health

First ASA class in 3 weeks!

Blog kitt decided around 21:14 on 15 September 2004 to publish this:

Given my migraine today, working out at ASA was probably the least intelligent action I've taken in the last year. Well, that coupled with the lack of complete rib healing.

The workout was a fairly easy one, as these things go. I didn't want a hard one. And I didn't want one with a lot of jumping!

We started with ladders. The usual, nothing new this time.

We then progressed to hopping over hurdles for form running. The plan is to run with the feet cocked to minimum lost of momentum on foot plant and extend. My left foot tends to point out, so I concentrated on bringing it in. Despite clearing the tall hurdles by 3-4", I still twisted my left foot in or out.

We did two sets of both feet step between each hurdle, right foot first, then left foot first; then hopping with both feet together; then hopping sideways left foot first, then hopping sideways right foot first, then one foot between each hurdle, starting with the left, then starting with the right.

That might have been better in a list format.

Next came hopping over the hurdles, followed by sprinting forward quickly. Sometimes the bounding felt good, sometimes I knew I was off. I did 10 jumps (5 each way) over the 6" hurdle then sprint forward, repeat 5 times. Kris had to jump over the 12" hurdle 20 times before sprinting.

We alternated the drill of jump up with a weighted ball between and catch the ball at chest level with the drill of jump down from a 12" box landing with both feet and springing up to a 24" box. We did these two drills three times each, alternating, adding the weighted ball on the second and third box hops.

A short shuttle run was next. We started at a cone, then sprinted to the right 5 yards, stopped, turned around and sprinted 10 yards back, then stopped and turned around to sprint back 5 yards to our starting point. Kris' times were around 4.7 to 4.3. Mine were 6.0, 5.8. 5.7, 5.3 and 5.7.

Last we had abs. I was unable to do most of them (read: 95% of them) because of my ribs, so I did what I could, which was little. Kris, on the other hand, caught the full force of the abs and was exhausted at the end.

How can I make a workout harder?

Blog Instead of being asleep at 20:46 on 15 September 2004, kitt created this:

I'm trying to figure out how I could have possibly made my workout at ASA harder. Let's see, I have a broken rib (okay, mostly strained, with the ligaments/cartilege between the last fixed rib and the first floating rib traumatized), migraine number seven this afternoon, that time of the month yesterday, I haven't exercised much in the last three weeks, and I ate a half sandwich just before I went over to ASA.

I wasn't actually planning on working out, but G's attitude is so infectious, so encouraging, that I just had to try. I did okay, but I'm definitely out of shape.

Yet, I'm still not sure show I could have made the workout any harder.

Dancing lights

Blog Posted by kitt at 04:47 on 15 September 2004

It's 4:45 in the morning. I've been up all night trying to launch the new UPA website. I'm tired. I know I'm tired. I'm actually quite close to exhaustion. But I need to get (most) of this done. I'm finishing up the last details on the site, and writing the basic documentation for using the site.

A few minutes ago, a dancing light played in my vision. It was, um, interesting. It was a bright, bright pinpoint light that displayed at top middle of my vision. When I looked up, expecting to see a dust particle, it moved. So, I followed it, as it danced in my vision. It lasted all of maybe two seconds, but it was amazing to watch. Very, very bright, and small.

I hope it's not a migraine signal. Could be. Though, the count is currently 6-4, as of yesterday (okay, okay, maybe 6-4.5).

Is this 5, or 4?

Blog Written with a loving hand by kitt some time around 21:04 on 14 September 2004

Sho' 'nuff, it's a doozie. This one has zapped my motivation and added large amounts of pain to my day. Officially, this is number five for the year, but number 4 wasn't a real one. It was over before I knew it started, and there was no pain involved.

As of this point, I'm going to call that half one merely break-through bleeding and be done with this half thing. I declare the count to officially be 6 to 4.

I'll take a half rack, please

Blog Yeah, kitt finished writing this at 17:13 on 14 September 2004

The current rib diagnosis is that there is no break, but possible fracture in the last floating rib, and a definite ligament strain with the last fixed rib.

I'm not completely convinced of this, as several ribs have large calcium deposits on the sides. At least four of them have large, hard lumps on the side. The lumps are all along the side, nominally in a vertical line.

So, maybe a few more are injured than we thought.

Running again!

Blog Yeah, kitt finished writing this at 18:50 on 12 September 2004

I'm so thrilled! I went for a run today. The first real run in over two weeks. And my ribs didn't hurt. Joy of joys! I can run.

I liken this wonderful experience to the "you don't know what you have until you've lost it" syndrome. Running hurt, so I didn't run. I couldn't run, so I became grumpy from lack of exercise. (yes, yes, you're thinking, but you could have walked or rode a bike, and yes, I could have. But neither is my exercise of choice, and so I chose not to exercise.)

Of course, number 5 of the year is raging close, so the run wasn't as long or pain-free as I would have liked, but at least it was a run. Joy!

How many ways can I hate you?

Blog Instead of being asleep at 13:17 on 8 September 2004, kitt created this:

How many ways can I hate the current medical system? Here's the conversation I had yesterday, trying to get the results from tests I had done last week. Doctor's office = DO. I spoke to Debbie yesterday. 

Me: Hi, I'm calling about the results for tests I had done 
    last week.  I'm wondering how they turned out.

DO: Your doctor will mail you the results of your tests.  
    If there are any abnormal results, he'll call you.

Me: My doctor is out of town until the end of the week.  Can
    you just tell me if the results are positive or negative?

DO: No, I can't do that.  The results will be mailed out.

Me: Look, the tests were checking for intestinal parasites.  
    I have a referral to another doctor if the test is 
    positive.  Can you just tell me that?

DO: Oh, okay.  What's your chart number?

Me: It's [chart number]

DO: The results aren't back yet.  They were sent out on the
    first of September.  Can you call back tomorrow?

Me: Sent out?  Good to know.  I'll call back tomorrow.  
    Thanks!

Well, here it is tomorrow, so I call again. This time, Cynthia answers the phone. 

Me: Hi, I'm calling to see if my test results are in.  I was
    told yesterday that the results can't be given out over 
    the phone, but I just need a positive or a negative result.

DO: I can't do that.  I can leave a message for your doctor to
    give you a call back.

Me: My doctor is out of town until the end of the week, so 
    that won't work.  Can you see if the results are in?

DO: No, I can leave a message for the on-call doctor.

Me: To see if the results were back?  Can't you just look it 
    up?

DO: I don't have access to the records.

Me: Okay, can you transfer me to someone in the lab who does?

DO: The lab is closed from 1 to 2 for lunch break.  I can have 
    the on-call doctor call you back.
I hung up. I'll call back after 2:30. Maybe someone else will be able to help.

Tag, you're it!

Blog Written with a loving hand by kitt some time around 18:33 on 3 September 2004

Went to see Marina again today. Mostly as a followup to Monday's appointment, where we discussed my ongoing health problems, and may have finally found the root cause. I had ultrasound done on my ribs, for both theraputic and diagnostic reasons. Essentially if it hurt, I had a fracture. If it didn't, I had damaged ligaments. Turns out, the rib that hurt didn't have pain when the ultrasound wand was rubbed over it (yay!), but oddly enough the rib below it burned when the ultrasound was rubbed over it. I don't think that we realized that the next rib down could be fractured, all I know is that it hurt, and I teared up from the pain.

The downside to the appointment is that I'm not to run or, as a result, play ultimate for another two weeks. Two Weeks! Bah. Stupid rib. Who needs them anyway? Walking and stationary bike riding are fine. Running and swimming (!) are not .

So, as I'm on the mend, Kris stepped in with a doozie.

He messenged me around 1:30, telling me he had bad stomach pains, and that he was coming home. I told him I'd come get him if he'd like, just call me. Around 2:00 he did just that, and I drove up to Oracle to pick him up. Instead of our usual trip to the emergency room, we went to his gastroenterologist first. He was, thankfully, in and able to see Kris. We immediately high-tailed it to the emergency room of the hospital 100 yards down the street. An hour later, Kris was in la-la land, drugged beyond easy speech.

So, we're quite the pair. If both of our issues (tummy and head) collide on the same day, well, we'll be in trouble.

Pain in the side

Blog Posted by kitt at 23:25 on 31 August 2004

My ribs are still really, really, really sore. I think I was especially excited yesterday that I was feeling good, and over-exerted myself in my enthusiasm. I'm really uncomfortable sitting. I'm uncomfortable standing. I'm really uncomfortable lying down. The problem with lying down is that I need to lift my right arm to stretch my ribcage so that my ribs are comfortable. The stretching isn't the problem so much as the injury I have to my shoulder, making lifting my arm over my shoulder for a long period of time also quite painful.

Sigh.

I went to both Marina and my general practioner yesterday. My main complaints were of:

  • achy joints

    You can't tell me my joins are achy because I'm old or because I exercise, because I'm not going to believe you. The onset of said achiness was quite sudden, about a month ago, and the sudden onset of anything is a symptom of something, be it illness or trauma)

  • pain after eating

    Anything. After eating anything. Even after drinking water, my stomach hurt. My lower stomach always hurts about 20+ minutes after eating. It's to the point where I don't want to eat, and find myself going longer and longer between meals because meals hurt.

  • general malaise, fatigue

    Sure I'm getting old, does that mean I should be tired all the time?

  • inability to recover after exercise

    Sure, I'd have plyos on Monday and Wednesday, track on Tuesday, practice on Sunday and Thursday, but sheesh, I should be able to recover somewhat.

Unfortunately, I've had a few other experiences that I'll not relate at this moment, that have made me suspect the root cause of all these problems. I have two tests to take to confirm the self diagnosis, so we'll see if I'm correct.

Here's hoping I am, as I'd really like to be healthy again.

Broken Bella, meet Kitt

Blog Yeah, kitt finished writing this at 00:01 on 27 August 2004

As of this evening, I'm joining the ranks of I Got Jacked Up and Broken Bella Beagle. I was smooshed in a collision with Ben, and, well, hurt all over.

At practice today, as I was cutting back into the stack, and moving backward with the stack, I turned to the sideline where Melody had the disc, and saw no one was cutting for her (we were all clearing to the stack). Being in the front of the stack means I shouldn't cut, but, well, the count was at 4 at least, and someone needed to get there. I had Steffi on me (freaking fast Steffi), so I had to cut hard.

Cut hard I did to the sideline. Melody saw me and put up the disc. A little high, but still catchable. Hard hard hard to the disc.

In a good heads-up, Ben saw the disc go up and moved off his man to the disc. I was still determined to get that disc, so I continued to go to hard hard hard.

We collided.

As I was reaching up for the disc, our shoulders hit. As I'm much smaller than Ben (125# to about 190#), I bounced off him. My center of gravity is lower than my waist, so I pivoted around that point on impact. My feet swept under Ben's feet, taking him out, too.

After I was hit, I started screaming, and closed my eyes. WHAM! I hit the ground, knees, hips, right wrist, head. Down came Ben on top, smooshing me, knees, hips, chest, head. Total smoosh.

I lay there, unable to breath, unable to move, eyes closed, tears spilling from my eyes. I sensed people surrounding me, then heard Rick say, "Take a deep breath." I stopped panting and tried to take a deep breath. No good.

I was asked what hurt. What didn't hurt? At that moment, I couldn't figure out how to answer what hurt, because my head, my ribs, my shoulder, my wrist, my hips and my knees hurt. I answered my knee.

Someone (Lisa?) placed a hand on my right side, and I screamed (moderately, but as much as I could manage), and tried to get the hand off me. I couldn't stand up, but needed to try.

Somehow, I stood up and looked at my left knee. It had a bulge about the size of a walnut. And it hurt. I tried to walk on it, but it was stiff. Whitney offered a shoulder to help me walk, but I asked him to carry me to the bags. He did. When we arrived, Keith handed me a bag of ice. He had seen me go down and took off to the 7-11 for ice. Keith is so great.

After sitting for a moment, I realized my right side hurt, and I moved the ice pack Brynne had given me from my knee to my ribs.

So, at the end of the day, I was smooshed by Ben. I think my ribs are only bruised and not broken, as I can take a deep breath without sharp pain. But I'm unable to stand up without severe help with my left arm.

Time to become ambidextrous!

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