Saturday, June 30, 2012

Mid Year Goal Check

This year has definitely taken an unexpected twist!!  Luckily, I was able to get a couple things checked off.

*complete 1 or more triathlons - done - indoor triathlon 3/25/12

*sub 30 5K - postponed til 2013

*half marathon under 2:40 - postponed til 2013

*continue to cook more, eat out less - continuing to cook more

*lose weight (20-25 more pounds) no weight lost but have been maintaining. Hoping to lose this still even though I am not able to do cardio.

*mark off 1 or more states - done! - Kentucky and Ohio marked off

*reach 100 followers - still working on this.  If you aren't a follower, but read my blog please sign up as a follower! :) All you need is a google account.

*1 or more organized bike rides - postponed til 2013

Friday, June 29, 2012

Making the best of it.....

Jeremy has gone in to work all week long except Tuesday afternoon when I had my surgery. He doesn't have sick days per se and we dont want him to use his vacation days unless I really need him. We already have/had a vacation scheduled for December 2012. He has about 5 days left not counting the December vacation that he can take. But that has to last him through March 2013 which is when his work year starts over. I should be getting out of my boot around our December vacation so it will be a nice way to celebrate being healed. I dont think they gave me a card for the airport so I'll have to check on that. Two of my nine screws will be taken out in 3 months but the rest will stay in forever unless they bother me in the future.

My parents have been over every day though and a few people have brought us food. Jeremy doesnt cook so that's been difficult too. Lesley my running partner is coming over this afternoon to keep me company and tonight Twila is taking me to see Magic Mike at the theatre.  I'm looking forward to both!

My day consists of either laying in the bed or on the couch. In the house I use crutches to go between the two bedrooms. I guess at least one good thing is my left leg isn't hurt at all. Jeremy said I'll be very flexible by the time this is over. There's only one step to get up to our porch. I had been sitting down, scooting up to it, then standing up again. Last night I was able to make it up the step while on the crutches.  

Our master bedroom is on the main floor so there's no need to go upstairs which is a plus. Our computer is upstairs but I borrowed a laptop from the library to use for a while. We have a bunch of movies DVR'd and I've been watching all the girly ones that Jeremy doesn't want to watch anyway while he's at work, plus I have several books that we have bought that I haven't had time to read. So I guess I'll get caught up on them as well. Plus I've been watching the Olympic swimming trials at night! There's been several Ky people that have been in the trails which is really cool!

Anika's birthday was Wednesday and we ventured out to Lexington for it. That was my first time in the wheelchair. It wasn't too bad. The party was outside so I thought that would be safer than trying to do crutches on uneven ground. All the moms kept telling their kids to stay away from the nice lady in the wheelchair! :) 

We venture out once a day. Last night it was to the RedBox to return a movie. Just being in the car, out of the house, helps though! :) 

Any good movies or books you recommend?

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Surgery

My surgery was scheduled for 1:00 today. Around 11:30 the surgery center called and said the doctor was moving ahead of schedule and wanted to know if I could get there at 12:30.

I called my parents and they said they would be right over to pick me up. Jeremy had gone in to work today and was going to meet us there after lunch.

They were going to give me a nerve block in my knee to help keep the pain controlled longer. When they came in to do it they came back with this....





I asked if that was what they were using and they said yes but only to inject it into the little needles they were going to use. That needle wouldn't be going into my leg. Thank goodness!!

I don't think it would have mattered it hurt so bad. After they did the block I really don't remember anything until I started walking up afterwards.

The doc ended up putting in 1 plate and 9 screws. 2 of the screws will come out after three months. The rest will stay in unless I have problems with them.

I will be in the splint they put on today for two weeks, then I go back to see about getting a cast.

I have been getting around pretty well on crutches. Last night we ventured to Walmart and Jeremy pushed me around in the wheelchair cart. Unfortunately the electric wheelchair cart was not available. Maybe next time.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, June 25, 2012

Doctors update

Went to the orthopedic doctor this morning. They took off my splint to see the skin underneath. To my surprise no bruising, just swollen.

I have surgery tomorrow at 1:00. It will last 2-2 1/2 hours. They have to put in 1plate and 4 screws in various places to hold my ankle and ligaments together.

I will then be in a splint for 2 weeks while the cut heals. Then I will be in a cast for 4-6 weeks. After that it's a boot til the end of the year.

He did say I should get full function back in my ankle but I'll always know something happened to it. The doctor also said I should be able to start running and such at the beginning of the year.

It's going to be a long haul that's for sure. Haven't really processed it all yet.

I can go back to work after the surgery as long as I can stay off my foot.

I can drive my car if I learn how to drive with my left foot. Anyone had to do that? How difficult is it?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Me, the Wounded Warrior

Yesterday Jeremy, my friend Emily and I did the Warrior Dash. I have been wanting to do one for a couple years now and they finally had one in Kentucky about 45 minutes from our hometown.

A few weeks ago We were talking about it and Emily was freaking out about how she had read that people had broken their ankles on one of the obstacles! Jeremy and I tried to calm her and her fears. She even got a tetanus shot before the race on Saturday.
I looked at some of the pictures on fb of the obstacle she was talking about, which was a firemans pole you have to slide down. In the pics on fb (see pic below) there was hay at the bottom to help you land. So I wasnt too worried about it.




We got to the dash an hour early and walked around looking at a few of the obstacles at the very end before the finish line.




Finally it was time to start and off we went with 500 others. The second obstacle was Emily and Jeremy least favorite - swimming through a cow pond. At least it cooled us down because it was very hot even at 9am. Of course that also meant we were soaking wet for the rest of the race.

Running in wet shoes, which now also had rocks in them is not very fun.

We were almost done, making better time than we had guessed we came upon the sliding pole obstacle. Emily was a little in front of us and had already climbed up but hadn't slid down yet. I yelled up to her "Don't break an ankle!"

When Jeremy and I got closer there was a man directing people to go to the other end because there was an injury! I felt horrible because this person really had broken their ankle!

Emily went down and then Jeremy. It was my turn. They were telling us to hold tightly and wrap our legs tight and squeeze the whole way down. I hopped on and squeezed or so I thought.... I guess I started going to fast and came out of my hold with my legs to try to break my fall. Well that's exactly what I did... Break my fall! I hit hard on my right leg I heard and saw my ankle was broken. Emily heard it crack as they broke.

Luckily there were people already helping the other woman who had broken hers so it didn't take long for them to assist me. I've had a cracked elbow before when I was little but don't really remember it too much but no other broken bones.

After waiting to see I was in good hands Emily took my bib off and went to finish the race so she could get our gear at gear check. She also made the lady giving finisher medals to give her 2 extras - one for me and one for Jeremy! I'm glad she did! Even though I didn't finish or "survive" I think I deserved a medal!




They loaded me and the other lady up into the ambulance to take to the ER. Once at the hospital they took X-rays and said I broke the two bones. My fibula and tibia are both broken and I will need surgery. One of them was in pieces and the other was displaced!








They called the orthopedic doctor in my hometown and they said for me to come in on Monday. I'm hoping they will go on and do the surgery on Monday. Then the doctor and nurse splinted me up
and sent me home.




I can't put any weight on my leg at all. Thankfully my parents had crutches so we picked them
up before we went home. I'm also glad we have been doing a lot of upper body lifting the past month which should help with the crutches.

Jeremy is being a wonderful nurse. I'm trying to be a good patient for him.

We spent the rest of Saturday in bed watching tv and movies. I'm sure that's how today will go as well.

Running, biking, and swimming are definitely out for a while. I won't know how long until I go to the orthopedic doctor on Monday.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, June 18, 2012

New niece and nephews

Jeremy's older brother Jonathan and his wife Trisha have recently adopted three children from Florida.  They live in Tennessee and came up for the weekend for the Ellis family to meet them.  They are too cute!

Xander, Trulea, and Lavelle (5, 2, and 6)

Lavelle

Xander

Trulea (pronounced True Lee)

Anika and Trulea hit it off!

Andrew is too little to play with the big cousins just yet, but had lots of fun playing in the grass!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Fallen Runner

While I do not know these people, I feel it needs to shared in the running blog world.  Be careful running!

Yesterday, a woman, Sarah Hart, who lives a couple counties over from us was murdered while running.  She and her sister were up early running, Sarah was struggling and her sister ran back to get the car. When her sister came back, she couldn't find Sarah.  After looking for hours, they found her body.  She had been murdered.  Thankfully they already have a suspect in custody who has admitted to robbing her and then strangling her. 

Here is the link to one of the articles on this. 
http://www.lex18.com/news/state-police-say-suspect-admitted-to-killing-russell-county-woman/

It's very scary to think that this could happen.  Sherry Arnold a few months ago and now within miles of my hometown.  As a runner I don't carry money with me, as I'm sure most others runners don't either.  And to be killed for a little, if any money, is just heinous.   Sarah had three children.  Please say a pray for her family. 

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Twinkie Run

Last night Jeremy and I did the Twinkie Run. 


This is a fun run, where no watches are allowed.  You can do a 10K individually or as a team (each person doing a 5K).   You estimate your time when you register, then they stagger the start so that in theory everyone should finish at the same time. 

Jeremy estimated a 25:30 for him and a 37 for me since it is run in the evening when it's hot and it's a hilly course.  It was extremely hot last night and the course was much hillier than I remembered it being.  To say I  struggled a lot would be an understatement.  I did a lot of walking.  Everyone that started behind me passed me.  I felt so bad for Jeremy when he was the last one left at the exchange point.  He did awesome though and actually caught three people so we weren't dead last.  

After the race I got to thinking I really haven't ran much in the past month, about 4 miles total.  I know I need to run more, but will still wait a couple more weeks before I start back since that's what the LiveFit program calls for. 

Tomorrow I get to meet my new adopted nephews and niece!  Very exciting!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

An all-girls beach get-away!

Last Friday, 8 girls left at 3AM for Tybee Island,Georgia which is 30 minutes from Savannah.  This was a celebratory trip for a friend that had been diagnosed with breast cancer last year and is now in remission.  It was great to get away and relax for a few days on the beach.





 On Saturday I got up and ran 1 mile around 9:30am!  It was already hot and running on the sand is not too easy.



The beach was empty, with the exception of my finger! Oops!




Found this guy washed up during my morning run


The rest of the day was spent at the beach, getting fried.  My back is now all nice and peely. :(



These flew overhead all day long

 We ate at the Crab Shack that night. It was an awesome restaurant with open air seating.  We tried crawfish and mussels.  I liked the mussels, they tasted like crab. I wasn't too fond of the crawfish, they didnt seem to have much taste. Maybe I wasn't doing it right








They also had drinks in a coconut.  They just put a regular paper cup with the drink down in it, but it was still fun to say I had a coconut drink.  




On Sunday the tide was so low that we could walk almost to the mainland from the island.  We saw several horseshoe crabs along the way. 










The boat table.  Sadly we didnt get to eat in it, but we did hop in for a picture.





view from the restaurant on Sunday





early morning sunrise on Monday