I am so proud of my husband, Coach Holmes.
It was God's sweet subtle moves that brought us to Candace and David, our across the street neighbors and newest good friends, and helped Mike get started in volunteering at Reynolds, but it was Mike's hard work that got him the job.
He worked harder and longer hours than even some of the paid coaches, not to show off or show up, but to show that he is dedicated. And it paid off. The head coach noticed, and appreciated, Mike's efforts.
Now that he is head JV coach and offensive backs coach for varsity, he is more tired than I've ever seen him but also happier than I've ever seen him, and if you know Mike, you know he's a pretty flippin' happy guy mist all of the time...
He's teaching Honors World History first block. He's got the textbook open and looks over his students' work every night he doesn't have a game. Games are Thursdays and Fridays (except when they're not, story to follow). JV Thursday at six (which I love attending-watching my husband work is a unique perk, not many wives get that opp, right Mir?) and Varsity-Friday at seven. You know I love football but high school people watching (kids AND parents) is so fun.
Not having him home til after 7 most nights and between 10-12 some nights has been a bit of a transition but it's so worth it knowing he's finally doing what he loves. I've been re-learning to cook and have time to actually be a wife (good riddance grad school!)
Reynolds JV is 1-2, Varsity is 2-1.
The most major change in our family as a result of all this is the laundry. The maroon and orange have almost completely been replaced with black and gold!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Ardmore is hilly
Grad school is over! We live less than a mile away from my work! This means...TIME. free time, spare time, hours to kill. I love it. As most of you know, my darling husband turned me into a beer snob. I love craft beer, drinking it and learning more about it.
I also love running. Imagine my excitement when I started following a writer on twitter named TheBeerRunner! He extended a challenge to run every day and drink a beer every day for a week. I decided to give it a shot...
The last semester of grad school plus a 45 minute commute for an 8-5 gig had drastically cut back the # of miles I was running, so I decided this might be a good way to slowly increase my mileage. I ran just one mile most days, no more than 3 once a week. Well, Ardmore is hilly, so while I was not pushing myself mileage or speed wise, I was (unknowingly) pushing myself cartilage-wise, too hard. One Saturday, after a relatively slow one mile followed by our housewarming lunch cook out, I noticed that my right knee looked inflated.
Went to the doc, he suggested rest, PT, then running on flat surfaces. He was convinced it's the hills I've been running that was causing then problem. I walk and stand for 75% of my work day, but I was a good patient and came home every day for two weeks and rested the leg. No running, not even walking. Nothing was changing, if anything I was noticing more short pain twinges than before. Found out PT was going to cost a ridiculous amount of money and decided I wanted more info first. Got an MRI. I have/had chondromallacia patella. All the cartilage under my knee cap was peeling back like paint and it was affecting my patellar tendon. Doc offered surgery as an option, saying that it would be pointless for a 50 yr old but I had a good chance of it actually making a difference (I'll skip the part where this made me realize I'm almost 31...)
Surgery meant at least a week and a half out of work, but he also said it is a "if not now, then later" situation, so Mike and I chose now.
Arthroscopic surgery, no big deal, outpatient procedure under local anesthetic. Got leave for work all figured out (which included two minor breakdowns because of scheduling mishaps and discovering it meant 2 days without pay) and showed up for the surgery. I went by myself at 9am. Outpatient with local anesthetic and in needed to do pre-op before, so I figured I wouldn't actually go back until 11 ish. Mike was at work ( I just had him drop me off on his way to work at 8) mom was in Mississippi, and I didn't see any need for Alan to come from Greensboro so early.
Turns out they took me back at 9:30. Still no big deal, had a friend from work come downstairs to pick up my stuff. Then the anesthesiologist came in and started talking about airways.
(At the hospital, at least twice a week, I do a swallow study on patients who have been intubated.)
It dawns on me that airways are only a concern if you are really knocked out. Slight anxiety sets in and I text mike, "general anesthesia". I was glad that I didn't know before hand because I would have so much more anxious going into it, but the surprise of it wasn't great either. Any who, they set my IV (ask for lidocaine), knock me out, and then I woke up.
I was shaking uncontrollably, like shivering hard, but I wasn't cold. Then I started sobbing. My knee hurt, but not the kind of hurt that makes you cry. Mike and Alan were there with me, but it didn't seem to help to calm me down. The nurse got me a vicodin for the pain (an 8) and shot me up with some demorol to control the shaking and crying. She said it was probably from the versed. Don't look it up, it's kind of frightening. She said I was hyperventilating but I couldn't help it. Having been NPO since midnight, I asked for vanilla pudding (we have the good Hunts stuff at the hospital) but they didn't have any on that floor. And they just switched our Graham crackers from the yummy honey ones to nasty cardboard flavor. But I took what I could get. However, my mouth was so very dry, the crackers turned quickly into dusty paste that I physically could not swallow. Water helped some, but not completely. My voice was so hoarse. Nurse said it was from the dryness because of the oxygen. LIES.
This is what they put in me
http://www.anecare.com/Products/images/LMA-brief1.jpg
Only the slightest improvement over actual intubation...sheesh.
The hoarseness and soreness fortunately went away the next day...
In addition to the cartilage issue we knew about, they found three thumbnail size holes in my medial cartilage, which they were also able to fix!
I'm making good progress. We're on day five...
I can't add pictures to the blog from my iPad...
Should be able to see them here
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150282220344436.339800.530494435&l=096e224b2f&type=1
I've been doing PT every day, a little more each day. Needed two crutches the first day to get to the bathroom. Barely put any weight on it. Next day, two crutches with some weight. Third day, one crutch with weight on it. Fourth day, no crutches but a major limp. Fifth day, no crutches and can stand on that leg briefly! I'm amazed at how much it gets better each day. Second day I was worried about going back to work next Monday, but today, I think I could go back early!!
My first real PT appointment is Thursday, so we'll see then!!
Doc says I should be able to run 3 miles a day in 3-4 months! No more every day running for me though...
I also love running. Imagine my excitement when I started following a writer on twitter named TheBeerRunner! He extended a challenge to run every day and drink a beer every day for a week. I decided to give it a shot...
The last semester of grad school plus a 45 minute commute for an 8-5 gig had drastically cut back the # of miles I was running, so I decided this might be a good way to slowly increase my mileage. I ran just one mile most days, no more than 3 once a week. Well, Ardmore is hilly, so while I was not pushing myself mileage or speed wise, I was (unknowingly) pushing myself cartilage-wise, too hard. One Saturday, after a relatively slow one mile followed by our housewarming lunch cook out, I noticed that my right knee looked inflated.
Went to the doc, he suggested rest, PT, then running on flat surfaces. He was convinced it's the hills I've been running that was causing then problem. I walk and stand for 75% of my work day, but I was a good patient and came home every day for two weeks and rested the leg. No running, not even walking. Nothing was changing, if anything I was noticing more short pain twinges than before. Found out PT was going to cost a ridiculous amount of money and decided I wanted more info first. Got an MRI. I have/had chondromallacia patella. All the cartilage under my knee cap was peeling back like paint and it was affecting my patellar tendon. Doc offered surgery as an option, saying that it would be pointless for a 50 yr old but I had a good chance of it actually making a difference (I'll skip the part where this made me realize I'm almost 31...)
Surgery meant at least a week and a half out of work, but he also said it is a "if not now, then later" situation, so Mike and I chose now.
Arthroscopic surgery, no big deal, outpatient procedure under local anesthetic. Got leave for work all figured out (which included two minor breakdowns because of scheduling mishaps and discovering it meant 2 days without pay) and showed up for the surgery. I went by myself at 9am. Outpatient with local anesthetic and in needed to do pre-op before, so I figured I wouldn't actually go back until 11 ish. Mike was at work ( I just had him drop me off on his way to work at 8) mom was in Mississippi, and I didn't see any need for Alan to come from Greensboro so early.
Turns out they took me back at 9:30. Still no big deal, had a friend from work come downstairs to pick up my stuff. Then the anesthesiologist came in and started talking about airways.
(At the hospital, at least twice a week, I do a swallow study on patients who have been intubated.)
It dawns on me that airways are only a concern if you are really knocked out. Slight anxiety sets in and I text mike, "general anesthesia". I was glad that I didn't know before hand because I would have so much more anxious going into it, but the surprise of it wasn't great either. Any who, they set my IV (ask for lidocaine), knock me out, and then I woke up.
I was shaking uncontrollably, like shivering hard, but I wasn't cold. Then I started sobbing. My knee hurt, but not the kind of hurt that makes you cry. Mike and Alan were there with me, but it didn't seem to help to calm me down. The nurse got me a vicodin for the pain (an 8) and shot me up with some demorol to control the shaking and crying. She said it was probably from the versed. Don't look it up, it's kind of frightening. She said I was hyperventilating but I couldn't help it. Having been NPO since midnight, I asked for vanilla pudding (we have the good Hunts stuff at the hospital) but they didn't have any on that floor. And they just switched our Graham crackers from the yummy honey ones to nasty cardboard flavor. But I took what I could get. However, my mouth was so very dry, the crackers turned quickly into dusty paste that I physically could not swallow. Water helped some, but not completely. My voice was so hoarse. Nurse said it was from the dryness because of the oxygen. LIES.
This is what they put in me
http://www.anecare.com/Products/images/LMA-brief1.jpg
Only the slightest improvement over actual intubation...sheesh.
The hoarseness and soreness fortunately went away the next day...
In addition to the cartilage issue we knew about, they found three thumbnail size holes in my medial cartilage, which they were also able to fix!
I'm making good progress. We're on day five...
I can't add pictures to the blog from my iPad...
Should be able to see them here
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150282220344436.339800.530494435&l=096e224b2f&type=1
I've been doing PT every day, a little more each day. Needed two crutches the first day to get to the bathroom. Barely put any weight on it. Next day, two crutches with some weight. Third day, one crutch with weight on it. Fourth day, no crutches but a major limp. Fifth day, no crutches and can stand on that leg briefly! I'm amazed at how much it gets better each day. Second day I was worried about going back to work next Monday, but today, I think I could go back early!!
My first real PT appointment is Thursday, so we'll see then!!
Doc says I should be able to run 3 miles a day in 3-4 months! No more every day running for me though...
Been a while
Oops...
A LOT has changed since May...
I started my new job and have loved every crazy minute of it. No two days are ever the same. Splitting my time between inpatient rehab and acute care is challenging but it's going really well. I continue splitting time until January, then I'm full time acute care. I should find out in December whether or not I get to keep this job past June.
We found a house in the Ardmore neighborhood of Wisnton-Salem and I adore it. I finally have a fenced in yard for Riley!!!! And a real spare bedroom, and a windowseat. I'm in love and I really hope we get to stay here.
Mike found a job! We live across the street from my supervisor-turned-goodfriend and her husband happens to be a history teacher! He helped Mike get set up to volunteer with the high school's football teams. Once that really got going, the head coach talked with the principal and Mike was able to secure a part-time teaching position (Honors World History). Since he was technically a school emmployee at that point, he could also be paid to coach and the head coach offered him the JV head coach position! Go Demons! Yes, the Reynolds Demons. Slightly scary, but at least the colors aren't red and black. He's loving every minute of coaching and teaching.
So that's us, sorry for the lapse, hope to keep this up!
A LOT has changed since May...
I started my new job and have loved every crazy minute of it. No two days are ever the same. Splitting my time between inpatient rehab and acute care is challenging but it's going really well. I continue splitting time until January, then I'm full time acute care. I should find out in December whether or not I get to keep this job past June.
We found a house in the Ardmore neighborhood of Wisnton-Salem and I adore it. I finally have a fenced in yard for Riley!!!! And a real spare bedroom, and a windowseat. I'm in love and I really hope we get to stay here.
Mike found a job! We live across the street from my supervisor-turned-goodfriend and her husband happens to be a history teacher! He helped Mike get set up to volunteer with the high school's football teams. Once that really got going, the head coach talked with the principal and Mike was able to secure a part-time teaching position (Honors World History). Since he was technically a school emmployee at that point, he could also be paid to coach and the head coach offered him the JV head coach position! Go Demons! Yes, the Reynolds Demons. Slightly scary, but at least the colors aren't red and black. He's loving every minute of coaching and teaching.
So that's us, sorry for the lapse, hope to keep this up!
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