Jen's Awesome New Westsuit Review

California has some of the best surf in the world.  It's consistent, glassy, a great place to meet totally cute guys like my Surfer Boy husband, oh and one more thing about California surf - it's freaking freezing!

I seem to have what's referred to as cold hands (and feet), warm heart.  I grew up in Miami and I was cold there.

I am very happy to report that this surfer girl can give you a five star rating on my new Patagonia Wetsuit.  I'm the envy of all the surfers down at our local surf spot and am telling everyone who will listen just how great this wetsuit really is.

I love to surf.  Being that it's March, the water temperature has been hovering around 56 degrees.  My surf sessions have been accompanied by much complaining - again to anyone who will listen - and a hasty exit out of the ocean after about an hour with my tail tucked between my legs.

No more!  You guys have just got to check this new wetsuit out.  My surf sessions are now easily two hours and I could extend it to three hours, no prob, dude.  I'm totally stoked, man.  I think I'll check in on Face Book, take pictures for the blog and maybe even become a Patagonia spokesperson.

As my good friend Charlie says, I look like a model for  The Price Is Right

The wetsuit is made from recycled (Patagonia likes to use the word recycled every chance they get) polyester, chloroprene rubber - I've never met a man who didn't love a woman in rubber - and the real magic: Merino Wool lined.

What is Merino Wool, you might ask?  Only the finest, comfiest, highest quality, known for its superb wicking abilities, wool.  At least it's not Virgin Wool, which as we all know, comes from ugly sheep.

Here's what a Merino Sheep, prized livestock that they are, look like:

Wouldn't you just love to have my coat for the lining of your wetsuit?

As you can tell, I couldn't be more thrilled with this new development in my surfing career.  I'm paddling out with a huge grin on my face, taking off on steep waves with utter confidence that my body's not going to freeze up, practicing my spinners and ballerina moves.  All the other surfers in the lineup are looking at me wondering - "What happened to you" ?  They all want some of the kool-aide I'm drinking.

So, if you live in a cold water environment, or if you have aspirations of taking a surf trip to Alaska, the Patagonia Wetsuit is for you.

Excuse me now, while I slither like a snake into my new wetsuit (no back zipper friends) grab my surf board, booties and my smile for a surf session out in the Pacific Ocean.

See you in the lineup!

Leavin' this page for awhile

On to other things right now, namely, family, friends and my mentor, Dominique.

Check me out at:

helpdominique.blogspot.com

The All Day Workout

Goals.  We all need goals and targets to hit in life.  My claim to fame?  I'm an endurance athlete.


Prior to this wonderful adventure I've had with my two knee surgeries, my favorite training partner Rico, my Surfer Boy husband Kerry, and I were planning what we called "The All Day Workout"  We had it scheduled on our calender and everything!  What was it?  Exactly what it sounds like.  An All Day Workout.  It was to start with 7am 90 minute Bikram Yoga in a heated to 105 degree room, move on to a several hour surf session, then end the day (until the sun set) with several hours running on the trails.  This is my idea of heaven.


But, calender date and all, it was not to be.  My knee was hurting (waa friggin' waa) and you guys pretty much know the rest of the story which ended with the second surgery five months ago, the osteochondral allograft which was a bone and cartilage transplant from a donor (yep, dead person) graft.  Thank you, donor. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!


These days my life is pretty much an "All Day Workout"  Luckily, I'm not working right now, so I have plenty of time to focus on workouts.  Some of the things I envisioned in the All Day Workout are part of my day, and some are not.  Thank ya Lord, surfing has been included as of two weeks ago.  Amazingly wonderful to be in the ocean again!  Bikram Yoga; well let's just say my classmates are so impressed with my tenacity that they want me to record Jen's Rehab Workout Video.


The one thing I wasn't quite counting on was all this goofy physical therapy: Range of Motion Exercises, Quad Strengthening, Lots of Stationary Bike.  At first the stationary bike was so difficult that I could only do ten minutes at a time.  Yee haw! I burned five whole calories!


But now....... Since I've gotten stronger I can ride the bike for 90 minutes!  It's still not exactly my favorite thing in the world but I've discovered that it is, in fact, an endurance workout.  Especially with surfing and/or yoga thrown in the same day.


And while I'm on the bike I listen to all kinds of cool radio programs:  Dave Ramsey has taught me how to handle money, Les Brown has motivated me and inspired me while giving me some great belly laughs and Hay House Radio has inspired the metaphysical side of life.


Finally:  The Mental Part.  SO important.  It's probably the largest part of any recovery program.  Mine is simple.  I look at these two items below, every day, and visualize myself happily running on the trails, (yes, that's me in the photo) and how great I'm going to look in this short nightgown once both quads are balanced out.  Try it.  It works!

A Belief Is Only A Thought I Keep Thinking

Before And After Photos


Summer's here!  This little blogger likes to sit out on our deck and look at the ocean, imagining that I'm surfing.  Time for an allograft update.


It's been four and a half months since the osteochondral allograft surgery.  When Dr. Bugbee advised me that it would be up to a year before I would completely recover, and that's how long it takes for the graft to completely integrate, well, I just didn't think that time frame would apply to me.

There have been times during this past four and a half months that I wondered, "Why did I do this to myself"?  Oh, the pain, the hard work, (did I mention the pain?) And then yesterday I had a big breakthrough.

I had my four month follow up with Dr. Bugbee last week.  When the technician took the X-ray I asked her how she thought I was doing compared to other allograft patients given the time frame.  "Great!"  Said she.  "A lot of folks are still on crutches at this point"


When the Doctor reviewed the X-rays, we looked at my new bone and cartilage together, and you can see it integrating and becoming a part of ME, where before there was major deterioration.  Groovy!


Here's what I've been doing:


Bikram Yoga (90 minute heated to 105 degree room) 4 - 5 times a week
Range of Motion Exercises 6 times a week
Stationary Bike 15 - 30 minutes 5 times a week
Walking the dog 2 blocks a day
Physical Therapy Sessions which includes electro stimulation on quad 2 times a week


And:


I started keeping a journal of positive affirmations about six weeks ago.  It's filled with all kinds of statements to myself about how I'm healing, what I'm doing, how I'm surfing, running, healthy etc.  There is great power in thoughts and the written word.


One of my favorite:  "The Healing Power Of The Universe Is Surging Through Me Now"  I say, write, and think that thought hundreds of times during the day, go to bed with it at night and wake up with it in the morning.


A Belief Is Only A Thought I Keep Thinking.  Why is that important?  Because most of us say things to ourselves over and over, allow others around us and the media to put thoughts into our heads, and then wonder why we don't have what we want in our lives.


A Belief Is Only A Thought I Keep Thinking.  Hey!  I'm starting to believe that.


So here's my breakthrough:


Yesterday, I got on an elliptical trainer and worked out, worked up a sweat, felt like I was running, had full range of motion, and no pain.  Prior to the surgery, this was something I could not do without immediate pain.  I was astonished, amazed, happy, thrilled, elated, euphoric and almost couldn't believe how great it felt.


When I got off the elliptical trainer I reminded myself that The Healing Power Of The Universe Is Surging Through Me NOW!  Simple really.  Change your thoughts, change your life.  The most exciting part:  You get to pick from the buffet of life.  What are you thinking?  I'm thinking happy thoughts for you.  Happy Trails!

I Did It!

For three months I've been looking at it, beckoning me, tantalizing me with its scent.  I can see it quite clearly from my bedroom picture window.


Month one it seemed an impossibility.


Today, I threw my one crutch, which I use about 50% of the time now aside, leashed Rusty up, laced up my Nike's and went.  To the beach.


No crutch, no husband to lean on.  Just me, Rusty, the leash, and hopefully no errant cat to catch his attention.


"The Walk" entails one block, downhill, a series of stairs, downstairs which are typically followed by upstairs, the uphill and back home.


I DID IT!  Once we reached the beach, my feet, Nike clad that they were, touched the sand.  Ah, heaven.  There were a couple of surfers out, little kids running, Mommies chasing, dogs barking and one curious tattooed couple at the top of the stairs watching and wondering why I was taking the stairs so gingerly.


Back home I sit, on my bed, laptop and ice pack, breathing in ocean air.  I can still see the tattooed couple on the stairs, enjoying this perfect seventy degree, not a cloud in the sky, California day.  Life is good.

Three Month Allograft Anniversary

Today marks exactly three months since I was the lucky recipient of some wonderful person's (donor) living bone and cartilage in my knee.


I was hoping to write a bit more about the experience but haven't because I've been hesitant to write the following words: I didn't know it was going to be so dad-blum, freaking difficult!!!!!!!!


Pain, tightness, restless sleep, vulnerability.


Okay, we got that out of the way.  Now on to the good stuff.  I'm using this as a time to learn how to become more relationship oriented.  Everyone who knows me well, knows that romance, long meaningful conversations into deep hours of the night and long walks on the beach holding hands make me want to gag.  I remember my good friend Ron advising me, when I asked him one day what would be a good idea for a date.  I was planning on having someone "special" over to my home.  He told me to go down to Trader Joe's, purchase a bunch of gourmet food, remove the food from the plastic containers, put it into fancy bowls to make it look like I'd been slaving over a hot stove all day, light candles and then rent a video - one of those romance movies that make you feel like the plot and love story really could happen in real life.  Okay, the candles I can light.  Gimme a break here.  All the rest of that?  Too much work.


My relationship with my husband of four years, after having been single for seventeen years, is flourishing post surgery.  Remember the old days when they used to hobble a person to contain them?  I suppose it's kind of like that.  Except for the fact that I'm now considering purchasing stock in Victoria's Secret.  When I was Super Woman Athlete, most of our weekends were spent on some type of extreme athletic event.  Now there's time slots open for, well, investing in Victoria's Secret stock.  I'm trying to be polite here.


Another update:  Today I took my one crutch, held it in front of me like a tightrope walker and WALKED across the room!  It felt so good I burst out laughing!  One of my yet to be realized life goals is the become a tightrope walker.  I even consulted with a professional at one point for some pointers.  You don't look down at your feet, you look at one point straight ahead, put your arms out for balance, and go!  There's a bit more to it than that, but that's how I'm retraining myself to walk.  The at home tightrope is just around the corner folks!


To my donor: Happy Anniversary Baby!

Tales From The Crypt

The following story is true.  The names have been omitted to protect the not so innocent.  I will recount the story to the best of my ability.


As many of you know, a very dear family member is dealing with a health issue which has her, temporarily, in a nursing home.


Yesterday, she requested the presence of a specialist to inquire about a certain treatment.


About an hour later, into her room floats, or at least she appeared to be floating, a woman who appeared to be angelic whilst at the same time officious.  She listened attentively to the patient.  She then announced: "You're a beautiful person.  I'll be praying for you"  Without warning, she then burst into a heart wrenching rendition of Amazing Grace.  Luckily she had a melodic voice.  Now understand, that my family members condition makes it unable, at this time, for her to jump out of bed and flee.  Thankfully, she had a cool washcloth on her forehead which she then proceeded to cover her entire face with until the "treatment" was over.


My question is this:  If this is the treatment rendered to "Beautiful People" what happens if you're ugly?