Post Op Appt.

Tuesday, April 5th was the day to visit Dr. Carlo Messina at the South Florida Institute of Sports Medicine in Weston, FL. (right next door to where I work) After a nice car ride out to Weston, my mom drove me, a walk through the parking lot and in I went. Having an appointment in the morning is a good thing here as it tends to get busy. The assistant took me to the exam room and told me to remove the boot (camwalker). Went to take some xrays and then back to the room. He posted the old (before) xrays and then proceeded to cut the wrappings/bandages off.

OHHH MYYYY, boy did it look pretty darn ugly. Well, it is black and blue and that is pretty normal for my fair skin. Doc came in and took a look, new xrays came in and got to see how it looked and what they did. I have a pin in the metatarsal head to help align the toe better.

Dr. Messina rewrapped the area and I was given a pass to use a surgical (flat bed) shoe just to drive in and otherwise it's still the boot. Das Boot.

This was also the day I took my last oxycodone as I was also told I could take ibruprofen. I didn't like the way the pain med was making me feel, so glad I am done with it and feeling ok just using the Motrin when I need it.

Took an 8 min walk around the block with Das Boot to get out and about.

Wednesday, April 6th, was grocery day. Got up and out of the house to make a deposit at the bank through the drive through and then off to Publix. I did pretty good walking around the isles and gettin back in the car. Starting to see a lot of black and blue around the edges of the wrapping and around the ankle area. Just lovely.

Cruella de Toe

Cruella de Toe is the name I have given my right big toe. I had to give it a name because I had to separate how the toe was making me feel from it's physical attachment to me. I had surgery on this toe joint back in 2006. I have Degenerative Osteoarthritis in the joint. It builds up extra bone and those are like spurs, the spurs got so bad before 2006 that the toe would get stuck when I would bend it. I had a procedure called a chilectomy to clean out the area. While healing from that I read an article on someone who walked the WDW Half Marathon, sounded like something I could do and so I found a training program to do it and as I recovered I trained and completed the 2008 WDW Half Marathon.

It's been about 5 years and the degenerative arthritis issue is still there (you are never cured from this) so bone builds back up, things healed a bit weird from the first surgery and the toe started to lay a bit on its side. It wasn't functioning correctly, so the toe next to it was trying to do the job of the big toe, which started causeing me pain in races. Used to be around mile 9 I would feel like a stone under the middle of foot near the 2nd toe joint. Then it just got worse, but mile 6, then 5, then most of the time I was just walking. I started to suffer in races. Talked to a new Podiatrist as to my options. We decided after the races I had already signed up for and I had a break then surgery would be done again.

Wow, the last Half Marathon I did before surgery (end of February) I was really suffering, I broke down with about a half mile left thinking if I couldn't get my toe fixed I would have to stop doing these races as I was just in so much pain.

SURGERY: APRIL 1st, 2011 -

Surgery day was a day of mixed emotions, I was a bit nervous of just the surgery itself, but happy to be getting the dang toe overhauled!!! I was home by about 10:30 and chilling out in the recliner. Foot was completely numb that whole day!! so really no issues that day and I didn't take any pain meds until bed time. I felt some feeling coming back and so I took 1/2 a pill before bed, woke up after 2 hours sleep and took the other half. I didn't sleep well, couldn't get comfortable at all.

Day 2 (Sat)-Pain started to creep in and taking that first step in the morning was very awkward. So, I started taking the Oxycodone regularly every 4 hours. This helped alot. Spent most of the day in the recliner with foot elevated and icing on and off.

Day 3 (Sun)- Pretty much most of the feeling is back. Getting some little twinges and a definate pushing pressure feeling in the joint. Still using pain meds and ice and elevation.

Day 4 (Mon)- Sleeping is better and gave up elevating the foot in bed. Doing ok without it. Started to get some swelling in the ankle area at the end of the day yesterday and some today. Noticing some black and blue areas.

Friday in California

I got up around 4am - seeing as how it was my 7am. Tried to go back to sleep for alittle while longer but didn't work to well. So I got up and used my Aunt Computer to get on the internet and look around. I went for a walk around my Aunt's neighborhood and to a park across the street. Weather was feeling very nice and a bit of a breeze.
My Aunt's House in Fullerton.





Took a shower and packed up. My cousin drove me over to the Disneyland Hotel. We stopped before we got there to eat lunch at Subway.


Got to the Disneyland hotel and she dropped me of to go explore at the EXPO and pick up my stuff.


Hotel. Waiting in Line.




Get my packet. Waiting for Goody Bag.





I then went out and waited for my Aunt to pick me up to see the sights.
She drove me around to LA. We went out and saw some theaters in the area and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. We weren't allowed to go inside but were able to climb up and see the garden near the rooftop.














After LA, it was off to Hollywood. My Aunt works for the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. We parked at her church and then walked down to the subway station. Along the way I walked over the "stars" that were on the sidewalk. Down into the subway and took the subway to one station over. Got up out of the station and was on the main drag of Hollywood CA. I was right there near Gromen's Chinese Theater, the El Capitan Theater (Disney's) and the new Kodak Theater. Very Cool. Went over to the outside plaza near the Kodak Theater. Was able to get the "photo" of the Hollywood sign. Went back over to my Aun't church so she could show me around.









We then headed over to the Farmer's Market in Hollywood. Ate Dinner at a place called Marmalade's. Very good. My Aunt then took me to the hotel I would be staying at for the next two nights. The Candy Cane Inn in Anaheim and right next to California Advneture. Got settled in and got up my laptop to put some pictures on it from my camera. Room had free wireless. I then heard some noise outside. I went out and could see the fireworks coming from the Disneyland end of the night fireworks show. Was pretty good. Got to meet my hotel and WISH racing team mates when they got back from the park. Pat &Jim and Susan and Steve. I'll see them in the morning.

Day I leave for California...

I had to work the morning of the day I flew out to CA. I went for a 3 mile walk on my way home. Took shower, finished packing, printed my boarding pass and off I went. My Mom dropped me off at the JetBlue Terminal and gave me a big hug. I went to the curbside bag checkin and they said for me to go inside because their computers were done. When I got inside their were lines at the JetBlue counter. I got in the self serve bag checking for those who already had boarding passes. Waited about 10min and got to the counter. The man said they were manually checking in baggage and everyone would make their flights. Then as he got my pass he tried to scan it and the computer worked!! Yea. Do I wend through security and off to get something to eat before boarding my plane. Relaxed and used the restroom and then time to board. Plane took off on time at 5:35pm.
Off to Long Beach, CA. Flight was ok and had a sprite and some snacks. Alittle bumpy over texas. Landed and had to walk a ramp off the plane outside to get to the little terminal. Found my Uncle at the baggage claim and off we went to the curb to get picked up by his business partner Nancy. Drove back to my Aunt and Uncle's house in Fullerton. My Aunt was cooking dinner, steak and potatoes. So I had a second dinner. I tried to stay up to keep with CA time and ended up going to bed around 1:30am my time and 10:30pm CA time.


Fort Lauderdale Airport

Crystals forming on the window of the plane.

Mountains going in to California.

Getting ready to post trip

Getting ready to post my trip to CA. Will also try to post photos with it.

Almost time for the DL 1/2...

The Disneyland Half Marathon is about a week away and I have 5 more sleeps until I am on a plane out to California. Trying to get stuff organized and then will start putting it into the suitcase.
Training is coming along nicely and I start my second week of taper since I did my own 13.10 miles. Weather seems like it will be a high of about 85 on race day.
I will try to bring my laptop to Cali to keep up with what I'm doing.

Have a good one.

Been awhile...

I know, I know its been awhile. Still been training.
I had a great 4 miles last Friday evening. Not sure if it was the new shoes or not?? I did 4 miles at 5:17pm. Of course that is not really the best time to go out. Sun was brutal and starring right at me on my way out.
I did it in 55min and 59.27secs. That is a 13:59 pace!!!!! Wow best training 4 miles that I have had!! Pretty cool and I had just done 4 miles at my Mount Trashmore the night before.
I went to ride my bike (very old and not so great bike that was given to me) on Saturday for XT. Checked tire pressure and away I went. Got about .35 miles away and started to hear the front tire rubbing the brake funny. I looked down and could see part of the tire separating from the rim. I stopped and as I went to lean over to look at what the problem was, the tire EXPLODED!!! Boom, dog's barking and a car alarm went off. So I walked the bike home and went in the pool instead. Put the bike out this morning for bulk trash and someone came by last night late and took it. New that would happen and thats good I figured so.
I did 12 miles yesterday and that was pretty tough. I always have problems when I go over 10miles. It's like a wall and I have to just get over it. I know I can do it because I have done it before, its just a mental thing I guess. I got out in the am around 6:15am to try and beat the heat and humidity. It worked for awhile but you can only hold it off for so long. When I got up I had part of granola bar (I can't eat too much in the AM). I had some water and a sport bean. I got all my gear on including my CamelBak Flashflo with my water. I also carried a cell phone, lip balm, sunscreen stick, poncho, gel and another sport bean. Was doing well and carrying along nicely and not pushing for speed and kept about a 15:30 pace until mile 6 when I had to turn around and go home. After mile 6 came the bean to make sure my electrolytes were doing well. At mile 8 as I turned to go South I started to notice some storm clouds in the distance, but couldn't tell which way they were going. At mile 9 I took my gel, mmmmm chocolate. That helped and kept forging ahead. At mile 10 was starting to notice more thunder and the clouds were moving toward me because at this point I am moving East. With one mile left the grey dark clouds were over me and as I went around the corner next to an Optimist Field I heard the Lightening alarm go off. That means lightening has been detected within 6 miles. I figure I need to try (try) and push myself a bit to get moving to get home. The weather did do one thing and that was stir up the air with a great breeze and cooled thing off about 10 degrees!!! At .80 left I see my "pit crew" show up (my mom) asking if I was ok and I said yes. I told her to meet me at the corner of our street just in case the weather turned worse. I got there and said it was ok for her to keep going and I would meet her at home. Got home and things were ok. Took me 3hours 2min and 52sec. Not my best time, but again I wasn't out for speed. I just want to survive and not kill myself in the heat. I can't wait for the WDW Half in Jan. I think I may do great seeing as how I usually do no training in the summer. My best Half time is 3hours 11minutes. I hope that this WDW half or the ING half after that that I get a 3hour 10min.
Today is my rest day and I am also off from work - YES!!! My left hip is bothering me a bit, just sore and my right big toe is sore today (I have had surgery on it aobut 2 years ago). So a rest day is good for me today.
Ordered a new sports bra and a pair of shoes from runningwarehouse.com last night, so anxiously awaiting them to try them out.
Got out the suitcase and carryon bag for my upcoming flight to CA. I have alittle less than 5 weeks until I go!!!

--Tracy