Estaba de Rodillas

Today Sarah and I and her sister, Kate, ran the Windmill 10k, and everything I read about feeling great after a break, was right. Cardio-wise, I felt pretty fantastic! Even my feet and shin splints and everything were totally gone! Which makes me want to avoid the treadmill, as that is how I get them in the first place. The bad news is that my knee was pretty painful. So I have been icing all day and got a knee brace, that so far has been the most amazing creation I have ever discovered. I slapped that thing on and adjusted the sides (reinforced with metal!), and the pain was, for the most part, totally alleviated! Needless to say, my knees will never be naked (while running) ever again.

Nolan's had some bad luck with his transportation--just as the rotation where he can drive to work and have free parking ends, his motorcycle breaks down and won't be fixed for awhile, and his bike has a rogue tire that refuses to cooperate and keeps going flat, even when replaced. So this week should be an interesting detour for him into my life--public transportation.

Today I ate cereal for the first time since The Teeth (which is what I am going to call the whole ordeal from now on, because it WAS a surgery and I was traumatized by the aftermath, and I'll be honest--I like any opportunity to be dramatic that I can. Plus have you SEEN them? They are like pasty little dead aliens in their little sterile bag), and besides having to wash chunks of Lucky Charms from the bleak caverns behind my back molars, it is pretty fantastic to be having something crunchy again! Tonight's goal: chips and dip.

Atrophy

It's been almost a month since I had my beloved white mocha or any espresso-based coffee drinks. And it's going so well, that I may even have to have the Starbucks tattoo removed from my right buttocks.

However, as soon as Lent ends, I am going to buy a giant one. As long as I can hold off until then.

Hopefully this whole thing will teach me moderation.

Tomorrow morning will be my first running experience since the whole teeth ordeal, so Nolan is going to go easy with me for just a couple miles and see how it feels. I have craved running (the grass is always greener) since I couldn't do it the last week and a half, and I can only hope that I'm ready again, or I'm going to drag my useless, atrophied legs behind me and cry and sob in defeat.

Almost There

Since I missed yesterday due to a mindsplitting headache, etc., I'll post a pic I managed to take at lunch of my progress, almost back to normal:


I came home with Nolan and was in tears and in bed in minutes because of the terrible headache. Apparently I had tried to do too much, too fast. So today I took another PTO day, which I HATE doing, to help clear up the headache and such, which was still throbbing this morning. As of right now, there is a very dull ache in my right lobe, but other than that I feel pretty okay. So I'll try going back again tomorrow. The other thing that showed up more today is the bruising. I tried to capture it in a picture and it is just too hard to get the colour to show up, but I pointed to it in the picture to help you out. You're looking for big yellow patches with some dots of purple (pretty!). Click on the pic to enlarge, and maybe you'll see it easier:


Sorry for all the pictures of me. Today's should be the last, as I am so close to being fully healed, really only Nolan and I notice it anymore. I also gummed down a bagel yesterday, which was the hardest food I have had yet! It only took me 45 minutes...

Also I feel compelled to say two things:

1. I wouldn't have made it without Nolan, who is the best beyond words.
2. If you haven't had your wisdom teeth out yet and need to--DO IT NOW. The longer you wait, the worse it will be, as you have seen by my example of putting it off for about 9 years. Don't do it (Nobby, I'm looking at you)!

step by step

And the healing process continues, though I am starting to wonder just how bruised my jawbone is, as that tends to be aching and sore and swollen regardless of whether or not I take my meds. The actual extraction sites hurt off and on pretty much, and are the worst when I wake up in the middle of the night with stabbing pain. But the jaw, ahhhhhh.

So today I worked from home, as my medications make me dizzy/lightheaded/drowsy/sometimes have slight hallucinations. I wish I could work tomorrow from home as well, but I'll have to brave getting downtown, as I have my post-op appointment down there at noon anyway. Fingers crossed that all goes well! Today was a struggle.

Here's a pic of my slow progress...better than yesterday! But still a ways to go, obviously:


Thanks to Ash U for being AMAZING and making dinner for Nolan and I this weekend, and bringing me soup this morning. So sweet!!!

Bad news is that now Nolan is coming down with something, so we'll see who gets to take care of whom in the days to come :)

More bad news? Apparently I was unconscious when the oral surgeon told Nolan I can't exercise for a week. Here I was thinking I'd be back to running at the latest by tomorrow. But my surgery was on Friday. And I have a 10k on Sunday. S I G H. Here's hoping I'm still in shape by then, SOB.

Chubby Bunny

My life these last two days has turned into desperately waiting for my meds to kick in, and then falling asleep once the sweet relief really hits. I haven't left our apartment since Friday, and frankly have no desire to. My main goal for today is to take a shower and gum down some more of Ash U's amazing cream of potato soup. So basically I have become an 80 year old woman. Nolan's been pretty incredible at taking care of me, and besides stifling a laugh when he sees me in the morning, tells me how he loves me and thinks I am beautiful (cue: awwwww). He also is a very good liar when I ask how ugly I look! The swelling has now progressed so that I look like I have put on about 50 pounds:

And of course Milo loves just sitting around and enjoying the blankets I'm swaddled in all day.

Lazy little turd.

Frozen peas

I don't know why I spent so much time freaking out about getting my wisdom teeth out. Really, it was no big deal. What I should have been worried about was the aftermath, which I am just starting to experience. Turns out everyone at the oral surgeon's office was super nice, and I really liked the man himself. He cracked a funny joke just as my IV sedation kicked in, and I remember laughing hysterically and then I was out. I woke up once during the procedure because I could feel them cracking my tooth, and although it didn't hurt at all, I just remember thinking, "Huh. That's weird." And then I think I opened my eyes for a second and I heard the doctor say "Oh no, sweetie. Don't do that." Who knows what I was doing. But then the nurse gave me another shot of something in my IV and I was out until they were cleaning up. I remember asking her about 4 times, "so...wait. It's done?" or "Are you really sure? All 4?" And she was laughing and rolling her eyes like this is what she hears every single day. Then she led me to a little room where Nolan came in and held my hand and I iced my face and took some meds. I don't remember much else other than stumbling to the car hanging onto Nolan, dry-heaving into a trash can, and then somehow making it into the house and onto the couch. N helped me bundle up, got me ice, went out to pick up my prescriptions and got me soft foods and some Sprite. I tried the applesauce and meds and sprite a couple times, but threw up each time, so basically I didn't eat or drink at all yesterday.

I kept changing my gauze to stop the bleeding until I woke up at midnight, took them out and decided I just didn't want them in anymore and I didn't taste anymore blood anyway. I haven't had any meds (except penicillin) since yesterday afternoon, and although it's pretty painful, it's more painful to throw up, so I'm trying to avoid taking those meds as much as I can. Milo's been cuddling with me on the couch as I stick frozen peas on my face and try to control the swelling.

I also thought I'd show off some before and after pictures, although I have heard that the swelling this morning is nothing compared to what it will be tomorrow. Here's the before:


And the after (okay obviously makeup helps too, so just ignore the lack of it in this picture and check out my new square face:


Apparently, it's hip to be a square (face)!

I also thought I'd share this pic of my teeth, since the dentist let me take them home. Apparently part of the reason it is so painful right now is because not only were all 4 of my teeth impacted, but they were also fully bony - fused to the bone. So they had to be really jacked out of there. You can see the two whole top wisdom teeth in this picture, and then all those fragments? Those are my two bottom ones, which they had to crack and split to get them out. I also have a 1cm cut on my inside cheek for some reason, so that is why one side is more painful and puffy than the other. Look at my teeth!:


I woke up somewhat groggily around 9:30pm last night to Nolan telling me that some flowers had come for me from my in-laws (thank you both! they are lovely!), and that Milo had already eaten one of them. Sigh.


All in all, I would have to say that the actual surgery was...interesting and almost fun (I know, I mocked people who said that before), but if you haven't had yours done yet, be aware that the hours and days following are terrible. This is day 1.

I also have to just say that I have the best husband in the world, who clears his schedule to take care of me (a big deal for someone so busy!), stops at home between his meetings to kiss me before my appointment, and then waits on me hand and foot doing whatever I need. He even holds my hair back when I barf and cleans it all up for me, and tells me he loves my new square face and that I look beautiful. What can I say? I feel sorry for the rest of the women in the world, as they obviously have to settle since I got the best guy out there. <3

Warmth.

Tomorrow is the big day. Surgery day. Okay so maybe I've been freaking myself out more than necessary about this all, but for me, it's a BIG DEAL. So I'm trying not to think about it.

Honestly, one of the worst parts is the "taking a break from running for a few days" part. I have worked so hard and started REALLY loving my running, and now I have to stop? For a few days? My plan was to skip my 4-miler today and do the 8-mile run today instead to get it out of the way, but when I stepped outside, it was misting and FREEZING. So I decided to start my days off today. Heh. Plus I feel so much better after reading several articles saying if you have been experiencing pain in joints (especially knees), shin splints, or achilles tendonitis (all 3 of which I have), you need to take a few days off in a row here and there to let your body recover. It can be really great for your training to do so. Also, this article made me feel better about taking a few days off. Not that I'm not still sitting here a little bit miserable over the fact that I didn't run at all today. In fact, the other day, I saw a person running outside while we were driving somewhere, and all I could think was, "SIGH I wish I was running. That looks so nice." GASP. I have become a runner.

Tonight: homemade beef stew and biscuits from scratch with a "surprise" dessert from Ash U....while we watch the last installment of Emma. I'm making a note to enjoy the crunchy bits of dinner since I won't be able to for a few days.

Wisdom.

I never thought that me announcing Nolan has talked me into getting my wisdom teeth pulled soon would result in: ME GETTING MY WISDOM TEETH PULLED IN 2 DAYS. My brain is just.not.ready. to face this fear. Also I am not ready to spend my weekend on the couch. And not have anything crunchy or delicious for a few days. Or not to run for a few days! GASP. This means I will somehow have to fit in my 8-miler tomorrow, so that I can have that out of the way and be all ready to relax/vomit/cry and sob in pain the whole weekend long. Writing it even freaks me out. This is where I start gnawing on my appendages and wailing...this is also where Nolan pets my hair like a gerbil and whispers sweet nothings in my ear about getting me extra drugs for the pain.

I am about to face one of my greatest fears.

Next thing you know, I'll be rolling in a stranger's bedsheets. In fact, maybe I should list these irrational but very real fears just to say them out loud. Ahem:

1. Giving birth
2. Wisdom teeth extraction
3. Wearing flipflops on a crowded street and then someone stepping on my foot and bending/breaking my toenail back. Don't laugh.
4. Sleeping in dirty/used sheets.
5. Spiders.
6. Dropping my razor and accidentally slicing my cuticle. Don't laugh.
7. Being touched by strangers.
8. Falling up stairs and splitting open my chin.
9. Grating my fingers instead of cheese.
10. Being poked in the eye.

...oddly, I feel less comforted seeing all that out there.

Today at work I took an HTML class, and now can proudly say that I can (semi) design VERY BASIC web parts. Also I can manage my blog better when I am blogging in HTML, because sometimes I accidentally delete a tag and then an image doesn't transfer and OMG finding that tiny tag is the most frustrating thing ever. Until now.

My favourite piece of mail today? It was:

Because I don't think Nolan has ever watched a NASCAR race in his life, and there's nothing more satisfying than knowing a company's unwanted solicitation was for naught.

Orogeny

The weekend at my parents' was fantastic! N and I relaxed and had some quality time with my parents, and got in some exercise too! I did my 7 mile run on Saturday, made Nolan come with me, and then HE decided we couldn't stop yet, so it ended up being 8 miles total. Needless to say he regretted that decision later. We saw a movie with my mom and ylehsa, had Mongolian BBQ with my mom, played disc golf with my brother and his girlfriend, played endless games of Carcassonne, and slept in (til 7). I did my easy 3 miles on Sunday, followed by some relaxation while Nolan worked outside. Then it was off to our V-day dinner at Bistro 33 :) followed by Coldstone! Because a fancy dinner must always be followed by some delicious fatty ice cream.
Here's my sexy husband on our date (with the amazing appetizer!):

ps-the waiter recommended this wine - an "Orogeny" Chardonnay with buttery notes...may be one of the only Chardonnays I have ever liked in my life.

Monday we left early in the morning to hit the Sushi Buffet in Davis-OHEMGEE delicious-with Bstal and Josh, and then while the boys hung out and Bstal was gone, I stuffed Milo under my seat to nap, got an iced tea at Starbucks (yes, STILL no coffee!), and drove around sunny, lovely Davis just exploring. Of course the fog was still rolling over our neighbourhood when we got back home, but it was nice to have the whole afternoon unplanned. Most relaxing day ever.

This morning Nolan and I got up at 5:30am to do a 4-mile run. On the one hand, it was hellish to roll out of bed and start running. On the other, it feels SO good to go in the mornings and have that out of the way and all showered and ready to go by 7am. He's a better person than me; I won't lie-I probably would have stayed in bed if it were me.

Decision: Nolan told me I have to get my wisdom teeth out sooner rather than later. CRINGE.

V/3-day weekend!

I love long weekends. Especially when they involved going out of town with Nolan. So we're visiting my parents and spending our Valentine's Day weekend up the hill! Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Quote of the day (via text last night):
Nolan: "I just got to Powell where are you?"
Me: "Powell!"
N: "We should hop off the trains, kiss and then hop back on :) "

Innovator

The days when I don't run (today's a crosstraining day...which means yoga after work), I've started feeling lazy. And then I have a piece of chocolate/potato chip, and it all hits the fan. By the time noon rolls around, not only have I accomplished nothing, but I've also trashed my healthy eating regimen and probably can be found in the forbidden stairwell at work, with gummy bear remains dribbling down my chin and mumbling something about FAILURE. These days are not good. So I made a compromise today:

Mostly healthy, but with some deliciousness added in.

Candy Hearts

I, for one, am glad to know that Sweetheart's has changed the flavours/colours of their conversation hearts AT LAST:

Because nobody I knew liked the "savoury soap!" (purple) or "moldy mint!" (white) ones. So now they're all fruit flavours, and I could eat them forever. My main praise, of course, is that now I can eat them in a dark movie theater without worrying about separating the nasty ones from the tasty ones in the dark.

This morning, I somehow convinced Nolan to go for a run with me BEFORE work, which would mean getting up early, but having a free lunch to do whatever I want! When I'm not in bed (and therefore totally unreliable and untrustworthy AND lazy), I truly am a morning person, and love having more of the day to accomplish things. Especially when that time is at home with my favourite person. But getting me up is a different story, and bless Nolan's heart for waking me up and then convincing me to actually GET UP (2 different issues), when he would rather have gone back to bed. But he still wasn't that excited about it:

(5:45am) Nolan: "I'm not gonna lie, and I say this in love...but this is the worst idea you have ever had. And there have been some doozies."

Until we were on our way back down the hill, and then, hey! this isn't so bad afterall! we can work out and have breakfast before we even leave for work!

However, the 10 people we passed on the sidewalk that resembled zombies reminded me why I can never run alone when it's that dark outside.

If my life were always like this...

These days of waking up at 7, having coffee and driving to work with Nolan, and then having a long lunch with Nolan, and meeting up after work to go home and eat together and waste away our evenings are priceless. If only there was some way we could work part time, make the same amount of money (or more!), and have vacation time to play, life would be just that much more perfect. Alas, I'm not complaining how it is.
My coworker's response to this was:
"If I had all that time, I'd just sit around and be filthy."
I suppose that is a man's first thought when he realizes he barely has to go in to work.

Ice Packing

Went for my 6 mile run on Saturday, and the weather could not have been more beautiful! I got some killer stitches in my side about halfway through, and had to stop to stretch it out for 30 seconds, but that gave me a good chance to take some pics of the run! This time I ran down to the beach, and then along the Pacific coast all the way to the zoo (and honestly contemplated going in)...and it was gorgeous!

And of course a super sexy picture of me in pain from the stitches:

This is my personal vow NEVER to eat pancakes right before a run ever again. Though Nolan does make the most tempting pancakes around (can I get a witness?!).

After another 3 miles today, and 4 on Thursday, my knees are in need of some serious icing...so I finally followed my trainer's advice and bought an ice pack to really help me out. So far so good! After no ice last night, I fell asleep to hot, throbbing and swollen ankles and especially knees. Pain-ful. Today, so far at least the knees are better! Mom, here's my shout-out saying THANK YOU for the running gear you bought me. That jacket and belt are my new staples. I have now trained myself never to run without water (which is probably healthier for me in the long run), and I cannot run without that belt to stick stuff in.

My little piece(s) of advice for folks training:

1. Drink lots of water

2. STRETCH and warm up. I CANNOT emphasize the difference this makes.

3. Buy some good shoes. Seriously. It was like night and day when I bought good ones.

So far: I have stuck to my no (non-brewed) coffee diet, and haven't even noticed it. I think because it is a hard goal I have now. I do well with firm goals.

This weekend has been super relaxing, and it was wonderful to spend lots of quality time with Noemma yesterday (I know you're reading this!), and really reconnect. I miss that girl! Plus I love going to the Saturday night church service, which we got to do. Then today Nolan and I took the motorcycle to Safeway (what a nightmare lugging those groceries back!), we went for a short run to UCSF (I never thought I'd say 3 miles was short!), and then hosted a Super Bowl party (Go Saints!) and had small group at our house. I must have consumed thousands of calories in dips, chips, sodas, etc. Hopefully I won't have a chance to eat like that again for a very long time...maybe next Super Bowl! So much for running off calories. Sigh.

Goodbye, my almost lover

Today I am officially giving up all (non-brewed) coffee for Lent. Technically I guess I started yesterday, but at the time I thought I would have some today. And yes, I know it's two weeks early, but better early than never! Which could easily become the case if I don't start now while I'm feeling motivated. So, the following post is going to be my farewell, just because I'm now seeing just how much coffee I have in my life. And to clarify, I can still have drip coffee, because I barely even like the stuff--the goal is for me to give up the espresso and non-drip fancy drinks, because let's face it: it's ruining my life in a delicious way.

Hopefully doing this will allow me to publicly have some accountability/embarrassment factor if I should fail. So without further ado (insert sweeping, sappy music here):

Coffee on a Monday

Coffee with ylehsa

Coffee and pastries in London
Coffee in London

Coffee with Nolan

Coffee on the Eurostar

Thinking about coffee in Paris

Super expensive coffee in Paris

Coffee in a French museum, waiting for Nolan

Coffee in Holland (!)

Coffee in the airport on the way to Mexico

To quote R.E.M., "It's the end of the world as (I) know it." And when this is all over, I WILL feel fine.

Fail fail fail

Longest day ever. Work was hectic again, and then I ended up having a coffee, which tasted like FAILURE, and then struggled through my run, and just now am on my way home from a resume workshop that I was volunteering at. It's almost 10pm, and unlike yesterday, I haven't seen my pjs since 6:30am. Sob.

5:40pm: pajamas

Let me start by saying that today has been one of the best workdays of my life, and it has nothing to do with my work...because on that front, the war is still raging.

This weekend, we did absolutely nothing. As in, I did laundry and may have thought about vacuuming, but unless you count walking to Starbucks as work, I was utterly unproductive, but on one front: food. Well okay and my runs, which were excellent, by the way. But, I put my New Year's resolution to work, and made gourmet meals each day, complete with appetizers, and desserts. Here's a gander at one of them:

Maybe it doesn't look super fancy, but let me tell you: French bread with walnut parmesan bruschetta, chili roasted potatoes, wilted greens with grape tomatoes, charbroiled skirt steak, and a pressed-crust pear tart with apricot-lemon glaze. MMMM. Here is the last one, because it was my favourite:

Milo likes to watch:

On Sunday, we went to the mall together and browsed the stores, and then drove to Target in Daly City to find a computer game that Nolan hasn't played since college, and my friends, THIS WAS A MISTAKE. So far he hasn't left that Mac's side. I lay in bed each night reminding myself that I am his wife, not the game. And then I sob and clutch Milo to my bosom.

This is what he (and Milo) look like all day:

The upside here, is that he feels super relaxed and is able to decompress from his busy work schedule. To wit: for the next four weeks, he will be working downtown for 3 days a week. This means that NOT ONLY do we get to commute to and from work together on those days, but we also get to have lunch together, since he is walking distance from my office. 2 things merit comment here:
1. My life is a significantly happier one when there is more Nolan in it each day.
2. My mental/emotional health is significantly better when I don't have to take the Muni.
As a result, we were both home, happy, and in our pajamas by 5:40pm today. Long live the American Dream.