV and tell me a little of what to expect from the day. She also told me all the folks that would be coming to see me in the next 1/2 hour or so...I'm tellin' ya now...If you EVER need to get a large bore IV - get Esy...I didn't even feel it go in and I was watching! She is GOOOOOOOD! We joked and laughed as she finished her preparations. Then I got to meet the anesthesiologist, - Dr. Taylor, the fellow that would be assissting Dr. Shellock, the blood dr., the nerve specialist, the general surgeon that would do the initial open and close, and of course Dr. Shellock came in to meet me as well and see how I was holding up. It wasn't long after they all came in that Dr. Taylor came in and said we needed to get the show on the road. I waited expectantly for her to ask me to begin counting backwards - but I never heard it. The next thing I knew I was in my own little room - I even slept through the recovery area!

Rick stayed with me all day, Candy and the kids came by twice, I think, and Cotton and Angel came by to visit as well. It really means a lot that they were willing to come and see me!

Just a little after dinner time that evening I was able to get up and walk the ward. The walking wasn't too bad at all - it was more the getting up and down that took it out of me. After the walk Rick got all set up on the little (and I do mean little) hide-a-bed that was in the room and we both tried to get some rest.

Day 2 we woke up pretty early. I got some jello becasue by now I was pretty hungry. Dr. Shellock's fellow came by and was pleased with my progress. He gave the order that put me on a liquied diet instead of just clear liquids, so I was able to get some cream of wheat, chocolate milk, and V-8 juice for breakfast. The therapist came by about 10 and I was able to complete an entire lap around the ward with very little pain. Even the getting up and down was getting better. When Dr. Shellock came by she said I was ready to be cut loose! Whoo Hoo...they say that hardly ever happens...the normal stay is 2 days, but I was doing great.

We packed everything up so Rick could get it down to the car, they came and did some more vital checks and I was on my way home to recover.

I am so grateful for the Drs., nurses, staff, family and friends that left messages of encouragement and prayers for my speedy recovery. I continue to get better and stronger as each day goes on. My goal is to take it nice and slow, but still blow their minds with the recovery!

So the starting gun has sounded and I'm walking toward the finish line now!

Hmmmm

I have discovered that it is VERY difficult to post to a blog you started about running - when you are not running!!! I have no motivation to post, because I wanted this to track my runs and races as I learned more and more, but right now I can't run.

You see, way back about 1987 or 1988 I hurt my back. Really bad. Bad lifting technique, combined with trying to do too much at once, combined with shifting load = back injury! I went to the Dr. but all he did was listen and tell me I'd have back problems the rest of my life - be more careful and prescibe some pain meds and muscle relaxers. So for over 20 years any time it started to hurt (or I had extremly bad spasms) I would go back, tell whoever what he had said, pick up my pain pills, sit it out and go on my merry way. It would come and go and I learned to "deal with it". Most of the time I could tell when it was getting close to the spasm stage and stop it before it got too bad. I thought the running would help - you know less weight, less load to carry, less pain...etc. Well for the most part it did I think.

Then came last summer... I was doing well for most of the summer - walking and running nearly every morning of the week. I had even shaved some time off my 5k time and I was looking forward to race season...the season that never really happened. I don't know why it never happened - it was so slow...life got in the way I guess...that seems to happen from time to time, and other things seemed more important than going to work out and run 5 days a week. I really slowed down. Then it became - well I'll get going again over Thanksgiving...then I guess I'll wait until after Christmas - we have that trip you know, and there really isn't any sense in starting again now...then it was after Christmas and I still wasn't doing much. And that is when the pain started getting worse...at first just achy...but more often than before. Maybe it was because I wasn't working out and running?

Rick and I decided to try joining a different gym thinking that maybe that would give us the old "spark" back - so we joined up and had our session with the trainers. I told the trainer about my back and she said she had something similar - but her chiropractor had really fixed her up...and by the way - he did acupuncture too. I had wanted to try that, so I got his name.

By February it was getting pretty bad - and very consistent. Even though we had cancelled the new gym membership (it wasn't what we thought it would be - we actually liked our old gym better) I went ahead and made an appointment with the chiropractor the trainer had recommended. Then it iced...not a little ice but TONS... We were out of school the entire week...but I made Rick take me to that appointment! He listened to me tell about what had happened and took some x-rays. The first I had ever had of my back - yeah, that's right, the original Dr. NEVER DID ANY X-RAYS!!! What we found was that I had no disc left at all between the L-4 and L-5 vertebrae just above my tailbone and about even with my hip bones. When I saw that I knew that was probably why all the visits to my first chiropractor hadn't really done anything! Rick and I discussed it and decided I probably needed to go see his back Dr.

Another couple of weeks and I went to see her. She took another set of x-rays and after visiting and hearing the history decided that she really needed to see an MRI before deciding the best course of action. So an MRI was scheduled and a return visit as well. When I went back what she had determined was that all my other discs still looked good and that surgery was the best option for me. The missing disc and bone on bone was more than likely the cause of the pain as well as the muscle spasms I was experiencing. I told her I really couldn't do it until May - she couldn't do it in May because she would be on leave, so we set a June date. June 15th to be exact.

Tomorrow I go for my pre-op visit, to find out what time the surgery will be, and to ask any questions that have come up, I've already done all the pre-op "stuff"...Then Wednesday it is off to the hospital to get my back fixed up.

One of the questions I'll have for her is "how long before I can run again?" I know I'll be up and walking very quickly - and they want me doing a mile in no more than 30 minutes before my two week check-up...and I don't want to push too hard to fast, but the truth of the matter is...I'm ready for this break to be over - I'm ready to start running again...no matter how slow I am. I have learned once again that it isn't how quickly I make the journey - it is the actual making it that is important to me because life is a marathon...and those take time.

Hooray for Hollywood!

New Year's Eve at Hollywood Studios ... need I say more? I woke up really excited about the day Candy had planned for us. We were up and ready to go early as usual. Today wasn't as cold as it had been and when we got to the park we did have to wait for the rope drop. We were right up front ~ I loved this statue!

Seeing the Hollywood Studio symbol rising high into the air was exciting as well!

When the rope dropped Chris was off like a shot to pick up fast passes for us - we walked as quick as we could toward the back of the park where we would soon see Toy Story Mania...one of the most popular rides in this park!

Woody topiary

The toys hard a work preparing for their guests

Loved this!

We went ahead and got in the standby line so we could ride this one first. We had fast passes so we could come back again later, but wanted to jump on in line before it got too awful long!

More of the amazing theming while we waited for the ride

Sure brings back the memories!

I think I used to own this Viewmaster slide!

Loved the decor of Andy's room as we waited in the line

Spirograph - had one of these too!

Christmas over tinker toys - gotta love it!

After we rode the ride we started down the street towards the back lot. As we passed a storefront window we saw Buzz Lightyear and Woody posing for pictures and signing autographs. Peyton loves Buzz almost as much as I love Mickey!!! Of course we turned right around and got in line to meet Buzz.

Now this line is totally designed for the kids. You follow two separate lines - one for those to be photographed, and one for the photographers. You stop at several places on the way to see Buzz and get your picture taken in different places around Andy's room.

In Buzz's box!

The next Space Ranger!

The claaaawwwwww!

Watch out Sydney - I think they gotcha!

Now this is more what I would expect!

Now he was ready for his closeup!

With Stinky Pete

Pepaw finally photo bombed me!

Finally we were next in line to see Buzz and Woody! Oops - their "manager" had to take them back for their break. Peyton's face started to fall - but the lady turned to him and told him Buzz would be right back after he "charged his batteries". Of course Peyton understands the changing and charging of batteries so he was OK with that. In a matter of minutes they were back again greeting Peyton and giving him hugs. He was so happy and excited. We all stood with them for pictures and got autographs in our books.

Now it was time to make our way to the back lot...we were off to see the Muppets!

As we walked to the theater we passed by this Speeder. Peyton and Chris demonstrated how it worked for us! Then as we walked further we were passing the Ewok village and noticed a sign-up area for Jedi training. We stopped and signed the girls up. (Peyton wasn't old enough.) We got a great time for the training and promised to come back then.

We went in and watched the Muppets in 3D - a pretty good show, and look who was waiting for us when we came out!

Mater and ...

McQueen!

Another of Peyton's favorites! This was turning out to be a very big day for him!

We had very special dinner plans for this evening, so Candy had scheduled an earlier lunch...we all knew we were going to try to eat a little lighter today - no repeats of our "double buffet" day!

We walked up to the front part of the park and went to the 50's Prime Time Cafe.

Our lunch venue.

A step back in time!

How cool!

We loved watching the old 50's TV shows that played while we ate our lunch - but the absolute best was when I ordered a root beer float with my lunch...Peyton was next to me - he just got a soda with his. She brought the drinks out and set them down - first Peyton's, then mine. He took one look, pushed his away, pulled mine over in front of him and started eating away. The look on his face was pure bliss! Everyone at the table started laughing! What could I do but order another for me...told you this was HIS day!

After lunch it was time to head back to the Ewok village for Jedi training! The girls went in and the rest of us went over to get set up so we could have a good view of the stage. Once the girls came out and were waiting in line I took a look at Madison and she just didn't look happy. We called her over and determined that she didn't feel comfortable at all. One of the Disney World photographers was there and overheard the conversation. She left for a minute and came back with a diploma for Madison...she told her it took a lot of courage and knowledge of self to decide not to participate and that was what being a Jedi was all about! I love the people at Disney World - they are all about keeping everyone happy!

Sydney was ready for her lesson.

The Jedi Master and apprentice

Darth Vader

Darth Maul jumps down to fight the older Padowans.

Last minute instructions

Just a little scary!

Ready to graduate!

We made our way back over to Toy Story Mania and rode it another couple of time with our fast passes. That ride is so much fun and soooo worth the wait in line!

Once we did that we walked over to see Mickey's Clubhouse. This was a show for the little ones based on the new show on Disney. My only complaint here is that EVERYONE sits on the floor...They really need to have a bench or chairs in the back for the grandparents that come with the little ones - I was pretty uncomfortable in this show - but Peyton and Madison had a BLAST.

From there it was off to see the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. This is a combination puppet show and live theater. It was amazing - I wouldn't have minded watching it again!

Neptune's Trident.

We headed on back toward the front of the park...we wanted to look around and go to the Darkroom so Rick could see what was there. It was also getting on toward time for our dinner reservations. We had the Fantasmic Package so it was an early reservation.

The Sorcerer topiary

We enjoyed our dinner at Hollywood and Vine. Once again the food was amazing! We left the restrant and walked right over to Fantasmic. Since we bought the package we had designated seating for this show...as we walked past the line I was sure glad Candy had planned this ahead of time for us! We got to the entrance and showed our passes, the nice ladies there handed us plastic top-hats and noise makers and let us go though the back passage to the show. It was a long walk but so worth it. We sat pretty close to the back - Candy's research was accurate again...wonderful choice. Unfortunately I was so caught up in the show I totally forgot I had my camera with me - I just watched in amazement at the magic playing out before my eyes!

When we came out of the show we headed toward the center of the park. We were all soooo tired and it was really getting crowded with the New Year's Eve revelers. There was really only one more ride that I wanted to make sure I rode on...The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. There was NO WAY Sydney would ride this one so Candy and Peyton stayed with her and Chris, Madison, Rick and I made our way over to the ride.

Inside the lobby of the hotel

The cobwebs above the door

As we waited for the ride Madison was pretty concerned. We talked about how this was just like a roller coaster, (she is the roller coaster QUEEN!) that part of the fun was in being nervous before getting on the ride. I assured her that it was ok to "scream" just like on a roller coaster. We rode and as we exited she looked up and told us that it was so much fun "floating" in the air that she wanted to ride again! Way to go Maddie!!!! We were so proud of her that we stopped in the gift shop and bought her a Tower of Terror pin to celebrate her ride!

We met back with the others and decided we were all too exhausted to fight the wall to wall New Year's Eve revelers any longer - trying to get the stroller through that crowd was simply next to impossible! We went on out to the car and headed home to begin the challenge of packing up for our trip back home!

Epcot Day 2 -

So, after a late night at the Magic Kingdom, Candy had planned a bit of an easier day before New Year's Eve. We slept a bit later and woke up refreshed and ready to continue our adventure. On the drive in we decided to park at Epcot - we would be doing some minor park hopping and this seemed the best way for us to work it out. We went in and hurried over to get some fast passes for the test track just in case we had time to ride it later...we LOVE that ride! On the way past Planet Earth I had to get a picture of the patterns it makes (no pretty sunrise reflections today!)



Then it was over to The Seas with Nemo and Friends again. First I rode it with Maddie, then because the line was so short we went back and rode it again. I got to ride it the second time with Peyton...that was an adventure. He loves looking for Nemo and watching all the fish. It is so funny to hear him talk back to them and get so excited!

It was still early but we were going to go ahead and eat because we had early dinner reservations for the Hoop-de-doo Review that evening so we made our way over to the Liberty Inn. We decided to eat outside because it was such a beautiful morning ~ the weather was perfect. We grabbed a couple of tables and enjoyed a plesant meal, then Rick, the girls, and I went back over to the gingerbread house and got everyone homemade gingerbread for dessert. While we were enjoying our gingerbread we suddenly heard some fifes and drums. Here came a "parade" right down the street in front of us! I jumped up with the kids and ran over to the wall surrounding the pavillion where we were eating in time to catch a quick picture.

After they passed by we went back to help clean up our tables and make our way over to our first "Passport" stop. The kids and I all had passports that Candy made for us to get signed in each of the Epcot World Pavillions. They were very nicely done with a page for each country. Our first stop was to be America. As we were making our way to the "Kid-cot" area we passed the Drum and Fife Corps again as they were preparing to dismiss. Such a cool sight to share with the grandkids!

We stopped and got messages and stamps in our passports and then walked around to get a Kim Possible Mission for Sydney. She had been dying to do a mission the first day we were here and there wasn't time, so this time we wanted to be sure she got a chance to participate....besides, I was really curious about this! She got her "high tech Kimmunicator" and we were off! Our mission was in the Mexico pavillion, so we headed over that direction. It was so much fun looking for the clues, figuring out where to go and what we needed to do that I totally forgot
to take pictures!

We continued from pavillion to pavillion getting our passports signed and taking in all the sights. I took some pictures of some of the things we saw...most in Japan where Candy and the girls got to pick oysters and see if they got a pearl - which the all did! They had them made into necklaces (they got to pick a design ~ they were all so pretty!) I got a beautiful silk kimono that I LOVE! Anyway, here are some of the pictures...

The storyteller

Hidden Mickey!

After looking around and going to all the different world pavillions it was time to make our way to the Hoop-de-do Review. We rode the monorail over to the ferry, then took the ferry over to at the Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. This was a blast! Good food and great entertainment as we watched the dancing, singing and vaudville comedy...My favorite of course were the REALLY bad puns! As part of the finale we all got spoons and washboards and joined in with the cast members!

Now it was time to get back on the ferry, walk to the monorail, back into Epcot so we could go over and pick up the girls necklaces. We went back and Rick, the girls and I rode Mission Space again... so fun! We still had our fast passes for the test track so we went on over there. Rick and I decided that Chris and Candy really needed to ride this one together this time, so they took the girls while Rick and I may our way over to the "car show" with Peyton to wait for them to finish the ride. Peyton LOVED sitting in the different cars...at first he wanted to drive...

Doesn't it look like he REALLY belongs in this Camero!

Look out Dad!After trying out every car we went into the area where they show how the robots put them together. Peyton was a hoot to watch as he watched everything wide eyed, climbed around, and kept beat with the large machine press!

Waiting for Mom and Dad

When everyone finished the ride we went out through the gift shop (with a couple of stops along the way!)

Hidden Mickey

And another...love how they go with the car theme!

Even though it was still fairly early, we decided to call it a day. Tomorrow would be New Year's Eve and we knew THAT would be a long day at Hollywood Studio's.

Next Time...Hollywood here we come!