More vacation prep

After my physical therapy appointment, I walked a 5K in 44:48.  The miles were 14:45, 14:50, and 13.57 with no running this time.  I was rushed for time, but got the walk in and still met Jason on time after baseball camp.

Day 32 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: 5.5oz V8 and one mini spinach quiche
Lunch: turkey lunch meat, cheese stick, and a few soy nuts
Snack: hummus with a spoon while working (too busy to deal with veggies)
Dinner: tuna with a little miracle whip, cooked cauliflower, 3/4 of a raw red bell pepper
Drinks: water all day

Val and Jason are 90% packed. Val did it herself with minimal guidance from me.  Ken packed Jason last night.  I'm probably 70% packed.  Ken hasn't started yet but he facilitated the rest of our packing by doing all the laundry.

Tonight is Val's last softball game of the season.  The highlight of her season was a grand slam home run during her last game and her team says she needs another of those tonight. They have a tough opponent.  Tomorrow is a swim meet day preceeded by volleyball camp and baseball camp at various times during the day so I'll be busy carting around kids to activities and getting everything ready for the meet.  Oh, and packing for vacation.  In between everything, I still have a few things to cleanup work-wise.  Then we are off to Nebraska on Thursday.

Vacation clothes

Another busy day trying to clear out work and get ready for vacation. 

I walked a 5K this morning in 47:00.  The miles were 16:01, 15:31, and 14:13.  I ran about 200 yards a couple of times into the run because my pace was slow and I needed to get back home to get ready for work.  For some reason, I just couldn't get the fast walking thing going this morning.  And I gained 3 pounds in 2 days over the weekend - without cheating on the diet at all or overeating.  Ken says it's just cycle issues and he's probably right - retaining water and all.  But it is incredibly depressing and demotivating.

On a postive note, I was able to find 9 different outfits in my closet that actually fit to take to Nebraska (plus running clothes).  I also picked up a casual summer dress for the reunion.  It's not as deep-cut as the Diva one I wore on Saturday, but Mindy, I promise you that it still shows shoulder.

Day 31 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: mini spinach quiches (2)
Lunch: chicken salad over lettuce
Snack: a few cocoa roasted almonds
Dinner: blue cheese burger with no bun and romain/cucumber salad with soy nuts and less than a tablespoon of Thousand Island dressing (I needed the dressing tonight)
Drink: water all day

Nebraska prep

Another day without a walk or run.  Just too much going on, I guess.  I could have probably fit a quick one in at dusk, but didn't.

Day 30 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: egg over medium and two strips of precooked bacon
Lunch at Jason's baseball season-end party: grilled chicken, dill pickles, iceberg lettuce, 1 slice of tomato, 1 hotdog (no bun), baked beans (with as much sauce strained as possible - the sauce had brown sugar in it)
Dinner: spicy hummus eaten with cucumbers, celery, and portabella mushrooms
Drink: water all day

It was really tough hanging out at the baseball party with nothing to do and with a huge potluck full of high carb food.  I wanted chips and brownies.

We're headed to Nebraska this week and only have 3 full days to get ready and packed.  I don't even know what I'm wearing to the reunion party.  Ken is taking care of the laundry tonight and then we'll have to pack tomorrow and Tuesday.  We also have baseball camp, volleyball camp, and swimming Monday and Tuesday. We won't have time for anything on Wednesday since we'll have a late swim meet that night and then getting up early to catch the plane on Thursday.  It will be a whirlwind before vacation so I'm really looking forward to things slowing down a little while we are in Nebraska.

Val's grandslam and Kelly's Diva night

What a great night!  Val hit a grand slam home run at her tournament softball game!  I didn't get to see it but Ken called me immediately following and I told everyone who would listen (and even those trying not to hear).

I was at the Picnic with the Pops Wicked Divas night.  It was fabulous.  My girlfriend, Mindy and a friend of hers took the lead and set it all up via email.  They invited friends and invited their friends to invite friends.  It was a networking night, diva fashion.  Mindy and her friend provided wine, water, plates, napkins, silverware, etc. and we all brought a dish to share.  The event takes place on a huge lawn area near OSU campus where the Columbus Symphony Orchestra performs each Saturday evening in the summer.

Tonight they played songs that brought back my youth, and my former singer self.  Two Broadway musical stars, former Elphabas (the Wicked Witch of the West) from WICKED, Julia Murney and Stephanie J Block, joined the orchestra and sang songs from Wicked as well and many other select Diva songs as below:

Overture to Gypsy
Selections from Carmen
Intro and All that Jazz from Chicago - reminded me of high school music camp (swing choir)
Don't Rain on my Parade (Funny Girl) - I won a regional talent contest singing this song. Mindy caught me singing this one and gave me the boa and took my pic.  It is already on Facebook.
Back to Before (Ragtime)
My Fair Lady Medley - In grade school, Lee Ann and I learned all the words to the key songs and performed them for anyone who would listen.
Ragtime (Ragtime)
Think of Me (Phantom) - I sang a Phantom song for Jeff and Jen's wedding
Ring Them Bells (written for Liza Minnelli)
Congo
Songs of Diana Ross - I knew most of the lyrics to the songs in the medley.
No More Tears (Diana and Barbra!) - ohhhhh, a former karaoke circuit song that I sang frequently with Fran
My Heart will Go On (Titanic)
Over the Rainbow (Wizard of Oz) - reminded me of a recent visit to Oz
Defying Gravity (Wicked) - what an incredible song - my incredible husband says this song reminds him of me because I defy gravity

There were several other songs on the program, but they had to cut it short because of thunder and lightening and rain.  We packed up without much rain and headed to the cars.  I helped Mindy take some things to her car and then headed to an adjacent lot to my own car.  I wasn't 100 yards away from her car before the torrential downpour started.  I put my soft-sided cooler over my head and continued to my car, laughing and talking with others who didn't make it to their cars on time.

The 20 or so women who showed up got to know each other, sang, drank wine, and had lots of fun. There was even chair dancing involved.  I stayed on my diet, believe it or not.  Mindy said I looked great and we laughed about how I was showing more skin than she had ever seen on me.  My diva outfit was a sundress I bought for Florida this year (when I had the huge expander breasts).  Now it is even more deep cut, but I wore it anyway.  Mindy and her friends said it was perfect for the occasion and Mindy said I should wear it to the reunion.  I doubt I'll have the guts to do that.  We'll see.  I haven't found another outfit to wear yet, so I might get stuck with it by default.  We leave in 5 days.

Day 29 of South Beach Diet:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with salsa and spinach
Lunch: Chipotle salad with chicken, guacamole, and hot sauce
Snack: Turkey lunch meat and a 5.5 oz V8
Dinner: veggies and hummus, 3 shrimp cocktail, and a little chicken salad at the concert
Drinks: water all day and red wine and water at the concert

No walking or running today.  Just lots of cleaning/housework.

Tried running

At my post-op appointment yesterday, the doc was wishy-washy on the running thing.  I asked several times before the operation and he said 6 weeks.  Consistently.  Then, during my appointment on Thursday, Ken asked about running and the doc said 4 weeks (which was this week).

So I decided to be wishy-washy myself.  I alternated walking and running a 5K which I did in 39:16.  It was nearly dark and then completely dark, so I couldn't count on glancing at my watch to know when to switch, so I just switched every time a song changed on my mp3 player.  So that's (very roughly) 3 minutes walking, followed by 3 minutes running.  My miles were 14:08, 11:53, and 12:03.  My pace varied widely, which is not at all how I usually run.  I'm usually pretty consistent.  Today my running pace ranged from 8:11 (downhill at the end of a mile) to 11:57 (uphill and nearing the end of a song).

The more important news though is how the running impacted my chest and lymphedema.  Neither is great news. 

Even though I had finger sleeves on two fingers, my left index finger swelled a little more with this walk/run.  I can't tell whether my middle finger or the back of my hand swelled too.  Maybe a little. I have a finger sleeve on the problem finger and a compression glove on right now.  I hope it helps.

As for my chest . . . when I started the process walking, that was fine.  However, very quickly after I started running I realized I had the wrong bra on.  In my haste to beat the darkness, I didn't change out of the cotton sports bra I had on during Val's softball game.  So after mile 1, I stopped at my house and ran in to change bras.  I put the most compressing running bra I have on and then went back out.  The new bra helped a lot, but I was still surprised by the bounce. 

I know it's been 7 months since I had real breasts, and having those huge unmovable bricks for 6 months is burned in my memory, but I'm pretty sure I did not bounce as much in November as I did today.  Granted, my larger chested friends would slap me up-side the head if they heard me talking like this, because I'm describing a very slight shift as a bounce.  I doubt anyone but me would notice it.  However, it's strange because I honestly think the implants are softer and bouncier than my real ones.  It defies reason.  They are smaller, made of of gel, but somehow bouncier. 

When getting into the shower after the run, I also noticed that the scars were not happy about the run either.  They were bright red (especially the right one) and not amused at the beating they just took for nearly 40 minutes.  Now I'm wearing my post-op zip-in-the-front compression bra.  I'll wear it to bed tonight to make amends.

Given how the running went tonight, I think I'll give it a rest for awhile and try again after my countdown is done on July 6.

Day 28 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: I had breakfast at Eggfast by my office.  It was really, really good. I had Migas (Tex-Mex scrambled eggs) with chorizo (seasoned pork) and chipotle sauce.  It was spicy and wonderful.  I had them hold the chips and tortillas.
Lunch: chicken lunch meat
Snack: string cheese, piece of colby, and half an avocado
Dinner: 5.5oz V8 and soy nuts at Val's baseball game
I didn't mean to eat so little today, I just ate on-the-go all day and only got a sit-down meal at breakfast.

Post-op appointment #2

I did not make time to walk today.  And our main computer broke.  And Ken needs the laptop, so this will be short.

Day 27 of South Beach Diet:
Breakfast: chicken lunch meat
Lunch: hummus on romaine and mixed greens; cucumbers
Dinner: chicken lunch meat, cheese stick, cocoa roasted almonds
Drinks: water all day

I had a post-op appointment with the plastic surgeon today.  It was pretty uneventful and I don't have much to report.  After the 6 week countdown is complete, I can start doing weights again in addition to running.  I can wear underwire bras now if I can tolerate them (he says most women don't tolerate them well).  Oh, and I almost forgot . . . he took off the steri-strips that had practically merged with my skin.  OK, so it wasn't that bad, but he was amazed they were still on and attached so well.

I'm a pear

It was a scorcher today - heat and suffocating humidity.  At 11:50pm it is still 80 degrees F. 

This morning, I slept in, had breakfast, and talked with the kids before going out for a walk at about 10:30 or so.  I lasted 2 miles (15:14 and 14:37) and then gave up and came inside.  I also officiated the entire 5 hour swim meet beginning at 5:30 and sweated like crazy, so I'm counting that as exercise too.  I was on my feet on concrete the whole time.  When I could, I stretched a little and did some isometric abs and quads.  I've noticed that my hamstrings are in much better shape than my quads.  They even look better.  They look like totally different legs from the back vs the front.  I know I need to bite the bullet and start cycling.  I hate the cycle. 

Day 26 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: hard boiled egg
Lunch: spinach salad with steak, black beans, and a salsa/sour cream mixture
Snack: edamame
Dinner: pulled chicken sandwich (minus bun) from the swim team concession stand - the sauce mixed in seemed to be some type of cream of chicken soup mixture.
Drink: water all day

In an earlier post, I confessed that I have 3 sizes of clothes in my closet and I just ignore what doesn't fit.  So today I went shopping in my closet and tried on clothes.  I only got through the shorts and capris before I had to get everything ready for the swim meet. 

The good news is that I have more shorts/capris that fit than don't fit.  I've got 3 that are too big, 2 I could wear with a belt, 8 that fit, and 5 that are too small.  When I started the South Beach Diet 26 days ago, I was wearing the 3 that are now too big.  Mixed in with the smaller shorts I found two pair of jeans that I didn't think I'd ever get into again.  One fits and the other is still too snug, but no longer inconceivable to wear someday.  I was happy I could actually fasten everything I tried on, even what was deemed too small to wear. 

In the next few days or this weekend, I'll try on work pants, skirts, and shirts/blouses.  Then I need to determine what outfits I can make out of what fits.  It's a good thing I have separates.  My top and bottom have changed in relation to each other quite a bit.  Now I'm back to size 6 or 8 on the top and 10 or 11 on the bottom.  If it weren't for my wide shoulders, I'd be a pear.

Exciting softball game

The VP for our department gave me a compliment today that surprised me, was unsolicited, and very validating.  I don't work much with him and I had no idea if he thought I was doing a good job in my new role or even if he thought I should have been given that role.  I guess I still don't know those things, but I do know that he values my leadership skills and notices that I do a lot for the department. 

In giving me that feedback, he also reminded me to give informal, spontaneous feedback to others - even to people who are outside of my staff group.  Please take this as a reminder for yourself, if you are so inclined.  Let someone else know that you notice what they do and appreciate it.  It's wonderful to get feedback.

I dragged myself out of bed a little early this morning and got in a quick 2 mile walk (16:00 and 15:16) before work.  I was still sleepy and a little stiff, so it took more of an effort to try to get my feet moving fast.

Day 25 of South Beach Diet:
Breakfast: egg over medium and two strips of bacon
Lunch: Chipotle salad with chicken guacamole, and hot sauce
Snack: cocoa roasted almonds
Dinner: spinach salad with steak and black beans and a sour cream/salsa dressing
Drinks: iced tea at lunch (2 of them) and water the rest of the day

Valerie had a great softball game tonight.  Two of her friends were visiting and watching the game, too.  Val was nervous about having them there, but it didn't show.  I was most impressed with how she kept her head in the game, listened to coaches (and her parents), and played smart and focused.  She showed mental toughness as the relief pitcher who was called in after the other team tied the score by rattling our best pitcher with obnoxious cheers and screams.  Val pitched that half inning and the last full inning.

She also batted 4th and got a hit every time she got up: One double and two singles.  Both singles were hard hit balls that good players knocked down but they didn't beat Val to the base.  Twice during the game, Val was up to bat with 2 outs and runners on base.

Overall the game was very exciting with lots of people making critical plays. Val's friend Sarah made several very impressive outs at shortstop, including a catch running backward with the ball way over her head.  The girl at the bottom of the order got a hit at the beginning of the last inning and scored.  In the end, the pitcher who got rattled by the cheers had a great hard hit to score a runner and win the game.

Adventure

I had an adventurous day today.  After my PT appointment I thought I'd make great use of time and get my exercise walk in before going to work.  So I drove to a beautiful, shady neighborhood, Upper Arlington, and parked my car somewhere in the curvy streets.  I thought I was being strategic because I found a street with a sidewalk that ran forever (usual in that neighborhood).  I was in a huge hurry to get 2 miles in just in time for me to get to work for our stand up 10 minute meeting. 

I stayed on the sidewalk all the way down to a busy street I know (5th) and then had to turn and walk down 5th until I put in my 20 minutes one-way.  Then I turned around and walked back on that same sidewalk.  Only something wasn't the same.  After about a mile of coming back, when I should have been close to my car, the sidewalk ended.  Uh oh.  It wasn't supposed to do that.  So I went east another block and walked awhile.  Still nothing was familiar.  I reached for my phone with GPS.  No phone.  I left it in the car.  Great. 

After walking 3.5 miles, I found a wonderful elderly homeowner who was gardening and she took pity on me and drove me to find my car.  Luckily, I remembered some landmarks so she took me to the school with the tennis court and then we were good to go.  I played up the country bumpkin thing because it worked and kept us both in good spirits.  She thought I ought to stick to Pickerington.

So quite an adventure walk today.  And much longer than I expected.  I did 3.5 miles in 57:18 (a bit longer than my 40 minutes budgeted).  My miles were 15:22, 14:45, and 15:23.  I have no idea what the 5K was because by then I was much more focused on how I was going to find the yellow brick road.

After work, I went to Kohls for another adventure, this one not nearly as good natured, I'm afraid.  I am not exaggerating when I say that I tried on 40 bras.  Really.  Maybe more.  I took in 3 different band sizes and 3 different cup sizes and probably 10 different bra styles.  I tried on as many combinations of each that I could find.  Nothing worked.

So I went home and looked up how to measure for a bra.  I found several sites with a few different methods.  What I learned by reading and measuring and calculating and following instructions was that I'm a boy and don't need a bra.  I'm concave.  A negative number.  That was not very helpful. 

I decided that if I cheated on the numbers a little, I might fit into a pre-pubescent bra, so I went back to Kohls and finally found the one bra in the store that sort of worked.  I think the problem is really the shape.  Bras are kind of pointy and I'm just pancakey.  Square peg issue, I guess.

Day 24 of South Beach Diet:
Breakfast: 2 mini quiches from a South Beach Diet recipe and a V8
Lunch: spinach salad with lots of chicken and a dressing of sour cream and salsa
Snack. cheese stick and a few tiny turkey sausages
Dinner: pizza again - the low-carb version explained in an earlier post
Drinks: water all day

Happy Father's Day!

As is customary on Father's Day, I spent the morning making breakfast for Ken to have in bed.  He has a sweet tooth but is on the South Beach diet with me so I made cauliflower pancakes and sweetened them up a bit. I got several recipes online and kind of merged them and added natural peanut butter to the mix.  Here's the process:

• Steam the cauliflower in the microwave and then ensure all water it out and mash it with a fork
• Use a hand mixer to blend mashed cauliflower, whey protein powder, natural peanut butter, an egg and a few packets of Splenda (Ken as a sweet tooth).
• Then make them like regular pancakes on the stove griddle. 
• I mashed some strawberries and mixed them with a packet of Splenda for the topping

I was surprised they came out so well - very fluffy.  They weren't chunky like some of the pictures I saw online.  That's probably because I went the sweet route instead of adding things like cheese and onions and such.  Also, I'm sure the hand mixer was pretty effective.

Anyway, Ken loved them and had his customary breakfast in bed with the kids on either side of him chatting away.  Then we all went out to get his Father's Day presents (we wanted him to help select them).  First, I took him to Bed Bath and Beyond and had him try an outdoor lounger I'd been eyeing.  Score one present on the first try!  Then I dropped them off at Game Works and the kids got him a game for the Xbox 360 while I went into Marshalls.  We topped off Father's Day by going to see Toy Story 3 on the extreme screen.  Val was a Toy Story fanatic when she was little and Ken used to carry her around singing "You Got A Friend In Me."  Actually, Val has her phone set to ring as that song when Ken calls her.

So all in all, a great family day on Father's Day. 

Day 23 of South Beach Diet:
Brunch: hard boiled egg and a few bites of cauliflower, natural peanut butter, whey powder pancakes
Snack: V8, cocoa roasted almonds, piece of Baby Bell mini low fat cheese
Dinner: left over omelet from yesterday and a salad with black beans and a little chicken on it, no dressing
Drinks: water all day

I didn't have much time to walk today, but I put in 2 miles in 30:18 tonight as it was getting dark.  The miles were 15:11 and 15:07.  I felt some shin splint warning pangs off and on, but nothing too bad.  I worked my shins by pulling my toes up toward my knees a few time when I got home because I'm told that scares off shin splints.

I've got another physical therapy appointment tomorrow morning.  My finger is a bit more swollen tonight, unfortunately.  I'll probably get in trouble for not wearing the gloves/wrap more regularly.

All nighter

I pulled an all-nighter last night.  I was working on options for reorganizing our department and I was on a roll.  I had an epiphany.  So I worked on documenting and refining the ideas until 5:30am.  Then I went to bed and slept until nearly noon.  The frightening thing is that I worked with no breaks, no food, just constant productivity and engagement the whole 5+ hours. And it was fun.  I guess that's the most frightening thing - that it was fun.

By the time I got up it was 90 degrees F outside and I stayed inside all day until going to Val's softball game at 6:45.  She had a great game (single and a triple, struck out some batters and made some plays) and afterward they were headed to Dairy Queen.  Ken came up with the great idea that I walk home.  I was dressed to do so and even had my MP3 player in my purse, so I handed Ken all the stuff I didn't need and took off.  I walked 50 minutes (took some detours) and I'm guessing the distance was about a 5K, maybe a little more.

Day 22 of South Beach Diet:
Breakfast: omelet with black beans, spinach, asparagus, and low fat cheese
Snack: cocoa roasted almonds
Dinner: V8 (5.5 oz) and pizza - yes, really.  Ok, not really.  I wiped olive oil on the omelet pan and put in low fat shredded cheese and fried it.  Then I topped it with ground sirloin mixed with a little spaghetti sauce and slices of Baby Bell mini low fat cheese.  I put a plate on the pan to melt the cheese topping before serving.  The "crust" didn't really stay together well, but it was certainly pizza-like.  Ken really liked it. 
Snack:  I expect to have some type of diet-friendly snack tonight.

As for diet progress, I'm not sure how to gauge it.  I think it was the date of my preop appointment when I went into the doctor's office and I weighed in at 16 pounds heavier than I am now.  On the morning of my surgery, on the way to the preparation room, I weighed in at 13 pounds heavier than I am now.  Then just 3 or 4 days after surgery, I began weighing myself and I was 7 pounds heavier than I am now.  You might not believe it, but I really believe that I lost 6 pounds by getting those heavy, huge expanders replaced with these small, soft implants.  So if I use the post-surgery weight measure, I'm only down 7 pounds in 3 weeks. 

My clothes certainly fit better, both the tops and pants.  I'm in shorts that I wore last summer, though I was no skinny person then either.  However, it is definitely progress.  I need to go through my closet to "go shopping" again.  I probably have 3 sizes of clothes in there and I just don't wear the ones that don't fit.  I know I can go down a size on some things because I've tried on a few slacks that fit for work. 

My lymphedema is doing really well.  I didn't wear any compression most of the day.  I wore finger sleeves on two fingers while at Val's game and during my walk.  My pointer finger is probably a little swollen, but not misshapenor concerning.  I hope the lymph system is figuring out those new routes for drainage so I can be one of those few women who can beat this thing without having to do swelling management forever.  I might have to wear something while running, forever, though. That's getting off easy, if you ask me.

Happy Father's Day to my Dad and Father-in-Law!  I know it's tomorrow, but who knows when I'll get on the blog.

Morning walk

I got up early and walked in the morning today.  And good thing, too.  The day ended up incredibly crazy and busy and I would not have gotten a walk in otherwise.

I did a 5K in 45:44 and the miles were 15:20, 14:35, and 14:28. 

Day 21 of South Beach Diet:
Breakfast: V8 (5.5oz) and a hard boiled egg
Lunch at Cap City: a cup of black bean and steak chili and salad with blue cheese crumbles, no dressing
Snack: didn't get one today
Dinner:  half a small steak and most of an avocado
Drinks: iced tea at lunch and water the rest of the day

A regular day

I used my time wisely today.  I had a meeting in the middle of campus at 9am and then another one at 11:30 in the area.  So I brought my tennis shoes and walked during the hour between meetings.  I walked outside while seeking shade as much as possible as I caught up on emails on my Blackberry.  I obviously didn't do the fast-walk thing, but I checked my heart rate and it was in the 120 range, so it was probably beneficial.  I know the calorie burn was helpful considering the alternative would have been sitting in comfy chairs in the brand new, beautiful Union building instead of walking.  If I had to guess, I probably walked between 2.5-3 miles in that hour. 

Day 20 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: hard boiled egg
Lunch: make your own salad at the new Ohio Union marketplace - I have no idea what all I put on it, I know I had spring mix and romaine with egg, chicken, black olives, edamame, parmesan cheese, and guacamole. No dressing.
Snack: V8 (5.5oz), half an avocado
Dinner at the baseball game: I took some food for Ken and I, but I just ate most of a chicken sausage

My hand is doing well.  I wore finger sleeves on two fingers today but then took them off before going to the ball games (Val's then Jason's - back to back) and forgot to put them back on.  It's probably a little swollen tonight, but not bad.  Maybe I'll wear the glove tomorrow.  Although I'm supposed to be wrapping it at night, I don't see the purpose.  It just loosens during the night and seems useless.  I think the glove is more effective because at least it stays on.

Geek Girl & Steverunner help and encouragement

I'm taking Wednesdays off during the summer to care for the kids and get them to swim meets.  So this morning I slept in a little and went out for a walk.  Today we'll be crazy busy getting ready for the swim meet and preparing for the team breakfast tomorrow, so I knew I couldn't have time to walk later.

I walked 4 miles in 59:30.  The 5K was 45:42 and miles were 14:55, 14:31, 14:41, and 15:20.

While walking, I listened to Geek Girl Runner and was surprised to hear that she read an email from me on the podcast and followed up by giving me lots of kudos and encouragement. I was tearing up from the support and it really was great and helped me re-commit to keeping active.  I need all the motivation I can get because it's so easy to let exercising fall prey to all the other demands of life.  If you want to hear Geek Girl's shoutout, open this link and listen to the section at about 18:30 to about 21:30. Or better yet, listen to it all, she's a great new podcaster.

I also saw that Steverunner read an email question I sent him on his Intervals podcast.  I had asked about whether fast walking will increase my endurance.  Steve said that to prove whether it is doing so, I'd have to do a bit of heart rate analysis.  My max heart rate is 177 (220-age) and 60% of that is 106.2.  I don't know what my resting rate is.  A doctor's office clocked it at 69 bpm recently. 

Steve's explanation prompted me to read a little about it and I found the American Heart Association has some info online. I'm not sure what my heart rate is while I'm walking.  I've only really measured it when on a bike at the gym and I had a pretty high heart rate then - like 160 to 170. 

A heart rate monitor came with my Garmin 305, but I've never used it.  Maybe I should figure it out one of these days. Steve also suggested that walking fast uses different muscles than running (I certainly agree as my experience proves) and that going out too fast or too long might actually cause injury.  He wonders if I might get the same endurance benefit from walking less quickly.  He may have a point.  I'd need to do the heart rate analysis to be sure though. 

The lymphedema is doing pretty well today.  I just wore little finger sleeves on two fingers when I walked and that really did the trick.  The swelling is very slight today after my walk.  This is all very good news.

Day 19 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: one egg over medium
Lunch: half cup of tuna mixed with a little miracle whip, half a small cucumber, string cheese
Snack: hard boiled egg
Dinner: hotdog with no bun at the swim meet, cocoa roasted almonds, soy nuts, salad at the "after the meet" party at DiVincis. 
Drink: water all day

Kids' first summer swim meet

Unfortunately, I didn't squeeze in a walk today.  I had meetings all day and then hustled to Lancaster where I officiated the kids' swim meet all evening . . . meaning I was on the concrete deck in rubber sandals for four hours.  I'm sore as a result.  My hips really tightened up and my lower back is whining too.  I tried to stretch some while there but will do more in a few minutes.

Both kids had a great meet and were pretty proud of themselves. It's also pretty neat to watch them there because they are comfortable and confident in the swim meet setting and have a lot of fun with their friends.  Val seems to be really becoming an independent kid and doesn't hang with us or even need us at swim meets.  She doesn't have the negative "get away from me" attitude of teens yet though. 

Val and Jason have a high school kid taking care of them on Tues and Thurs this summer so they were at swim practice today without us.  Val remembered that she tore her swim cap and needed a new one before the meet AND she remembered she had money in her phone case, so she just bought herself a new team cap.  No parent consultation or involvement.  Pretty cool.

Val is 12 in the 11 & 12 age group and she won the IM and the Fly tonight.  She got third on the breaststroke and both her relays came in first place (she swam fly on the medley and 1st leg of the freestyle relay).

Jason is 9 in the 9 & 10 age group and he got second place in the back and freestyle. We don't know what he got overall in the fly but he won the 2nd of three heats.  His medley relay got first (Jason swam back) and his freestyle relay got third.

Day 17 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: hard boiled egg and V8
Lunch (no time): some cold chicken
Snack: a few bites of tuna mixed with a little miracle whip, 6 squares of cheese, some soy nuts, and some cocoa roasted almonds
Dinner:  grilled chicken on romaine (the swim meet was at the Lancaster Country Club, so I got a salad during my break)
Drinks: water all day, mint hot tea at a morning meeting

We have another swim meet tomorrow night which is unusual.  Generally, there is only one meet per week and it's on Wednesday.  I'll probably have to officiate that one too.  Maybe we'll have more officials and get more break times.

Tenacious runner

Whew! I'm tired today.  I didn't get enough sleep last night, had back-to-back meetings all day, and then took Val to a softball hitting clinic at Capital University.

While Val was at the clinic, I walked a 10K in 1:31.28.  The 5K was 45:54.  The miles were 15:14, 14:49, 14:27, 14:38, 14:06, and 15:03.  I ran about .1 of the 14:06 mile because it was starting to rain.  Then I decided to wo-man up and finish walking the 10K despite the rain.  I did get back near my car so I could walk around the surrounding blocks just in case it got dangerous or unbearable in the rain.

I packed my exercise clothes and my new running shoes early this morning and forgot my cap/visor.  So I learned something about visors, today.  They keep the rain off your face.  Why is that important, you ask?  Well, because after you've sweated like crazy for an hour, gritty salt is on your face and forehead.  When it rains, the salt gets in your eyes.  Ouch!  Twice I doused my eyes and surrounding area with my water bottle water to get the salt out.  A couple of times, I was walking with my eyes closed from the sting.  Fun, fun, fun.

So even though I'm not allowed to run right now, I was a tenacious runner today.

Day 16 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: hard boiled egg and V8
Lunch: turkey lunch meat and a small cucumber
Snack: low fat cheese stick (mild cheddar)
Dinner: soy nuts after exercising and then about an hour later a mixed green salad with chicken and spicy hummus
Drink: water all day

I saw the physical therapist briefly today and the measurements she took looked good.  I don't have to wear the wrap contraption except at night now.  I can wear the glove or the little finger sleeves, depending on how I'm doing.  She asked me where I got the finger sleeves (Drug Mart) and seemed interested that they were making the most dramatic change for my fingers, however, they probably cause the back of my hand to swell more because the compression doesn't continue past my wrist.  But it's okay to wear them for short periods of time or when the gloves are in the wash.  I got an extra glove today so I can alternate them or have a backup in case I make a mess on one of them (or walk a 10 K in the rain and get it all salty).

The kids have their first swim meet of the summer season tomorrow.  We have lots of packing to do since it seems we need to take enough stuff to outfit a small army.  I'd better get on that.

Going mobile

It was hot again today. Not as humid as yesterday, but hot and sunny.  I waited until evening to walk, and even then I had to wrestle myself out there.  Now that's an image, isn't it?

So I thought I'd have a light day.  I did a 5K.  Isn't it interesting that now a 5K is a light day?  That's what they call progress, I guess.  Anyway, the 5K was 49:00 and the miles were 16:01, 15:45, and 15:37.

Day 15 of the South Beach Diet
Breakfast: one egg over medium and 2 slices of precooked bacon (I think it's less fatty and greasy than the cook-it-yourself stuff and I actually like it better)
Lunch: lettuce salad with grilled chicken and hummus for dressing
Snack: avocado, a small sugar free jello cup, and a handful of cocoa roasted almonds (YUM! - find them at Sam's Club)
Dinner: tuna with a little miracle whip eaten with cheese squares
Drink: water to drink throughout the day
Dessert: Healthy Choice sugar free fudge bar

Last night and today I took a stab at getting connected with the mobile world:

• I signed up for twitter again.  Be the first to follow me (kellyinmotion)!  So far, I'm following Steverunner, Geek Girl Runner, John Ellis, and a couple of HR technology gurus.
• I downloaded some apps on my blackberry - facebook, twitter, a weather app (for Ken), and an app with local find to locate restaurants, gas stations, etc. that are close to where ever I am or soon will be.
• I researched options for updating my blog from my blackberry.  There are no apps for that yet and the options aren't great.  I set it up to do it if I have no other option, but it's probably easier to find a PC and update the blog. 
• I haven't researched the running apps yet.  I also updated the look of my blog because Google had a new designer tool. 

I should have done all this mobile connecting at the beginning of baseball/softball season, since there is a lot of downtime at those games, but hey, better late than never.

Walking to build endurance?

A new blog look - just because Google updated the features.  All content is still the same.

I had to go back to edit the previous post because I noticed that I consistently wrote "run" instead of "walk" when referring to my exercise today.  It really felt like a run.  I certainly treated it like one.  Interesting.  I wonder if I'll be able to wait until the doctor approved July 6 to get back into running.  I'll try.  It would be easier to wait if I thought this walking was going to help my running.

I wonder if this walking fast exercise will help build my endurance base for running later. Can an endurance base get a kick-start by walking fast or do I really need to be running to build that base?

John Ellis was assisting both Steverunner and Geek Girl Runner in training plans and in the initial endurance-building portion of their training plans, he asked them to run a certain time (not distance) and to keep their heart rate under a specific threshold.  To do that, they both had to add some walking in their runs because their heart rates would get too high.  I'm not wearing a heart rate monitor, but I know I'm working hard out there.  I would venture a guess that my heart rate is similar to the heart rate he was asking Geek Girl to keep.  Maybe a little lower.  But since I'm 10 years older than her, it might be about right.

I know I'm just guessing about all this and have no idea what I'm talking about. But it's an interesting thing to consider.  Maybe I'll try to post the question somewhere in the run net community to see if anyone has anything to say about it.  If you have an insight, comment here and let me know.  Thanks!

10K at Antrim Lake

I was in Chicago for business Thursday and Friday and am now catching up on the blog.  I didn't exercise in Chicago, so I had two days off from the power walk streak.

Thursday - Day 12 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: hard boiled egg
Lunch: Chicago style pizza - yes, really, but since it was a personal deep dish pizza, I treated it like a bread bowl and didn't eat the bread at all - so I ate Canadian Bacon, tomatoes/sauce, mozzarella, spinach, and mushrooms
Dinner: Amish chicken and asparagus
Drinks: water all day plus 3 glasses of red wine at dinner and afterward in the hotel bar
Snack: peanuts

Friday - Day 13 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled and 3 strips of bacon
Lunch: fresh spinach salad, no dressing, turkey and roast beef lunch meat, provolone and cheddar cheese
Snack: red pepper hummus with cucumber, celery, and baby broccoli
Dinner: a soda pop sized can of tomato juice on the plane
Drinks: water all day

Today - Day 14 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: South Beach book recipe for small spinach quiches - I had 2
Lunch: Chipotle salad with romaine, chicken, hot sauce, and guacamole (during break between Jason's double-header baseball game)
Snack: a few handfuls of Soy Nuts
Dinner: roast beef (from crock pot) and a 5.5oz V8
Drink: water all day

Since I took two days off, I was determined to get a great walk in today.  Despite the 87 degree F temperature and 80% humidity, I walked a 10K (6.2 miles) and did it in 1:35.48.  The 5K was 46:50.  The full miles were 15:33, 15:10, 14:47, 15:31, 15:39, and 15:53. 

Jason had a baseball game in Powell today, so I walked around a lake/pond on the way home after his game: Antrim Park.  It was more challenging than running on pavement since it's a trail with crushed rocks.  Some of the areas were a bit washed out and it wasn't smooth like I'm used to on the road.  However, as trails go, it is very sidewalk-like and easy to navigate.  The loop around the lake is 1.1 miles and about half of it is shady, thank goodness.  It was hot.  I carried my water bottle and did a pretty good job conserving water so I'd have it throughout the walk.

I was very tired and completely drenched afterward.  When I got home, I had to force myself in the shower to get off the salt because I just wanted to curl up on the bed and sleep.  I feel a little better after a shower, food, and more water, but still sleepy.  My finger swelled up more after my walk, but it seems to be draining at least somewhat. It's not going down to the size of the other pointer finger, but it's smaller than when I got home and took off the sweat-soaked wrap.

This morning before Jason's game, I saw the massage therapist, Ann Leighton today.  We talked about my Lymphedema and she showed me how to activate the draining process.  The goal is to try to teach the fluid a new route out of my left hand/arm because it is having trouble draining.  I think the session helped a little with the draining, but it was most helpful to just learn about it and ask her questions. Ken and I can do a better job working on it from home now.  I may also go in occasionally for maintenance.  We'll see what my physical therapist says about it on Monday.

Jason got As too!

Yesterday's update:

I walked 3.5 miles during Val's swim practice:  15:54, 15:28, and 14:47 with a 5K of 47:30.  That's not too bad. 

Afterward, we went out to eat at the place of the kids' choosing (Max and Ermas) to celebrate both kids getting all As and the end of the school year.

Day 11 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: South Beach book recipe for small spinach quiches - I had 2

Lunch: chicken sausage with some cheese and a small side salad of mixed greens with hummus
Snack: soy nuts and string cheese stick
Dinner: Max and Ermas salad with grilled chicken and no dressing
Drink: water all day

Today I'm heading to Chicago and won't be back until late Friday night.  I hope it's not too much of a pain to try to stay within diet limits while I'm gone. 

Val earned awards

Valerie got 3 awards at her school's ceremony today: 

• Character Award for Trustworthiness
• "A" Honor Roll
• President's Education Award which included a congratulatory and inspirational letter from Obama

We are so proud of her!

Jason also did very well all year, too.  Although we haven't gotten his final report card, he had straight As the first three quarters and he got really great scores on the standard tests.  He had a fabulous teacher this year and is probably the only kid in the county who is sad that tomorrow is the last day of school.

I had a busy morning at work and then worked from home after Val's award ceremony.  I also got a walk in, but didn't have the Garmin.  I walked 50 minutes and I assume it was about 3 miles.  I didn't crank up the speed as I have been lately, as I'm a little sore and tired.

Day 10 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: South Beach book recipe for small spinach quiches - I had 2
Lunch: chicken lunch meat, small cucumber, string cheese, and a square of cheddar
Snack: soy nuts
Dinner:  mixed greens salad with cucumbers, left over roast beef, and a tablespoon of picante sauce mixed with sour cream for dressing
Drink: water all day

I'm getting prepared for a meeting in Chicago on Thurs and Friday this week.  I'll stay over Thursday night but come back after the meeting ends on Friday.  There is a lot of preparation to be done, but it will be great to meet HRIS Directors from other institutions such as U of Michigan and Illinois.  I'm also looking forward to spending some time with some colleagues whom I like very much, Tom and Lori, both of whom are also runners and fun people.

First day back to work

I started back to work today.  And I almost didn't get a walk in.  Coincidence?  I think not.

So it was a busy day and I have a lot of catch up work to do, but it was fine.  I didn't get too tired.  I have noticed that I have much less patience at home, especially for things like after school activities.  Today the kids were playing in the yard with friends after school and I was trying to get things done on the computer and I started to round them up for swim practice and I let them talk me out of it.  Ah heck, let them play, Val rarely has friends over and Jason's good friend is moving away this summer.  So I went back to the computer and wrestled for another hour before a rushed dinner followed by softball. 

Val had a softball game tonight and pitched clean up.  She had 3 up and 3 out with one strike out.  Her team won.  She had a rough time at bat, but I was impressed with her ability to block out the rest of the game and focus on the last inning to pitch so well. 

With all this, I wasn't sure I'd get a walk in today.  As it was, I didn't get out before twilight, but I went out anyway.  I didn't do much though.  Just 2 miles at 14:37 and 14:21 and then a few more minutes of walking because I wanted to be out at least 30 minutes.  It wasn't long ago that 2 miles would have been 40 minutes.  So I guess it's been a pretty successful 2 week rehab.  Yes, I know, I still have a long way to go with strength and endurance and flexibility - and that's just to get back to where I was in September 2009 when this all started.  Even then, I wasn't at the peak of any of those fitness measures, so I'd like to rehab to better than I was immediately pre-cancer awareness and treatment.

I had a great talk with a colleague today who is also a runner.  The two newest leaders we've hired are both women and both runners.  That's pretty great. 

Day 9 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: hard boiled egg
Lunch: ate out with a colleague - Greek salad with chicken on it; no bread/pita; no dressing
Snack: V8 and a few tiny turkey sausages
Dinner: eating standing up getting ready for Val's game - a few more tiny turkey sausages, several handfuls of soy nuts, string cheese, and some roast beef from the crock pot
Drink: Iced Tea with lunch (no lemon or sweetener) and water the rest of the day

I wore my wrap today for the Lymphedema and it bothered me a bit at work and at the game.  I tried re-wrapping it twice at Val's game but I couldn't get it tight enough to not be annoying without also turning my fingers purple.  So I took it off by the end of the game and put on the glove to go for the quick walk.  I suppose I'll try to wrap it tonight, though I'm sick of the wrap again already.  Not a good sign.

Jason's 4 for 4; Kelly 10K

Jason had a baseball tourney today and was 4 for 4 at the plate, including a double (and no walks).  That's amazing considering he's been tentative all season after being hit by a pitcher twice in pre-season practices.  His team won one game and lost the second.  But they were psyched to do that well.  And we were so impressed at how much they have improved this season. 

We spent 5 hours at the ball diamonds today and then a couple of hours at a graduation party.  So I didn't get out to walk until evening.  However, it was gorgeous out!  The temperature was 73 and the sun was low enough for the houses and trees to cast shadows for shade.  There was also a breeze that kept me cool. 

So I started out walking thinking that I didn't really want to go fast, but something happened and I ended up doing the walk at what I call "Eunice pace."  A friend of mine at work is a marathon walker and she does 15 minute miles, which until today I thought was impossible.  I could never figure out how to do a mile between 13:30 and 16:00 without mixing running and walking.  I though it was a no-mans-land of pace. 

I walked a little over 10K (6.2 miles) today.  My 10K time was 1:34.27.  I didn't get my 5K time, but cutting the 10K in half gives me about a 47 minute 5K which is faster than I've ever walked, I'm sure.  My miles were 16:17, 15:46, 15:18, 14:46, 14:22, and 14:33.

I learned a lot about walking today.  To walk fast, don't leave your feet on the ground so long.  I know it sounds obvious or silly, but it's totally true.  At least that mental trick worked for me.  Also, to walk fast, don't fiddle with your MP3 player, phone, water bottle, or Lymphedema wrap.  Pumping your arms (both arms) is required for moving at a fast past.  I noticed my Garmin tracked a full minute slower when I wasn't actively pumping my arms.  And, as I've said before, walking or running with a podcast (as I did the first few miles) results in slower times than if listening to music instead. 

And, Jim, big news for you.  I actually DID match my running pace with my walking pace for several strides today.  Going on a steep downhill, I let gravity take me and didn't straighten my legs and I found I could float down the steep hill.  The Garmin clocked me in the 11:30 minute per mile pace for about 10-15 steps.  Ha! You were right! 

On the lymphedema front line, I learned to wrap my hand with the three layer thing this weekend.  I wore it much of yesterday and all of today.  I'm also wearing it at night in bed.  It's less of a pain and intimidating thing when I know how to wrap it.  It is still more limiting of my hand/finger use than the glove and it's more noticeable to others, but the glove can get stretched out and the only way to fix it is to wash it.  If the wrap gets messed up and too loose, I can just take it off and rewrap it.

I still haven't figured out the right way to explain what's going on with my hand to others.  I've had to explain it to lots of people who thought I burned myself or something. I've tried it with saying Lymphedema, but 90% of the people don't know what it is. The longer explanation requires the breast cancer surgery discussion which is more than people want to know.  The short explanation that "two of my fingers are swelling and the doctor is trying to control it with this contraption for awhile" works.  But I often get strange looks with that one.  If you have any ideas, let me know.  I'm sure it will come up a couple of 100 more times.

Day 9 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: hard boiled egg
Snack: piece of cheese
Lunch: hotdog at the ball field, no bun
Dinner: whatever I could find at the graduation party that looked safe - a few little meatballs, cheese, lots of raw veggies (but no carrots), and a couple of almonds
Dessert: Healthy Choice sugar free fudge bar (Ken LOVED these!)
Drink: water all day

I go back to work tomorrow full time.  I walked every day of my 2 weeks off for surgery.  I'm proud of that!

Lymphedema massage appointment

I walked between raindrops today.  Well, and ran a little through them.

After Jason's baseball game, I came home while the others went out for ice cream.  I figured I'd better get out and walk because it had been threatening rain and it was supposed to rain a lot today.  So I headed out but was tired of my usual route, so I walked toward the library.  After about a mile, it started to rain on me, so I picked up the pace.  The rain must have noticed and so it picked up it's pace.  I gave up and ran the last quarter mile to the library.

I called Ken and they had just gotten home, so he came with the kids to the library and brought my card with him.  I checked out two books and we put two on order for Val.  While we were in there, it poured.  When we left, it was only threatening rain again.  Oh joy!  So I walked back home and around a few extra blocks to get in the 3.11 miles.

The only continuous miles my Garmin tracked were 16:36 and 16:42. Since I had to stop it at about 1.25 miles, it called that .25 a lap and started over with the second mile.  So the third mile was short.  Oh well.  The 5K was 50:02.

I also did about 40 minutes of yoga today.

Day 8 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: Hard boiled egg
Lunch: chicken breast on spring mix and cucumbers with hummus for dressing
Snack: String cheese
Dinner: Jason had a team dinner at BW3s which was brutal.  No beer or wine.  No nachos or fries.  I had a burger with no bun, a little blue cheese dressing, and a side salad with no dressing. 
Snack: Both Ken and I were unsatisfied with our BW3 meal, so we are about to eat diet-friendly food and watch a movie. We'll probably have shelled peanuts and soy nuts.
Drink: water all day

Despite all my exercise, eating much less, and eating only what is on the diet plan, I've lost just 3 pounds.  I notice my pants fit better though, so I'm sticking with it.

Today I called the Lymphedema-certified massage therapist that my swim friend recommended.  She called me back and we talked a bit and it was great.  She said the PT I'm seeing is very well respected, actually she suggested that I see her and then I told her that was who I did see.  That's great news.  I'm scheduled to see the massage therapist a week from today. 

I wrapped my own hand last night and it stayed put all night.  So I left it on this morning, at Jason's game, and through my walk and yoga.  Then I took it off for the shower and put on a smaller compression thing.  I wrapped it again tonight. 

My had is still doing the swelling act.  I wish we could cancel that show.

A welcome day off

This week, my second week after reconstructive surgery, I planned to ease into work by working 20 hours from home.  Well, I ended up working more than half time most days, and got in over 20 hours by Thursday.  So I decided to take today off.  No work.  No email.  It was great.  I don't know when I have done that recently - not worked at all an entire day.  I often check email even on the weekend.  But not today.

I made some South Beach Diet friendly food this morning, cleaned the kitchen a bit, and then did beginner yoga.  After yoga, I went out for a long walk: 4 miles.  According to my Garmin 305, my splits were 16:24, 16:02, 16:02, and 15:45. 

While walking today, I listened to Geek Girl Runner for most of the walk and then switched to Steverunner when Geek Girl's episode was done.

I really like Geek Girl, aka Kris Howard.  She grew up in the states, somewhere in the Midwest.  Now she lives in Sydney, Austrailia with her Aussie husband, the Snook (his actual name).  She's a back of the pack runner, like me and has great motivation and a great attitude.  It's refreshing to hear a running podcast person talk about running times that are similar to what I run.  She's 10 years younger than me, though, and seems to be able to ramp up the distance miles much quicker than I can. 

Day 7 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: egg substitute omelet with asparagus, green pepper, mushrooms, and lite Laughing Cow swiss cheese
Lunch: two pieces of ham, a small piece of cheese, and half an avocado
Snack: a 5.5oz can of V8 (I really like these) and a piece of string cheese
Dinner:  3 slices of cucumber, 4 pieces of raw cauliflower, 2 slices of orange pepper, a little bit of spicy chicken, fresh spinach, lettuce with some kind of dressing that I attempted to scrape off

I agree.  My dinner sounds strange.  We were at the annual kick-off summer swim team meeting and potluck at the pool.  It was very fun.  I had no idea if I'd be able to eat anything there or not.  I think I did pretty well, actually.  And that's pretty impressive given all the yummy stuff that was there, especially the desserts.  There were more desserts than real food!

As for the Lymphedema, my finger is still swelling.  After I showered this morning I forgot to put my compression glove back on for two hours.  Grrrrr.  I just got busy working in the kitchen and forgot. At the pool tonight, I talked with another woman who has Lymphedema and she gave me the name of a massage therapist who is certified and works in Upper Arlington (near OSU campus).  I'm certainly planning to look her up and to get an appointment.  I also want to find someone who is an expert in Lymphedema, other than the PT.  Don't they have doctor experts too?  I need to learn more and figure out what my best course of action is besides wrapping it and squeezing a ball. 

Plastics follow up appt

I had my first post-surgery follow up appointment with my plastic surgeon.  Here's the summary:

1. We agreed I'm a little small but didn't determine whether I might have been more happy with the next size up because it's 25cc more which might be too much for me.  He said these implants took most of the left/right space that I had, so larger would have spread out more.  I don't want to spread side-to-side anymore at all, so he may be right.  This may be all the bigger I can get without invading my underarms again.
2. He explained that he didn't think high profile implants were for me because they would leave a "shelf" on the top of the chest ("a place to set your coffee cup") which I didn't like at all about the expanders.
3. He was really happy with the natural look of the top half and cleavage area.  I am too.  He also likes the symmetry.
4. He said the bottom connection area doesn't look as natural and it's really difficult to get that to look natural.
5. I'm still swollen, so he said I'll probably get even smaller and we need to check symmetry again after the swelling goes down.  
6. I need to continue to wear sports bras all the time until I see him next time (3 weeks).
7. No running yet, obviously.  No lifting either.

He didn't bat an eye that I wasn't wearing the post-surgical bra he gave me.  I was wearing a full coverage, heavy sports bra, instead.  Yea.  I'll continue wearing my sports bras during the day and only wear the surgical one at night.

After my appointment, I went to my office and worked for nearly 5 hours, including 2 meetings.
After fighting the hand wrap at work today (see previous post), I went to a drug store to try to find another option. It just isn't going to work for me. It was falling apart in many places today (it did that yesterday too, when the PT wrapped it) and it was distracting and annoying and I really doubted it could possibly be working since it was so loose and messed up. Then I came home, took off the wrap and tried a bunch of options before settling on some finger sleeves with the compression glove the PT gave me as a backup to the wrap.

One of the parents at swimming is a massage therapist and she talked with me about the massage method for draining to treat Lymphedema. I was trying to squeeze the fluid down my finger into my hand, but she said the lymph system is already full, so that won't work. I'm supposed to start up high in the chest area and do little bits at a time to then siphon the fluid out of the fingers. The fingers don't get massaged until last. That makes sense. I'll try it.

Day 6 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: fried egg and 2 pieces of bacon (not greasy)
Lunch: left over steak, a mini cucumber, snack bag of peanuts, and a piece of string cheese
Snack: piece of string cheese
Dinner: a piece of ham lunchmeat and a piece of Laughing Cow low fat cheese (wasn't hungry)
Drinks: water all day

I didn't have enough time to walk the three miles today, but I came close. I put in 2.67 miles with the mile paces at 16:45 and 16:42. I wore the glove during the walk of course. I also pumped my fingers like I was squeezing a ball, like the PT suggested.

Good news:  after my compression and activity today, my pointer finger is noticeably smaller (yes, I took the glove off before posting tonight).  I'll have Ken wrap it or something for the night, though.  We need to keep it compressed all the time for awhile.  I want to kick this thing if it is at all possible.

I got a comment on my last post from Marie-Carole Gallien, a women who also has Lymphedema as a result of breast cancer surgery.  She was nice enough to give me some web resources to check out.  I may find some time to do that tomorrow.  Thank you, Marie-Carole!

Lymphedema

I'm trying to type this post with a left hand that is wrapped with 3 layers.  First, a thin fabric piece that looks like a fingerless glove.  Then each finger is wrapped separately in a thin cloth bandage that also wraps around my hand and wrist and a little higher on my arm.  And it's all topped off with an ace bandage (but less stretchy than an ace bandage) that is wrapped around my hand, between my thumb and pointer finger, and up my arm almost to my elbow.

All this because I do indeed have Lymphedema.  The very nice physical therapist said it makes no sense that I have it "based on what I had done" and the absence of other risk factors, but I do have Lymphedmea. 

If you're new to the blog, I'll recap.  I had ILC breast cancer in the left breast, stage 1, with pervasive LCIS (pre-cancer marker) around the area.  So "what I had done" was a bilateral mastectomy with 3 sentiniel lymph nodes taken out of the left side plus 3 lymph nodes that were removed with the breast.  I guess that was a few too many nodes removed for me. Subsequently, I had reconstructive surgery and got my semi-permanent gel implants last week.)

Back to the Lymphedema treatment:

1. The first course of action is to keep my hand and lower arm wrapped until my two affected fingers go back down to the same size as the right hand.  If they do.  It's possible they won't.  Let's be positive and assume they do.  
2. Once my fingers are back to normal size, then we consider putting on a glove and/or glove with sleeve that I wear all the time for a while to maintain the correct size.  If this works, which it might not, but hey, again, let's be hopeful, then on to treatment 3.
3. In the next treatment, I only need to wear a glove (and perhaps a sleeve too) when I exercise.  If this keeps my drainage working properly, I will not have to go back and do it all again. 
4. If I'm really, really lucky, I could ease off wearing the glove/sleeve when I exercise and watch the hand to ensure it doesn't start the whole process all over again.  If it doesn't I may be one of the few who gets to move past Lymphedma and does not have to manage it for a lifetime. 

I couldn't get the PT to give me actual percentages, but I got her to admit that a lower percent of the time the Lymphedema goes away and doesn't come back.  For most people, once they get Lymphedema, it is something they manage and deal with throughout their lives.

Today was no less hectic than yesterday.  I worked until 1:45, then ate lunch in 15 minutes, then drove to my appointment at the cancer treatment center.  And I really didn't want to go there.  It's a sad place.  I don't have cancer anymore.  Why can't I go somewhere else.  Ahh, because this is where they know about follow up non-cancer problems like Lymphedema. 

Then I came home and worked more and tried to help Valerie with a craft project for school (we failed and decided to wait for Ken).  Now Ken has taken both kids away and I'm home with instructions to go for a walk or relax or do something good for me.  It's 90 degrees out at 6:44pm.  And I have a wrapped arm.  I don't think I'll walk just yet.

On a lighter note, the PT asked me if I was convalescing (to spend time recovering from an illness or the effects of medical treatment, especially by resting), so  I told her about my day yesterday.  For the rest of the appointment, we joked about my convalescence period.  Seriously, she did say coming in now was advantageous so we could jump on the compression treatment during this time when I am not allowed to run anyway.  Okay, yes, that is good. 

So it hasn't all sunk in yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm discouraged by the new state of affairs.  Do I really need another excuse to stop walking or running?  I've got plenty in my pocket already.  Now a huge very obvious reason is attached to my arm.  Was my life getting too easy?  Was I recovering too well?  Why did this have to happen along with all the other difficult things I have going on?

And there are no answers.  No answers as to why.  No answers as to whether it will ever go away.  No answers to how long I have to wear bandages or gloves or compression sleeves.

Day 5 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: black beans, green pepper, and mushroom fried with egg substitute and a little olive oil
Lunch: two pieces of ham, a small piece of cheese, a small cucumber, and a piece of string cheese
Snack: a little can of V8 (5.5oz)
Dinner: chicken breast on romaine with hummus for dressing
Dessert made by my wonderful husband: a recipe from the South Beach Diet book, something with riccota cheese, splenda, unsweetened cocoa, vanilla extract, and toasted almonds.  It was wonderful.
Drinks: water all day

- 1 hour later -
OK, so I did go out to walk.  I did 3 miles: 16:53, 16:14, and 14:35.  A HUGE black mass of clouds roared in during the last half mile and I thought I could beat it but at .25 to go, gusts of winds picked up, all got black, rumbling everywhere.  So yea, I ran.  A little.  Okay, about 10:30 pace.  And I ran a little less than .25.  Oh well.  I needed it.  It was kinda fun to just barely beat the brunt of the storm.

Crazy day

What happened? Today was supposed to be a surgery recovery day; a day when I eased into working and had some alone time.  Yea, right.

I'm doing really well one week post-breast reconstruction surgery, so I committed to working 20 hours from home this week, my second week off. 

After working awhile this morning, I forced myself to squeeze in 30 minutes of yoga.  This time I tried the DVD that said "beginner," not the crazy "weight loss yoga" DVD that I tried a few days ago.  This was much more doable, but I still had to improvise when I was supposed to be doing poses that required my arms to hold my weight (doctor's orders). I did pretty well though and it was good to stretch out my sore leg muscles. 

After yoga, I worked a little more and then rushed out to a hair appointment.  Then more rushing back home to eat my lunch as I got back to work.  I ended up getting on a roll with some important things and worked until 4pm. 

The kids were home at 3pm and 3:45, so I got them some nutrition required for swimming and then packed them up and drove to our first summer team practices of the year.  Ken had learned my day was hectic via email and offered to meet me at the pool so I could get my walk in today.  What a wonderful guy!  It was definitely needed!

So I walked through a really nice neighborhood near the kids' summer pool and did 3.88 miles.  My total miles were 16:17, 16:06, and 16:06.  My 5K time was 50:03.

Then I went home, got a shower, helped Ken make dinner, got all the kids' summer day camp applications and checks ready for the mail, and said goodnight to the kids. 

As we were saying goodnight, Val and I had a good conversation about friends.  One of her teachers said the friends they have now (6th grade) are "convenience friends" and will probably not be their friends in high school.  At first, she was concerned about that, but I told her that some of the special ones will remain special forever.  Lee Ann and I have been best friends since the 2nd grade.  It happens.

So that's it.  My day in a nutshell.  And nutty.  It's like I'm back into my usual whirlwind schedule already.  I hope tomorrow isn't quite as bad, but it looks like I have similar things in store for Wednesday and Thursday already.  Wednesday, I have my appointment with the physical therapist about the swelling in my hands (Lymphedema).  Thursday morning, I have my follow up appointment with the plastic surgeon.  Friday may be a more relaxed day.  I'm going to ensure it is. 

Day 4 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast:  Egg substitute omelet with asparagus and low fat cheese
Lunch: Turkey lunch meat, small piece of cheese, and an avocado
Snack: Handful of almonds and small piece of cheese
Dinner: Lowfat chicken sausage with cheese and a lettuce and cucumber salad with hummus for dressing
Drinks: Water throughout the day

I'm sticking with it and it's been okay.  I haven't had any trouble staying on course, even though I'm home where I could eat lots of bad things.  So far, so good.