Patient

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I’m not good at this. I don’t nap. I don’t “relax.” Sure I take time for myself to get a pedicure or to go for a run, but take time to rest, that just doesn’t happen. I’m busy and I love it that way.

They say nurses make the worst patients. I’ve taken care of a few and they weren’t so bad. I’m really not a bad patient either because I will do what I’m told, but no one says I have to like it.

I hate this. I swore I wasn’t going to write about “the rib” today, but it’s all I can think about. I have forced myself to rest as much as possible since this happened. Monday and Tuesday were spent primarily on the sofa with breaks just to make meals and believe me they weren’t fancy meals.

Yesterday I took my pillows and heating pad outside and got comfortable on the deck so that Carlos could play outside for a while. He kept asking me to play baseball, in his sand box, cars, etc. My answer got redundant. He was hot, tired and apparently a little fed up with me and my “rib.” Suddenly he burst into tears and said, “I want the old Mommy back. I don’t like this one. I want the fun Mommy the Mommy who likes to do everything.” I couldn’t help but cry too. I grabbed my little boy so he wouldn’t see me crying and silently sobbed as I agreed, “I miss that Mommy too.”

I’m crying now as I write this. I know that I have to be patient. I’ve researched broken ribs on just about every reputable medical website I could find and some not so reputable websites (hey you never know where you might find a miracle!). The one common thread of advice for healing a broken rib is the same throughout – REST.

So rest I will. Who knows, maybe I will even learn to like it. Hopefully not too much because I have a marathon to run in January!!!

Resting

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I am doing something today that I is just killing me. I’m resting. Wait it gets worse. I’m resting on a beautiful sunny day. It actually gets even worse. Carlos and I are resting inside on a beautiful day and I am allowing Carlos to do things like play Leap Frog games on my computer, watch an episode of Caillou (I could write an entire post on how much I loathe strongly dislike Caillou), and update his play list on iTunes. I am doing things like reading, blogging, reading blogs, and browsing Twitter and Facebook on my phone.

I worked the last two nights and it went really well. Although I was pretty sore this morning and my back felt very tight. I am feeling better each day though. My broken rib is definitely healing. I no longer need much pain medicine to get through the day. Part of me just wants to jump right back into life. However, I am a level headed, rational person with a fair amount of intelligence. I don’t need the Mayo Clinic website to tell me that “in most cases broken ribs heal on their own in one or two months.” It hasn’t even been a week since my accident.

As much as I hate lying on the sofa with a heating pad against my back while the sun shines outside I realize that the best thing that I can do for myself right now is rest. I know that this post is somewhat redundant to yesterday’s post, but I suppose it bears repeating because I have to keep reminding myself that if I want this injury to heal properly then I need to take care of myself and not overdo it with too much activity.

Marathon Training Week 10

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I returned to work last night and it went really well. I was happy to be back. I felt good for the most part, but my back gets tense after being on my feet for a while. I used my heating pad when I could and took homeopathic remedies throughout the night. I had taken an Ibuprofen about an hour before work so I wasn’t due for that until about 6am. I had no intention of taking the Ultram while at work so I left it at home. Fortunately I did fine without it.

I have had to remind myself today that although I am doing much better I need to continue to baby the injury so that I am resting as often as I need to. I’m walking better and the pain is much less apparent. Even Carlos said, “So Mommy now that you’re better we can play basketball.” What I wouldn’t give to play basketball. I explained that even though I looked better I still had to be careful not to do too much. So much for a little boy to understand, but he’s handling it really well.

I am not sure how I will manage my weekly marathon training updates. At least for now I will stick with the same format. Hopefully I will return to some level of activity this week. It won’t be running but I may try going for a long walk while Carlos is at school on Wednesday morning.

Date

Scheduled Run

Actual Workout
Sunday, 9/18/11 Rest Day Rest Day

 
Monday, 9/19/11 4 Mile Run 4 Mile Run around home

 
Tuesday, 9/20/11 Rest Day Fell down the stairs and broke my rib

 
Wednesday, 9/21/11 6 Mile Run None

 
Thursday, 9/22/11 Strength Training & Arc Trainer

 

 None
Friday, 9/23/11 3 Mile Pace Run None

 
Saturday, 9/24/11 Half Marathon None

 

My goals for this week are as follows:

  • journal my food on Spark People
  • stay hydrated
  • increase activity as able
  • lose 1 pound

Thankful

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It’s been five days since I fell down the stairs. I am going back to work tonight and I’m feeling as ready as I can be for it. My mobility is much improved. However, I have to be very careful about how I move because turning or reaching the wrong way can send a painful spark through my body.

Initially, I resisted taking the pain medication prescribed by the ER Physician’s Assistant. I barely ever take a Tylenol and I just didn’t want to take anything too strong. The day after the accident I took only Ibruprofen, but by the following day I was so sore all over I could barely move. I couldn’t find a comfortable position sitting or standing. It was torture trying to get in and out of the car. That night I came home from a school event for Carlos in so much pain I was crying. I took the pain medicine, got settled into bed with a heating pad and set the alarm so that I could take the pain medicine as scheduled. I took it as often as it was ordered throughout the night along with the Ibruprofen and various homeopathic remedies. By morning I was feeling more comfortable and moving a little better.

I have continued to follow a rigid schedule with the medication. However, I am able to go much longer in between doses of the Ultram. I am resting as often as possible usually with a heating pad behind my back. I’ve done quite a bit of research on homeopathic remedies to help speed the recovery of a broken rib and while it’s not the course of treatment for everyone I am pleased with the results so far.

I’ve certainly run the gamut of emotions this week. Frustration probably tops the list. It is most frustrating that I can’t do even the simplest tasks like put my sneakers never mind tying them. Despite the overly negative emotions like sadness, anger and pain, I’ve been trying to stay positive. I am well aware that this could have been much worse had I injured my back or hit my head. This injury will heal in time. How I choose to spend that time is entirely up to me.

I am choosing to spend time reading to my son, working with him in his workbooks, and just chatting about all the things on his curious mind. I have returned to Spark People to record my food intake so that I might successfully lose weight throughout the healing process rather than gain weight which would make returning to marathon training a lot more challenging. I am also reading more, something I rarely take time for when I am active and on the go.

My husband and son are adjusting to the new me. It wasn’t easy in the first couple of days. My son reiterated the same sentiment over and over, “I’m bored.” Of course he was. He’s used to being busy with me, running around outside, riding his bike, going for hikes, trips to the museum, etc. I should be knocking on every wood surface when I make this next comment. My son has never seen me sick. He was 4 months old the last time I called out sick from work. My husband has seen me with things like a headache or cramps, but otherwise nothing has ever kept me from doing anything. I think that we all take my health for granted. This has been a huge learning experience for my family. It has taught us that we need to work together more as a team, and that while I’m usually capable of handling most aspects of day to day life I shouldn’t be expected to perform them all. We have also learned not to take our good health for granted.

This too shall pass, one day at a time. I am thankful for today.

Bermuda Part 2

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Enough about broken bones. I’m beginning to sound like a train wreck. On to something much more pleasant.

Our second day in Bermuda involved lots of walking. A cloudy, foggy morning gave way to a very hot, sunny afternoon. We took a morning walk around the hotel and surrounding area and came upon a lighthouse.

Lighthouse in Bermuda

Unfortunately it wasn’t open to tour but the views were breathtaking.

View of Bermuda

After our walk we enjoyed a gourmet brunch buffet at the hotel’s restaurant Windows on the Sound. It was quite the spread. There were Belgian waffles, pancakes, eggs and omelets made to order, a variety of breakfast meats, cereal, every type of bread, pastries, fresh fruit, a smoothie bar made to order, and my favorite the oatmeal bar with tons of toppings.  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves so much so that we didn’t need lunch.

We decided to take the hotel’s ferry to Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda. We took the trolley down to the dock. There was a fun group of ladies also waiting for the ferry. They were celebrating the 50th birthday of one of the women. Giggling they asked if my husband would be so kind as to take a photo with the birthday girl. She was attempting to take 50 pictures with 50 different men. Apparently she even got one with the pilot in the cockpit! Orlando said it was fine as long as I was ok with it (how sweet). Of course I thought it was hysterical so I gave the thumbs up. They were also kind enough to take a photo of Orlando and I.

Orlando and I on the ferry dock

The ferry ride took about 25 minutes. It was so peaceful and relaxing. Here are some photos from the boat.

Boats in the harbor

Hamilton in the distance

The boat docked just below our hotel’s sister hotel the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. From there we explored Hamilton for a couple of hours.

Orlando in downtown Hamilton

The day grew warmer and warmer and all we wanted to do was get back to the beach. Unfortunately the ferry was not returning to our hotel for a few hours so we decided to take a bus back. We lounged on the beach the rest of the day until it was time to get ready for dinner.

We decided to go off hotel property for dinner to check out the Royal Naval Dockyard. Once the Britain’s largest naval base outside of the UK, the Royal Naval Dockyard was built in the 1900s. The buildings have been restored and now house stores, restaurants, museums and more. It was already dark by the time we arrived so I don’t have any photos.

We ate dinner at Bone Fish Bar & Grill which came highly recommended by the trolley driver and a few others we met in our travels. It was well worth the bus ride there. Orlando had the Fish Bermuda Style which was described on the menu as “fresh catch of the day, pan fried with Bermuda’s specialty Black Rum sauce, topped with Bermuda bananas and roasted almonds.” I had one of the dinner specials, Mahi Mahi marinated in a Pinot Grigio sauce then grilled with pineapple, mango salsa. Both of our dishes were delicious, but Orlando’s literally melted in your mouth. For dessert we had to try the Bermuda Rum Cake with Rum Raisin ice cream. Split between the two of us it was just enough.

We strolled around the dockyard after dinner hand in hand. Yup just like a couple of teen agers! We were sad to see the weekend coming to a close, but we couldn’t wait to get back to our little guy.

On Sunday morning we walked down to the beach before having breakfast at the Windows on the Sound Restaurant again. Check out was at noon which was perfect because our shuttle to the airport was expected at the same time. We got to the airport and made it through customs effortlessly. This was nice because we wouldn’t have to go through customs in the US. The airport was very clean, and had a cute restaurant/bar. Orlando watched soccer while I shopped for a little gift for Carlos. Then we were on our way home.

Carlos and I hugged almost the entire ride from the airport back to my sister’s where he spent the weekend. I was so happy to see him and it was clear that the feeling was mutual. We picked up his things and then drove back to our house about an hour and 20 minutes away.

When I went to work that night I couldn’t believe that I had woken up in Bermuda!

Stairs

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The stairs

Yesterday afternoon I fell down the stairs in our house. I was walking down the stairs and about half way down I slipped and the next thing I knew I was lying at the bottom of the stairs perpendicular to the stairway. I couldn’t get up. I was able to move my arms and legs. There was no numbness or tingling anywhere, but the right lower side of my back hurt badly.

My son had been at the top of the stairs when I fell. He is only 4 years old, but all of a sudden he became a little hero. He came down and sat by my side while calling his Dad. My husband was on his way home from work and Carlos told him what happened. After that I asked him to get me a bag of frozen vegetables out of the freezer. He came back with two bags of edamame beans and helped me to position them under my back. He brought a pillow from the living room to make me more comfortable. He got me a bottle of Ibuprofen and some water. Then he just sat and held my hand.

Orlando was home in 15 minutes. He tried to help me up but I was in too much pain. After about 45 minutes on the floor Orlando literally lifted me off the floor. It felt better to be standing but it seemed every which way I turned my lower right back would seize and ache. I knew that I would need to go the ER. I called work to let them know what was going on because I knew there was no way I could work. Is it wrong that it made me so angry to call out because I haven’t missed a day other than for vacations since April 2007? It’s not like we get attendance awared!

Then Orlando brought me to the ER. I had some reservations about going to the ER where I work, but it is only 5 minutes away. Orlando and Carlos dropped me off and went home. I hated the thought of Carlos sitting in the waiting room. There was no need. The place was crazy anyway.

I was taken into the ER in about 40 minutes. Once my vitals were assessed and some basic information taken I was brought to a small private exam room. The Physician’s Assistant saw me within minutes. He felt that the painful area was near the ribcage so he wanted to get a chest X-Ray.  Everything was happening much more quickly than I anticipated and shortly after I was off to X-Ray.

I was brought back to the small exam room. When the PA came back he said, “Well you’ve really done it, you broke a rib.” I was shocked. After processing what he said I realized how lucky I was that nothing had happened to my back. Not unlike a broken toe, there is really nothing medically that can be done for a broken rib other than rest, ice, deep breathing to prevent pneumonia and pain medication. I am under strict orders not to run for at least a week and then only if I can breath comfortably can I begin running again slowly and short periods of time.

I am so grateful that I did not injure my back. This is quite painful enough but it will heal. For now I am just trying to stay strong and positive.

Marathon Training Week 9

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Good morning Monday! The air is crisp and cool. It is starting to look and feel like fall. This is by far my favorite time of year. Nothing signals fall to me more than the return of students to all of the local colleges. I live in a college town and my alma mater UMass is 10 minutes up the road.  Yesterday afternoon Carlos and I spent the afternoon in Amherst. We had a slice of pizza from Antonio’s, cheese for him and salad pizza for me.

A Slice of Cheese Please!

We wandered around town and the campus for a couple of hours.

UMass campus

Then we enjoyed an ice cream at Bart’s. Just as I love the quiet, peaceful summers when the students are gone, I enjoy the energy that returns every fall infusing new life into the area.

Before I get into my marathon training recap I wanted to mention that I am taking part in Biz’s Holiday 2001 Challenge. My goal is to lose these last 20 pounds by the end of the year. I am so excited to take part in the online challenge so I can cheer others on and receive a little much needed support myself plus I love Biz’s blog. She is so real and down to earth. Her realistic approach to weight loss and fitness is refreshing. The reality is we have lives, jobs, kids, husbands, and years of habits to contend with and it’s not always easy.

I mentioned in an my week 8 recap that a week ago Friday I broke my toe in Bermuda. I knew that I needed to rest my foot, ice it, elevate it when possible and buddy tape the injured toe with the toe next to it. I didn’t run for almost a week. I called the doctor who confirmed that I was doing all the right things. He told me that I could come in to have him look at it but given that the nurses at work had assessed it and there was no bone sticking out anywhere or deformity of the toe I decided not to go in. Obviously if it worsens or the pain returns I will go to see the doctor.

I also went to a local homeopathic/herbal medicine shop to discuss some natural remedy options. I took Arnica for the pain and I am taking a combination remedy specifically for bone healing.*

I stayed active throughout the week. By Wednesday the pain was decreased enough to give running a try. By Friday the bruising was completely gone. By Saturday I was off on my long run. I would not have run if I were in any pain or if the swelling and bruising were still prominent.

Here is a look at the entire week:

Date

Scheduled Run

Actual Workout

 
Sunday, 9/11/11 Rest Day None – Returned from Bermuda 
Monday, 9/12/11 5 Miles 60 minutes on Arc Trainer and 30 minutes of upper body and abdominal strength training 
Tuesday, 9/13/11 Rest Day Rest Day 
Wednesday, 9/14/11 4 Miles 60 minutes (2 miles) on Arc Trainer; arms and thigh weight machines; 1 mile run on treadmill in a few seconds under 12 minutes at 5.0-5.2 pace 
Thursday, 9/15/11 2 Miles Ran 2 slow miles around track at the college while Carlos biked. I took lots of walking and sitting breaks when Carlos felt like stopping. 
Friday, 9/16/11 7 Miles  7 Miles at the reservoir 
Saturday, 9/17/11 10 Miles 10 Miles at the reservoir 

The actual training schedule column looks wildly unbalanced. There were reasons behind it involving work and Orlando’s schedule. Needless to say the week was not the major fail that I thought it would be when I injured my toe. I am really very proud of myself for running my longer runs. I felt great. Seriously the 7 mile run was so awesome that I almost did the 10 miles that morning because my legs were feeling light and my breathing was in a perfect rhythm. The weather was gorgeous. I was excited to be back to running. Even the 10 miler the next day was pretty fabulous considering I had just run 7 miles the day before and worked all night. I made decent time too, finishing at around 1h53m. I definitely would have stopped at any point during the runs if I felt even the slightest twinge of discomfort.

I’m scheduled to run a half marathon on Saturday. I haven’t actually registered for one. I was planning to run the Wicked Half in Salem, MA on Saturday, but that won’t be possible because of our schedules. There is a half marathon about an hour away in Connecticut. I will have to wait and see what Carlos’ soccer schedule looks like when he has his first practice on Weds. More likely than not I will simply run 13.1 miles somewhere near home and on my own.

I’m off to make lunch for the little guy now. We have soccer gear to buy this afternoon. I can’t believe the little guy is going to play soccer! Where is the time going?

*I should note that if anyone reads this and is experiencing a broken toe or other injury please consult your doctor. This post is not meant to deliver advice. Although I am a nurse I am not a registered homeopathic medical specialist. I am not recommending that others follow my course of treatment. I am simply discussing what is working for me.

Bermuda

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My husband and I are celebrating 10 years of marriage this month. We have a really cute love story that I will share someday. We’ve actually been married twice on two different continents. I love my husband even more than I did 10 years ago.

It’s been a busy 10 years. We moved to the US in 2002. I went to nursing school about a year later. Orlando became a mason. We bought a house. I got pregnant and graduated nursing school shortly thereafter. I started work as a nurse. We were blessed with a beautiful baby boy at the end of 2006. We’ve traveled a little. We’ve been back to my husband’s country twice with Carlos. I have run two half marathons. Our little guy is in his last year of pre-school.

If I had to do the last 10 years over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. I love where we are and how far we’ve come.

We decided that we deserved to celebrate 10 years of marriage in a special way, just the two of us. We couldn’t take a lot of time off so we decided that a weekend get-away would be best. That meant we couldn’t go anywhere too far, but I really wanted to go somewhere new to us both. I came across a great package deal to Bermuda. Orlando loved the idea of going to Bermuda and so it was decided.

The flight from Boston was only one hour and 40 minutes. The airport in Bermuda sits right on the coast and overlooks the brilliant blue ocean.

This is Orlando on a rock wall across from the airport in Bermuda

We arranged for transportation to take us to the hotel. It was awaiting us and we left within minutes of arriving. Some of my initial observations as we were traveling to the hotel were how clean the country seemed, every bus stop had a trash bin and a recycling bin, the people were very friendly and polite, the houses were all brightly colored in a variety of colors, the roads were very narrow, and the water was the most gorgeous shade of blue I had every seen.

We arrived at our hotel in about 25 minutes. We stayed at the Fairmont Southampton. It was spectacular by our standards. The service was impeccable, the staff friendly and eager to assist, the trolley service was extremely convenient and the room was spacious, clean and comfortable.

The Fairmont Southampton on a foggy morning

Despite a dreary weather forecast according my weather app, the skies were sunny and the temperature was hot with a side of muggy. Our hotel had its own private beach just a few minutes away. We checked into our room, changed into our bathing suits and headed straight to the beach.

Orlando on the hotel beach

We were starving though so after a quick dip in the water we walked up to a restaurant we noticed on the roadside. So we had lunch at Tio Pepe’s. I enjoyed a simple Greek salad.

Tio Pepe's Restaurant

One thing we learned very quickly was how expensive food is in Bermuda. It is a small island and much of its food must be imported from the United States and elsewhere.

Upon returning to the beach we noticed a path leading to the left of the hotel beach so we decided to explore. It led us to Horseshoe Beach which boasts the famous Bermuda pink sand. When you’re standing upon it the sand actually looks like regular sand, but from above it glistens a soft pink. In researching this phenomenon I learned that the pink crystals are the pink or red shells from microscopic insects, foraminifera.  The foraminifera are found living on the underside of reefs and the sea floor. When they die, their shells are brought ashore by the currents and as the waves roll in they are pushed onto the beach.

Horseshoe Beach

We did a lot of walking. There were cliffs that provided spectacular views of the surrounding beaches and rock formations jutting out of the ocean.

Bermuda coast

Our first day in Bermuda culminated with a delicious dinner at the hotel’s Italian restaurant, Bacci. We took the trolley around to the back side of the hotel where the restaurant was located to make our 8pm reservation.  It was a cozy restaurant with a romantic feel. We each had a glass of Riesling and treated ourselves to the Antipasto bar which was loaded with roasted vegetables, cheese, crackers, fresh fruit, pasta salad and of course a variety of Italian meats. I piled my plate with vegetables drizzled with balsamic vinegar. They served a bread basket complete with hummus, an entire bulb of roasted garlic and an olive tapenade spread. We could have easily stopped there, but our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we decided to split a pizza with fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. The pizza was fine and I had a couple of slices, but I hit the antipasto bar more than once! Instead of desert we ended the meal with fresh fruit from the antipasto bar.

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you." Winnie the Pooh

Being the 85 year olds that we really are, we were in bed before 11! It was a great day though (despite the broken toe). Since this post has grown longer than planned I will be back with Day 2 of our Bermuda weekend.

Marathon Training Week 8

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Week 8 of my marathon training was great. I got all of my scheduled runs in plus two days of strength training. I knew when I was making out my training calendar that Orlando and I would be away this particular weekend so I didn’t schedule a long run.

Date

Scheduled Run

Actual Workout

 
Sunday, 9/4/11 Rest Day Arms and Abs strength training at the gym

 
Monday, 9/5/11 6 Miles 6 Miles in 1:02:58!

 
Tuesday, 9/6/11 Rest Day Rest Day

 
Wednesday, 9/7/11 7 Miles 7 Treadmill Miles and upper body strength training at the gym

 
Thursday, 9/8/11 4 Miles 4 Treadmill Miles at the gym

 
Friday, 9/9/11 No Scheduled Run Long walk on the beach!

 
Saturday, 9/10/11 No Scheduled Run More walks on the beach!!

 

My runs were great. I felt strong and efficient. We had a lot of rain last week which would explain the treadmill runs. I don’t mind them as much as a I once did. I go at whatever speed feels comfortable. I increase my speed as the music speeds up or when I feel like I can tolerate a faster pace. I sprint for 30 seconds to a minute here and there. There is little rhyme or reason to my longer treadmill runs, and maybe this isn’t great technique, but it works for me to help me tolerate the monotony of the treadmill.

I brought my sneakers on our weekend get away. My husband and I had every intention of running together. We were really looking forward to it.

The afternoon we arrived Orlando and I were exploring the cliffs of the beach which gave way to some gorgeous views. Suddenly my left foot struck the ground in just the wrong way, my toes bent inward toward the sole of my foot on a large stone that was barely jutting out of the ground. I heard the middle toe snap and within seconds blood was streaming out of a tiny wound just below the toenail.

And then…

If I were a hard core blogger who documents every thing, the good, the bad and the ugly, this is where I would insert a very unattractive photo of my left foot to show the world my swollen, purple, bruised, wounded middle toe.

I just can’t bring myself to subject anyone to a photo of my foot even if it is manicured. I hobbled a bit at first but then I figured out how to walk with minimal discomfort by putting more pressure on my heel. I iced the toe, took Ibuprofen and elevated my foot whenever possible. I enjoyed the rest of our mini vacation with little complaint. I was really disappointed that I couldn’t run, and in the back of my head I was concerned about how my training would go, but I told myself that I would enjoy the rest of the weekend and worry about the rest once home.

It wasn’t too difficult to push the concern away when I got to look at these stunning scenes.

I promise more on my weekend get away in the next day or two. There will certainly be more toe talk too. For now I’m taking a running break and staying active in other ways. Today I went to the gym and did 60 minutes on the Arc Trainer followed by 30 minutes of strength training, mostly upper body. I refuse to let this obstacle deter my goals. I simply need to rework things right now.