My First Surgery

I am finally repaired. The doctor did not have to put in a mesh covering due to my fab ab muscles (I am not sure I agree)and the hernia being so small. He just stitched me up. Everything with the surgery went well. It was my first time having anesthesia and I wasn't so thrilled after I woke up. I lay there in the haziest of haziness as the nurse tried to communicate with me. She went to get Garth but had to tell him "false alarm" due to the difficulty of me coming "out of it." After finally getting me in a recovery chair, the haziness began to subside but then the nausea came with a vengeance.

I could tell all of the nurses wanted to go home for the day, but man did I feel horrible. After the anestheologist came in three different times to check on me, I was feeling a bit rushed. Upon seeing her out of her scrubs and into her every day clothes, I knew I had better buck up and feel better.

The car ride home was a doozey as I tried my darndest to not throw up. My neighbor saw us drive down the street to our house and she told me I looked pretty whipped. It took another 2 hours (it had already been 4 since the surgery) before I felt clear headed.

We were so grateful for the meals that our friends brought in...thanks Jean, Suzi and Dana!

I was in bed all day. Everytime I had to sit up or turn, the pain was unbearable. I guess it is a blessing so I will have no desire to do much and just get better. I have to stay away from anything reselmbling exercise for 2 weeks. I can't lift anything over 10 lbs (sweet, no laundry), and can't lift weights for 6 weeks. Maybe my heel will be pleased with me laying around and it will finallyheal.

For those that have had C-sections my heart goest out to you!

Riding with the B Team

Last night I went out for my first official group ride. I joined the Haymarket Bicycle Team who host a Wed night 26 mile ride. There is an A team and B team. The A team peeps are super competitors and ride fast and furious the entire time. I joined the B team of course hoping to just keep up with them.

I was educated quickly on all of the lingo from "car back (a car is coming up from behind)" to "car up (car approaching from ahead)." There were also very valuable hand signals such and a straight arm down with hand shaking meant gravel or lose surface. That one was my favorite due to my fear of not being able to see the road ahead of me with so many bikers in front.

My friends Bryan and Frank gave me "Drafting 101" help too. Although I understand the necessity of it, it still freaks me out to be positioned inches away from a rider's tire. One false move and I am road kill.

At the end of the ride, I was wasted. My neck and shoulders were killing me. My quads and butt were sore. And I was humbled after discovering quickly I was the weakest rider. But what I did come to realize was another sport is out there that can challenge me, excite me and might just make me an addict. Maybe after all the frustrations of not being able to run, a new found love emerges. It would not have happened if I wasn't forced off my feet.

Goals for the next ride: 1. Not be the slowest rider. 2. Beat one of the girls.

Gotta go...off to have hernia surgery.

The Miracle of the Bicycles

There were three people that needed bikes. The first one was a little guy who needed to move up from his super little bike with training wheels to a bigger bike. He so wanted to ride a two wheeler like his big brothers. But his parents were unable to buy a new bike. His mother loved to scour the neighborhood for trash treasures every now and then. Well one night, she thought she spotted something in the darkness. She was right. It was a bike. Not the newest of bikes. In fact, it was missing a pedal. But it was the perfect size for the little boy. It was a bit hard to pedal at first, but he took no time learning how to ride and was zipping up and down the street. The next week, his mother happened upon another bike. The gears were broken but it had two perfect pedals. Now the little boys bike was perfect. He had been blessed with the miracle of the bicycles.

There was another boy. His bike had been broken for a year. He was desperate at times for a bike, so desperate in fact, he could be seen on his older sister's PINK bike every so often. One of the most wonderful neighbors had a bike sitting in the driveway. Perfect size for a larger boy. Perfect condition. Perfect color. The neighbor was planning on giving it away. They gave it to the boy. He too now had a bike and was part of the miracle.

There was the mom. She was unable to run. She had a brother and sister-n-law who were avid cyclists. She had friends who rode road bikes. She heard from them how great riding was. They loved to ride together on fast, effective, fun rides. The mother didn't have a bike for those conditions. She wished she could join in the fun. A most fab neighbor friend offered to loan his daughter's road bike to her so she could ride when she wanted to. She tried it for the first time and loves it! She feels blessed and knows it was a miracle.

Hot

It is hot in Virginia this weekend. Too hot. Add humidity to heat and guess what you have...a sauna of course. So if you want a free sauna, come to Virginia. You can stay with us.

The only time I enjoy this kind of heat is after I have been freezing in an air conditioned building. I walk outside into the "sauna" and I feel wonderful...for approx. 30 seconds. I am then too hot again.

Cheap Fun

One neighbor with a little brown water in their sink and all of a sudden you have some major fun! So call your local water authority today...they will come and flush out the hydrants and the kids will have "the bestest day ever (quote from Ethan)." The kids played in the street for over an hour while two hydrants were flushing their systems. I was tempted to get a bar of soap while they played...

Calvin hanging on for dear life as the water blasts out.
Ethan body surfing.
Ashton getting his feet wet.
All the kids enjoying the fun...Ash and Cal on right.

Hernia Friend

I have had a little Hernia friend the past year. She would come and go every so often, making more frequent visits after my long Saturday runs. I knew I wouldn't be able to train if I had surgery on my friend, so I put it off. Well, next week, we shall bid a fond farewell to Hernia. We hope Hernia had a nice stay and will find happiness where it belongs. I asked the doctor if I should stay in bed for at least 3 or 4 days after surgery, maybe avoiding tasks such as dishes, picking up clutter, making meals...he laughed. Thanks a lot Hernia Friend. The least you could have done was to give me an excuse to stay in bed and do nothing...

Now I hope Broken Foot Friend will go away too. He isn't cooperating and insists on remaining fractured. Good for nothing tiny little crack!

Storms and Stories

Yesterday we had a beautiful start to our day. The sun was shining and the air was warm. Ashton and Tate were having a splendid time playing in the backyard on the swingset. I went upstairs for a moment to fold some laundry and turned on the tv. Tornado Warning! I went outside to see ominious clouds circling overhead and what was a totally bright day was now dark and spooky. I ushered the kids inside just as the power went out. It began to pour and the wind was whipping the trees to and fro. We headed for the dark basement...how did it get so dark so quickly?

It was 3 in the afternoon and I could barely see anything. I rummaged for a couple of flashlights and found two small ones (time to re-organize our 72 hours kits). The boys were a bit freaked out so I eased them by giving them each a light stick and a snack (food does wonders). We made a little flashlight campfire and ate Chex Mix. I wondered how my other three kids were faring at their various schools, Cal and Ethan and elementary school and Sommer at Middle.

As the lightning crashed around us I showed the boys how to count until they heard the thunder. We could tell how far away it was (mile per second...or so) with each flash of light/thunder boom. I told them about the times I played on our swing set as a little girl in Wyoming, having to run inside after my mom telling us a storm was approaching. I told them about the day lightning hit my car while traveling 70 mph on a highway and it caused everything in the car to shut down (including the power steering). I told them they were in the car that day.

The storm passed with no harm done to us. The stories continued and we moved ourselves to the main level of our home (a bit more light). The power remained out so we continued our stories (and snacking on chex mix). We waited for Sommer's bus to arrive (it was 45 min late). She finally came home with her tales of having to hide under her desk. The boys arrived home 30 minutes later, full of excitement from the day.

We had more storms later that day but nothing that threatened us. But when I put the little boys to bed they asked about the storms and if by chance they woke up scared at night, they could sleep with me...and I would tell them a story.