But I've done lots of shopping! I hand-wrung incredibly long over which weight vest to order and where was the cheapest price but finally ordered the Ironwear Cool Vest with 15.5 lbs. and a 20" wobble board from Allegro Medical. They had 15% off but with shipping, it still a bundle. The weight vest is supposed to help maintain bone density while wearing it for walking or just around the house. The wobble board will help my balance and strenthen my lower leg and foot. All of this is instead of signing up for a fitness club.
Then, I had a huge Vitacost order. Used an 8% off coupon on that from RetailMeNot.com.
I still have to make orders from Mountain Rose Herbs, Eden Foods Bob's Red Mill but will do that using the old fashioned land line after I have breakfast.
Saturday, foot misbehaved on shopping trip to Santa Fe but is better now. I stayed home Sunday so as not to aggravate foot.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Curves and Exercise Options
Thinking about Curves overnight, I don't plan on going back for my free week. I prefer more autonomy and anonymity when exercising in a gym. I was ready to do a 4th circuit yesterday when Crystal told me to stretch. My muscles aren't a bit sore today. Also, I feel that doing resistance work a little slower is better. The Curves machines are beautiful but in order to increase the resistance, since they use hydraulic pumps and not weights, you have to do the reps very fast. Regarding autonomy, the recorded voice that announces the 30 seconds are up doesn't allow me enough time to get seated at the next machine and get some meaningful resistance work in before the voice announces again that it's time to switch activities.
I will stay home today and do two Dummies tapes that I got out of the library. One is weightlifting and the other is stability ball. I'm not sure that I want to use the pool ever. The idea makes me feel very cold. I could just do the shallow water aerobics in the heated therapy pool but then you have to get out and get chilled. It's 70 degrees in the house and I need to put on more clothes. Is it time to move to Arizona? I'll get a TSH test at the October 11 health fair.
I have to begin conscientiously apply myself to doing resistance work 3 times a work to improve my bone density. I don't like the idea that my bones have thinned more since the last bone density 5 years ago. I'm not sure if it will be a home program or joining the LA Fitness Center. The LAFC costs $480 a year which we can certainly afford and spouse spends more than that on DirecTV but I balk at spending the money knowing that in the past when I've joined the YMCA, I've come to tire of publicly exercising.
The problem with a home resistance work program is consistently doing it, day after day, week after week, etc. But, I have no choice - I have to do it for the health of my bones. That's also why the idea of non-weightbearing aerobics like bicycling or water aerobics isn't very appealing. Maybe I could replace my walking for 3 days a week with the weight work because it is hard to fit both a good weight work session in and walk 4 miles too in addition to living my life.
I'm tired today and don't feel like going out. Plus, my ankle area has some mild discomfort.
I will stay home today and do two Dummies tapes that I got out of the library. One is weightlifting and the other is stability ball. I'm not sure that I want to use the pool ever. The idea makes me feel very cold. I could just do the shallow water aerobics in the heated therapy pool but then you have to get out and get chilled. It's 70 degrees in the house and I need to put on more clothes. Is it time to move to Arizona? I'll get a TSH test at the October 11 health fair.
I have to begin conscientiously apply myself to doing resistance work 3 times a work to improve my bone density. I don't like the idea that my bones have thinned more since the last bone density 5 years ago. I'm not sure if it will be a home program or joining the LA Fitness Center. The LAFC costs $480 a year which we can certainly afford and spouse spends more than that on DirecTV but I balk at spending the money knowing that in the past when I've joined the YMCA, I've come to tire of publicly exercising.
The problem with a home resistance work program is consistently doing it, day after day, week after week, etc. But, I have no choice - I have to do it for the health of my bones. That's also why the idea of non-weightbearing aerobics like bicycling or water aerobics isn't very appealing. Maybe I could replace my walking for 3 days a week with the weight work because it is hard to fit both a good weight work session in and walk 4 miles too in addition to living my life.
I'm tired today and don't feel like going out. Plus, my ankle area has some mild discomfort.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Very Fall-Like Today
I love the trees downtown with their red leaves. Fall is definitely in the air today with the overcast over the mountains and cooler temps. I love it!!
Today I picked up my bone density results. It shows that I have osteopenia of the hips and spine but now osteoporosis. I have to renew my commitment to a bone building program of resistance work to try to improve my bone density.
I called Curves and they routinely give interested people a free week to try Curves out so I exercised there today and will tomorrow and next week until the free week expires. They use resistance machines with hydraulic resistance and it seemed to be good exercise. The idea is that the faster you move go, the more resistance you create. The manager was very friendly and helpful - showing me how to go around the circuit. I did 3 circuits and was ready to do another one but she said to stretch. They have a very cool stretching station and I really enjoyed my stretching. The cost to join is a $75 new member fee (normally $149) and $34 a month. LA Fitness Center is only $6 more and has more stuff to do so I doubt I'll join but this helps me to pass the time until the appointment next week with the foot and ankle specialist.
I'll probably do Curves tomorrow and aim to go to the pool's deep water aerobics class to see how I like that.
I also stopped by the BESC to try the Schwinn Air Dyne but discovered that it bothers my heel. Either that or some of the lower leg machines at Curves bothered it. I may have done 10 minutes on the exercise bike.
My right leg swelled a little yesterday. Today, I'm trying to walk normally around the house with a little assist from the walker sometimes. I can't keep putting so much weight on my left foot because now it's beginning to hurt.
Daughter and grandson come over tonight for spouse's birthday.
Today I picked up my bone density results. It shows that I have osteopenia of the hips and spine but now osteoporosis. I have to renew my commitment to a bone building program of resistance work to try to improve my bone density.
I called Curves and they routinely give interested people a free week to try Curves out so I exercised there today and will tomorrow and next week until the free week expires. They use resistance machines with hydraulic resistance and it seemed to be good exercise. The idea is that the faster you move go, the more resistance you create. The manager was very friendly and helpful - showing me how to go around the circuit. I did 3 circuits and was ready to do another one but she said to stretch. They have a very cool stretching station and I really enjoyed my stretching. The cost to join is a $75 new member fee (normally $149) and $34 a month. LA Fitness Center is only $6 more and has more stuff to do so I doubt I'll join but this helps me to pass the time until the appointment next week with the foot and ankle specialist.
I'll probably do Curves tomorrow and aim to go to the pool's deep water aerobics class to see how I like that.
I also stopped by the BESC to try the Schwinn Air Dyne but discovered that it bothers my heel. Either that or some of the lower leg machines at Curves bothered it. I may have done 10 minutes on the exercise bike.
My right leg swelled a little yesterday. Today, I'm trying to walk normally around the house with a little assist from the walker sometimes. I can't keep putting so much weight on my left foot because now it's beginning to hurt.
Daughter and grandson come over tonight for spouse's birthday.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Tincture of Time Works!
The leg swelling is gone today. I don't know if it's because I've been walking on it around the house more or because I reinstituted the standing calf stretch that I have done every night for eons or because Dr. Church is such a wonderful healer that all he had to do was touch my leg and I was cured!!
I went to the library to look at the February 2008 issue of Consumer Reports in which they reviewed elliptical machines. The "best buy" was a Nordic and it was $1000. Hmmm, that would be two years at LA Fitness Center and the machine would probably break in the meantime. The next one was over $2000.
I'm still debating joining the gym but would really like to see the doctor in Albuquerque first to see what he recommends for my foot problem. In the meantime, I'm sure that my butt is accruing loads of lard from not exercising! : ) At least yesterday I had time to do abs, upper body and yoga from my fitness dvd's but today has been too busy.
A good plan would be to go to the water aerobics classes when my bathing suit comes tomorrow. Ack - I wasted my time showering as I'll get doused in chlorine in the classes! Ah, come on - you could at least try it. It would buy time until next Tuesday. Maybe I could talk the LA Fitness Center into another day pass to also buy time. What I really want to do is WALK!!!! Moving right along...
I went to the library to look at the February 2008 issue of Consumer Reports in which they reviewed elliptical machines. The "best buy" was a Nordic and it was $1000. Hmmm, that would be two years at LA Fitness Center and the machine would probably break in the meantime. The next one was over $2000.
I'm still debating joining the gym but would really like to see the doctor in Albuquerque first to see what he recommends for my foot problem. In the meantime, I'm sure that my butt is accruing loads of lard from not exercising! : ) At least yesterday I had time to do abs, upper body and yoga from my fitness dvd's but today has been too busy.
A good plan would be to go to the water aerobics classes when my bathing suit comes tomorrow. Ack - I wasted my time showering as I'll get doused in chlorine in the classes! Ah, come on - you could at least try it. It would buy time until next Tuesday. Maybe I could talk the LA Fitness Center into another day pass to also buy time. What I really want to do is WALK!!!! Moving right along...
Darlene at Casey's
Darlene called me and I gave her my feedback regarding the chimney cleaning. I said I had been anxious about his unfamiliarity with removing the baffle, distressed at the lower pipe having to be cleaned from inside the woodstove and my resultant breathing of contaminants and concerned if the stove had been properly cleaned. She couldn't understand why his brush couldn't reach around the pipe bend. She told me that if it was a 90 degree elbow, the pipe would have had to be removed but his brushes should have been able to get around the 45 degree pipe bend.
She'll contact the owner about having someone come out to inspect that if there is any glazed creosote buildup and if the stove pipe is adequately cleaned.
She was very nice and patiently listened to my detailing my concerns.
I picked up a really nice wooden cane at the VNS today. Walgreen's Home Health Care no longer carries the canes with the hard rubber handle. My take on the cane is that perhaps the walker protects my heel better. Either that or the shoes that I wear for going around town are hurting my heel - just the slightest discomfort.
The bone density went very smoothly. I'll call later this week to get the results. I hope it's good because I have no intention of taking bisphosphonates. I read that doctors call them Tub 'n' Tile Cleaner because of the chemicals the drugs contain. The same chemicals are used for descaling.
I'm going to use the humidifier overnight the next couple of nights to help the particulates from the chimney cleaning to work their way out of my lungs. I'll get over it but it wasn't an ideal situation.
Now for laundry and shower. I feel I need to do both after the chimney cleaning.
She'll contact the owner about having someone come out to inspect that if there is any glazed creosote buildup and if the stove pipe is adequately cleaned.
She was very nice and patiently listened to my detailing my concerns.
I picked up a really nice wooden cane at the VNS today. Walgreen's Home Health Care no longer carries the canes with the hard rubber handle. My take on the cane is that perhaps the walker protects my heel better. Either that or the shoes that I wear for going around town are hurting my heel - just the slightest discomfort.
The bone density went very smoothly. I'll call later this week to get the results. I hope it's good because I have no intention of taking bisphosphonates. I read that doctors call them Tub 'n' Tile Cleaner because of the chemicals the drugs contain. The same chemicals are used for descaling.
I'm going to use the humidifier overnight the next couple of nights to help the particulates from the chimney cleaning to work their way out of my lungs. I'll get over it but it wasn't an ideal situation.
Now for laundry and shower. I feel I need to do both after the chimney cleaning.
This Is Why I'd Like to Live in a Tipi
Art of Casey’s Top Hat cleaned the chimney. He seems a good, kind, patient person. The trouble was that he didn’t know how to remove our woodstove baffle to clean the chimney. With the Quadra-Fire, you either remove the pipe from the top of the stove or you remove the baffle; otherwise, the baffle would become congested with the chimney soot.
I told him several times that it might be better to cancel the appointment. I felt extremely anxious when he started removing the screws to the combustion tubes and pulled out the kaowool blanket because I really wanted to cancel the appointment. I took out the manual for the woodstove to read the steps to removing the baffle to him. He thanked me for that later. I said again that it might be better to cancel the appointment but he said to be patient with him and he continued working on removing the baffle.
At one point, as he was struggling with how to remove the baffle, I asked him about removing the pipe from the top of the stove and he said it might get scratched. At the end of the job though, he changed his mind and said it would be better to remove the pipe than go through all that’s involved in removing the baffle.
He lost the washer to one of the combustion pipe retaining screws in the stove but, after lifting bricks up from the bottom of the stove, was able to find it. I put the retaining screws aside for safekeeping.
He eventually got the baffle out and went up on top of the roof to sweep the chimney. First, I had to ask him for something to cover the TV (right next to the woodstove) even though he assured me that the stove was airtight and nothing would come out.
When he got done on the roof, he told me that his brush couldn’t reach past the bend and he would try brushing it from inside. I’m not entirely sure that this effort, with brushes that looked too short to reach the bend, effectively cleaned the bend from inside but he told me that there wasn’t much soot in the stove pipe.
When he was done, I don’t know if he looked up the stovepipe to make sure it was cleaned and he didn’t mention if there was any glazed creosote buildup in addition to the soot he brushed out. He went out to get another brush to reassure me that the bend was cleaned but then he was moving the stove as he was trying to get the brush into the bend and I expressed concern that the pipes might be damaged.
At some point in this process, either when he was brushing the pipe from the bottom up or when he was vacuuming out the soot, I could smell creosote. I probably ended up breathing some of the fine particulate in because I was in the living room at the time.
He cleaned out all his gear and then came back in with a bill that was $99 for the cleaning and $50 for the baffle removal. I balked and said that Darlene told me that the cost would be $95-$115, depending on the pipe bend. I told him that I would pay $115 + tax and he refigured the bill for that amount.
I wish I hadn’t signed the statement that he had fully informed me about the condition of our stovepipe because, other than saying it wasn’t that dirty, he hadn’t. He should have told me if there was any glazed creosote buildup that his brush couldn’t dislodge.
All in all, it was a very stressful experience because I was worried about him damaging the stove when he took out the baffle and put it back. Now, I’m worried about lung cancer from breathing in the soot. The most important worry, though, is that I still don’t know if the woodstove is in safe operating condition. I didn’t know about the glazed creosote until I was Googling about the dangers of breathing in fine particulates. It didn’t seem like he was up on the chimney very long at all and I doubt that he thoroughly cleaned it.
I will never use Casey’s Top Hat again. I told spouse that the next time the chimney needs cleaning, we’ll replace the stove. If I had my way, I would not have a woodstove. I will call Darlene to give feedback to her about the whole experience.
I told him several times that it might be better to cancel the appointment. I felt extremely anxious when he started removing the screws to the combustion tubes and pulled out the kaowool blanket because I really wanted to cancel the appointment. I took out the manual for the woodstove to read the steps to removing the baffle to him. He thanked me for that later. I said again that it might be better to cancel the appointment but he said to be patient with him and he continued working on removing the baffle.
At one point, as he was struggling with how to remove the baffle, I asked him about removing the pipe from the top of the stove and he said it might get scratched. At the end of the job though, he changed his mind and said it would be better to remove the pipe than go through all that’s involved in removing the baffle.
He lost the washer to one of the combustion pipe retaining screws in the stove but, after lifting bricks up from the bottom of the stove, was able to find it. I put the retaining screws aside for safekeeping.
He eventually got the baffle out and went up on top of the roof to sweep the chimney. First, I had to ask him for something to cover the TV (right next to the woodstove) even though he assured me that the stove was airtight and nothing would come out.
When he got done on the roof, he told me that his brush couldn’t reach past the bend and he would try brushing it from inside. I’m not entirely sure that this effort, with brushes that looked too short to reach the bend, effectively cleaned the bend from inside but he told me that there wasn’t much soot in the stove pipe.
When he was done, I don’t know if he looked up the stovepipe to make sure it was cleaned and he didn’t mention if there was any glazed creosote buildup in addition to the soot he brushed out. He went out to get another brush to reassure me that the bend was cleaned but then he was moving the stove as he was trying to get the brush into the bend and I expressed concern that the pipes might be damaged.
At some point in this process, either when he was brushing the pipe from the bottom up or when he was vacuuming out the soot, I could smell creosote. I probably ended up breathing some of the fine particulate in because I was in the living room at the time.
He cleaned out all his gear and then came back in with a bill that was $99 for the cleaning and $50 for the baffle removal. I balked and said that Darlene told me that the cost would be $95-$115, depending on the pipe bend. I told him that I would pay $115 + tax and he refigured the bill for that amount.
I wish I hadn’t signed the statement that he had fully informed me about the condition of our stovepipe because, other than saying it wasn’t that dirty, he hadn’t. He should have told me if there was any glazed creosote buildup that his brush couldn’t dislodge.
All in all, it was a very stressful experience because I was worried about him damaging the stove when he took out the baffle and put it back. Now, I’m worried about lung cancer from breathing in the soot. The most important worry, though, is that I still don’t know if the woodstove is in safe operating condition. I didn’t know about the glazed creosote until I was Googling about the dangers of breathing in fine particulates. It didn’t seem like he was up on the chimney very long at all and I doubt that he thoroughly cleaned it.
I will never use Casey’s Top Hat again. I told spouse that the next time the chimney needs cleaning, we’ll replace the stove. If I had my way, I would not have a woodstove. I will call Darlene to give feedback to her about the whole experience.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Deflated
I went in to see Dr. Church at 1pm instead of 4:30pm (his request). He wanted me to come in earlier in case he ordered tests. He looked at my leg, agreed it looked swollen, said that the skin on my right leg was cooler than on the left and took my pulse at my ankle. He said that I had a strong pulse, he didn't think I had a blood clot, told me be sure to see the specialist in Albuquerque, offered me a prescription anti-inflammatory (I declined and said that he'd let's apply the tincture of time - end of appointment. I was so relieved he didn't think it was a blood clot but not quick thinking enough to ask him what it could be. I wonder, after some fruitless Googling, if it could be a ruptured gastrocnemius muscle. My toes feel very cold on that foot and it feels like something is "detached" right in the area where the gastroc usually ruptures - mid-lower leg. I feel sort of helpless because no solutions have surfaced on why my leg is swelling. It was somewhat better, less swollen, after yesterday's LA Fitness exercise session.
Afterwards, I went to Walgreen's Home Health Care to pick up a cane but the one I wanted, with the hard rubber grip which seemed the most stable and comfortable as opposed to the foam grip, was only in stock in junior size. Visiting Nurse Service called this afternoon to say they have a wooden cane waiting for me but I'm not going out again today. Tomorrow the chimney sweep comes, I go for a bone density at 1:30pm and I'll pick up the cane before the bone density test. I felt the cane did help me to only partially bear weight on that foot. I'm not obeying the orthopedist and doing total non-weight bearing - it was just too hard. The partial weight bearing doesn't seem to hurt my foot. I use the walker in the house but for partial weight bearing.
I'm feeling dismal about my prospects to get some good exercise. I really don't want to sign up for LA Fitness Center - maybe not even for a month. If a sign up for a month, I may want to sign up for a year. I've joined the YMCA before and then tire of going in as I'd rather do a DIY (do it yourself) exercise program. My bathing suit comes on Wednesday. I may try the water aerobics at the pool after all.
I'll look into buying a Schwinn Airdyne to use at home for cross training. Spouse could use it too.
Afterwards, I went to Walgreen's Home Health Care to pick up a cane but the one I wanted, with the hard rubber grip which seemed the most stable and comfortable as opposed to the foam grip, was only in stock in junior size. Visiting Nurse Service called this afternoon to say they have a wooden cane waiting for me but I'm not going out again today. Tomorrow the chimney sweep comes, I go for a bone density at 1:30pm and I'll pick up the cane before the bone density test. I felt the cane did help me to only partially bear weight on that foot. I'm not obeying the orthopedist and doing total non-weight bearing - it was just too hard. The partial weight bearing doesn't seem to hurt my foot. I use the walker in the house but for partial weight bearing.
I'm feeling dismal about my prospects to get some good exercise. I really don't want to sign up for LA Fitness Center - maybe not even for a month. If a sign up for a month, I may want to sign up for a year. I've joined the YMCA before and then tire of going in as I'd rather do a DIY (do it yourself) exercise program. My bathing suit comes on Wednesday. I may try the water aerobics at the pool after all.
I'll look into buying a Schwinn Airdyne to use at home for cross training. Spouse could use it too.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Salvation!!
Today I went to the LA Fitness Center, using a complimentary one day pass. Spouse dropped me off around 1pm and I called him to pick me up around 3:30pm. I finally got some aerobic exercise and that seemed to help the swelling in my right leg. I have an appointment tomorrow at 4:30pm to see Dr. Church about the swelling but right now, it's mostly gone.
First, I used the weight machines, trying out all that didn't involve putting weight on my foot. I enjoyed the muscle workout but had been doing upper body resistance work, abs, lower body floor exercises, yoga and stretches since Thursday when I stopped walking. Still, it was a thrill to give my body a good workout!
Then, I went into the cardio room. I did 20 minutes on the recumbent stepper. That was really good and didn't seem to bother my foot. Then I tried out the liquid rower but didn't like how I had to deeply flex my knees on the forward motion so I only did a few minutes on that. I saw that the Expresso Bike was free so I hopped on it. It has baskets for the toes so it didn't bother my heel. It has a TV screen that shows the make-believe course you are riding. I did 2 miles. There are also 2 more not as fancy upright exercise bikes that have baskets for the toes that I can use when the Expresso is busy. I get the feeling that it's a popular piece of equipment and there's only one.
I tried a couple of the different stair steppers for a few minutes but I'm not sure they're good for my foot so I didn't pursue those. I finished up with 10 minutes on a recumbent bike but that may have bothered my heel a little because it doesn't have the toe baskets which seem to confine the force to the forefoot.
The gym seems like a nice place and it would really help my hiking and walking (when I resume) to have options for cross-training. Classes are also offered which would provide more cross-training options. I need to figure out my strategy. I should go a few more times - maybe buy a 10 day pass - to see if the cardio machines bother my foot. My heel doesn't hurt like it did when I last walked on Wednesday but there is the tiniest, subtlest not pain but just a slight feeling of knobby tenderness in the heel area.
I use the walker around the house but have not used it in public at all. I want the doctor to prescribe a cane for when I go out and about around town. I felt comfortable limping around LA Fitness Center. The walker seems like overkill to me. I've stopped walking on it and I think that the mild limping I would do with a cane will cause no further harm. I'm very happy to have found a way to exercise yet not hurt my foot!!
First, I used the weight machines, trying out all that didn't involve putting weight on my foot. I enjoyed the muscle workout but had been doing upper body resistance work, abs, lower body floor exercises, yoga and stretches since Thursday when I stopped walking. Still, it was a thrill to give my body a good workout!
Then, I went into the cardio room. I did 20 minutes on the recumbent stepper. That was really good and didn't seem to bother my foot. Then I tried out the liquid rower but didn't like how I had to deeply flex my knees on the forward motion so I only did a few minutes on that. I saw that the Expresso Bike was free so I hopped on it. It has baskets for the toes so it didn't bother my heel. It has a TV screen that shows the make-believe course you are riding. I did 2 miles. There are also 2 more not as fancy upright exercise bikes that have baskets for the toes that I can use when the Expresso is busy. I get the feeling that it's a popular piece of equipment and there's only one.
I tried a couple of the different stair steppers for a few minutes but I'm not sure they're good for my foot so I didn't pursue those. I finished up with 10 minutes on a recumbent bike but that may have bothered my heel a little because it doesn't have the toe baskets which seem to confine the force to the forefoot.
The gym seems like a nice place and it would really help my hiking and walking (when I resume) to have options for cross-training. Classes are also offered which would provide more cross-training options. I need to figure out my strategy. I should go a few more times - maybe buy a 10 day pass - to see if the cardio machines bother my foot. My heel doesn't hurt like it did when I last walked on Wednesday but there is the tiniest, subtlest not pain but just a slight feeling of knobby tenderness in the heel area.
I use the walker around the house but have not used it in public at all. I want the doctor to prescribe a cane for when I go out and about around town. I felt comfortable limping around LA Fitness Center. The walker seems like overkill to me. I've stopped walking on it and I think that the mild limping I would do with a cane will cause no further harm. I'm very happy to have found a way to exercise yet not hurt my foot!!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Yikes - Red Hot Mama on Walker!
I went this morning to the Visiting Nurse Service (VSN). They let me try out wheeled and unwheeled walkers and crutches. I felt much more stable on the walker but can't decide which one - wheeled or unwheeled! When I return the one I don't want on Monday, I'll give the crutches another try. I found while on the crutches that I was putting the bad foot down to catch myself when I started to lose balance. I can definitely how convenient walkers are for indoor use. They are lots better than the office chair with wheels that I was scooting around on yesterday! I'm totally surprised at how much moving around a person does in the course of an ordinary day! My upper body is getting quite a workout and my wrists too. So far, I'm too utterly embarrassed to be seen in public using a walker. Crutches would look a lot cooler!! I called Walgreens to tell them that for the meantime, I had a walker and that I wouldn't be coming in to pick up the crutches this afternoon and I thanked them for telling me about the VSN. The VSN loans out, for free, the crutches or walkers if they have them available. Spouse will give to them through United Way.
Today, Dr. Richard Miller's triage nurse, Carla, called me. I asked her about how my right calf muscle gets so swollen compared to the left. Dr. Garcia said that was because of how I was limping around but I really wonder about that. I haven't been on my foot very much except to go out to the VSN and the library and yet, it's swelling up. Carla said that as long as it wasn't red and hot that it's OK. The swelling goes down overnight. The calf feels tight from the swelling.
I also asked Carla about the recumbent cardio machines at the LA Fitness Center and she felt that they would put too much pressure on my foot. Carla said that using the weight machines for upper body work would be all right. Later I called back and asked another triage nurse, Maggie, about deep water aerobics with zero impact but she felt that it would be too dangerous to be non-weightbearing around and getting into the pool. I don't know what my plan B is to get some exercise. I must point out, though, that it's hellishly hard on my wrists and my left foot using the walker - maybe torture counts for exercise. Here's hoping I don't get any new injuries from using the walker!!
Today, Dr. Richard Miller's triage nurse, Carla, called me. I asked her about how my right calf muscle gets so swollen compared to the left. Dr. Garcia said that was because of how I was limping around but I really wonder about that. I haven't been on my foot very much except to go out to the VSN and the library and yet, it's swelling up. Carla said that as long as it wasn't red and hot that it's OK. The swelling goes down overnight. The calf feels tight from the swelling.
I also asked Carla about the recumbent cardio machines at the LA Fitness Center and she felt that they would put too much pressure on my foot. Carla said that using the weight machines for upper body work would be all right. Later I called back and asked another triage nurse, Maggie, about deep water aerobics with zero impact but she felt that it would be too dangerous to be non-weightbearing around and getting into the pool. I don't know what my plan B is to get some exercise. I must point out, though, that it's hellishly hard on my wrists and my left foot using the walker - maybe torture counts for exercise. Here's hoping I don't get any new injuries from using the walker!!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
No Progress on Non-Weightbearing
I just came back from Walgreens Home Care. They got the walkers in this afternoon but they won't let me open one up just to try it. They said I have to buy it for them to open it up - same with the crutches which they won't have in my size until tomorrow. They told me some blather about sanitary issues but they could easily cover any handles with paper towels or clean it with alcohol. Tomorrow I go to the Visiting Nurse Service to see if they'll let me try out a walker and crutches to see which I want. Dr. Garcia says I can have either. I'm also going to call the Albuquerque toll free number for Walgreens Home Care to ask if there is not a better way for someone to choose between crutches or a walker. The employees at Walgreens Home Care are very nice and just doing their job but it's kind of like a Catch-22 situation in that how am I supposed to choose between the two without trying them out briefly in their office first?
I went to Medical Associates as they were closing and asked if they knew of any place in the hospital with crutches or walkers to try. They didn't but I saw that Dr. Church had just gone into his office so I asked if the receptionist would ask him which was better. His reply was to ask my orthopedist. The orthopedist said it was my choice but I have no experience on which to base my choice - Catch-22!
I get this bad feeling that I'm going to end up with a stress fracture in my left foot also because this afternoon, while limping around, trying not to bear much weight, I felt like I twisted my left foot. It's beginning to get sore from bearing all the weight.
I'm going to try to visit the LA Fitness Center tonight. I'm really discouraged right now. Maybe I'll feel better after some exercise.
I went to Medical Associates as they were closing and asked if they knew of any place in the hospital with crutches or walkers to try. They didn't but I saw that Dr. Church had just gone into his office so I asked if the receptionist would ask him which was better. His reply was to ask my orthopedist. The orthopedist said it was my choice but I have no experience on which to base my choice - Catch-22!
I get this bad feeling that I'm going to end up with a stress fracture in my left foot also because this afternoon, while limping around, trying not to bear much weight, I felt like I twisted my left foot. It's beginning to get sore from bearing all the weight.
I'm going to try to visit the LA Fitness Center tonight. I'm really discouraged right now. Maybe I'll feel better after some exercise.
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