Hey everyone. Hope you are all doing well.
Just thought I'd share an update from the world of Liz...I'm 5months post op as of yesterday, been in PT for about 2 months. PT is going well, I'm up to 10 mins on the bike at intensity level 3 (I think that's resistance), 6 mins on the treadmill at 1.5mph, and lots of balance things and resistance stretches. My new "favorite" PT activity (I say favorite because it's really not...haha) is I stand between the parallel bars and I have 3 cones like you would use for say, soccer drills. I have to stand on my surgery foot only, and bend down and pick up all three cones and then bend down and put them back down in like an arc around myself. I do it between the bars because i almost fall on my face. It's tough! But fun. I think. LOL!
But I'm excited and nervous for this weekend. This is my 9th year volunteering at the Maine Winter Special Olympics. So I'm heading up to Maine tomorrow to stay at a friends house in southern Maine, and then on Sunday heading up to Sugarloaf USA Ski resort. I'm nervous because the event always involves A LOT of walking. We serve dinner to about 600 athletes and coaches on Sunday night in about 2 hours, and then Monday we do all the preliminary races (I help at the snowshoe event) and there is a lot of walking up and down the race track; helping athletes, taking snow shoes on and off, timing races, etc. The only warm place is up a narrow staircase. Then Monday night is the Champions Dance, which I never miss, but it will be hard. Then Tuesday is the day that will be the hardest for me. Basically on Monday we run all the athletes through prelims in a span of about 7 hours. Its relaxed pacing, etc. On Tuesday it's the finals and we run the same amount of athletes in about 3 hours. Every year, I've always helped out bring the results and the athletes to the medal podium after each race (each athlete runs 2 races and gets a medal or a ribbon for each one). But that involves walking fast and a lot....which means I can't do it, and that crushes me. I know they'll have other jobs I can do, but it just makes me sad. But I'm excited to go nonetheless.
I'm also excited because I get to see some old friends and go visit my college campus again. My yearly thing.
So that's my ramble for the night....sorry if it was long and boring!
love,
liz