Category Archives: Physical Activity and Wellness

Post-Surgery Update: Day 1

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I’m going to turn my FaceBook updates into blog entries since they are long enough to do so. I’m starting with the day of my surgery, Day 1. I’ll post the subsequent updates soon after this, so it’s like 2 weeks of blog entries all posted in one day. Lol.

2.5 Hours Post-Surgery

I am bionic now. 🙌🏼💪🏼

😂😂 Everything went well. I don’t have any nausea, I ate some soup and crackers and took my first round of pain meds. Spinal block is starting to wear off, I can wiggle my toes and move my left leg. My surgeon was very pleased with how smoothly everything went. And they tell me I’ll be up and on my feet sometime today.

Can’t thank everyone enough for all the prayers, good thoughts, texts, inboxes, tweets. Everyone from my students to friends and family. Hated the worry it caused for my family and friends…glad to report that I am doing great within 4.5 hours of my surgery. Dr. Scott Cook is amazing. Another day or 2 here and I’ll be home. 😊

And later the same day…….

So this just happened. 5 hours post-surgery and they got me on my feet and I took a stroll down the hallway. 🚶🏽
With my walker assisting, of course.

I feel like Rocky now. 💪🏼Hahahaha. Maybe that’s just the pain pills.

So thankful for my lifting partner – my sister Sharon, the two trainers I’ve had in the past year, Travis Barrett and Dustin Kinsey. The PT lady was surprised at what I could do in my 1st PT session. I have muscle strength that they are not used to seeing in hip replacement patients. And no nausea or light-headedness. The incision area is a little achy, but the joint area just feels like a very sore muscle.

I seriously thought she was crazy when she said we were going to stand up. Lol. So I’m ready on my way to recovery!

Hip Replacement Surgery in 2 Days!!

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Verilast Hip

I am scheduled to have Right Total Hip Arthroplasty surgery on Monday, December 14, 2015.

I am as ready as I will ever be.

I set the surgery date this summer. Right around the time I quit contributing to my own blog. Lol. I didn’t feel like writing or doing much, except continuing to weight train in preparation. I was really motivated for awhile to lose weight, get my body fat percentage down, build lean muscle tissue….and then for the most part I lost most of that motivation as the surgery, and life’s other unpleasant distractions, began to loom.

I did what I could. What I was mentally and physically able to do. Fought off depression several times, and I feel like I’ve been strong for my kids. Sure I could have done more…if I were friends with me, I would have tried to push me harder. But I didn’t anticipate how low I would feel on different days. I didn’t anticipate the severity of other life’s challenges that have occurred since this summer. So I did the best I could. And I had good help (thank you Sharon & Dustin).

So it’s here. In the past 2 weeks I’ve had my physical with my primary care provider to clear me for surgery. I had my first chest X-ray and my first EKG….I felt like a car battery being hooked up to about 20 jumper cables. I worried about what might happen if the nurse let the ends touch, especially because all the little clamps were in a big tangle as she hooked me up. I met with a nurse for my pre-surgery assessment. Very nice lady, but she talked to me like I was an eternal couch potato….gently encouraging me to try to do tricep dips and start building my upper body strength. And telling me to practice these very simple moves to get used to the motion and to get my hip moving. She didn’t ask, but had she, I could have told her my weight training regimen for the past 16 months. That I’ve pushed an 60-80lb prowler with well over 100 lbs of plates stacked on it….that the motion of gently raising my knees and sliding my heels towards my body is covered very well with the leg presses and hamstring curls I’ve been doing…that the sliding my leg out to the side is done with a resistance band around my ankles. Not to mention the deadlifts, endless curls, pulls, pushes, flies, throwing that weighted ball against the wall to build my core strength and the detestable kettle bell swings. It took all I had to just nod and smile…and then I was grateful for my ability to do all that activity, because Joe B said that she is probably used to seeing older patients, or patients whose joints are so broken down that they are very inactive. And the nurse reassured me that I have an excellent surgeon who has a strong record of good outcomes. That speaks to the health professional in me, and it helped.

I met with my surgeon for my pre-surgery consult. And the picture above is the hardware going into my hip. It’s deluxe….it reminded me of Robo-Cop, or the Terminator type stuff. It’s the best thing technology has to offer for a young, very active, hip replacement candidate. And I am the first of 5 hip replacements my surgeon will be doing on Monday. I hope he has plenty of coffee, or does his yoga, or whatever his morning routing requires for him to be energetic and focused.

He said the surgery takes about an hour, but he never looks at the clock. It takes as long as it takes. He will meet with me to briefly review what will happen, and he will ask me which hip I am getting replaced. He said not to freak out about that, that he knows which hip he is replacing, but that it is his standard practice with each surgery.  I will be getting a spinal block and a sedative instead of general anesthesia. They will have me up and around on my feet before I leave the facility, and he thinks I will be home on Wednesday! They will teach me how to navigate the stairs in my home before they release me. Joe can bring me whatever food I want. Lol. I will be in a walker for 1-3 weeks, then I go right to a cane. Home PT for 2-3 weeks, then outpatient PT.

In preparation, my dad bought me a walker. My dad is awesome. He is so sharp and he just turned 80 a few weeks ago. He checked around and found the best walker for me. Asked me to get a prescription for it to avoid paying sales tax, then asked me if my insurance covered medical equipment like this. I wouldn’t even have thought to ask about any of that. And he blew up my phone checking with me to see if I had called….my dad knows me so well. I probably would have put off calling about any of that had he not kept calling me. Turns out Joe’s insurance covers 85% of durable medical equipment. So I have sleek new ride to bring to the hospital with me. I found myself doing tricep dips with my walker, and then swinging back and forth on it. It reminded me to keep an eye on my youngest who will surely try the same thing.

So this weekend it’s the final prep. I have such a good support team. Our nanny and close friend Makyla set up a Meal Train for me and my family, and I have people scheduled to bring dinner to my family for a week. My good friend Jeri arranged a holiday potluck lunch at my house the Friday after I come home. I have someone to clean my house the day before I come home. Joe took leave from work from the day of my surgery until he has to go back at the beginning of next semester. Our daughter Samantha is coming from OK to help out with her sisters. My 9-year old is my source of happy thoughts. She watches my mood, and when it drops, she reminds me of everything I can’t do now and that I’ll be able to those things again after my surgery. I love her pep talks. I have lots of people praying, sending good words, good thoughts and energy, and making me laugh. Everything is truly, deeply, appreciated. I am surrounded by awesome people.

This is getting long…so I’ll end here. More blog entries are forthcoming, as I get used to resting and being less active during my recovery. I’m looking forward to writing about my experiences so it won’t be quite as scary to anyone else going through this. Wish me luck!

 

Kurbo Health – a media savvy way for kids and teens to manage their health and lose weight

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I have cut and pasted this blog from the Kurbo Health website (www.kurbo.com). My family has been doing this program since March and I’ve been waiting to see how we liked the program before posting about it. Based on Shelby’s great progress thus far in the program, I was asked to contribute a guest blog to their website. It was long and detailed, and I told Kurbo they could edit it for length as needed or give me suggestions on where to cut it down and I would do it. They ended up running my whole story in two parts. This is Part 1.

It’s an awesome feeling to see your words in print on a national website, as well as links to the article posted on Kurbo’s FaceBook page. So here it is. I am posting the link to the blog on the Kurbo website at the bottom of this blog entry.

Seeking Good Health: Story of a Kurbo Mom Part 1 – Quick Results

This article is Part One of a two-part series from a Kurbo mom, Shelley Bointy.

My family began doing the Kurbo program in March 2015 to support my daughter Shelby, 10 years old, in her quest to become healthier. I teach a diabetes education course at an American Indian tribal college, so I am well-versed in the signs and symptoms of metabolic disorder and type 2 diabetes. Although I am health conscious and have training and education in nutrition and wellness, I am susceptible to the same traps that other parents fall into when it comes to helping their kids develop healthy habits and achieving good health.

Depending on my stress levels and workload, I used to have chips and sweets in the house, default to Jimmy John’s for dinner, and physical activity was negotiable. My health habits had a big impact on my oldest daughter Shelby. She loves to snack on carbohydrate-rich snacks and will always choose simple carbs over proteins. Shelby dislikes soda and I don’t buy juice, so that’s a battle I’m thankful I never had to fight but I realized the “occasional” treats were becoming more frequent.

We had been told by her doctor a few years ago that she was overweight. Her doctor wanted to see her maintain her weight during the next year, or not gain more than 5 pounds. Shelby continued to gain more than what was recommended each year, even though we kept her active in sports. Last September I noticed that the skin around her neck was starting to darken and it worried me. That darkening and thickening of the skin around her neck (Acanthosis Nigricans) is a symptom of metabolic disorder and can be a symptom of type 2 diabetes. I brought her in to see her doctor and she ordered a full blood workup to test her glucose and lipid panel (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL cholesterols and triglycerides). She also strongly suggested that we get my youngest daughter tested as well, so that we would be taking a family approach to this so it wouldn’t be perceived as “there is something wrong with Shelby”.

Taking my girls in for that fasting blood test made me feel like the worst parent on the planet. I taught a diabetes class and my husband is a health instructor and a college sports coach. I felt like we were both failures at that moment, but I also felt that we were well-equipped to find a solution and carry it out. We were beyond grateful when Shelby’s bloodwork all came back well within the normal ranges, as did her sister’s. But we knew we had to make some serious and lasting changes.

My motivation to find and try Kurbo didn’t come until March, almost 6 months after the girls’ fasting tests. Shelby had gone through an entire season of competitive basketball and 2 seasons of volleyball, and she still gained weight. I knew we had to try something different to help her return to good health and we are fortunate we came across the Kurbo program.

Kurbo Mom Shelley shares her family’s journey to better health using Kurbo #KurboTips

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Shelby and her coach, Arielle, seemed to hit it off right away. Shelby and her sister downloaded the Kurbo app and began tracking, played the games to learn all the different green light, yellow light, and red light foods.  We decided everyone in the family was going to track and do the same thing.

Shelby saw positive results right away. She lost 5 pounds within the first few weeks of the program and we noticed that her energy level had increased. She was more active in her playtime, she ran and jumped around the house more. It was a little difficult for her to understand at first how to budget her red lights but she quickly realized that she could have her favorite red light foods, she just had to plan and pick and choose with discernment.

Her motivation is strong on some days and wanes on other days, as does my own motivation. She has had some awesome moments where she has really thought about her goals and battled through some tough junk food situations. This is where the weekly coaching sessions with Arielle have been the most beneficial. As her mom, I’ve had my own difficult moments as well. I tend to be a stress eater, and there were several times I wanted chips at work, but knowing how hard she was working kept me on plan. We are all supporting each other and doing our best to make healthier choices with every meal and snack. I am extremely proud of her effort and her dedication to be healthier.

Shelley Bointy is a mother of two, a health educator and award-winning Powwow dancer. She shares her Indigenous/Native/Dakota Winyan perspective on her health/wellness blog, www.wozaniwaste.com.

https://www.kurbo.com/blog/seeking-good-health-part-1/

Some Thoughts on “National Day of Running”

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Today is the “National Day of Running”. I assisted in getting a couple of my friends/relatives running several years ago, and we helped found a local American Indian running group called The Smoking Moccasins. Some highly motivated individuals then created a youth running group for local Native Youth called The Mini Mocs.

I miss running. So I try to run a little bit with Shelby now. I have to accommodate my hip arthritis by changing my stride and my foot strike. Where I once had a mid-foot strike, I now have to focus on a fore-foot strike, so that my feet and ankles will absorb most of the impact. Then I have to shorten my stride to accommodate the new fore-foot strike and also to keep myself low to the ground. I can’t bound like I used to, again in an effort to minimize what impact I can on my hip joints. So I’m running. It’s not pretty and it’s not fast…it’s not even continuous. I feel like an agitated turtle at times. But I am running.

I had some thoughts on running yesterday and updated my FaceBook status. I decided to turn that update into a blog entry since it coincides with today’s running holiday. 🙂

I remember dancing at Prairie Island Wacipi in 2007, the year after I had Sara. We had to contest Sunday afternoon in the blistering heat. It was so hot the heat from the ground just burned right through the bottoms of our moccasins. Our brother Clay Crawford said to me, “Do you and Joe run outside in that Kansas heat? It really must help. Everyone else looks like the heat is getting to them except for you two.” Lol.

What I remember from my running days is that yes, training in the heat (not in the hottest part of the day, but when the heat was still high) helped with my powwow conditioning. Also running outside on the cross country trail. The combination of running outside and on grass or gravel was very effective. When you run on an uncontrolled surface, it strengthens all the little helper muscles in your feet, ankles, and knees in order to keep your joints stable. Ideal training for shawl dancers and fancy dancers to prepare to dance on grass. It kept my ankles from rolling as much they used to even after I had my kids.

I’m seeing videos and snaps of young powwow dancers running on treadmills. My strong advice: If you have a safe place to do so, get outside and find some grass or gravel to run on. If you live somewhere blistering hot then run early in the morning or in the evening before dark. If you run races and train on grass, you will be able to fly when you race on a controlled surface. I noticed the difference when I started to rely more on treadmill runs than cross country trail runs. One of the first times my sister ever beat me in a 5K was because she trained on grass while I ran on pavement or on a treadmill. When we got onto a controlled surface, she was just fast.

Running on grass or gravel is better for your joints that running on concrete or a treadmill, (unless you have existing knee issues, then running on an uncontrolled surface may not feel so great). But if you don’t have access to a safe place to run on a soft surface, running on any surface is better than doing nothing.

That’s my public health PSA for today. Thank you. Lol.

“Bite Size” Documentary

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My Amazon Prime has been getting a workout this week. I purchased a book titled “Who’s the New Girl?”, and also purchased a documentary.

The Swirlies and I stayed up late last night watching the documentary called “Bite Size”. The topic is childhood obesity and focuses on 4 children and the steps they take to manage their weight. It just came out this year and I first saw the information on the Kurbo Health blog (more on the Kurbo program in a future blog entry)

It’s heartbreaking at times….I think I was crying 5 minutes into the film. And it’s inspiring. It reinforces the importance of family support, and how the entire family needs to make positive change in order for the kids to be successful with healthy change.

I highly encourage parents to watch this film. The film has it’s own website and FaceBook page. I purchased it through my Amazon Prime Instant Video for $8, and you can rent it for 4 days for $4, I think. I believe it’s also on iTunes. I rarely promote stuff on my page, but this really moved me. The Swirlies are inspired as well to continue with learning healthy habits…I heard them talk about goals, as well as ideas how to help other kids once they reach their own health goals. ❤

Watch it. Buy it. Support the independent filmmakers that are bringing this to us. Support the brave children and their families who shared their stories. And maybe one of our own Native filmmakers will tell our story of our own Native youth and health someday soon.

http://bitesizemovie.com/

https://www.facebook.com/bitesizemovie

Encourage, don’t discourage

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I am always happy to see others succeed in their quest for health, especially those who have been unhealthy for most of their adult lives. It’s gratifying and encouraging when our Native people (or any group of people who suffer from similar health disparities as American Indians) find the motivation to learn about nutrition, physical activity, and how to incorporate both into their daily lives. However, I take issue with those new to the health scene calling others down for their lack of knowledge or motivation. I am thinking of specific examples where I’ve read about people on social media sites bragging themselves up and simultaneously putting others down for not being “on their level”….whatever that means. And the same people bragging themselves up and putting others down have just recently discovered their own good health.

Those people who engage in that type of behavior don’t realize that we remember how unhealthy they were 5 minutes ago. They are not in a position to judge others and their efforts, or lack of efforts. I also take issue with those who make condescending remarks or belittle those who are trying to be health and/or active. People don’t realize how fortunate they are to have grown up with sports or active families…..or to have grown up with parents/caregivers who cooked all the time and had basic healthy eating knowledge, and access to healthy/whole foods. I see kids in my own community whose parents don’t feel that sports are important, or they don’t get out and engage in activity with their kids. Also people don’t realize how fortunate they are to have healthy, fully functioning bodies….bodies without arthritis, without chronic injuries or illness, bodies that don’t prevent them from doing anything they want to do.

I will admit to being a running snob towards one or two people that I didn’t care for back in the day….I remember thinking and making a couple of comments about someone I had seen running for a few years, that with all their running you would think they might be a little faster or look a little lighter….the epitome of a running snob. But since then I’ve seen that there is no excuse for that type of behavior and snobbishness. We don’t know by looking at someone what their story is, or what their challenges are. Maybe that person whom I saw running at a snails pace for years has managed to keep from gaining 50 pounds and prevented diabetes with that activity. Maybe that person has some health issues that keep their running from looking like what we believe to be a runner’s pace/gait/form/body. Maybe the person NOT running and just walking is a former runner who physically can’t run anymore. Maybe the person who expresses their pride in running 3 miles has just done something they never thought they were capable of.

We don’t need to put others down in order to elevate ourselves. And we are in no position to judge another’s journey towards health.

We, as Native people, need to encourage others in our quest for health. We need to model the behavior that we want others to emulate. We need to do this so the generations that follow will be healthy and ensure our continued presence on this planet. And the people most secure and sincere in their own quest for health are the ones who are most encouraging to others. Be that kind of person. We can’t have too many of those in our communities.

Why Culture is Important to Health

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This is the original, unedited, version of a newsletter article I wrote that was just released today. I wanted to share this on my blog after it came out in print.

One dictionary definition of “culture” is “the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another.” Indigenous people are rich with culture. Not only because each sovereign nation has its own definitive and unique sum total of ways of living, but because cultural knowledge is seen as valuable…priceless. And cultural knowledge is deemed necessary to our way of life as Indigenous people.

Dakota/Lakota/Nakoda people have a term for “healthy lifestyle” or a “good way of life”. Wicozani is not simply a state of physical health, but a world-view, a philosophy practically applied, that attends to a person’s physical, mental, social and spiritual wellness. Wicozani encompasses all that contributes to our wellness, our good way of life, which for Indigenous people begins with culture.

Indigenous ways of life prior to Western contact included our own food systems, healing traditions that included knowledge of medicinal plants and spiritual practices, plenty of physical activity, and strong social support amongst our tiwahe (immediate family) and our tiospaye (extended family). Our gender roles were strong and equitable and contributed to the well-being of families and society. Our adults taught children what was expected of them to become strong, healthy, productive individuals by example. All generations were considered valuable to society and were cared for accordingly. Tribal and family history was taught with stories. Our Indigenous languages offered explanations for environmental and universal phenomena that cannot be wholly translated into English, but recently have been found to be in –line with prominent scientists and theorists. We continue to transmit this knowledge to younger generations today.

We were once some of the healthiest people on the planet. We lived and practiced Wicozani. It was normal to us to pay attention to and take care of all aspects of ourselves.

Life is not easy today. Stressors abound with personal and family finances, job insecurity, limited access to affordable, healthy food and exercise outlets. There is social stress from living as an Indigenous person in a Western world. Contemporary society pressures us to believe that one aspect of our wellness is more important than others, whether it be education, job success/material success, or physical health. When life’s stressors start to pile up and make us feel overwhelmed, or when we start to notice our own mental, emotional and physical health failing, or that of our loved ones, our biggest asset in the search for Wicozani, is being able to tap the innate cultural knowledge that exists in all Indigenous people. Remember how strong your people were at one point. Know that you already possess the knowledge passed down from our ancestors. And know that you have everything you need to be strong and healthy once again.

Hip Dysplasia…..who knew?

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It’s official. All the cartilage is gone from both hips. And it’s time to look for surgeon and decide what surgery I want to have. Less than two years after my diagnosis of hip osteoarthritis, and two years of trying to figure out WHY my case of OA was so severe in someone as young as I am, I finally have a few answers.

I saw an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in joint replacement last week. My biggest question to date was wondering what caused my hip osteoarthritis. He took one look at my x-rays when I asked him if my OA was simply from wear and tear, and he said, “I can tell you why you have OA….you have hip dysplasia.” Hip dysplasia is a condition where the hip joint is malformed. Typically the socket of the joint isn’t large enough, one side is shorter than it is supposed to be. Or the shape of the head of the femur is a little off. Either way, it’s a condition people are born with. And the wear and tear on the hip joints and cartilage is similar to how a tire tread wears out. If the alignment of the two front tires is off, if the tires are curved in slightly at the top, the tire treads will wear out faster. The hip dysplasia causes irregular movement of the joint, which causes the cartilage to wear out. It also causes the joint to try to grow new bone in an effort to correct the movement, which is why I have the bone spurs at the top and bottom of the hip socket that are causing the impingement and have limited my range of motion. And similar to a tire trying to run out of alignment for years, the tires will blow out eventually. So that’s me….the hip dysplasia has blown out my hip cartilage. Osteoarthritis is an inevitable outcome of hip dysplasia.

I had been doing some research on hip replacement and hip resurfacing, and my next question for the doctors was, “Am I a candidate for hip resurfacing?” Instead of removing the top of the femur and replacing with a metal rod and ball joint (either ceramic or metal), the resurfacing smooths down the head and neck of the femur and caps it with a metal alloy, and also lines the interior of the hip socket with metal. This smooths out all the bone spurs, preserves the bone for future hip replacement surgery, and is typically a better alternative to younger patients who are active. I found an NHL hockey player who returned to pro hockey after having hip resurfacing, so I was hoping I was a candidate. I am not. Hip resurfacing is for people with larger, thicker bones. I am not big enough. Shaving and smoothing the head and neck of my femur (making it thinner than it is now) would put me at-risk for future fractures.

So total hip replacement it is. Then I wondered about the typical recovery time from hip replacement surgery. I was advised by my orthopedist here in town to look for a surgeon that used a direct or modified anterior approach. That approach doesn’t cut through any muscle tissue, it moves the muscles apart to get at the bone and joint, so the joint remains stable and the recovery time is quicker (less time for muscle and nerve tissue to repair itself). The joint replacement specialist said 1 day in the hospital for the surgery, 2-3 day stay post-surgery, then a total of 6 weeks off work. THREE MONTHS TOTAL RECOVERY TIME!!! He said 3 months until I am back to my old self. I had thought it would be closer to 6 months total recovery time. I am also looking for a ceramic ball joint, preferably one that is a larger size so I can still be active. The doctor advised against running and jumping sports in order to preserve the life of the artificial joint, so I didn’t bother to ask him about shawl dancing. But I fully intend to return to shawl dancing. Running I’ve found I can live without, especially if the choice is between running and shawl dancing. Shawl dancing will win every time. I can run in water and I can do the elliptical. I will maintain my Olympic style weight training regimen. I’ve found other effective ways of training.

And speaking of training, after a few months of my emotions and my motivation moving in steep waves as I’ve had to wait on my consults, it’s time to put a stronger emphasis on my training and eating. I want to plan for this surgery and the recovery time. I want to be in very good condition whenever I schedule to help facilitate a good surgery and as easy a recovery time as I can. And it will help me deal with the wait time for my 2nd consult with a highly recommended surgeon that I can’t get in to see until March 31.

My goal before my recent consults was to preserve what hip cartilage I had left and to manage the pain. Now my goal is to get my weight down and get as strong as I can to help with the surgery and recovery. It helps in ways I can’t describe to finally know what caused my OA and why it was so bad in someone my age. Now that I know I can keep an eye on my daughters and get them checked for hip dysplasia when they are in their teens. Hopefully by then, if they do have it, technology will come up with a good treatment to correct it so that my girls won’t have to go through what I am going through. It feels good to have hope again, and to have very clear goals. My life won’t be the same, but that is just the nature of life. It changes. It helps us grow usually by putting us through things we wouldn’t wish on others. My life won’t be the same but it will be better in so many different ways….no pain, range of motion back, and more experiences to share that may help others. I truly feel that I have been blessed far more than I deserve. 🙂

Something is Working…..

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So far this end of summer/fall season has been extremely busy. I was asked to up my hours at work and I received a contract to be an adjunct instructor at the tribal college where I have taught a diabetes class for years. I’m also taking a nutrition course online at through K-State Distance Learning. But with the hectic schedule, I’ve been making time to do something everyday, even if it’s just a walk.

Over the summer I noticed that I was developing a forward lean in my gait. The lean was due to hip joint pain and stiffness. I would get very stiff sitting at my computer at work, and even getting up and walking around didn’t relieve the stiffness. It was painful to stand straight up and walk, so I compensated with the lean. After gaining 5 pounds during our summer travels at the end of July, I came home with determination to change things. Attending an obesity conference at the beginning of August for my work did wonders for my motivation. So, August 1, I focused on consistently taking my Omega-3 supplement and a glucosamine/condroitin supplement. I also started taking turmeric regularly again. I had always heard that the glucosamine helped arthritic joints feel better and needed to be taken for about 2 weeks before you could feel a difference, but I had never taken them long enough to notice anything.

We went to a powwow in Oklahoma the first weekend in August and then traveled there again for another powwow 2 weeks later. By the third weekend that month, I noticed that I was standing up straighter. My joints weren’t as stiff and I could walk fully upright with no joint pain. I also noticed that when my joints would get stiff sitting at my desk, that they loosened up with a short walk around my department. I danced pain-free for the first time since the beginning of June. 🙂

I have worked out with my trainer Travis for 8 sessions now. I’ve more than doubled the number of regular pushups I can do (went from 3 to 10) and yesterday I pushed a prowler (sled) with 110 pounds on it, 6 times, each time in under 2 minutes (the prowler weighs 75 lbs by itself, for a total weight pushed of 185 lbs). I find myself sitting up more straight at work, and standing taller. I am beginning to see definition in my arms and more definition in my legs. Walking around campus at my job is much easier than a couple of months ago. And my heavy white beadwork feels slightly lighter now….not as light as I would like just yet, but I am being patient and know it will continue to feel lighter as long as I continue to put in the work.

I ask my diabetes course students to keep a food journal near the middle of the semester and I am required to keep one for my nutrition course at K-State. So I began last week to journal in earnest, and I have been consistent. It helps remind me to get my veggies and fruits in and to keep an eye on my carb count. The week before school started, I began to double the amount of dinners I cooked and freezing one batch. That has helped immensely on the nights where I am too tired to cook or don’t have time to grocery shop. We just have to thaw and heat and we can eat a homemade meal.

So something is working….lol. I feel better, I am walking upright without pain and I am getting stronger. I set a beginning goal of losing 18 pounds and I have lost 6 of those. My clothes are fitting better. I feel better. I just need to stay consistent.

Weight Training Update

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I wanted to give an update on the strength training and the T25. 🙂 I have temporarily shelved the T25, but have plans to return to it once I get stronger. I found that although it didn’t bother my hip, it was starting to bother my knees….which I found strange. Again, I think it’s the strength issue. I think my joints need more muscular support from all the “helper muscles” to keep my joints stable when going through the T25 routines. Also the extra weight I am trying to lose is a factor in any joint pain from the lower back and hip on down. So for now it’s shelved but I will pick it back up again.

I did start lifting at work like I had planned. Kirmayer Fitness Center at KU Medical Center has an awesome weight area, two areas in fact. I headed for the machine area and I loved all of them. I had to overcome my inherent shyness because I picked the busiest day of the summer (when they were holding a student resources fair in Kirmayer) to begin my weight training and both areas were very busy. But I didn’t let it deter me and I felt good about making the effort.

Then my sister found a personal trainer here in town that used to work at Haskell as their certified trainer for their athletic department. She visited with him and discovered he was running an intro special on individual training sessions. He does Olympic-style weight lifting, something I didn’t have a clue about but was interested in. So Sharon set us up with an appointment last week and I’m heading into my 3rd session with Travis.

I was able to visit with him before we started our first session and I told him my health history and my goals. He did an excellent job of explaining how Olympic-style weight lifting will benefit me and my hip OA. He is very personable and very encouraging. You can tell immediately how knowledgeable he is about his work. From what he shared with me, Olympic-style weight lifting is all about learning how to do the “Clean and Jerk”, and I am fortunate that he is acquainted with a power lifter who has gone through total hip replacement surgery and still returned to lifting heavy

My sister and I are doing 2 individual training sessions per week with Travis. It’s fun working out with my sister again, so I am very grateful to her for finding this and encouraging me to try it. Right now we are all about learning technique and proper form. I really like how I can feel the different muscles in my back firing as well as the muscles that I know need to be strengthened around my hips and legs. We are learning at a good pace where I can tell later that day (or the next day) that I’ve put in some work, but I can still move around. My favorite thing about this is that it’s brand new to me….so it’s really interesting. I’m learning something new and it’s helped immensely at getting me motivated to lift again.

Travis has just created a website for those in my area that may be interested. Here is the link:
http://www.travisbarrett.com/

He also has a Facebook page, Barrett Sport Performance LLC.

I’ll update this later as I progress through this individual training program. I have another session today and I’m looking forward to it. 🙂