Lots Going on and 135 Days Until I Run A Marathon

Its been awhile since I've written anything on this blog. I've been a little busy tracking down some health issues. I've been pretty exhausted for the last couple months and at first I thought it was starting a new job and increasing mileage,  but a blood test indicated that I have thyroid issues. A subsequent visit to the doctor has lead to more tests and a working diagnosis of hyperthyroidism. Yeah something new. Since treatment depends on what is causing the hyperthyroidism,  I'm trudging through appointments and tests one at a time.

With 135 days until my first marathon, one of my biggest fears is correcting the thyroid will interrupt my training, or worse, cancel it all together. I'm too far in now to bail. I completed my first ten miler of the training plan and will run my third half marathon of the year on November 9. I religiously meet my running group bright and early Saturday mornings and run the proscribed distance.  Ironically,  its the training for the marathon that has put this most recent health crisis in perspective. Its early and dark when we meet. The only thing I know is the distance for the day. I trust our pace leader to lead us, while I put one foot in front of the other. The sun come up half way through the run. We finish the run with smiles and promises that we'll stick with the program.

How has marathon training prepared me for this recent health crisis? I've met the doctors in the dark about my condition. The doctors, like my pace group leader, has the plan and since this is not my area of expertise,  I have to trust the doctor will make sure I finish in good shape. With each new ordered test and appointment I approach them with the same mindset as the long run...just keep putting one foot in front of the other. This mindset has served me well through marathon training and I hope it will find me smiling and happy with the treatment plan.

I'll keep y'all posted on the running and the treatment.  Three more tests left and a follow up to come, but if you want to see what gives me the mental toughness to deal with these medical issues, come watch me run in Columbus on November 9.

173 Days Left and a Swollen Foot

This week's long run was 5miles. Saturday was a wasted day at the doctor's office so, I had to run it by myself today. 173 days seems like a long time away, but in marathon training at my age and medical issues, I'm not sure I can afford an time off to nurse an injury.  So, of course that means my right foot decides to show itself, and not in a good way! Not sure if my ankle brace for the bone fragments has become obsolete, or if I stepped wrong, but there's brusing and a bone sticking out.

Now for most people I'm sure a bruised foot with a lump after running is a trip to the doctor, but since I spent yesterday there I'm really not in the mood to hear "ice and rest!" I'm also not in the mood to hear "why run a marathon, " so I'm treating my foot at home! I do have a doctorate degree after all (okay, so its not a medical degree but it should count for something, right)!  I've manipulated the bone somewhere close to back in place, and as you see in the picture I'm icing it. If that doesn't do the trick I have a couple orthopedic boots to select from. This is not my first rodeo with orthopedic issues and I have amassed a great deal of equipment to refrain from giving money, that could be spent on a race or new running outfit, to a doctor!

So here I sit! I'm making steak for supper and going to bed early. I hear that proteins help you heal faster! There are two thirty minute runs on slate for later this week so, say a little prayer that my foot is ready. There are only 173 more days until my first marathon and I need to be in tip top shape!

Doctor Visit, Up and 174 Days to Go

I was supposed to run five miles today with my pace group, but I went to the doctor's instead. I did my 30 minutes Thursday, but its been a rough week and everyone could tell. My principal told me to go home and rest this weekend.  No football game tonight, just rest and take Monday too if I need it! (Have I mentioned how much I love my new school) My stomach has been bothering me and I feel like I have a piece of candy stuck in my throat.

I slept in until 830am, ate, showered and went to the doctor.  The doctor took one look at my throat and said it was obvious I had strep! I was surprised by her announcement because I haven't been running a fever and my throat doesn't hurt. Blood work doesn't show elevated white blood cells and they never ran a strep test. An antibiotic shot and steroid shot and a four hour wait later no one knows what's wrong with my stomach or why I've put on about ten pounds in the last month or why by 8pm I look six months pregnant.  I should of stayed in Albany and run my five miles. It would of been cheaper and I'd probably feel better!

Because four hours in the doctor's office wasn't enough, we went to get Zeke a phone. While we were there my husband got me an Up band to see if that will provide some insights into my health. It's a cool gadget and now I don't have to deplete my cell phone battery when I run. Super excited to try it out tomorrow when I do my five miles because in 174 days it will be tracking my first marathon! I'll keep y'all posted on how it worked tomorrow!

The Marathon Journey Begins:180 Days of Full Crazy

There are 180 days until the Albany Marathon. There are 180 days before I earn a coveted 26.2 sticker for my car. There are 180 days before I run a marathon in our new home town. There are 180 days full of self doubt that I can run a marathon. There are 180 days of training ahead to counter the self doubt that I'm going to run a marathon (for real this time)!

This time is different. I have taken steps to ensure I will make it to the start line and to the finish line. I have joined a training group for the Albany Marathon. I put my money where my feet shall go by joining this group. My first run was Saturday and I'm with group six (my favorite number). The race director is in my group and she is very reassuring this is the perfect first marathon! None of the people in the group look like elite runners, all have jobs and kids so, if they can do it so can I!

The course is flat and actually runs down our new street. It will take me five, ten minutes tops to get to the starting line and even shorter to get home. There's a seven hour time limit which sounds just about right. Friends and family can come cheer me on then come back to our new house to celebrate the fact I will no longer be a marathon hopeful, but a marathon completer!

180 days is a school year away and I've done pleanty of school years! I'll be posting updates on my training for the next 180 days if your interested in watching me be full crazy instead of half crazy!  Wish me luck!

Its Been Awhile

I'm home for the weekend! That doesn't sound like a big deal, but this is the first week I "lived" in south Georgia.  The rest of the family stayed behind at our house in Griffin. The three hour one way drive to work was getting exhausting so we had to do something, and that something was me renting a room in Camilla until we close on our new house in south Georgia.

My husband changed shifts to a weekend shift so the children were not unsupervised. I call every night to check in, but its been awhile since my husband and I have spent more than a night apart. Try like 11 years that we have gone with seeing each other everyday.  The longest stint away might have been three days tops. Poor thing, he has the hard job here at home with the kids. I just miss them and worry, which come to think of it, its been awhile since I've had to worry that the house will still be standing upon my return!

I'm enjoying the new things I'm learning as an assistant principal, but its also been awhile since I've done my typical hobbies. Writing, running, baking and knitting are rarely happening. I'm busy from 7am to 5pm and then I'm tired and ready for a nap by 8.  Is this what it feels like to get old, or is it just adjusting to all the changes?

We are hoping that by Labor Day we will all be settled in south Georgia and that it will be awhile before we're seperated again!

Tired of it All

Usually I just suffer through migraine attacks without too much complaint. Other than having to tell the kids to be quiet,  I manage to hold down a job and keep things running around here. The maxalt I took during an attack allowed me to function without too many side effects, that was until I became allergic to it this week. Another $65.00 copay and $40.00 in prescriptions later I feel horrible laying down in a dark room! I'm tired of migraines! I've had enough of them and all the things they entail!

I'm tired of the drugs that don't work. The new med-toradel did nothing for the migraine. The fact that I know have to take a stomach med and watch for rectal bleeding because of the toradel and aleve I take for the migraines makes me nervous. The living in a haze side effects of the seizure med and the toradel diminish the quality of my life to such an extent, I wonder if it would be better to just suffer through until I pass out from the pain! I'm tired of paying money I really don't have, on meds that don't work, only to be told that there are more expensive meds that I'll be injecting into myself. Yes, that's right folks, if the toradel doesn't work there are no more pills to take, just injections. I would prefer to not look like a junkie, or have to carry needles around everywhere with me!

I'm tired of holding my breath at the faintest hint of perfume, body odor, mold and cleaning products. I'm tired of having to read the label of everything I eat to check for possible migraine triggers. I'm tired of having to decide if my trigger load is low enough to eat one item on my bad for migraine list. I'm tired of logging the weather, my food and my migraine symptons and durations.  In fact, I'm tired of having to tell people I'm on a diet, that I can't drink alcohol of any kind, or about the evils of florescent lighting that drive me to wear my sun glasses inside.

I'm tired of being jealous of people that don't battle migraines like I do! I'd like to be a normal person too! I'm tired of feeling like a burden to my family because they rarely get the best of me. I'm tired of missing time with my husband due to migraine, or the strict sleep schedule that needs to be maintained in an effort to reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines. I'm tired of being afraid to plan activities because the weather channel says its going to rain. I'm tired of worrying if today I'll have the intellectual capacity to be a wife, mother and productive member of society! I'm tired of being in constant pain and feeling guilty that I don't get to share me with the people I love because of the pain.

Most of all I'm tired of how pathetic it sounds to be so tired of living with migraines! I frequently have people remind me there are worse things to have. I'm sure there are, but that doesn't make me want to flip them off any less when they say it! Most people don't understand that its not a simple headache. Even people with episodic migraines have a hard time believing that in three years I have only had 102 migraine free days. The longest stretch without a migraine was 20 days. That's truly pathetic! I'm tired of the lack of research for a condition that effects millions and most of all I'm tired of being a person living with migraines!

There Back

Migraine, migraine go away my Lili is having a birthday today! For almost two weeks I've been battling my migraines and it sucks! I was hoping they had left after only having three last month, but no such lyck! Some of the problem maybe days like today.I drove a total of six hours to and from my new job, planned professional learning, partially dealt with my broken car, and a few other minor issues as the day progressed. To say I don't have time to be laying in bed, in the dark with my head packed in ice is an understatement! It also didn't help to have another allergic reaction to my abortive med and because the doctor left early I'm told to take nothing and suffer until the first available appointment (which is Friday)!

Did I mention I started a new job too? In South Georgia I'm not sure how up to date they are with migraine treatment. Today I had to explain florescent lighting really isn't my thing and while I'm usually pretty cool, I'm pretty sure the new assistant principal should not be wearing her sunglasses inside! One of the secertaries noticed I brought a lamp for my desk and I was essentially working in the dark, so she brought me a floor lamp for the office when I explained to her what was going on with my head. Sweetest thing ever! Lunch brought a new set of woes. Explaining to new people that I'm on a strict diet and under no circumstances can I eat Chinese food and a host of other things most people put in their mouths daily is always a fun way to spend a lunch time.

My new school seems to be handling this migraine thing pretty well. Everyone is pretty accommodating and very interested in my treatment plan. Now if I could get some new meds asap so I could celebrate my boy's birthday that would be AWESOME!