Running...again

A year ago, I was running up to 8 miles, had increased my speed, and was training for the first inaugural Marine Corps Half Marathon in Fredericksburg. I was cooking and incredibly proud of my achievements. I am a mom of 8 children. I homeschool. I can do it all! Pride doth go before a fall...

It all started with a way too familiar pang in my shin. It moved to a regular throb. Then came the "it hurts to walk and let's not even contemplate stairs."" No, really, Son, you do want to carry me up the stairs. I mean, come on, you pick me up and move me when I'm in your way, why can't you move me when I am in MY way?" Back to physical therapy I go... Yep, I have done this before, so apparently I am a slow learner. :)

So I call my friends at physical therapy...their first words to me were, "So here is my repeat offender!" I spend two months with my therapist who then decides to hand me over to another therapist...someone who says, "Oh! The injury is in your leg, but your real problem is in your hip!" Hmmm...they did have to move around a few times with 8 pregnancies.
The long trek back to running health took months that included my not running at all...In the midst of all of this, my son's health deteriorated, I started driving a few thousand miles a month to doctor appointments, and I had no time or emotional energy left to run...which means.. Yep, that 9 minute mile is gone. Long gone.

I read somewhere that the first nine runs are the hardest. If you make it through those first nine runs, you will be a runner for life. Really. I lace up my shoes, put on my cute little running skirt (that used to fit much looser!), and strap on my handy dandy Garmin that will tell me how fast I am zipping along...Did I say zipping? Hmmm...The only thing zipping along is the air as it leaves my gasping lungs. Up the dreaded hill I crawl, making the mistake of looking at that handy dandy Garmin and it suggests that I am zipping along at startling 12 and a half minutes per mile. Maybe I should walk, it would be faster! I stumble forward, thinking, "It will get better. It will get better. It will get better."

Here we are three weeks later. I actually conquered 3.9 miles on Wednesday at a zippy little pace of 11 minutes per mile. Not fast by any measure, but better than three weeks ago...and I didn't feel the to inspect my sanity at the half mile mark. It has been nine runs...and I am actually running! Not fast...and it certainly isn't pretty...and that cute little running skirt isn't nearly as loose as it used to be, but it's looser than it was three weeks ago. Maybe they were on to something? Nine runs and...my core is stronger (thanks, Steve, the amazing physical therapist!), my leg isn't hurting, and...I'm running!

Ah, but have I learned my lesson? Will I stay injury free? Am I a really slow learner? Stay tuned....

Running with Jackson, the beagle

For those whom I totally confused with the previous post, Jackson is William's ten month old Beagle. Well, after last week's event between Jackson and Benjamin, my 8 yo son, we were in a quandry as to what to do. We had always stated that we would never keep a dog that had bitten someone. However, nothing is ever that easy when you are in the middle of it. Beagles are not generally aggressive. Headstrong, yes. Aggressive, no. So what really happened? With no witnesses, it's impossible to know.

So, we decided to have someone evaluate him to see if they could provoke a similar response. I called a friend, Amber, with lots of dog training experience to do just that. She saw nothing that gave her concern. I called another trainer (who helped train the previous trainer) who had several recommendations, one of which was to give him lots of exercise. Aha! I can do that! I wanted a canine running partner anyway!

Ha! Beagles and running. Well, they love to run, but they love to run after something...something with fur and a really good scent...and I don't mean Shalimar! If it's a dead scent, all the better! Definitely not my scent of choice. Since I don't generally smell dead (at least I try not to smell dead), I have hair and not fur, I am really not all that attractive to this beagle. So, a lovely little training collar is used to make my presence known and, more importantly, to make said beagle realize that he is not alpha and doesn't call the shots...or the pace!

So, Jackson works with said trainer, he runs a few miles with my 15 yo, Andrew, and now it is my turn. Amber works with me, showing me what to do to encourage good running partner behavior. Got it. I practice at home. I even run a few tenths of a mile. Cool! This is working!

So, today, KT and David came over and off we went for a nice slow three miles. Slow is the operative term. I have Jackson fully under my control with his training collar and leash. Kt gives in to Savannah's tail wagging and sad eyes, attaches a snoot loop and leash to her, and we are off. Off our rockers!

We get maybe a tenth of a mile down the road, and my shoulder already feels like it has been lifting weights for half an hour. I have to constantly pull on Jackson's leash to remind him that he is supposed to follow, not lead! The dead rabbit in the middle of the road is way more interesting than my attention-getting tactics. He finally settles into a rhythm. Then we hit the first hill. I slow down but Jackson is so not interested! He decides that the former pace is much more desireable. After stopping to make him sit, I get his attention again, and off we go.

Now for the fun....at the top of the hill, a bird has the audacity to wing itself across the road, right at Jackson's eye level. What is this stupid bird thinking? Doesn't it realize that this dog is a force with which to be reckoned? Apparently it decided to tempt fate...and we were off to the races.

How is it that a 40 lb dog can actually make a grown woman feel like she is in a cartoon as she is being literally dragged down the road, both hands holding onto the leash, and pulling with all her might! It was like being on the back of a sled and a team of huskies was pulling me across the frozen tundra! I wanted to yell, "MUSH!", but figured that if I did that, I might end up in North Carolina. While Caty is hysterically laughing at my comical adventure, I am looking at David, going, "Uh, could ya help me out here?" Fortunately, he did not find it nearly so comical and added his much stronger muscle mass to the effort of stopping this run away sled.

Needless to say, I have decided that my 6 foot son whose biceps are twice the size of mine will have the distinct privilege of running with said beagle while I enjoy his lab who adores placidly trotting along beside you... The beagle gets exercise, I get a lovely running partner, and all but Andrew are happy. :) Sorry son. Rank doth have its privileges!

Ben and the dog

It was one of those moments.... It was Caroline's 7th birthday. I was cleaning house all morning, anticipating the arrival of friends and family for dinner. I finally was drying my hair when one of the kids says that Ben is crying. I asked them to send Ben to me when someone said, "Andrew needs you now." Andrew is my Joe Cool, unruffleable 15 year old. For him to need me now sends this shiver down my spine.

Sitting there on the porch in my rocker is my 8 year old...bleeding profusely. Andrew, who is holding pressure, moves his hand and I see...a mess. (For those who don't like graphic descriptions, I will spare you!) I immediately bark orders as I go to get my shoes on. Someone find Ben's shoes and get them on, find my bag, get the ER bag (yes, we have an ER bag thanks to Caroline and Will!).

What would we do without the Brooks's? There would be NO birthday, that is for sure. Randy had shopped for me on his way home from work the previous night, Erlene had wrapped the presents, and all I did was write a check. They totally saved the day. So, Erlene gets another call from me asking if she could possibly take Caroline to Costco to get a birthday cake while I hang out at the ER.

Six stitches and a few gray hairs later, we eat a birthday dinner that was saved by Chelsea who won't even eat most of what she helped prepare, ate birthday cake and ice cream purchased by Erlene, opened gifts purchased by Randy (Erlene's husband), and celebrate the good gift of children while being very thankful for the Lord's mercy toward our son and His provision of amazing friends!

Home at Last!

After a totally uneventful trip, we're home!

William is doing really well...walking with a limp, but walking nonetheless. Chelsea totally held down the fort in our absence. She and Chloe fed all the animals, watered all the animals, and hopefully enjoyed their time here. We will return the rental, pick up what we hope is a fixed van, and then pick up our other five children tomorrow morning...all before 11:30! :)

Results of the biopsy should be available in six to eight weeks. Dr Shoffner stated that sometimes it takes as long as 12 weeks...

As our life returns to our normal craziness, we remain grateful for our amazing friends who helped us through this trip, who helped provide some really cool experiences for William, who prayed for us, and who sat with us as we laugh and/or cry... In the midst of this storm, the Lord continues to shelter us in very real ways...

Oops

Apparently, I did not enable that little box that allows the blog to be emailed to those of you who clicked on the "Follow this blog", but I have fixed it. I'm sorry!

Children's Hospital of Atlanta at the Scottish Rite

Children's Hospital of Atlanta at the Scottish Rite is truly an amazing hospital. It makes all of the other hospitals we've visited pale in comparison... Not only was the hospital beautiful, but it was thoughtfully designed with families in mind. Even their day surgery suite had rooms instead of curtains...and that room was yours for the day. It lacked the cattle drive mentality that is so prevalent in most of the facilities we've seen to date.

The staff was outstanding. Each floor has its own child life specialist...Allison was ours and she obviously loves her job. Will wasn't talking about his anxiety, but she got him talking and showed him pictures of the OR, got him a movie to watch, and simply played with him and seemed to enjoy his particular sense of humor. When it was time to leave, she actually (apparently unusually) walked us out.

Rick, a friend and one of our elders from church, works in Atlanta and left work to be with us. I'm not sure he realizes how much it helped, but having someone else to chat with and pray with is a real blessing. When I burst into tears, he didn't blink an eye... :)

The real glitch in the day... is that the first words that Will uttered upon his return to his room were, "I remember the whole thing." After asking him what exactly he remembered, he was able to recount enough to convince us all that he was indeed partially conscious throughout at least parts of the surgery. Given the medications adminstered to William, this should never have happened. After meeting with the anesthesiologist, he was amazed and concerned...he stated that in 15 years, he had never had a patient experience this. Needless to say, we're concerned. William was obviously distraught when he initially related the story, but he appears to be processing it fairly well... We are concerned about the long-term effects of this experience. To have a tube down your throat and not be able to speak, and to have meds on board that partially paralyze you such that you can't move to let someone know you're awake must be incredibly frightening.

William is in a moderate amount of pain. He's propped up on the sofa in our room and is watching the History Channel and enjoying cable while he has it. :)

We plan to head toward home tomorrow...Lord willing it will be less eventful than the trip down was! :)

Uneventful Days are Highly Underappreciated!

Billy was feeling better but still unsettled, so William and I headed to the Guest House for breakfast and let Billy sleep. Unfortunately, Will couldn't eat breakfast due to his impending metabolic study, but he was a good sport and went with me; we played Farkle while I ate. :) As has been their habit, the managers of the hotel wrapped food for William to eat later. This particular hotel management has been amazing!

The metabolic test was much simpler than what we had read. Will basically got to sit in a recliner with a bee-keeper-like hood (only much bigger!) that measured oxygen and carbon dioxide...basically, how many calories does Will burn a day? The quick read is that Will's metabolic rate is on the high side of normal...not bad.

The doctor was quite pleasant...very professorial. :) He was willing to explain in depth what he knew of Will's case and asked if his presumptions of what he read were accurate. When I asked what exactly he was looking for in his tests, he responded that he wasn't looking for anything catastrophic. That was a relief! He stated that William obviously was growing taller but was struggling to put on any muscle weight. While his weight gain has always been slow, the fact that it is specifically muscle weight that is lacking is a great point. I never even thought to pinpoint it as such. Combined with all of William's other diagnosis, he was looking for commonalities as well as genetic links. Dr Shoffner is truly a researcher, but he is very...human. While the visit didn't produce any new revelations, it did allow us a slightly better understanding of where he's heading. It also was wonderful to be told that William would NOT need a spinal tap tomorrow morning. Dr Shoffner stated that the information gleaned from the spinal fluid seldom yielded anything beneficial, so he saw no need for it.

After the doctor, we changed into jeans and headed to The World of Coke. It's a really cool Coke museum right beside the aquarium. We spent about two hours learning about the history of Coke, watched a 4-D movie, and then got to taste as many as 64 different products that Coke creates and ships throughout the world. There's even a section where Coke is bottled... It was a lot of fun...and it was really relaxing to just play for a couple of hours...something we just don't generally have the opportunity to do. While tasting 64 differently flavored beverages was entertaining, I'm perfectly happy to stick with my Diet Coke. Some of those flavors were...awful! :) But it was very cool to taste what other countries around the world enjoy...

We left the Coke museum just prior to a string of massive thunderstorms moved through the Atlanta region. Apparently, three miles south of Atlanta actually experienced softball sized hail. The news tonight is full of the severe weather.

We met Rick, one of our elders who works in Atlanta, for dinner at Fuddruckers. It was a lovely couple of hours of simply sitting still and chatting with a friend. William had only had one meal to that point and was also anxious over tomorrow's procedure, so by the time we left the restaurant, he was a bit...entertaining. :) By ten he was showered and in bed...which is where I need to head. We're supposed to be at the hospital by 730 in the morning and I'm traveling with two non-morning people. :) Other than the severe weather, including tornado warnings, the day was not only uneventful, it was actually almost calm. It was a lovely change over the last couple of days!