Personally, I am pretty proud of myself this morning. I signed up and completed the 2-mile non-competitive walk at the Turkey Trot event at Woodward Park this morning. Yes, it was cold, very cold. Yes, my powers of persuasion failed to convince anyone to join me. But I went. And I had fun. And I can say I’ve been to a race event now. And a nice lady named Ann introduced herself near the end of the first mile and we walked and talked the rest of the way together. She’s a 57-year-old triathlete rehabbing a knee so she walked while her hubby ran the 5k.

Then I came home to a nice warm shower and some football on the tube. Nice. Later, I’ll go to my friends’ place for an all-you-can-eat buffet of food and fellowship. I think today is looking good. Oh, and it started with last night. Hanging with a girlfriend in a nearly empty restaurant and movie theater, gabbing, eating and generally enjoying ourselves. For the record, Tangled is a pretty cute movie.

So, how did my body survive the fun my mind had? Ok, I think. The SI joint felt locked up the whole way but that injection I had one week ago definitely kept the pain level in check. My IT band/bursitis/tendinitis is definitely flared and in full bloom but that can be worked out with more PT and stretching and probably a cortisone shot or two (drugs for now). So, Monday, I see the doc for the post-op visit and we’ll go from there. I think the results of the injection confirm an SI joint issue. I may eventually need another injection or two; it’ll depend on rehab/PT, etc. But my body wants to be well and active (my mind does too).

I think I want to run. I used to abhor running for the sake of running. Give me a ball, a goal, something to do while running but running just to run… yuck. Now, there is something enticing about it. And the people I have met are super nice. Cyclists were not too accepting back when I tried that but runners have been just downright cool (you know who you are). Plus I feel better when I walk and I have talked with people with health issues like mine that find great relief running and walking, especially the stronger they get. It seems this kind of exercise helps keep the pieces and parts involved strong and conditioned.

So, maybe a 5k in July and maybe, just maybe, a half marathon in Disneyland in September. The 5k would be at a work conference in San Diego (woohoo). D-land also has a 5k but… I am a competitive athlete no matter how deep i push it down inside. The half marathon is definitely a challenge (and the registration fee is non-refundable; will decide in January for that one). Anyone interested? Anyone? I’ll be reserving a hotel room and we don’t even have to run the same race. It’s Labor Day weekend. Think about it. Please. Looking for training/accountability partners and supporters. I am a social being after all.

More musings to come. God Bless until then (and even after).

In some ways, it’s a bit of a blur. I was discharged last month from my surgeon’s care for my hip arthroscopy. Even though it didn’t get rid of all my pain and problems in the hip/back area, it definitely helped. We kinda had to wait out the 6 months to see how much it would help. Sure enough, just like the PT said, 6 months was a big milestone with a lot of the pain dissipating almost like clockwork. The surgery took care of the pain that presented the worst at the time considering there was a tear in the cartilage and a bump on the bone. None of that was going to go away without intervention. So, no regrets on the surgery. It was worth it.

So, what now? My life is still limited by pain. The acute onset of this pain goes to the fall on ice in February 2009. The hip demanded the most attention first. Now, we are looking at the SI joint. Problems with the SI joint can present in the lower back, gluteal, groin and thigh after longs periods of sitting and with activity. What is the SI joint? SI stands for sacro-iliac, the joint between the sacrum and the pelvis in the lower back.

So, this affects my plans still but I get out the best I can. I still go places, work in the field and hang out the best I can then I have to rest for awhile. Drugs are increasingly ineffective and I am tired of the effects of the stronger ones.

I got a referral to a spine/pain management doc in the same orthopedic practice as my hip surgeon. I saw his PA and she poked and prodded and asked a lot of questions, and answered a lot of questions, which I really appreciated. She laid out her opinion that I presented with SI joint symptoms and what she saw as my options. The very conservative way to start is PT (there are special spine PTs) then on to injections and more PT. Because I already recently completed hip PT and have continued on  my own, we decided to go ahead with an injection in the joint. The injection will also act as a diagnostic tool.

This will be my third(!) joint injection. Had an arthrogram and cortisone injection in my right shoulder many years ago and an arthrogram on my hip a year ago August. Now they’ll inject anesthetic and steroids into my SI joint while under fluoroscopy and light sedation, I think. So it’s technically an outpatient surgical procedure. Then, within 3-4 days, any side effects should be gone, if there are any, (I can drive the next day) and a week later I go back to see the doc. Then, if that helps the problem, I may be painfree for up to 3 months, and have a great window for PT manipulation and strengthening, and have a more active life for a little while and maybe longer.

There have been other changes along the way. Changes at work, in my personal life, changes just keep coming. I’m not sure what’s left that hasn’t been affected but I don’t think I want to ask that question out loud.

I did register for the 2-mile non-competitive un-timed walk at the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. I want to see what a race atmosphere is like (there’s also a 5k race) and this sounded like fun. I haven’t been able to convince anyone I know to join me that early in the morning but I’m still trying. I am trying to find a way to train for a 5k next July. I am slowly upping my workout schedule and adding a little more impact exercise (walking) here and there. It’s coming along.

I got to go to a one-day Voice of the Martyrs conference yesterday. It was good to hear about life as a Christian outside the US. While overwhelming in some ways – a lot of information in a short period of time – i am grateful to know the reality of life outside my little world. I sometimes get lost inside Sonja-land and like to know there is much more going on, things I can pray for, people I can encourage.

Some other good news, today was my last day of PT, again. This time I am doing a lot better than I was after the first six weeks. I have learned wisdom about what I do and don’t do. And I had a therapist who had been through this not so common and fairly new surgery (as surgeries go) and rehab himself. I have become more patient in this process and am learning more about being okay within the process, as frustrating as it can be at times. As they reminded me constantly… I had a major surgery and recovery takes time… but I will recover and, if I work within the process, will recover to point better than I have been at in years, a more than full recovery! That’s my hope and goal for this next 9 months or so.

So now I am on my own, armed with the tools and knowledge learned from my therapists. It’s at least an hour plus of work on a daily basis just to rehab my one hip, let alone work out the rest of my body. It’s like a part time job! I see the doc again next week for my 3 month check. The therapists think I am at a pretty good place for this milestone. The one I am really looking forward to is 6 months. If I can maintain discipline within the process,  I should be in a pretty good place by then.

Maybe next entry, I will tell the story of my shuttling 3 friends from the end of their epic manhike and my day at the Sunrise trailhead in Yosemite.

Out on my GPS survey for work, I found some nice pics just waiting for me. Here are a few of my favorites.

It’s been a light week for exercise though I finally got a stationary bike last night. Took a little while to assemble it. Finally took a ride this morning. Also did my PT exercises and stretches. They felt pretty good though I am still sore from all the mobilization and stretching at PT yesterday. Having a migraine doesn’t help but heck, exercising in the dark is still exercise.

My PT was ecstatic when I told him I would now have access to a stationary bike and he encouraged me to use it as much as I can, within the limits and adjustments he told me. So, we’ll see how it goes. It feels great to be moving again and doing cardio. The last 6 months of this journey have taught me a bit about my body and I definitely need consistent cardio not only to lose fat and maintain body composition but also for emotional relief and well-being.

Not that I have it down, but I do hope people can see that making changes for a healthy lifestyle is possible. It is definitely a process and sometimes it is one very small choice at a time. It is possible.

Sometimes negativity creeps in, or blows in like a tornado, but it does pass.

First, a side note. Yesterday, my great aunt Gerry passed away. She had been sick and in a home so I pray now she is truly at rest. When she was alive, she was someone I only met a few times but felt a wonderful connection with. I still have some of her wonderfully descriptive letters. Of course, I regret not writing her as much over the years. But I do have wonderful memories of her and the letters and conversations we shared. She volunteered at a library and used to send me books for my birthday through the years, which I loved. She didn’t send me kid books either but real adult, small type books that I loved and devoured. Thanks, Aunt Gerry. I love you. I need to find a pic to scan and post.

Now on to the rest…

Today, I started PT again. I am excited about the PT I have this time. He didn’t just throw me into some exercises and wish me well. He had read the doctor’s report and reviewed my x-rays. He talked to me, asked questions and mobilized and stretched my hip. He gave me what I feel are good instructions/answers about what is happening and what I can be doing on my own.

As I look at the stories others have posted online, I am actually consoled by the fact that what I am experiencing is not unusual. It really does take at least 3-6 months to start getting solid consistent relief and maybe a halfway normal life again. Being “back to normal” can easily take up to a year. It is not unusual to not be sitting comfortably, walking for long periods (or not-so-long periods) or exercising more than PT. PT and the doc both are fine with where I am at and not surprised at all. They are really looking for the 6-month mark for noticeable improvement. Anything before then is encouraging and setbacks are not uncommon especially given my symptoms before the surgery and the findings during the op.Some people take 2-3 months to go back to work. While being back at work can make the healing process a little longer, I am glad to be able to do what I can right now.

In fact, next week I have a huge project to finish. PT said I’ll be ok but I’ll have to stretch a lot and rest and ice at night. Because I am going to be doing an extensive GPS survey that I have been planning for since late last year. It’ll be 3-4 days of driving all over the valley to get points. Luckily, I won’t be driving more that 45 minutes-1 hour at a time and the walking is not too bad or too long. I can stretch while the satellites are connecting. And I always have good diet weeks in the field. It’ll be a painkiller week but I’ll be in the field. Yay! If this goes okay I can drive to Visalia to visit friends again and lay around on their comfy sofa. Maybe I will take Stargate or other movies to visit with.

I rest so I can work. I can’t go out much though I like to when I can. I have been able to join my friends for a couple events just not as much as I’d like to. I miss church but ours meets for 2 1/2 hours. I don’t even sit for an hour straight at work. I am glad to have stretches and exercises to do at home again. I am looking forward to the day I can sit in church again, or a movie theater, or a dinner-and-game night with friends.

Finding an extensive online community of people in the same boat has helped so much. Some of the people I found have really amazing stories. We can support each other through the setbacks and successes. The people I met come from all situations: moms, dads, singles, teachers, retired, athletes, gardeners, desk jocks, pilots, dancers, dog breeders, etc. Some have people to help at home, some are alone like me. Some have others to look after. Every conceivable mix and match of circumstances. It’s wonderful!

For those who haven’t seen me in a while, below are a couple pics of the work I have already done from September 2009 through March of this year.

March 31, 2010

At the Getty - September 2009

January 7, 2010

To the left is a before pic from September 2009, shortly after my hip was diagnosed. In the middle is a pic from January, the beginning of the biggest loser contest. I had lost about 20 lbs or so at this point. To the right is an after pic on March 31, the day before my surgery. In the photo spread,  I have lost over 50 pounds! Looking at these pics is scary and encouraging at the same time! I see the same person in the mirror but seeing pics is very different. I don’t even have the jeans in the middle pic anymore.

Today I am working on my goals for this contest. It’s not a losing contest; it’s a composition transformation contest, all about lean vs. fat. The trip to Maui would be great but the big prize for me is continuing to improve my health. There are so many others in the contest with bigger obstacles than mine; it’s an inspiring group to be a part of. I am using this as a springboard to other life goals and motivations.

My hip is coming along, slowly but surely. I have given up on my elliptical machine playing any meaningful role in my life in the near future and ordered a stationary bike to be delivered in a couple weeks after I start PT again. It seems that will be the best way for me to do any cardio for awhile plus it will benefit my hip. I got one that is fully adjustable so I don’t have to raise my hip to 90 degrees if it still hurts. I have been able to do some very gentle stretching and can walk around okay at work. I still can’t walk, sit or stand for any prolonged periods of time. Even running errands takes its toll pretty quickly. I do think the rest is helping, as long as I continue to do it. My other favorite thing right now: epsom salt baths and apple cider vinegar baths, so nice and refreshing, highly recommended!

Well, I have some reading and writing to do this weekend, this 3-day weekend of rest. The NCAA softball playoffs are on. I have all but one of the Stargate movies to watch along with season 1 of SG-1. The I work for 3 days and have another 3-day weekend of rest! This one has a PT visit on the Friday though. That will be interesting. I hope to post more this week about my goals for the contest and motivations I am using.

My PT said to rest until my appt today and see if the inflammation started to loosen up. She stretched me on Thursday and said my mobility was good and my results at PT showed that I could effectively strengthen. She wrote a report and I would talk with the doc.

Now for the wrinkle that caused the setback: a mishap at work on Monday. I tripped over a part of floormat that wasn’t laying flat on the floor. I started to fall and, to stop from falling on my hip, i braced myself with my operated leg, pushing it back with a twist when I landed on it. Needless to say, the pain was immediate, even as I was pushing the leg back to brace myself, and intense.

My supervisor took me to the workers comp doctor and he said to stay home and off it until I saw my surgeon. Then, tomorrow, I go back to see him and he’ll decide what to do from here as far as work goes.

My surgeon said he wasn’t surprised at the inflammation and small setback, after all I am only 6 weeks post-op. My symptoms may not all completely resolve anyway; only time will really tell. My x-rays looked good and he doesn’t think I did more than aggravate my hip and mess with scar tissue in the work mishap. However, it does set me back, not quite square one, but at least half my progress is gone. I also have to rest (no exercise or extraneous activity) through next week, and am taking Celebrex for the inflammation. I go back in another 6 weeks. If the Celebrex helps, I can call him for a full prescription, which I may have to do since I am still working. Hopefully, I can start up some PT again in a couple weeks.

So, on to other news. I am not sure exactly how I am going to do this but I am considering enter a body transformation contest next week. It’ll be a 98-day summer contest that looks at the overall transformation. It is a contest against yourself and the judges look at what you accomplish from your starting point, how you write about it in an essay and how much a part of the contest process (supporting others) you are. The grand prize is 7 days at an awesome resort on Maui with airfare and amenities! Email me if you are interested and I will send you the link.

I think the contest is the motivation I need to keep going with my weight loss. It’ll take some modification for exercise purposes but I can hopefully put something together with diet and exercise. I have a coworker who is a personal trainer and might be open to a swap of services, my GIS knowledge and her personal training. This could be interesting.

My bottom-line motivation is health. My weight loss to this point has been great. The endocrinologist released me last week, saying my progress far exceeded what she expected, especially without medicine, and to keep going. Just don’t gain it back! I still have to deal with the PCOS symptoms and the family history of multiple forms of cancer on both sides, but the diabetes threat has been significantly dealt with. I need, I want to be healthy, to be free of inflammation, to be able to move and be active with little or no pain.

That’s it for now. Much more than I intended to write. I think I will write more later, as work on my motivations for the contest and layout my plans and goals and motivations.

If any of you have any motivational sayings that you like, please leave them as comments. I am looking for all the encouragement and motivation I can find and having sayings to write, post and look at will be extremely helpful. Thanks in advance.

And here I sit getting maintenance done on my car. I wish I had pics of the air and cabin filters I changed two days ago. They were black! And the cabin filters were clogged with leaves and seed pods! Now my air is blowing hard and cold. The weird smell(s) seem to be gone too. Here in the valley those filters get clogged fast. Someone told me they should be replaced every 15-20k miles for valley driving. I am almost at 60k and don’t recall ever having them changed (though maybe once, a long time ago).

I recently started playing Scrabble on facebook. My skills are soooo rusty! But I am having a lot of fun. Some of my friends are really good! If you want to play, find the Scrabble tab on my profile and start a game; you can have up to 4 players.

Next week, I have my last two (for now) PT appts. Then see the doc for a follow-up the next week to see how things are going. I am excited to be taking narcotics for migraines only again! So nice to be taking fewer drugs.

I also hope the PT I am doing, which to this point has been mostly strengthening with some endurance, will payoff in muscle development and start to burn some calories. I want to get my weight loss started again. Surprisingly, I have been able to maintain (barely) what I lost before the surgery but the grace period for eating crap has run out. I am doing more and more on the elliptical, that translates to 15 minutes with no resistance, but it’s progress. I also walked around the block yesterday. It hurt by the time I got back but I made it farther than last time! I have over an hour of exercises I do everyday right now! At home, I do everything with both legs so I can keep them roughly equal in strength and conditioning, I hope.

Oh, and my post PT treat today (and everyone should have one) was a peach milkshake from Chik-Fil-A. Pure tasty awesomeness!!!!

My physical therapist says that, while it’s highly individual to pain and all, my progress is right on, if not ahead of the game. I have 2 more weeks of prescribed PT then see the doc the following week. I did 10 minutes on the elliptical at PT today so I will start to slowly up my elliptical time at home now too. I have only been doing 5-8 minutes chunks so far. This weekend I hope to enjoy the spring weather by walking around the block for the first time and maybe doing a little shopping. Might be time to get a new bike too… hmmmm…

I definitely will work a full week this week, which is 44 hours (my long week) minus 3 hours for PT. Pretty darn good. It would have been really nice to take a full 3 weeks off but it couldn’t happen this time. If I ever need to do this hip, or the other, again, I’ll know what to plan for. I hope to be able to drive to the mountains and/or coast sometime this summer. Just have to keep progressing and see where the rehab gets me.

Today I finally got my blood drawn for a Cancer study my family is participating in. My mom’s family has two people who have/had blood-borne cancers (aunt had multiple myeloma and grandma has leukemia). We contributed their medical files and blood then my mom and I and maybe my cousin had out blood drawn. The study is looking for genetic connections in blood-borne cancers. It’s an interesting concept. I am especially interested not just for those cancers but for any. It’s on both sides of my family: breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer (i can’t get that one but it’s still there), myeloma, leukemia, and who knows what else.

If I needed more incentive to adopt a healthier lifestyle and lose the weight, I’ve got it. In some ways, it doesn’t have the urgency of the hip pain but in other ways it is actually a more urgent and relevant goal. It’s not just joint pain, it’s life and death possibly.

Today: I made it through 30 hours of work this week. My hip hasn’t been entirely happy this week but there are signs of improvement. My hip is stronger and the deep joint pain has not returned. The muscle pain continues but not as bad. The worst is the groin pain especially when sitting for a while. I am sleeping in my bed now, mostly on my back and some on my non-op side. It is nice to be out of the living room. PT is moving forward. Got a new exercise today and continue to make progress on the elliptical. I think the cold rainy weather has been affecting the pain and stiffness I feel also.

I have moved on to NCIS now. I am in season 3, the first one with Ziva. It’s pretty cool to be able to see the show with no commercials and in sequence.

This weekend I plan to spend cocooned and resting. I will do my PT and ice and heat regularly. Next week will be a full one at work. I also need to get my diet back under control. I haven’t completely lost control of my weight but I need to reign in the craving and rebuild some measure of self-discipline. This weekend will be a chance to think through, plan and set up my ideas.

Maybe I can ride a bike around the neighborhood in a few weeks. Ah, dreams. I still hope to be able to do some light hiking in the fall. Maybe this summer I get out for some photo trips. Hopefully I can start sitting long enough to be able to return to church soon.