Throwing Cookies in 2017

Coming...

I only posted here three times this year, but that was more than I've posted in the past three years, so that's something.

Unfathomably, the blog which has received and continues to receive the most clicks is "How to Heal an Achilles Tendon" from 2013. Somehow over 500,000 people have visited that post.

This year's posts have averaged about 200 visits each with my post about Sloane Stevens' US Championship topping the list. Then, there was my post about Colin Kaepernick taking a knee, followed by my post about marathon training.

going...

I didn't write about the Dodgers making it to the World Series. Their loss to the Astros broke my heart, and reminded me how hard it is to have a horse in the race. It's exciting, but exhausting. Still love my boys in blue, and like every off-season, there is the optimism of waiting until next year.

I've continued to boycott the NFL, and listened with pride as a student-athlete of mine wrote about taking a knee for a speech and debate tournament. Her original oratory took home first place, and hopefully inspired others to reflect on the promises and failures of our nation.

Sloane is sidelined again with a knee injury, but she posts adorable photos of her and boyfriend/soccer star: Jozy Altidore.

And I'm still training and trying to get faster. I posted my best 10K time this past week and am feeling pretty healthy post-holiday (we'll see how I feel after Cabo next week). I'm looking forward to March and running my first LA Marathon with our Students Run LA team.

SRLA Team Emerson! 

And that's about it. Oregon football struggled, but Oregon hoops on both the men's and women's sides looks promising, so I still say, go Ducks.

I also recently learned about Left Wing Fútbol which may change my entire life and perspective on competition. Their unofficial motto is: We change the way we play to change the world, but that can wait for a future blog post. Oh, and following my niece Nicole's basketball career (she's a junior this year) is something I plan to write about in the next year. We will all have to wait to see where she decides to take her talents for college.

Back On My Feet

A year ago, I tore my Achilles’ Tendon. A year ago, we had a dog. A year ago Kiara wasn’t even
crawling yet. A year ago, I came home from the hospital on crutches and pain-killers.

It was a long three months recovering from surgery, getting off crutches, and out of the boot. Then there were the long months of physical therapy, but during one of those sessions, the PT told me my days of training and completing triathlons were over.

When he said this, I wasn’t devastated. If he’d told me no beach volleyball, no basketball, no tennis, or flag football, I would have been pretty bummed. But it was just triathlons. Even though I’d trained for and completed about 10, I could let go of triathlons. Tri training is a
lot of work. It’s time consuming. It requires a lot of gear. No triathlons? Oh well.

But this summer, I was determined to get back in shape. So, when a friend said she was doing San Diego Tri Rock I decided to make a go of it.

Thanks for all the support this weekend/year!

I had been walking for my workouts but got back into running. I got my bike serviced and starting riding for the first time since Wildflower in 2009. I got back into the pool. In these hours of working out, I found my breath again. I started eating cleaner and with all the exercise lost the baby and Achilles’ tendon weight.

This past weekend we made it to San Diego, watched the Dodgers win, and after a miserable

mile-long swim, a 21-mile bike ride, and 6-mile run I crossed the finish line.

So much can change in a year. Scout is in a new home, Kiara is a rambunctious toddler, and I am grateful to be back on my feet.

How to Heal an Achilles' Tendon

Ah, Achilles, the hero of grief. That is the tendon I ruptured one September afternoon. It's January, and I'm back on my feet, but it has taken a LONG time. Here is a bit of a timeline for anyone unfortunate enough to tear this tendon or as a cautionary tale for those of you who think you don't need to stretch.

September 25, 2012: Ouch!

I tore the Achilles' tendon in my right foot while coaching the Emerson girls flag football team. It hurt. A LOT. But somehow the adrenaline got me through and I made my way back to my second floor classroom on crutches to teach fifth and sixth period before heading to the ER at Kaiser in West LA. 

This is my right foot after the diagnosis: Right Achilles' Tendon Rupture. They sent me home with my right leg in a splint, crutches, pain killers, and an appointment in orthopedics the following week.



September 25 - October 3: Waiting for Surgery

I was home with my leg elevated, extremely elevated, and on crutches. The toughest part was not being able to take care of my six-month-old daughter. I couldn't put any weight on the foot and with the crutches I couldn't carry her anywhere. It sucked. It was also challenging to shower because I couldn't take the hard splint off. Once I consulted with the Orthopedic Surgeon, he had the techs create a removable splint so I could shower more easily, but we invested in a plastic shower stool to prevent falls. Having a removable shower head was also a huge help.

October 3: Surgery

So, I didn't have to get surgery. The doctor said it looked like a complete rupture, went through the complications that come with surgery, and then left it up to me. If I wanted to remain active, the chances of a rerupture were slightly diminished by having surgery. The scarring at the heel is apparently an issue with some people post op. I decided to have the surgery. I am an athlete. I couldn't imagine never having any push off my right leg so under the knife I went! It only took a couple of hours and I didn't have to spend the night in the hospital, but I did have to fast all day because of the anesthesia.

October 3-14: Splint, Crutches, Elevate

After surgery they put a soft splint and wrap on my leg, and again, I couldn't get it wet. This was probably the roughest time. The pain was bad for a few days and I still had to keep it elevated constantly. Even when I went back to work on the 10th, I had to keep it propped up all day or the swelling worsened. I was on crutches, but I managed to get back to work, go to a wedding, and a first year birthday party. So, I was still able to get around.

October 15 - 23 Cast

For a couple of weeks, they put me in a cast. It was blue and pretty but I couldn't get it wet and it was itchy. I wasn't bummed when it came off.

October 24 - November 15: Boot with Crutches

Aw, the boot. For Achilles' surgery recovery, they put all these foam layers inside the boot to keep your toe in a pointed position. The boot made showering easier, but I was still on the crutches, still couldn't put any weight on my right foot, and had to sleep in the boot. On the upside, the pain had dissipated and I didn't have to keep it elevated as much. I even went on a field trip in a wheel chair.

November 16 - December 16: Weight Bearing in Boot

Goodbye crutches!!! What a relief to be weight bearing in the boot! I could carry Kiara again, and get a drink from the fridge. I could cook! Still couldn't drive, but I became so much more mobile at this point, and each week as I took a layer of foam out to bring my foot from pointed down to level I was getting closer. My hips hurt every time I took a layer out, but every week I felt myself getting back to walking normally!

December 17 - January 5: Two Shoes and PT

Goodbye boot, hello shoes. Yes, almost three months after surgery I was in two shoes, limping pretty noticeably because the tendon was so tight, but walking. You can't really tell in the pictures, but look, I'm short, no longer height assisted by a boot. And there, in that other one, boots, two of them! This week, four full months post-surgery, I can finally drive. With physical therapy, flexibility exercises, and strength conditioning I expect to be getting back on the court soon!

I still have a couple more months before any quick twitch movements and I am just now coming to the realization that I am never going to be the same. Still, I'll be back, people. I might not have the first step I once did, but I have to be able to beat Kaira at one-on-one until she's taller than me. Two bits of advice for anyone with a rupture: be patient with your self and your recovery and ask for help. There's no way I could have made it without the help of my partner, co-workers, and friends.