On Kauai

Deep sigh. Roughly 9 months ago, Wayne and I planned a hiking trip out to Kalalau over the "Founder's Day" weekend (I still call it Columbus Day). This was when I first returned on to active duty, and was feeling pretty darn good having hiked out to Hanakapi'ai. Then came the return to active status, daily PT, and lots of walking/running/etc.

Some time in May, I stopped PT altogether due to the incremental stress on my already damaged ACL, and began the process of going to Orthopedics to arrange for the revision surgery. So, no hike to Kalalau for me. :(

This morning at about 6am I dropped off Wayne and Brooke at the trailhead. It started to rain, got heavier, so I waited, but no aborted hike. I'm now back at the Westin in Princeville and about to go out and walk for three to four miles along Hanalei Bay. Not quite the same, but blessedly without a knee brace! Yes, awesome news yesterday at the surgeon's office. Fully on track with the recovery, I just need to get to the 5 degree hyperextension of the knee that my right one displays, and I'm about fully operable. True full healing won't happen for about another 4 1/2 months, but I'm well on the way. I got to throw out the knee brace in his office yesterday!!! And I'm using the stationary bike, the elliptical trainer, walking backwards (!) on the treadmill, and using weights.

There's a really nice gym here at the resort, so I'll be in there in the evenings to complement my morning walks.

Oh, and did I mention the spa nearby where I will get my massage???

It should be a good weekend with pictures, planning on walking the golf course path, going to Waimea Canyon, and kayaking on the Hanalei River. More to come.

Just wish I had been well enough to be out on the trail, but with the rain, might be better off at the resort. =]

Aloha!

p.s. Shout-out to Dad -- Happy Birthday! I called the Cull House, your gift certificate should be in the mailbox today.

The Other "C" Word

And body rehab begins. I started on my low carb diet yesterday, actually looking to follow the Weight Watcher's plan again without the weekly weigh in. I was graduated from the stationary bicycle to the elliptical machine in pt yesterday, and continued to work with weights, increasing the number of sets rather than the weight load. I still suck at balancing on my left leg, but I think I sucked at that even before I had surgery. Then it was four hours of Booz work, followed up by meeting Wayne at the gym at Schofield to start upper body weight training again. I'm getting back into a groove, I have to!

I know that the "c" word has many connotations, and although "can't" resonated most loudly with me over the weekend, there is one that is even more oppressive: "cancer." So many people in my life have been touched by the disease. My father's baby brother died of Hodgkins and Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, his mother of advanced lung cancer at the ripe age of 82. My mother is a breast cancer survivor. My friend Janet's mother is not. I go to the dermatologist anywhere from 2-4 times a year to deal with actinic keratosis -- pre-skin cancer cells. My father has had to have a chemical facial peel to deal with his skin cancer cells. My high school health teacher's wife just died of lukemia.

And now my sister's mother in law has been diagnosed with small cell lung cancer, very advanced. They took her to Sloane Kettering last Friday, but the results are only with my sister and brother in law. They haven't told her, or her husband. This is a horrible disease, with even more horrible treatment that doesn't even truly cure a person.

It's October -- breast cancer awareness month. Do yourself a favor. If you are 40 or over, schedule a mammogram (boys get breast cancer too, by the way). Mine is due in November. Find a cancer walk and either donate money or your own two feet to walk it. Susan G. Komen foundation has hundreds of them. Wear someone's name on your shirt and walk either in celebration, or in memory. 1 in 5 women will be struck by the disease. Early diagnosis is the only saving grace, so do your self exams and get those mammograms. Especially if someone in your family has already been diagnosed.

I'm registering Wayne and me to walk the October 19th race for the cure in Honolulu. I hope some of the rest of you do the same!

Aloha!

The "C" Word

Of all the things I hate in the world, the "c" word is among the top, and the most frequently heard these days. Can't. I HATE that word.

It was drill weekend, but not too terribly bad. I had to weigh in, which was distressing, as I have been active, but not my normal active self over the past month. I've gained about 8 pounds. Yuck. Luckily, I can do the stationary bicycle now, and will be doing so starting tonight when I meet the spouse at the gym on Schofield.

Day one of drill was a farewell for the General, who is retiring, followed by a trip to the movies with Wayne. We saw Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Not something I would normally choose, but my two preferences were not playing at the theater in Kapolei. It was cute.

Day two I was on my own in the office, writing OERs, awards, a request for orders and access to the Japan classified network, and doing mandatory training. Not another soul from my section was present, the office was freezing, and the knee throbbing. At the end of the work day, I headed home to wait for Wayne, who was out hiking with Brooke on their final preparation for the Kalalau Trail. That's when I heard the "c" word. I was told that they took an alternate route down from the top of the pass, essentially rock climbing, and they decided that I can't ever take that route down.

I was upset with that proclamation. More than a little, in fact. I explained that the things that I won't be able to do once the knee is healed generally involve sharp pivoting motions, like on a basketball or volleyball court. The verdict was modified to "can't for now."

That's still the "C" word.

Between my girlfriend's marital trouble, my sister's mother-in-law's extreme illness, my sister's marital strife, my throbbing knee and the "c" word that cuts out activities I enjoy, I was upset. In fact, there were a few tears. I went out and snuffled to Wayne, and told him never to use that word in my presence again! He scrunched up his face and was about to say something, and I must have given him the look, because he revised whatever words were to be spoken to "we should go up that way rather than down."

And, later, while making dinner, I got an unsolicited "I love you," which helped a lot.

Good God, am I menopausal, or do I need to go back on the Strattera??

I've been feeling disjointed, emotional and just not myself over the past week, which was my first week back to work. Thank goodness it's only 50%, I would have failed miserably at every task. Even when blogging, I jump from subject to subject at an astonishing speed without any obvious connections (even for me)!

So, it's back on the Strattera, and back to the gym today. Hopefully, the combination of these two things will bring my brain and self back to normal.

And I'm abolishing the "c" word!

Aloha.

Gray days

Sorry so quiet over the past week and a half -- I have actually been in a bit of a slump, realizing that full time work is looming and I am not nearly quite ready to go back mentally. Couple that with a lot of rain, my girlfriend's diminishing reconciliation prospects, an inability to get out and walk due to aforementioned rain, and ridiculous inability to park at Tripler to go to physical therapy, and you have an unhappy redhead.

I had been told of my new position, working on the Guam joint enterprise architecture project out at NCTAMSPAC, which was exciting! I'd be working close to Wayne and close to home. We were already planning commuting, and going to the gym in the evening, stuff I really wanted to do.

And then, silence. Turned out that two lead EA folks from McLean are coming out to Hawaii for six months, and my spot in the workplan disappeared. Now, my boss was scrambling to get work for me. And recommended me for a project at PACOM in an area with which I am not familiar.

I know, good opportunity to learn something new, but if anyone out there knows the landscape at PACOM, parking is abysmal. I'd wind up at the bottom of a very large hill each day, having to walk it to work. Up is not so bad, it's down that's a problem. A long, steep down.

:(

Cue music, magically my short term disability was extended by 30 days until the end of October, so no need to grasp out at work right now, and another 30 days of healing!!! That takes me up to just before we leave for our Mediterranean cruise, so I ought to be in full swing by the time I get back. :)

So let's see, what's been going on? Besides having to reschedule several PT sessions due to no parking at Tripler, and not walking. Hmm. We had Eliot for the weekend for the first time since he headed out to UH as a freshman. It was good to see him. We hadn't heard from him in a while, so I texted him, asking if he was ok, enjoying school, and would he call his dad. He's good when I text him that way. He called Wayne that day and made the arrangements to come over. We went out to the India Cafe for dinner that night, and the next day walked to Denny's for breakfast, got to see Burn After Reading (darkly wicked, better than In Bruges), and had dinner out.

Sunday, Wayne and Brooke hiked the Hau'ula trails in preparation for their Kalalau hike next weekend (I was originally going as well until the surgery came along), and I sat under a tent and did my pt exercises. FINALLY heard from my girlfriend (she's been off the radar for over a week), although it wasn't promising for reconciliation. I walked (with sunscreen on) for about 15 minutes on the beach, only to burn my shins. You should see the patches where the brace was. But the water was soothing, and I was able to relax.

Finally got my friend out of her house on Monday to go walking -- she came Tuesday as well. Things are not boding well for her, her husband told her he feels empty inside, but doesn't want her to make any decisions until he returns from helping his mother on the east coast. I think she's ready to file, and she is mentally cataloging how they will split up the house, where she will go, and what she will do. Wasn't able to get her out this morning, but I think that was because he was still there. Sigh.

She brought me to my pt session on Tuesday, where I had great news. No longer need electric stimulation on my quad, the muscle is firming up, and not quivering when I contract it. We changed my routine to include weights and walking backwards (!) on the treadmill. It really looks like I have graduated to phase 2 of recovery.

I did my walk this morning (I was looking at the Nike+ website, and realized that the knee injury really started bothering me in May, when I stopped walking altogether), and was pleasantly surprised to see I have finally hit the 500 mile marker! I'm establishing a goal for myself of 25 sessions in the month of October, and I plan to meet or beat that goal!

Time for home pt exercises and a drive downtown to Booz Allen to pick up my computer and let my boss know I'll probably be working half days, mostly from home during the next 30 days.

His ears were burning -- he just called and is pleased to know that he doesn't have to find work for me for a few more days...and wants me to submit my timesheet!

:)

Ok, back to exercising and getting ready for work.

Aloha!