First Doctor Visit

After the events of trying to get referred to an orthopedic, I finally got an appointment for Tuesday - 2 days after I hurt my Achilles. Not too bad actually considering how HMO's work. I was feeling pretty good. Gina is coming with me everywhere at this point, what a great support she is. We get to the office for our visit and there is a ton of paperwork to fill-out. Gina is a trooper and fills it our for me and only has to ask me a few questions. We finally get back to the exam room and the nurse takes off the casted splint and we wait. My ankle is swollen and black & blue. Doctor comes in and has me lay on my stomach so he can see the back of my leg. He moves the foot a little bit and squeezes the calf and I almost hit to ceiling because the pain is so bad. I sit up and he asks me a few questions and says I have 2 options. Surgery or no surgery. He tells me the recovery will be about the same and that it really doesn't matter if I do surgery or not. He leaves and says we can talk about it for a few minutes. WHAT!!! No recommendation...no advice. NOTHING!! I don't know what to think. He makes it sound as if it really isn't that bad. Maybe it isn't, I think. He comes back and we try to ask him his opinion and he says that he has had really good luck with both approaches. He says we can think about it for a few days and he will have me back in a cast (full short cast this time - no splint) and we will come back in 2 weeks to have it off. If we decide to have surgery that would be the last date we could decide. I couldn't believe that he wasn't going to do any additional testing to see how bad it was. Gina and I leave a littel perplexed. I tell her I am going to research on my own a little before I make a decision and talk to several people about the injury. But I didn't feel as if I got enough information to make a decision at this point. She thinks it is a good idea. We get the cast and leave. Maybe 20 - 30 minutes total in the back office.exam room. We were a littel deflated to say the least.

We are thinking - WHAT NOW!!!

E.R. Visit

Most of the time when someone talks about going to the E.R. everyone cringes, myself included. The pain associated with an Achilles Tendon injury is as bad as people say. It is a 12 on the scale of 1 - 10. I had only felt pain that bad one other time in my life (my finger got caught between the panels of a garage door when it closed). So here we are in the car driving to the E.R. with my wife driving and my 2 boys in the back not sure what to think. For the sake of my kids, I had to hold back the tears. Ben, my youngest, is deeply sensitive and I think he could see right through me. He is crying in the car for me. We get to the E.R. and immediately get to an admitting person who take our information. My wife's sister meets us there and takes the boys (although Ben really really wanted to stay with us because he wanted to help me). We get back to the actual E.R. or so I thought....just another waiting room. But it didn't last long. We have now been in the E.R. a total of 25 minutes and we are in a room, waiting for someone to come in. 5 minutes later we get to see him. A physician assistant is going to help us. He says there is a definite problem and sends us off for an X-ray. Well, I know I am not a doctor, but I have been around enough to know that an X-ray isn't going to show anything if it is a tendon injury. X-rays show bone, not soft tissue. I ask about that and he said I was right, but X-ray is always the first step and they can not do an MRI in the E.R. Ok, go get the X-ray and even the X-ray tech says that nothing is going to show up. Back to the room and they give me some pain medication and start a splint. They say I have to see an orthopedic specialist so they can order the MRI and find out what the true problem is.

So my trip to the E.R. was only 2 hrs and I got pain meds, a splint, crutches and a referral. Not bad on the time, but we got the bill a few weeks later (thank goodness for insurance) that was over $1400.00....may part was only $50.00. Whew!!

OUCH!!!!

I have played baseball and softball almost my entire life and the only significant injury was a rupture ligament in my glove hand (left) the day before I turned 16. Never really a pulled muscle or strain anything. So I should have known something was up when I pulled my hamstring at the first game of the season. Sat out a few games played one then pulled it again. Never had this happened to me. Fast forward to the end of the season tournament. I am batting third and we are in the top of the first. I get to second base....batter behind me ropes a liner to left field and I take off for third and round it going home. Half way home and the left fielder hits me in the back of the ankle with his throw home...or so I thought. I hobbled across the plate not able to put much weight on my left foot and tumbled to the ground after I scored. I try to get up and need assistance from my teammates. They asked what happened and I tell them that the ball hit me in the ankle....they said no it didn't, the ball was never thrown home. UH, OH!!!
It hurts and I mean a lot. I get ice and put it on while sitting on the bench. I can't play in the field the first inning even though I am supposed to just pitch. I sit there, in pain while my team disposed of the other team. They come in and ask how it is. I try to get up and it shoots pain up my leg. But it is my turn to bat and if I miss my turn it is an automatic out the first time. I can't put pressure on it but I can stand on my other leg and not swing the bat. Maybe the pther pitcher will walk me. I go up the the plate with bat in hand. The opposing manager calls time-out and makes a deal with our manager. he can tell I am in a lot of pain. No out will be called if I don't bat....he doesn't want me to get hurt any worse than I already am.
I go sit down to wait for my wife to get to the game as she was coming to watch anyway. As soon as she gets there, I decide I have had enough...off to the ER.

My poor Achilles

3 weeks ago I ruptured my Achilles Tendon playing softball. Man, can you say PAIN!!! I am going to attempt to document my road to recovery, however long it may be. Original estimate put it around 6 month for day to day activity and about a year to resume the activities I was doing before. So....without further delay....my Achilles blog.

WOW - how quickly it comes back

A few lackluster weeks. A few "ok, I'll have just one". A few very busy weeks of eating out and not caring because I was so tired. And poof - there it is.

Back at 220 lbs.

I was avoiding the scale for a few weeks because I didn't want to know. But now that I do....hold up. Take a step back. Take a few deep breathes.

Ok, now that I am settled....WHAT DO YOU MEAN 220 LBS!!!!!

Time to refocus. I know how it happened. I know how to get back on track. And now that summer is almost here...it is time. 20 yr reunion this summer too. A few great reasons. So full speed ahead at weight loss again. Take 2 (not 2 cookies - duh).

Motivation

I am trying to find this motivation that seems to be evading me. For some reason, there is a lack of it floating around me. I have been doing good for a while, but the business of life seems to drain it out of me. I am not eating well, I am not working out, I am letting things go just because I don't want to do it. I know, it could be lazy, but I think I need a swift kick in the figurative butt. What I need the Jillian Michaels from the biggest loser to get me going. I would love to work out with her for a few weeks. Wow talk about motivation.

Anyway, if anyone sees my motivation laying around, will you please tell it to come back to me....I really need it.

A long gap

Again a long time since I last posted. BUt - no weight gain, but no weight loss. Which isn't all that bad. I haven't been working out. That means my diet is good for keeping steady.

I moved the treadmill inside the house in front of the big screen 2 weeks ago. My first run was last Saturday - 2 miles as a consistent pace. I felt really good afterwards. Not out of breath at all.

I ran again last night and went 3 miles at same pace. Same result. I felt really good afterwards and think I might keep the pace the same and go for 5 miles tonight.

Wish me luck.

Holding steady

With not even much thought as to what I am doing with my eating. I have stayed flat with my weight loss for the past 2 months or so. I hover around 210 right now (+/- 2 lbs). BUt as I said, I am not actively trying to lose anything and am doing good at not gaining either. That is a real bouns. I weigh myself everyday (I know they all say don't do that) but it really helps me to see how the previous day has affected me. Also if I gain 2 pounds the previous day, I know I have to tighten up that day. It really works for me. I weight myself each morning as soon as I get out of the shower so it is always under the same conditions/circumstances.

The next phase for me is to really try to get the next 10 lbs off and be a 200. I think the biggest thing that will help me is getting the treadmill back inside. Unfortunately, that means cleaning the garage as well. Something that I haven't had time for. Treadmill also will help me since my boys made me promise to run the Disneyland half marathon in September so they can cheer me on at Angel Stadium. I wanted to bring it in yesterday, but it has been raining here for about 3 days straight. Now I know what you are thinking, 3 days and I am complaining. But listen, this is SoCal - it doesn't rain in SoCal.

Oh well - it will come in sometime.

A good start

Well, like a lot of things I do, I started out with this blog pretty well. Then I got busy and just left it by the side of the raod. Typical. Well, part of my New Year's Resolution is to be better at blogging. I don't really believe in New Year's Resolutions...it is just a way to feel bad about yourself if you don't achieve the goal. And why do we have to start at the new year. Why not have a February 1st Resolution. Ot a Half New Year Resolution.

My point is that I had though of setting a goal of losing weight bacj in the begining of September. I wanted to do this and thought I would wait until the new year. Then I thought...WHAT!!! Why am I waiting. If I WANT to do this, then Just Do It (thanks Nike). So I decided to do it.

I started in the middle of Sept at 240 lbs. Way too heavy. I was consistent and changed my diet right away. I dropped a great deal of weight pretty quickly and kept it all off during the holidays. A huge accomplishment. As of today, I am at 209. I feel great and I am excited about adding in my exercise now. 31 lbs lost on changing my diet alone. That tells you how bad my diet was.

My advice...if you WANT to do something, don't use the time of year or any other situation as an excuse not to start working toward it. I thought in September that I would gain a bunch of weight back during the holidays. But as it got closer, I felt more confident that I could do it.

So now, the treadmill is coming back in the house from the garage and baseball season is starting. I manager my sons team, so being out on the field doing the drills with the kids will help a lot.

Remember - Live like there is no tomorrow!!!

Sports Nutz

That is our family. In a previous post I told you about our possible schedule. Well, it happened. Jackson made the football team at Grace Christian School and we now have at least 1 sport to practice or plat on all 7 days of the week. That goes along with regular school work, church, scouts and some leisure time.

So far so good. It has been about 2 1/2 weeks and things are actually going very well. Jackson has a great attitude with everything...including his homework. Benjamin, I think, is feeling a little left out. But we are trying really hard to spend extra time with him. I will play chess with him while Jackson is finishing up his homework instead of letting him watch TV or something. Just to spend that extra time with him is good for him.

I will keep you posted with all the happenings.

Fortune Look-alike Meter - Take 2

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Fortune Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Lindsay Lohan

Ok - I am just beside myself reading about LL and the way she has come after Sarah Palin. First, when did LL become the moral compass for our society. Should that happen, I am moving somewhere else...maybe Canada, but I will not be a part of a society that listens to a closet lesbian who can not stay out of trouble with the law. If LL really knew anything about Sarah Palin and what she believes (in fact what all Christians I know believe) she wouldn't go running her mouth off. What I (and most other Christians I know) believe is that yes, homosexuality is a sin and it says so in the bible. But do I hate homosexuals. No, in fact just the opposite. A motto I have lived by since accepting Jesus is, "Love them 'til they ask why." That seems appropriate. I do love them the way Jesus loves them. But instead of trying to understand a different position, LL goes and bashes Palin. If Palin was a Muslim, there would be so much outcry and backlash against LL that she wouldn't work for years. But since it is a Christian, it's no big deal.

Guess what....IT IS A BIG DEAL!!! Why do we as a society of Christians let people continue to get away with bashing us. We need to stand up for ourselves and say enough is enough. When did it become politically correct to bash Christians? When was that morally ok? Can someone tell me please. I missed that part of the meeting.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!

Patriot Day

Today, our scouts at Pack 611 from Cypress, CA held a flag raising ceremony for Grace Christian School, where a majority of the boys go to school. We did this for 2 reasons: (1) We wanted to do a good community service project for our school and (2) we wanted to remember what happened 7 years ago when cowardly men killed thousands of innocent people.Before I spoke today, I did some research on what Patriot Day was and how it came about. Here is what I learned. On December 18th, 2001, the Congress of the United States of America designated that September 11 of each year as Patriot Day. Patriot Day is different than Patriots Day in New England. In the Presidents proclamation on September 8th, 2008, he wrote,

Since 9/11, we have recognized the threat posed by terrorists to the safety of the American people and worked to protect our homeland by fighting terrorists abroad. We are confronting terrorism by advancing freedom, liberty, and prosperity as an alternative to the ideologies of hatred and repression. Our Nation pays tribute to our courageous men and women in uniform serving around the world and the devoted members of our law enforcement, public safety, and intelligence communities at home who work night and day to protect us from harm and preserve the freedom of this great Nation.
Seven years ago, ordinary citizens rose to the challenge, united in prayer, and responded with extraordinary acts of courage, with some giving their lives for the country they loved. On Patriot Day, we remember all those who were taken from us in an instant and seek their lasting memorial in a safer and more hopeful world. We must not allow our resolve to be weakened by the passage of time. We will meet the test that history has given us and continue to fight to rid the world of terrorism and promote liberty around the globe.

I encourage you today, to take a moment from your day to say a prayer for all those who serve and protect us, from around the corner to the far away places. Be thankful that we live in a country where we can worship God in whatever way we choose without fear of punishment or retribution. That our loving and gracious God is always with us, even when we are afraid and alone.
As I spoke and watched the flag go up to the top of the pole and back down to half-staff, I looked out at the 500 or so people that were there and could see that several where in or nearly in tears. It hit me then, that this is my generations defining day. Each generation has one. For my parents it was the JFK assassination, for my grandparents it was the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I can, to this day, I remember the whole morning very clearly. In the shower, I could not catch my breath...my heart was racing. I knew something wasn't right. I got out of the shower and laid down on my bed and turn on the TV for a few moments to catch my breath. That's when I found out. Total shock. I was very late for work that day and then next several were very difficult trying to get our payroll all over the country without the use of the airplanes.

Do you have memories of 9/11? I would love to hear them.

Ben and the art of carving food

So last year for a school science arts and crafts festival, my youngest, Benjamin, wanted to do somehting with me that was really fun. I suggested making food of some kind. He really likes to cook. So we went on a journey to find some kind of food that we could do for the festival.

No bake cookies...maybe. We wouldn't be able to really use a stove or oven or anything of that nature at the festival...but something to display. I remembered taking a cruise where they put all kinds of fruits and veggies out that were cut into different things.

That was it...food carving. I scoured the internet in the hopes of finding something we could carve that looked like what it was supposed to be...low and behold, I found a lot of things.

Below are 2 of the items we carved. There were more, but I don't have those pictures here right now. Enjoy.

Legoland - Pictures

Watching the 3D Lego Racers Movie

Lego Boats - these are not on tracks...you really drive the boat.
Heroes wanted...Firefighters competition


Rapture Splash..one of the funnest things at Legoland. Waterballoon fight.

Goofy boy.

Tomorrow is Legoland. This is our second year that we have ended our summer at Legoland. How fun this is? If you don't know what Legoland is...for shame. It is an amusement park in San Diego, CA that is most made from and based on legos. My kids are 10 and 8 and their creative juices thrive when they play with legos. This is great fun and I will post pictures from Legoland next week.

Have a great weekend!!!

LOST

Not the TV show (although I am addicted to it...not obsessed, just addicted). Life in general. Now I don't think I am lost in a way that reflects that I have NO direction. Just lost in a way that I don't know which direction to go first. Gina and I were working on our schedule for the upcoming school year. UGH!!!!

Monday - if Jackson make the football team at school, he has games on Monday afternoon.
Tuesday - Benjamin has soccer practive from 5 - 6:30 (dad is coach) and Jackson has batting cages (optional) from 6 - 7pm.
Wednesday - Jackson has Advanced Band for his Trumpet at 7:45am before school - Small group at church at 7pm.
Thursday - Benjamin soccer practice 5 - 6:30 (dad is coach) and both boys have Scouts at 7pm (dad is Cubmaster)
Friday - Jackson has Jazz Band practice for his Trumpet at 7:45am before school - Jackson has baseball practice at 5 - 7pm (dad is coach).
Saturday - Benjamin has soccer games (dad is coach).
Sunday - 2 services at church (1 to attend and 1 to work in Children's Ministry) - Jackson has baseball games (dad is coach).

Not to mention if Jackson does make the football team - he has practice after school.

This kind of snowballed on us. We always let the boys do a sport if they want. It is important for boys to get the energy out at much as possible and frankly they love it and are good at their chosen sports.

Jackson wanted to try his hand at music last year (it was the first time at school he could try an instrument). He chose the trumpet and is something of a prodigy. Gina and I are not musically inclined at all and he has picked it up quickly and is doing wonderfully well. The music director wants him to keep going and he wants to as well (his goal now is to go to USC and march in the band - can you say scholarship!!!).

They have both been doing scouts for several year and I just took over as Cubmaster this past spring.

Our lives have always been busy...but this is going to drive us crazy I think.

I will keep you updated at to the craziness.

Being a parent is hard work

I know to those that are parents this is no news flash. I have been a parent for more than 10 years...it doesn't get easier. My boys are 10 1/2 and 8 (9 in Dec). And just when I thought that they were getting out of the be mean to your brother phase, it rears its ugly head again.

Benjamin is the younger of the 2 boys and he knows exactly how to puch the buttons of his more sensative older brother. Now pushing these button used to cause Jackson (the older) to attack Benjamin physically. Obviously not ok at any time to attack someone...so Jackson would get in trouble for attacking and Benjmain would be hurt but not in trouble. As a parent, you have to deal with the most inappropriate behavior first (and the one that causes phiscal harm qualifies as that). Anyway, as we became more savvy parents, we caught on to the game that was played by Benjamin. It helps that Jackson has calmed down quite a bit and very, very rarely attacks his brother anymore. So noe, Benjamin gets in much more trouble than his older brother....come to think of it, it was this age that Jackson was getting into so much trouble. Maybe there is hope for all of us!!!!

Anyway, Benjamin is also a drama king. He is very strong and very tough for his age. Excpet when his brother does naything al all to him...like touch him. Last night we were out buying new soccer cleats for Benjamin. He was testing them out in the store and ran from the carpet to the hardwood sales area. As you might have guess....SLIP.... right on to his bottom. Now this wasn't a simple slip and fall. He was running full speed and when I turned around to tell him to stop before he got onto the hardwood...too late. When I turned he was mid-air about level with my stomach. I am 6' tall so you do the math. WHAM...right on his bottom. Gina and I held out breath for a minute and when he smiled, we let out a sigh and started to laugh with him. This coupled with the fact that as a soccer player and an attacker at that, he gets knocked down and tackled all the time. He pops back up and keeps going. However, if Jackson shoves him or grabs him, the shrill he lets out you would think that Jackson has actually pulled his arm out of the socket or he was shoved into a glass window.

Luckily, we don't let him get away with this much. It is hard as a parent to discern what is real and what is not. We tell him the story of the boy who cried wolf and such in hopes that he gets it, but only time will tell.

Bucket List

Gina and I watched The Bucket List on Sunday night. WOW. I cna not believe a movie can get me thinking so much about my own life. (Spoiler ALERT!!!) To me the most impactful part of the movie was after Carter died and Edward was giving the eulogy. He said they had only know each other for 3 months. 3 months!!!! But they knew each other so much better than people who have been friends for years or even decades. Edward was very insightful (albeit after the fact) about Carters motives. Carter knew he was helping a stranger and he did it well.

This movie coupled with the recent passing of Randy Pausch (I am reading his book right now) have me really thinking about life and death. If I were to die today (not that I am desiring that in any way), but if I did....who would give me eulogy and what would they say. Gina and I have always had a hard time in our adult lives of getting to know people...becoming friends. Do I have an Edward in my life? Can I say that I am leaving a legacy (ie Randy Pausch) to my children? Not sure...but I am going to be looking at that in all that I do.

See the movie...read the book.

All-Star Game

I sat and watched the Home-Run Derby last night and thought...WOW!!! This guy is amazing. He is hitting everything out of the park. Josh Hamilton really put on an amazing show of power and consistency. But that wasn't always the case for him. He was a drug addict and at some pint wished he would never wake up. "There are bigger plans for you," is what his wife would tell him. A modern day prophetess??? Who knows. But armed with Jesus, he knows that all things are possible. Josh Hamilton's story is bigger than baseball and he knows it. It is bigger than him. In fact it is bigger than anything...except Jesus.

I give credit to Josh Hamilton. He isn't shying away from this opportunity. He is soaking it in for all it is worht. And through it all...he is giving glory to God and Jesus for turning his life around. He couldn't do it on his own. The story of Josh Hamilton shows that no matter how low you are, all hope is never gone.